How to Reheat Chicken Wings

Don’t know how to reheat chicken wings and enjoy them as much as the first time? We’ve got the details on how to enjoy your leftovers.

While you may or may not have this problem in your house, what do you do if you have leftover chicken wings? Can you reheat them and still enjoy them as much as freshly made?

We’ve got multiple options for how to reheat chicken wings here.

Keep in mind, that you should consume leftover refrigerated wings within 4 days. If you want them to keep longer than that, store them in the freezer where they can safely keep for a few months. If the wings have been frozen, defrost them overnight in the fridge before reheating.

You also want to make sure that whichever method you use, bring the internal temperature to 165°F especially if they sat out for more than 30 minutes before being stored in the fridge. You can check this with an instant read thermometer in the thickest part of the wing.

Microwave

Using the microwave is great if you’re in a hurry but won’t give you the best results.

First, take the wings out of the fridge and set them on the counter for a few minutes. Line a microwave-safe plate with paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Place wings on top, and then a slightly damp paper towel on top.

Alternatively, you can cover with a microwave-safe lid. Just sprinkle a few drops of water on the wings first.

Microwave in 30 second bursts until they are hot enough for you. Don’t overheat them or they will dry out.

Enjoy your wings in no time.

Oven

Reheating chicken wings in the oven is a great way to to enjoy leftover wings that are crisp outside and moist inside. It’s also one of our favorite ways to cook wings that are nice and crispy.

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Take your wings out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature while your oven heats. Give them about 10-15 minutes.

Spray a baking sheet with some cooking spray and arrange your wings, making sure you give some space between wings.

Place in oven for 5-6 minutes, flip the wings over, and then back in the oven for another 5-6 minutes.

Using the oven to reheat is one of the best methods for maintaining the original flavor and texture of your wings, but it takes longer than the other methods. You can also follow these directions in your toaster oven.

Microwave + Oven

Here’s a combo method for you. Maybe you want the results of the oven but want your leftover wings ready quicker?

Preheat your oven (or toaster oven) to 350°F and prepare your wings on a plate like in the microwave method above.

Heat wings in the microwave until they are slightly warm. Usually about 2 minutes, but again, nuking them in 30 second bursts works well so as to not overdo it.

Take them out of the microwave and put them into the preheated oven on a baking sheet.

Cook for one minute, flip, then put them back in the oven for an additional minute.

Frying Pan

Reheating in the frying pan is definitely not the easiest method, but it yields good results especially if your wings were fried originally.

Take wings out of the fridge and let them sit for 10 minutes. Don’t skip this step.

Heat a tablespoon of oil over medium-low heat. Add wings (carefully!) and heat for 5-10 minutes, moving and flipping them occasionally. Covering the pan in between flips gets the wings extra tender.

Optionally, add some extra sauce at the end and toss the wings around to coat them and heat the sauce.

This method gets you tender, crispy wings but requires you to stay close by. You don’t want the oil getting too hot, so this method won’t work if you want to walk away and get something else done while you’re waiting for your wings.

Air Fryer

The air fryer works great not only for cooking wings but also for easily reheating crispy chicken wings.

Set your air fryer to 350°F and place wings in air fryer basket, making sure not to overcrowd or they won’t heat evenly.

Cook for 7-10 minutes, until they are hot and crispy.

Enjoy.

In Conclusion

There are as many methods for reheating chicken wings as there are to cook them. We think the oven or air fryer yield the best results for leftover wings, but you’ve got to be willing to take a little bit of extra time for them. Use the microwave carefully, and only if you want your wings in a hurry.

What’s your favorite technique for enjoying leftover chicken wings?