How to Reheat Fried Food: A Step-by-Step Guide

Trying to figure out the best way to reheat fried food without having it turn out soggy? Not to worry, we show you exactly what to do with this quick guide.

This short guide will show you exactly what to use when reheating, as well as why the microwave should not be used.

If you care about having your fried food crispy and crunchy when warmed up, then keep reading.

How to Reheat Fried Foods?

There are a few ways you can reheat fried food, but only 2 are worthy of your time.

• Oven
• Toaster Oven

These two options are able to deliver ‘dry heat’, which is essentially to allowing your fried foods to not only be reheated properly, but also keeps the exterior crispy and crunchy.

You could also try to refry it, but the results simply can’t match up with using the oven.

So while refrying fried foods is an option to consider when reheating, we won’t touch on it, since it doesn’t deliver the same outcome.

Please Note: When reheating whatever food, you need to ensure that that the internal temperature of meat needs to be at 165°F, where it is safe enough to eat.

Reheating Fried Foods in the Oven

As stated above, you need dry heat if you are looking to properly reheat fried foods and still let them maintain the crispy/crunchy exterior.

The oven does the job really well and you can be sure that while it won’t be exactly how it was when it was fried, the oven is the best option to bring it close.

Steps to Reheat in the Toaster Oven:

1. Set toaster oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit allowing it to pre-heat for a few minutes.
2. Take a baking sheet and line it with aluminum foil.
3. Place the food you want to reheat on the baking sheet and place inside the oven.
4. Let it reheat for about 8-10 minutes. The internal temperature should reach at least 165°F for 15 seconds.
5. Once the food is fully reheated, let it sit and cool before enjoying.

Note: It is important to note that it is extremely important to ensure that your food is reheated properly.

Under heated food can actually make you sick and this is why you should reheat to 165 degrees Fahrenheit to stop bacteria from growing to unsafe levels.

Related: How to Reheat Fried Chicken

Reheating Fried Food in the Toaster Oven

The toaster oven is another good option when you are reheating fried food.

If is able to give you that all important dry heat, which is exactly what you need to revive fried foods and make them crispy and crunchy.

Steps to Reheat in the Toaster Oven:

6. Set toaster oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and let it pre-heat for a few minutes.
7. Line the baking sheet from your toaster oven with aluminum foil.
8. Place the food you want to reheat on the baking sheet and place inside the toaster oven.
9. Let it reheat for about 8-10 minutes. The internal temperature should reach at least 165°F for 15 seconds.
10. Let the fried food sit and cool before you start eating.

There you have it: you’ve mastered the art of enjoying this delicious leftover at its peak. Next, master the best way to reheat steak for optimal flavor.

Should You Use the Microwave to Reheat Fried Food?

It is tempting to throw your fried food in the microwave, as it really the quickest method when it comes to reheating food.

The big problem is that the microwave and fried food is like oil and water, they do not mix.

When you microwave food, it turns the water molecules into steam and that is why you end up with fried food that is soggy and mushy as opposed to crunchy and crispy.

So should you microwave fried foods? The answer is NO!

I can’t recommend this as an option, however if you do not care about taste or texture and can’t wait the 10-15 minutes to do it properly…. then, by all means reheat the fried food in the microwave.

Some of the popular fried foods that can be reheated are:

Egg rolls, fried fish, French Fries,