Reheat Fried Chicken In Air Fryer

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Your grandmother may have fried up a whole chicken every week, but you probably only enjoy it on occasion. So, on the rare chance that there are leftovers, you want them to be as delicious as possible the next day.

A regular question I get is how do you reheat fried chicken so it has super crispy skin. Whilst there are various reheating methods, we of course want the best results in a few simple steps.

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Perfectly Reheated Chicken

Enter the air fryer. The air fryer reheats fried chicken to crispy, crunchy, juicy perfection in practically no time.

You can enjoy your leftovers, and they will taste almost as good as they did straight out of the deep fryer. My preferred method for reheating chicken leftovers is the Air Fryer method.

Just as good and easy as how to Reheat Pizza in the Air Fryer and Reheat Steak In The Air Fryer.

Oh, and these How To Reheat Chicken Wings Air Fryer and how to Reheat Rotisserie Chicken In Air Fryer are great air fryer hacks too.

A microwave oven will yield soggy chicken with hot spots along with colder areas too, and reheating fried chicken in the oven takes too long and can dry out the chicken.

The air fryer solves all of those problems. Your air fryer chicken will be heated through evenly, with juicy chicken inside and the coating will be just as crunchy as it was the first time. Yeap, the crispness of the chicken is unbelievable. This really is the best way to reheat chicken and deep fried foods.

This method works on the different types of cuts aka breasts, thighs, drumsticks, chicken tenders, even rotisserie chicken.

Sure, leftover, cold chicken sometimes hits the spot and can be a magical treat all on its own.

But when you’re in the mood for hot, crunchy fried chicken, the air fryer is the best option to reheat your leftovers. 

Why Make This Recipe

• Fast – One of the best ways to reheat fried chicken to near perfection in less time than it would take to preheat your oven. Totally helps prevent food waste.
• Frugal – Don’t waste your leftovers.
• Unbelievable Crunch – No more soggy chicken heated in the microwave with various hot spots. The air fryer gives leftovers a delicious crispy skin whilst still tender inside. 
• Healthier – No need for cooking in hot oil in a skillet or any excess grease.

Ingredient Notes

• Leftover Fried Chicken – yeap you only need one ingredient for this awesome Air Fryer hack. This can be homemade, a takeaway or store bought.
• Optional liquid – you really only need the meat but you might want to spray some liquid like water, cooking broth or spread on some sauce to keep things juicy especially when working with bigger pieces.

Ready to make this Air Fryer Reheated Fried Chicken? Gather your ingredients and I will show you…

How To Reheat Fried Chicken in Air Fryer

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. Take leftover chicken out of the fridge and allow it to come up to room temperature (this is key!)
2. Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees F / 190 degrees C.
3. Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer into the air fryer basket without the pieces touching. 
4. Cook for four minutes, giving the basket a shake halfway after 2 minutes.
5. Check the internal temperature of the chicken using a digital meat thermometer, once it reached 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C, remove and serve warm. 

How to Reheat Fried Chicken in Oven

If you don’t have an air fryer, don’t fret! You can reheat fried chicken in a conventional oven and that turns out deliciously crispy outside and tender inside. Follow these steps;

1. Take leftover chicken out of the fridge and allow it to come up to room temperature (this is key!)
2. Preheat oven to 375F / 190C.
3. Place chicken on a baking tray, leaving space in between each piece.
4. Reheat in oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165F / 74C.

Pro Tips

• Do make sure to preheat the air fryer before using. Learn How To Preheat Air Fryer.
• Let the chicken sit and come to room temperature for about 20 minutes to 30 minutes for maximum crisp and to ensure that the chicken will be heated and warm all the way through.
• Cook similar sized pieces together. If you reheat a breast and a wing together, you will end up with an overcooked wing and a breast that may still be cold in the middle.
• While you are reheating the chicken, keep a close watch on it. 4 minutes is an average cooking time, but you may need more or less depending on the size of your chicken pieces. The meat can burn quickly so keep an eye on it especially in the last minute of reheating.
• Don’t overcrowd the basket. Place the chicken in the basket with space between them so the hot air can circulate and crisp up the food. 
• Use paper towels – if your pieces of chicken release oil after cooking, then transfer them to a paper towel lined plate, let sit and let the paper towel soak up all the oil.

Plus……..

• You dont need to add any oil to the food before warming it up.
• If your chicken looks a little dry, spritz it with water or broth before placing it in the air fryer. 
• You could also brush each meat piece lightly with your favorite sauce before reheating. Adds a bit more flavor.
• Cook time depends on the size of your chicken cuts, bigger pieces will need a little more time than smaller pieces.
• Air Fryer temperatures vary depending on the make and model. It’s best to start with less cooking time, check food for doneness, then add more time as needed.

Storage 

Store – Leftover fried chicken should never be kept for more than 4 days in the fridge. It is also not advised to reheat chicken multiple times. Chicken should always be stored in an airtight container inside the fridge. 

FAQs

How Long To Reheat Fried Chicken In Air Fryer

Cooking times depend on the size of the chicken and the temperature. And this recipe is based on room temperature chicken. Based on a 375F / 190C temperature, reheating your fried chicken should take about 4 minutes. Bigger pieces could take up to 7-8 minutes.

Always check the internal temperature of the meat using a thermometer. The meat is done and safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C.

More Reheating Food In Air Fryer Hacks

• Reheat Pizza In AIr Fryer.
• Reheat Steak In Air Fryer.
• Reheat Fried Fish In Air Fryer.
• Reheat Fries In Air Fryer.
• Reheat Chicken Nuggets Air Fryer.
• Check out all my How To Reheat Foods In Air Fryer Post.

More Recipes You May Like

• Air Fryer Whole Chicken. – One of my fav recipes.
• Air Fryer Chicken Thighs. – Nice and juicy.
• Air Fryer Chicken Legs.
• Frozen Chicken Nuggets Air Fryer. – Kids love these.
• Cooking frozen burrito in the Air Fryer. – Better than take out.
• How to Cook frozen shrimp in the Air Fryer. – Use in so many dishes
• Cooking frozen corn dogs in the Air Fryer. –
• Easy Air Fryer Chicken Breast. Easy and juicy so perfect.

Serving Suggestions

• Southern Coleslaw.
• Easy Mac and Cheese in the Pressure Cooker.

Weight Watchers Points

There are 8 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.

Tools Needed 

• An Air Fryer.
• Some handy tongs.

Thank you for reading my Reheated Fried Chicken recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

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