Reheat Chicken

Chicken makes for a delicious and cost-efficient meal, but it has a tendency to dry out when you reheat it for leftovers. If you have cooked chicken left over and you want to reheat it, there are a few simple ways to do it safely that will keep it moist and tender, and will not "re-cook" the meat, as frying will do.

  • Total time (Microwave): 2-4 minutes

Steps

Reheating in Microwave

  1. Cut the chicken into small pieces. Chicken — especially the breast meat — tends to dry out when it's heated for too long. Cutting the chicken into smaller pieces will make the reheating time shorter and prevent the pieces from drying out.
  2. Place the chicken on a microwave-safe plate. [1]Don’t microwave anything in a plastic container. Many of the myths surrounding microwaved plastic and cancer have proven scientifically unfounded.[2] The risk you run, though, is melting the plastic onto your food.
  3. Cover the chicken. Again, don’t use regular old plastic wrap, as it might melt onto your food. Don’t use tinfoil either, as it can spark and either start a fire or break your microwave.
    • You can purchase microwave covers that are made of microwave-safe plastic[3]
    • Simply cover it with a paper towel if you can’t find anything else
  4. Reheat your chicken. How much chicken do you have? If it's a very small amount (a serving for a single meal), begin with one and a half minutes of reheating using the normal setting on your microwave — usually 1,000 watts. If you have a large amount of chicken, begin with 2 1/2 or 3 minutes of microwaving. In either case, check the temperature either by touching the chicken with your finger or by tasting a small bite to see if it's been warmed through properly. Continue to reheat thirty seconds at a time until it reaches an appropriate temperature.
  5. Remove and rest the chicken. Keep in mind that the container will likely be very hot, so use oven mitts or potholders to safely remove the chicken from the microwave. Leave the cover over the chicken, and let it rest for two minutes before cutting into it or serving.
  6. Remove the cover. Be careful when you do this, as it may release a large amount of hot steam. Keep your face and fingers out of the way to prevent burns.

Reheating on a Stovetop

  1. Bring a pan up to low-to-medium heat. A non-stick pan is ideal for reheating chicken — especially when the skin has been left on the meat, since the fatty skin tends to stick to heated pans.
    • You should be able to feel heat emanating off the pan when you place your hand two inches above it.
    • You don't want the pan to be as hot as you'd use to cook raw chicken, as intense heat will dry the chicken out.
  2. Put a tablespoon of oil or butter in the pan. A little bit of fat in the pan will prevent the chicken from drying out.
  3. Reheat the chicken in the pan. Place the cold chicken in the pan and watch it closely. To prevent burning, move the chicken around the pan so the surface doesn't have a chance to stick to the pan. Make sure to turn the pieces from time to time to heat the chicken through from both sides.
  4. Rest and serve. Give the chicken a minute or two to redistribute its juices, then eat!

Reheating Chicken in an Oven

  1. Prepare the chicken for reheating. Thaw the chicken if it's been frozen, and cut the chicken into smaller pieces to avoid drying it out during the reheating process.
  2. Bring the temperature up. You don’t have to bring the chicken up to room temperature if it's been frozen, but make sure it's not frozen solid. Place it in the refrigerator for several (6-8) hours before reheating it to slowly bring the temperature up.
    • If you are going to reheat the chicken immediately, place the frozen chicken in a water-proof Ziploc bag and run cold water over it until it thaws.
    • You can also thaw it in the microwave on the “Defrost” setting.
  3. Place the chicken in an oven-safe dish or pan. A cookie sheet would be ideal. Check the bottom of the dish to make sure it will stand up to extreme temperatures.
    • Spread the precooked chicken pieces in the container, doing your best to keep even spacing between the pieces.
    • Cover your chicken pieces with leftover pan juices, if available.
    • Cover the dish or cookie pan with aluminum foil to keep the chicken from drying out.
  4. Preheat the oven. Set the oven to 425 to 475°F (220 to 245 degrees Celsius). Different ovens take different amounts of time to preheat, so make sure the oven is up to the right temperature before you insert the chicken for reheating.
  5. Reheat the chicken. Once the oven has preheated, place the chicken in the oven. If the chicken has been cut into small pieces, it may take only a few minutes to reheat properly. If you are reheating large pieces, like whole breasts, you may have to wait longer.
    • Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature and make sure you’re not leaving the middle cold.
    • The chicken should be brought up to an internal temperature of 165°F before serving.[4]
  6. Remove and serve. Use oven mitts to protect your hands when removing the chicken from the oven, and use a potholder or trivet to protect your counters from the heat of the container.
    • If you have large pieces of chicken, let it rest for a couple minutes before cutting into it. This will allow the juices to redistribute, so you won’t have dry, tough chicken.

Reheating a Whole Store-Bought Rotisserie Chicken in an Oven

  1. Preheat the oven. Set the oven for 350°F and let it preheat completely. Different ovens take different amounts of time to preheat, so make sure the oven is up to the right temperature before you insert the chicken for reheating.
  2. Prepare a roasting dish. Because the chicken has already been cooked, you don’t really need a roasting dish with deep sides, because there won’t be juices running off the chicken. However, a roasting dish is still a good size for reheating a rotisserie chicken.
    • Rub butter or oil on the surface of the dish, or spray it with nonstick cooking spray, to keep the chicken from sticking to it.
    • Place the whole rotisserie chicken in the dish.
  3. Reheat the chicken. Place the dish in the properly preheated oven, making sure it’s in the center rack for even heat application. Depending on how large your chicken is, you might need a little more or less time, but it should take about 25 minutes for your chicken to reheat thoroughly.[5]
    • Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
    • Begin checking the temperature a few minutes early, especially if your chicken is on the small side.
    • Don’t let the chicken overcook, as it gets tough and dry — especially the white meat.
  4. Rest and serve. Remove the chicken from the oven, using oven mitts and trivets to protect your hands and the counter from the hot container. Let the chicken rest at room temperature for about five minutes before cutting into it. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the chicken, keeping it moist when served.

Tips

  • Microwaves tend to heat up food on the outside first, especially food that is "thick," such as a whole chicken. Be sure to cut up your leftover chicken before microwaving it.
  • Microwaves work faster, but ovens reheat the meat more evenly.

Warnings

  • It is worth noting that there is some controversy over whether plastic wrap, even if microwave safe, is bad for your food because toxins are forced into the food when microwaving. The same concerns hold true for microwaving in plastic containers. The Internet can provide information on alternatives to both.
  • Before handling leftover chicken (or other food), be sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. If you have a cold or allergies and are likely to cough or sneeze, be sure that you are not handling the food when you do so. The Staphylococcus bacterium species is a regular inhabitant of nasal passages and our skin; this is the major cause of food poisoning when it comes in contact with food and multiplies.
  • It is far more likely that food will get bacteria on its surface and not on its insides. Be sure to cover all food before refrigerating it to prevent any surface contamination. Let food cool before applying an air-tight cover and refrigerating; warm or hot food in an air-tight environment can also breed bacteria.
  • Even fully cooked food can harbor harmful bacteria, such as Salmonella. Be sure to discard anything such as marinades that the chicken has been sitting in and do not use it on other foods.
  • Never put foil in a microwave!

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.sfgate.com/food/article/The-best-way-to-reheat-chicken-2790919.php
  2. ↑ http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update0706a.shtml
  3. ↑ http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/176-0384133-4799353?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=microwave+cover
  4. ↑ http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html
  5. ↑ http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/sites/default/files/media/Stores/A-C/CIR/Holiday_13_Heating%20Instructions.pdf
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