How to Reheat Popeyes Chicken? 4 Methods Explained
There is something about Popeyes chicken that makes it so delicious. Whether it is the crispiness, the flavor blend, or the fact that it comes in a bucket and you can have it anywhere, it doesn’t matter. One more great thing about Popeyes chicken is that it doesn’t lose its charm after refrigeration; it just warms it up and springs right back. So, how to reheat Popeyes chicken?
Any method would do nicely when reheating Popeyes chicken, but the ones that work best are the microwave, the air fryer, the oven, and the stove. Each method has its specificities, but if you follow specific steps, each will yield great results.
Having cold Popeyes chicken is an experience, as the meat doesn’t lose flavor when cold. However, warm Popeyes chicken has a certain charm you cannot feel when it is cold. So, to help you make the most of it, in the following paragraphs, I will explain each reheating method and how to use it.
How to Reheat Popeyes Chicken in Microwave?
The microwave is a great appliance to use when reheating Popeyes chicken. It is also very easy and simple to operate. However, the microwave makes Popeyes chicken moister more than it should, resulting in somewhat soggy meat.
So, to prevent this, cover the microwave plate with cotton or a paper kitchen towel and place the meat on it. It is also good advice to cover the chicken with a paper towel so it absorbs the moisture from each side.
Keep the intervals short, not more than 30 seconds, and check the meat after each interval to see if you are happy with the results. Don’t make two subsequent intervals before checking the state of your Popeyes chicken.
How to Reheat Popeyes Chicken in Air Fryer?
The air fryer is an excellent way to warm up your Popeyes chicken. It doesn’t dry out the meat or make it soggy. It is also a very simple method and is low-risk as well.
Cover the tray with parchment paper and place the Popeyes chicken on it. Pop it in the air fryer and set the temperature at 300 °F and the timer at five minutes. If you are unhappy with the results, pop it back in for another five minutes.
How to Reheat Popeyes Chicken in The Oven?
The oven is the best way to reheat Popeyes chicken, but the most time-consuming as well. The hot oven air circulates inside, warming up the chicken bits equally from each side so that they will be warm on the outside and on the inside too.
Place the Popeyes chicken on a baking tray, pop them in a preheated oven at 150 °C or 300 °F and let them cook for 15 to 20 minutes. You can also cover them with tin foil and poke holes in them to make your Popeyes chicken sticky if that’s something you like.
How to Reheat Popeyes Chicken on Stove?
The stove probably gives the best results taste-wise, but it requires the most attention. You can’t just leave your Popeyes chicken reheat on the stove and return when it’s done.
Place your Popeyes chicken on a, preferably, non-stick skillet on a cold plate. Once you have placed them there, set the temperature to medium; if it is not enough, increase it gradually.
If you preheat the plate and place the skillet on a hot stove plate, your Popeyes chicken will stick. If you want your Popeyes chicken more on the softer side, cover them with a lid, and if you want them drier, leave them uncovered.
Be present at all times and check the state. Turn them over, and don’t let them sizzle on one side too long. You can refresh the seasoning if you want, but that is unnecessary.
How to Reheat Popeyes Chicken, so It Stays Crispy?
The trick to making your Popeyes chicken crispy again is drying out the skin, not the meat. This could be a tricky business, and it doesn’t tolerate improvising, so you need to know what you are doing.
The best way to do this is to use the oven. Preheat the oven for 20 minutes at a high temperature – 200 °C or 400 °F. Make sure the oven is really hot before popping the Popeyes chicken in.
Smear some cooking oil on the surface of your Popeyes chicken bits before placing them into the oven. Don’t smear butter, as the fat will get absorbed into the chicken skin and make it juicy than crispy.
Place the Popeye chicken in the oven uncovered so that the heat reaches it immediately. The sudden hot air will crisp the skin of the Popeyes chicken without having enough time to penetrate the meat and burn it.
Leave them inside for two minutes and take out the Popeyes chicken to see the results. If they aren’t crisp enough for you, pop them inside for another two minutes.
When you take your Popeyes chicken out of the oven, leave it on the counter, turn it off, and let it cool down. Once the oven has cooled down but is still warm, pop the Popeyes chicken back again to warm up on the inside.
This method is time-consuming but works, so it is worth your time.
How to Reheat Popeyes Chicken?
Ingredients
- Leftover Popeyes chicken
Instructions
In Microwave
- Keep the intervals short, not more than 30 seconds, and check the meat after each interval to see if you are happy with the results. Don't make two subsequent intervals before checking the state of your Popeyes chicken.
In Air Fryer
- Cover the tray with parchment paper and place the Popeyeschicken on it. Pop it in the air fryer and set the temperature at 300 °F and the timer at five minutes. If you are unhappy with the results, pop it back in for another five minutes.
In The Oven
- Place the Popeyes chicken on a baking tray, pop them in a preheated oven at 150 °C or 300 °F and let them cook for 15 to 20 minutes. You can also cover them with tin foil and poke holes in them to make your Popeyes chicken sticky if that's something you like.
On Stove
- Place your Popeyes chicken on a, preferably, non-stick skillet on a cold plate. Once you have placed them there, set the temperature to medium; if it is not enough, increase it gradually. Be present at all times and check the state. Turn them over, and don't let them sizzle on one side too long.
