How to Reheat Chicken Without Drying It Out (Because You Deserve the Best Leftovers)

Be it a breast, thigh, drumstick or whole roasted bird, chicken has a special place in my heart—and in my weekly meal plan. Versatility is among the many benefits this ingredient has to offer, and leftovers can be used in anything from soup and pot pie to enchiladas and salad. In fact, this is one instance where you won’t be subject to groans when you serve up yesterday’s dinner—but only if you know how to reheat chicken properly. Follow this guide and you can avoid the common pitfall of turning a prized piece of poultry into a bland and dehydrated disappointment.

Katherine Gillen is PureWow’s senior food editor. She has a culinary degree from the Institute of Culinary Eduction and professional experience working in restaurant kitchens.

There’s no right or wrong way to reheat chicken; it’s mostly personal preference and depends on the type of your leftovers. But there are certainly pros and cons to eat method I detail below. Here’s a comparison, at a glance:

• Oven: This method is great for large, bone-in pieces of chicken, but it takes longer than other methods
• Stove: This method works best for a boneless, skinless chicken breast, but isn’t ideal for breaded or braised cuts
• Microwave: This method is fast, but it can leave breaded chicken soggy and is easy to overdo
• Air fryer: This method is great for restoring crispiness to dishes like chicken wings or tenders, but it takes longer and requires special equipment (i.e., an air fryer)

The oven is your best bet when it comes to warming up larger pieces of chicken or a bird that’s still on the bone. Here’s how it’s done: 

Set the oven to 350°F and remove the chicken from the fridge. While you wait for the oven to come to temperature, take the chill off your bird by letting it rest at room temperature on the counter.

Once the oven has finished preheating, transfer the chicken to a baking dish. Add several tablespoons of chicken stock or water—just enough so that there’s a very shallow layer of liquid in the pan. Then cover the pan tightly with a double layer of foil. The steam created by the water will help ensure the meat stays nice and moist.

Put the chicken in the oven and leave it there until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. (Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the chicken you’re reheating, so use a meat thermometer to check.) When your chicken has warmed through, remove it from the oven and serve—it should be succulent and satisfying. Note: In my experience, this method does not yield crispy skin. If that’s a deal-breaker for you, simply pop your piece of chicken under the broiler for a couple of minutes to crisp up the exterior before you dig in.

The stove is one of the best ways to reheat chicken that has been removed from the bone, but I don’t recommend just tossing a boneless, skinless breast in a frying pan since the direct heat will dry that poultry out fast. Instead, follow these steps when you reheat chicken on the stove and it will be a tender treat ready to be tossed in a stir fry, salad or one-pot pasta recipe.

How you get your chicken ready to reheat on the stove will depend on what cut you have and what you plan on doing with it. For leftover rotisserie chicken or bone-in thighs, I like to pick the chicken off the bone and check the meat to remove any cartilage. If it’s a boneless, skinless breast, I’ll slice it into one-inch-thick pieces—thin enough that the meat can heat quickly, but thick enough that it won’t dry out.

Grab a skillet and add just enough water to cover the bottom. Set the pan over medium heat and add the chicken as soon as the water starts to simmer. Lower the heat and gently stir the chicken, cooking until the meat has warmed through to 165°F. Once the chicken is nice and hot, make haste and gobble it up.

The microwave is quick and convenient, but in my personal experience, it is decidedly not the best way to reheat chicken, since it’s most likely to turn rubbery or chalk-dry. Still, if you’re in a pinch and decide to microwave your leftover chicken, follow these steps for better results.

Spread the chicken out on a microwave-safe plate, with the small pieces of meat at the center and the larger ones near the edge of the plate.

Sprinkle a few teaspoons of water over the top of the chicken, then add a drizzle of olive oil—I’ve found that this combination will help keep the chicken moist and improve its next-day flavor.

You can lightly cover the plate of chicken with microwave-safe plastic wrap, but my preferred method is to invert a bowl and place it over the plate of chicken. Microwave for one minute on full power, then remove the plate from the microwave and check to see if the chicken is ready. If not, turn the meat before covering the plate and continuing to microwave in 30-second intervals. When the chicken is heated through to 165°F, it’s chow time. (Psst: Microwaving times will vary based on the wattage of your appliance; it’s best to start with less time to avoid drying out the chicken.)

If you have an air fryer, it can work wonders to reheat a once-crispy piece of chicken while retaining that crunchy texture. (Think chicken tenders or fried chicken.) Here’s how to do it.

Following the instructions for your air fryer model, preheat it at 375°F for about 5 minutes.

Place the leftover chicken into the air fryer basket (or on the air fryer tray, depending on your model) in a single layer.

Heat the leftover chicken in the air fryer for about 4 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. When the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, bask in its crispiness before dipping it in your chosen sauce and diving in.

Now you know how to reheat chicken the right way, but is there a wrong way? Sure—I’d suggest avoiding these common mistakes.

• Don’t use too high of heat, especially in the oven or on the stove since this will dry out the chicken and make it tough instead of speeding up the process.
• Don’t reheat for too long if you’re using the microwave for the same reason.
• Don’t microwave chicken in a plastic container. According to the USDA, you should avoid reheating food in plastic containers (unless they are explicitly labeled “microwave safe”), since they can melt or leach harmful chemicals into your food.

So you found a container of shredded chicken from, well…you don’t remember when. (Cue the spooky music.) Is it OK to reheat and eat? Probably not: According to the USDA, you should use cooked chicken within three to four days if it’s been kept refrigerated at 40°F or less. In my kitchen, I adhere to a “five days max” policy for most leftovers in the refrigerator—including leftover chicken—and use smell and appearance as backup indicators of freshness.

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