How to Reheat Chicken Wings the Tasty Way

There are only a few things in life as satisfying as perfectly cooked chicken wings. Fried, grilled or whatever cooking method it is, there is no denying that chicken wings are the ultimate comfort foods.

Imagine watching your favorite movies or basketball games with a bowl filled with this mouthwatering finger food. That wonderful aroma and juicy meat as you bite into it. Ahh, heaven!

However, there is nothing that turns a wonderful smile into a miserable frown faster than cold, refrigerated chicken wings. Maybe you overestimated yourself or your party friends and cooked a lot of chicken wings that results in leftover chicken wings filling your refrigerator.

Just like anyone else, I am not fond of tasteless and less-appealing refrigerated chicken wings. But hey, that’s still my favorite finger food! So I did my research on how to return these precious chicken wings to their former glory, and boy, am I glad I did it!

So how do you reheat chicken wings the tasty way?

The 4 Best Methods to Reheat Chicken Wings

Taste is a very picky and personal thing— what is delicious for one might be the opposite for another. This is the reason why I cannot say that there is only one best and tasty way to reheat chicken wings.

So I give you 4 different methods to experiment with, so you will know which reheating methods will yield the best-tasting wings for you.

Method 1: Re-Frying

Re-frying chicken wings are the most common and excellent way to bringing back their deliciousness. Some people claim that double-fried chicken wings are tastier than those you only fried once.

This method, however, is not ideal for chicken wings that are coated in sauce ala Buffalo style. You can try it, but I have to inform you that there is a big chance that you will burn the sauce coating of the chicken wings.

What you will need

Wire Rack
Aluminum foil
Tongs
Deep, heavy pan or deep-fryer
Cooking oil

Directions

Take the chicken wings out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 15 – 20 minutes. If you drop cold chicken wings into hot oil, then it will drastically lower the temperature of oil and result in less crispy skins.
Pour cooking oil (preferably canola oil, peanut oil, or vegetable oil) into the heavy pan or deep fryer.
Pour a good amount of oil that will cover the chicken wings then let heat to 350 degrees F or just before it starts smoking.
Add the wings carefully into the fryer or pan using the tongs.
Fry chicken wings for about 2 – 3 minutes. Turn them over regularly so that the meat will be heated all the way through and the skin will be crispy all over. Keep in mind that the longer cooking time gives you a crispier skin, but this will dry out the juicy meat.
Remove chicken wings from the fryer or pan and place them on a wire rack for about 1 -2 minutes to drain and slightly cool.
Serve and enjoy!

Method 2: Reheating via Oven

Using an oven to reheat chicken wings is probably one of the most popular ways to revive leftover chicken wings. Ovens are capable of re-heating those finger food evenly while sealing the wing’s delectable flavors and juices.

This method goes well for chicken wings that you have coated in sauces like Korean-style fried chicken or Buffalo wings. This reheating method should take about 30 minutes.

What you will need

Timer
Tongs
Wire Rack
Aluminum foil
Baking pan
A pinch of salt (optional)

Directions

Take the chicken wings out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 15 – 20 minutes. This should allow even cooking and improve skin crispiness of chicken wings.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
When the chicken wings are at room temperature, place them in the baking pan using a tong. DO NOT overcrowd the pan and give spaces to the chicken wings so that they are heated evenly. Use more baking pans, in case you have many chicken wings to reheat.
You can sprinkle a pinch of salt on the chicken wings to add taste.
When the oven reaches 350 degrees F, you can place the wings on the rack.
Reheat the chicken wings for 10 – 15 minutes. Check the wings every now and then and you can try a wing between 7 – 10-minute mark to ensure that they do not overcook or have a less-appealing dark brown mark.
Take the chicken wings out of the oven and place them on the wire rack. Let it cool for about 5 – 7 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!

Method 3: Re-heating via Microwave

I am not going to lie to you— reheating chicken wings via microwave is the crappiest method you will find. But, it is the fastest method of them all.

Reheating via microwave will leave your chicken wings dry and soggy that will surely turn you off.

However, there is a solution for reheating chicken wings via the microwave without losing its marvelous taste and crispy golden look.

What you will need

Oven
Baking tray
Microwave
Paper towel
Microwave-safe plate

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place a damp paper towel on the microwave-safe plates. Then put the chicken wings on the microwave-safe plate. Lastly, place another layer of damp paper towels over the chicken.
Turn the microwave on medium heat.
Put the chicken wings in the microwave and reheat them for around 2 minutes until they become slightly warm. Be careful not to exceed for more than 2 minutes and remove the chicken wings immediately.
Place the microwave heated wings on a baking tray and put it in the oven.
Let the chicken wings heat for a minute.
Open the oven, take the chicken wings out, flip them over and then return it inside the oven.
Heat for another minute.
Take the chicken wings out, serve and enjoy!

Method 4: Re-heating via Sautéing

Normally, sautéing in order to revive cold chicken is not the best option because thicker parts will end up being unevenly heated.

However, this is not the case for chicken wings since they have a thinner profile.

Furthermore, sautéing chicken wings gives you the chance of adding a coat that will make your chicken wings tastier and even more delicious.

What you will need

Wire Rack
Aluminum foil
Tongs
Skillet
Cooking oil
Chicken wing coating (optional)

Directions

Like the other methods above, you need to make sure that the chicken wings reach room temperature first.
While you wait for your chicken wings, you can begin to heat some oil in the skillet over a high heat. You can check the temperature of the oil by sprinkling some water over the pan carefully. If the water fizzles quickly then this means that your oil is ready.
Put the chicken wings in the pan using your tongs. Saute the chicken wings for about 2 -4 minutes. You can try a wing in order to see if they are ready. Moreover, if you want to use a coating for the chicken, then you can add it to the pan and sauté the chicken wings again so that the sauce will coat the wings thoroughly.
After cooking, place the chicken wings on a wire rack and let it cool for a few minutes.
Serve and enjoy!

Bonus Info: Optimum Time to Reheat Chicken Wings Before They Go Bad

Like any other meat, chicken is also very delicate. Cooked chicken wings can survive for about 2 hours at room temperature before they go bad.

The air has a lot of bacteria such as E. Coli, that can attack your chicken wings if it is out for too long. Bacteria thrive in moist and warm environments. This is why it is best to put your leftover chicken wings in the fridge immediately.

Placing leftover chicken wings on the fridge will guarantee that they will still be edible for about 2 days without worrying that they will go bad.

Final Thoughts

Apparently, you do not have to settle with soggy and tasteless chicken wings, anymore. You can easily revive cold chicken wings to their former glory with any of the reheating methods above.

Doesn’t matter what method you pick, as long as it gives you the taste and result that you want.