How To Successfully Reheat Fried Chicken

There are few things that can compare to a delicious batch of fried chicken. Whether you get it from your favorite restaurant or make it at home, when you're craving that juicy poultry, nothing else works as a reasonable substitute. Of course, that doesn't mean you'll necessarily want to eat it all right away. Storing leftovers in the refrigerator will ensure you have a tasty snack for later, or possibly even tomorrow's lunch. But many people choose to just throw it out. Why? Because reheating in the microwave, which works great for many foods, fails utterly in this situation. But don't lose hope! You can reheat your meal without losing that important crispiness.

Preheat the Oven
That's right, you're going to skip the microwave this time. While it is one of the most convenient of all household appliances, microwaves and fried chicken just don't mix. It will heat up the food, but it will also steal away most of the juice and make the crisp outside soggy in the process. Maybe you enjoy that peculiarity, but that would put you in the distinct minority. If you pre-heat your oven to 350, you'll be on your way to getting as close to duplicating the original meal as possible.

Use a Pan
You'll need a flat baking pan to reheat your fried chicken. Line it with aluminum foil so you don't need to worry about cleaning grease off the pan later. Put your leftovers on the foil and center the chicken in the oven. It should take approximately 20 to 30 minutes for the food to reach the desired temperature. More pieces will require more time. The same goes for larger pieces. Check the food periodically with a meat thermometer so you know when it has reached a desirable temperature.

Thawing
If you've chosen to store your fried chicken in the freezer, you should take it out the night before and put it in the refrigerator. Don't try to reheat the food from a frozen state, as this rarely produces tasty results. On the other hand, don't make the mistake of thawing your food on the counter. This can lead to bacteria growth, which can cause illness. The same applies to leaving any leftovers out on the counter. Putting them in the refrigerator at the outset will keep them good for a couple of days.

Ask The Restaurant
Some fried chicken restaurants go out of their way to help their customers enjoy their leftovers. In some cases, this even means providing special bags and other directions that will help you reheat your food so that it is as good the next day as it was straight out of the kitchen.