The Best Way to Reheat Chicken Wings

When it comes to making chicken wings, I always make a big batch.  Why?  Because everyone loves them, and they are great leftover!

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But, when you have leftovers you may wonder what’s the best way to reheat chicken wings? Today, we’re going to cover the best, and worst ways to reheat chicken wings!

Leftover chicken wings are a great snack! But if you’re not careful, they can turn out dry and rubbery. To ensure your chicken wings stay as juicy and delicious as when they first came out of the oven, you need to know the best way to reheat them. Let’s take a look at some of the different methods for reheating chicken wings, and the pros and cons associated with each one.

best way to reheat chicken wings

No joke, the last time I made chicken wings using The Absolute Best Chicken Rub for Smoking, I made six pounds of wings.  Six pounds!

We ate a surprising amount, but there were enough leftover for lunch the next day.

There are two types of people, people who like chicken wings cold when they are leftover, and those who want to reheat chicken wings.

I’m someone who can go either way, but if I am going to reheat wings, I want to do it the best way.  This led to much trial and error around my house and we settled on a couple different methods.

The best way to reheat chicken wings is super simple, and doesn’t take much time at all.

Reasons to reheat wings

  • They’re an easy snack to enjoy
  • It only takes a couple of minutes to get your wings to the right temperature
  • Great for making on game day or for serving at a large party
  • Easy way to save money be eating leftovers of what you already have
  • Kids and adults love them

What to Serve with Chicken Wings

  • Favorite French Fries
  • Sliders
  • Carrots, celery and ranch dressing
  • Your other favorite side dishes

How to Reheat Chicken Wings

The best way to reheat chicken wings is simply in your oven.

Preheat your oven to 400 F.  

Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Place your wings on the baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until your desired level of reheating is met.

For us, this is the best way to reheat wings, and they are the perfect level of crispness and nice and warm.

By placing them on parchment, some additional grease also renders out, and who can say no to that.how to reheat chicken wings best way

You can’t even tell that they have been reheated, they taste like they just came off the grill.

Another Way to Reheat Wings is With Your Air Fryer

If you have an air fryer, it is another great way to reheat wings.

Put your leftover wings in a cold air fryer.

Turn your air fryer to 400 F or 390 F depending on the model.

Reheat for 4 minutes.

The air fryer is a little quicker because the heat is much more intense, even more intense than if you are using a convection oven, since it has such a powerful fan.

The wings will be crispy, and like the regular oven, some additional grease will render out.

Don’t forget to space the wings out in the Air Fryer basket so there is enough room for the hot air to circulate around the wings to reheat them.

Reheat your Wings on the Stovteop in a Pan

Stovetop Method: If you have time but don’t want to fire up your oven or Air Fryer, this is an excellent option for reheating chicken wings. Simply place them in a skillet over medium heat and cook for 4-5 minutes per side until heated through.

Since there’s less moisture involved than with other methods, this one will help prevent sogginess without drying out your wings too much. However, you may need to add butter or oil for added flavor and moisture if desired.

How to Reheat Wings in the Toaster Oven

To reheat chicken wings in a toaster oven, first get a toaster tray lined with aluminum foil and put the wings on it. Then, turn the toaster oven on and set it to medium heat.

Put the tray with the wings inside. Let them cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until they are heated through. If you want more flavor or moisture, add butter or oil to the wings before cooking them. When they are done, take them out of the oven and enjoy the nice and crispy skin on your wings again. You can toss your crispy wings in a sauce or rub again if desired.

How to Reheat Wings on the Grill

Reheating wings on the grill is really simple and might just be the easiest way. Start by preparing your grill for indirect medium heat cooking and preheat it to 375°F.

Place the cold wings directly onto the grill grate, making sure they are spaced out evenly. Grill them for 8-10 minutes, flipping them over halfway through the cooking time.

How to store chicken wings

In order to be able to enjoy your crispy chicken wings, you first have to store leftover chicken wings properly.

For better results, the best way to store chicken wings is in an airtight container or a ziptop bag with excess air squeezed out. Keep your scrumptious leftover wings in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Then reheat properly using any of these different ways we have discussed in this post until they are warmed through again.

Best tips for reheating wings

It doesn’t matter which option you choose to reheat your chicken wings, there are a few tips to keep in mind to help you avoid soggy wings.

  • Always reheat your wings in a single layer, so you can ensure that they all reheat evenly.
  • Properly cooked wings will have an internal temperature of 165F when check with a meat thermometer. So, as long as they’re cooked properly the first time around, you just have to reheat them until they’re warmed through again, they do not have to reach a specific temperature again to be safe to eat. But it’s not a bad idea to make sure that the internal temp reaches 165F before enjoying again.
  • Once you’ve reheated your delicious wings, you can toss your wings in your favorite sauce again or serve with extra sauce.
  • If you’re afraid of your wings drying out when reheating them, it may be a good idea to spritz them with some water or non-stick cooking spray to give them an extra bit of moisture.
  • To remove any excess oil from your wings after you have reheated them with your kitchen appliance of choice, all you have to do is line a plate with a few paper towels and either pat the wings with the paper towels, or let them sit and drip the excess oil onto the towels. Then you can toss in sauce for saucy wings, or mix up your favorite rub and toss the wings for dry rub wings.
  • These methods will work with bone in or boneless wings.
  • Reheating your chicken wings using any of these ways will work with wings that you made at your own home, or wings you got from your favorite wing establishments, like Buffalo Wild Wings, Wingstop Wings, or other wing joints and restaurants.

The Worst Way to Reheat Wings

The absolute worst way to reheat wings is your microwave.

Seriously.  The texture of the skin and the wing will not be good at all.  They won’t be crispy.  If you are going to reheat wings in the microwave, don’t bother.  Just eat them cold and you’ll have a much better experience.

Just say no to microwave wings!

However, if you ABSOLUTELY must make them in the microwave, here’s what I would recommend.

Place your leftover wings in a microwave-safe plate with a lid or some plastic wrap or a damp paper towel over it, then heat on high for 1-2 minutes per side until heated through. Don’t be surprised if your wings have soggy skin as this is not the best option for reheating your chicken wings.

As you can see there are various cooking methods to reheat your leftover chicken wings, it is up to you to decide what you think the best way is to reheat your wings. It’s more about availability and preference when deciding the best methods to use for your wings. How long it takes to reheat your wings may also be a deciding factor when you are determining how to reheat wings.

Personally, we think the use of the oven is the absolute best way.

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