We all know that when you reheat Chinese food it gets rubbery and gross and the original flavors seem to have disappeared completely. The noodles are molded together and you’re left with what seems like a flavorless blob. The next time you have leftover Chinese food in your fridge (which could be right now), here are three easy steps to make your leftover General Tso’s chicken taste brand new. This is undoubtedly the best way to reheat Chinese food.
Step 1
Take your leftover noodle or chicken dish out of the takeout box. Put a stir-fry pan on the stove and add about a teaspoon of oil. Alternatively, you could use water instead of oil.
Step 2
Heat the pan on low with the oil (or water) and slowly stir the contents of your takeout container into the pan.
Step 3
Add about a cup of water little by little. This makes all the yummy flavors in your food come back to life! Continue stirring until all the food is heated through and the water has evaporated. If you want to add more flavor to your food, soy sauce is a great option (just be careful since Chinese food is already really salty). Make sure all of the food is mixed and heated throughout.
Unlike nuking your food in the microwave, reheating it on the stovetop allows for all the flavors to be rejuvenated, making your dish taste so much better. In addition, heating up your food on the stovetop allows for mix-ins to be added to your leftovers, such as vegetables, a fried egg, additional meat, or sauces (teriyaki sauce works well with a chicken stir-fry). Veggies like bok choy, broccoli, carrots, or peppers work really well and help to add lots of flavor to your leftovers.
Do you also have leftover rice? No problem! No one likes crunchy leftover rice after it’s been put in the microwave. A simple solution is to add a small amount of water to the rice before heating it on the stovetop to make the rice soft and fluffy again. If you’re struggling to reheat your rice well, check out these three ways to reheat rice in the microwave.
#SpoonTip: Combine your leftover chicken and veggies and a splash of soy sauce to your leftover rice for an easy and delicious fried rice dish.
Now that you know the best way to reheat Chinese food, don’t hesitate to “accidentally” order too much next time you’re at a Chinese restaurant (I won’t judge). Thanks to these three easy steps, your leftovers will be just as delicious as the original meal.