Fried chicken is a staple of happiness, especially when it's crispy, flavorful, and juicy. Fresh out of the oven, falling apart at the bone, and contained only by a layer of crunchy flakes: it’s ecstasy in a Publix bag. Although it's delicious any time, I decided to find out how to reheat fried chicken because the second day of soggy crusts and limp skin can be rough.

The audible crunch is missing, and the tear of meat from bone isn’t as satisfying as the KFC commercials. The taste is still explosive, but it’s dampened by a texture that wasn’t there a day ago. To reheat my fried chicken, I tried a basic but sensible method that isn’t as crazy as the online suggestions. Everything from placing chicken in paper bags to spraying it with PAM before broiling populate the Reddit threads and food blogs. 

However, as I don’t have paper lunch bags or PAM (I’m guessing most college students don’t either), I needed something that was simple but effective.

How To Reheat Fried Chicken

  • Prep Time:30 mins
  • Cook Time:20 mins
  • Total Time:50 mins
  • Servings:2
  • Easy

    Ingredients

  • Fried chicken
chocolate, cake
Mackenzie Patel

  • Step 1

    Let the second-day chicken rest in room temperature for thirty minutes and preheat oven to 400°. This allows all the mismatched pieces to reach roughly the same internal temperature (which makes it easier to reheat together). The only danger here is that your roommates might steal a few wings while your back is turned...

    chicken
    Mackenzie Patel

  • Step 2

    Cover a baking sheet with foil and arrange chicken on it.

    cookie, sweet
    Mackenzie Patel

  • Step 3

    Place another sheet of foil on top to insulate the chicken.

    chocolate, cake
    Mackenzie Patel

  • Step 4

    Bake for 20 minutes.

    oatmeal cookie, chocolate, pastry, cookie, sweet, cake
    Mackenzie Patel

  • Step 5

    Let chicken rest for 5 minutes and check for crispiness. Dip into your favorite sauce and dig in.

    #SpoonTip: If the crust isn’t as crispy as you like, pop it back in the oven for another 5 minutes. Be careful of overheating though because dried out chicken tastes good on nobody’s tongue.

    sweet, meat, chicken
    Mackenzie Patel

Ovens and toaster ovens are fried chicken’s besties when it comes to reheating. It’s like second day hair: you’ve got to load on the dry shampoo (in chicken’s case, the heat) so the oil and limpness magically disappear.

Avoid reheating fried chicken in microwaves or wrapped in paper towels because that makes it soggy. Also, avoid leaving any chicken uneaten.

Still hankering for that fried chicken flavor? You can turn your leftover wings into chicken and waffles or make your own sweet ‘n spicy Cheeze-Its Fried Chicken and waffle sandwiches.