How To Get Crispy Fried Chicken Every Time You Reheat It

Picture a fresh bucket of fried chicken from KFC, Popeyes, or whatever place happens to be your favorite fried chicken restaurant. The way the crispy skin crunches with the first bite is such a satisfying experience, letting you know the chicken is fresh. But sometimes, no matter how scrumptious the chicken is, leftovers are simply inevitable.

Fast-forward 24 hours. Your chicken has been in the fridge overnight, and you're now eating it for lunch. You pop it in the microwave to reheat it. You take a bite, but something's different. The crispness of yesterday has been replaced by a soft, less-satisfying chicken skin.

In the end, you're forced to settle for slightly soggy fried chicken, assuming the change is inevitable ... but then again, is it? The short answer is no. Fried chicken can be crispy, even after being refrigerated and reheated. More than that, it can taste almost as good as it did the day you brought it home or made it yourself (if you're cool like that). Here are a few tips for getting fried chicken crispy every time you reheat it.

Although no method will make fried chicken exactly the way it was when it was made fresh, there are reheating methods that will get it pretty close. The first method is the oven. Country Living says to begin by setting it to 400 degrees. Then set the chicken on the counter for about 30 minutes, until it reaches room temperature. When the oven is ready, place the chicken on a wire rack and bake it for about 15 minutes. 

The stove is another great option for reheating fried chicken and giving it a crispy texture, but there's a caveat. You have to add oil to the skillet (about 1/4 of an inch), to essentially "refry" the chicken, per Insider.

Regardless of which cooking method you choose, you'll be left with hot, crispy chicken after the timer expires. If you prefer a crispier texture, you can pop it back in the oven for another five minutes or leave it in the oil a little longer for the stovetop option.

Another great — and faster — reheating method that will give you crispy leftover chicken involves the increasingly popular air fryer. This appliance has been replacing ovens for a variety of foods, making lives easier since 2010. According to data released by The NPD Group in 2022, more than 25 million air fryers were sold from January 2020 through December 2021, a 76% increase from the previous two-year period.

But back to fried chicken. Set the air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit while letting the chicken warm to room temperature on the counter. After the chicken has been sitting out for about 30 minutes, place it in the fryer basket in a single layer. (If all the pieces don't fit in one layer, you'll have to do two rounds of reheating.) Set the timer to four minutes. After the timer expires, flip the chicken and reset the timer to four minutes to crisp the other side.

And there you have it: three great options that don't involve a microwave for reheating fried chicken, making it nearly as crispy as it was when it was fresh.