How to Reheat Chicken Wings

Have you ever wondered how to reheat chicken wings perfectly? Well, I can show you how! I have perfected reheating chicken wings in the oven, microwave, frying pan, and even in the slow cooker. You can choose whichever method you prefer best!

Whenever you’re making wings and side dishes for chicken wings, you should be able to easily reheat any leftovers the next day. However, reheating chicken wings can often leave the chicken dry and not very flavorful. Luckily, I have found a few tips and tricks to prevent the chicken from getting too dry! With these hacks, you are going to have juicy, tender, reheated chicken wings for sure.

After reading my article, you will never have to worry about your chicken wings tasting bad the next day. Feel free to make extra wings because you can reheat them again and again! Let me start sharing all of my secrets now.

How do You Reheat Chicken Wings Without Drying Them Out?

Chicken wings dry out when reheating because they lose moisture. When you pop the wings in the oven, microwave, or frying pan, the water inside the chicken heats up and evaporates. When the water evaporates, the chicken dries out. You are left with crumbly, flavorless chicken wings. No one wants that!

I will go into more detail about keeping chicken wings juicy for each heating method. However, here are a few quick tips that help chicken wings retain their moisture.

1. Let the wings sit on your counter for about 10 minutes to 15 minutes, letting them reach room temperature before cooking. This step will help the inside of the wings become warmer when you start reheating. This means the chicken won’t take as long to cook, keeping the interior juicy and the exterior crisp.
2. Add water to the pan or plate that the chicken wings are in. The added water will “steam” the wings and keep them juicy.
3. Cover the wings when they are reheating. You can use the top of a pot, a paper towel, or even some foil. Covering the wings will trap the moisture in the dish and prevent the wings from drying out.
4. Do not overheat the chicken wings. If you reheat the wings for too long, they will surely be dry and brittle.
5. Only reheat chicken wings once, maybe twice. The more you reheat the chicken, the drier they get as they will lose moisture every time they are reheated.
6. Spray the chicken with non-stick cooking spray before cooking. The extra layer of grease will give them flavor and help the skin get crispy again.

Following these reheating tips will help no matter which method you choose to heat up your wings. Keeping the chicken wings moist is the key! Don’t be afraid to pour in some extra water, sauce, or broth to your cooking pan.

Another trick to liven up your reheated wings is to add some sauce. Toss your cooked, crispy wings in your favorite wing sauce. You can toss the chicken with this extra ingredient before or after reheating the wings. The sauce will make the wings so much juicier and give them more flavor. Anytime you make chicken wings, leave some plain so you can reheat them later and make any kind of wings you’d like. Barbecue wings, buffalo wings or even sweet and sour wings are perfect the next day!

How to Reheat Chicken Wings in the Oven

Reheating chicken wings in the oven may be the best way to reheat chicken wings. The wings stay juicy on the inside and get a nice, crisp exterior. They come out of the oven tasting fresh and amazing! Here is how to reheat chicken wings in the oven:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a baking sheet pan.
• Spread your wings across the prepared tray and let them come to room temperature. This should take about 15-20 minutes. Letting your wings warm up slightly will help them cook more evenly and stay juicy in the oven.
• Spray the wings lightly with water. This will prevent them from drying out. You only need a little! You can also brush them with a little extra wing sauce or barbecue mix.
• Loosely cover the dish with aluminum foil to trap in the moisture while they are cooking.
• Place the tray of chicken in the oven and cook for 5-6 minutes. Flip the chicken wings and bake for another 5-6 minutes. A meat thermometer stuck into the chicken should read 165 degrees F. An internal temperature of 165 F means the chicken is safe to consume.

That is all you need to do to reheat chicken using the oven. The result will be perfect, tender chicken wings! That slight crunch from the oven proves this is the best way to reheat chicken wings. They come out of the oven crunchy, juicy and delicious.

How to Reheat Chicken Wings in the Microwave

Heating chicken wings in the microwave is quick and easy. It is a great way to reheat wings when you are in a hurry or really hungry! Reheating wings in your oven will give you the best texture of wings, but using the microwave to reheat chicken wings will get you your dinner fast! Sometimes you just don’t have time to wait.

This is how I like to reheat my chicken wings using the microwave:

• Place a damp paper towel in the bottom of a microwave-safe plate.
• Place the wings on top of the towel in a single layer.
• Place a second damp paper towel on top of the chicken.
• Warm the wings for about 2 minutes. This should heat about 10 wings to a perfect temperature.
• Check the wings and continue to heat in 30-second increments if needed.

Do not overheat the wings. It is very easy to heat the wings too much in the microwave. They get hot quickly! Overheating the chicken will make them dry. It is a good idea to check the chicken wings frequently to ensure they cook evenly.

If you want to crisp the wings, remove them from the microwave and place the wings directly onto a baking sheet pan. Place the chicken under a broiler for 1-2 minutes. This will give the chicken a nice crisp exterior that cannot be achieved by using just the microwave. Use a toaster oven broiler to crisp the wings so you do not have to turn your entire oven on.

How to Reheat Chicken Wings in a Frying Pan

It is pretty easy to reheat wings in a frying pan. You can make leftover chicken wings as good as new in just a few minutes. It is even faster than heating in your oven since you do not have to wait to preheat the oven to 350 degrees!

A frying pan is one of my favorite ways to reheat chicken wings. Here is how I reheat wings in a frying pan.

• Take the leftover wings out of the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add one to two tablespoons of olive oil to a frying pan and turn the heat to medium-high.
• Let the oil heat for about 1 minute to get very hot.
• Place the leftover chicken wings in the hot oil and toss them in the oil evenly to coat them.
• Fry the wings for two to three minutes, turning them halfway through.
• Once the wings are golden, remove them from the oil and place them on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
• Enjoy the wings while hot or toss in your favorite sauce immediately before eating. This is the perfect way to make your leftover chicken wings into buffalo wings!

Using a frying pan to reheat leftover chicken wings makes the wings crispy on the outside and juicy and warm on the inside. Since the chicken wings heat quickly, they do not dry out much. The oil in the pan also prevents the wings from getting too dry. It is one of the best ways to reheat chicken wings for sure!

How to Reheat Chicken Wings in a Crockpot

Reheating wings in a crockpot can make wonderful wings. Reheating chicken wings in a crockpot does take a little bit of time. The wings can take up to an hour to reheat perfectly to 165 f. However, they will be super juicy and delicious once done! Here is how you can use your slow cooker to make your reheated wings amazing.

• Add about 1 cup of chicken broth to the bowl of a slow cooker. If you do not have chicken broth, use water, or just two to three tablespoons of olive oil. You can also use a non-stick cooking spray for a quick way to prevent the wings from sticking to the pan.
• Let the chicken wings sit on the counter until they reach room temperature.
• Put the wings in the bowl of the slow cooker and set the temperature to high.
• Let the wings slowly cook for about an hour. Stir the wings occasionally so they heat evenly.
• Check the internal temperature of the wings. Once they reach 165 degrees F, they are ready to enjoy!

You can keep the wings in the slow cooker for up to two hours to keep them warm. Simply lower the temperature setting to “warm” and keep the cover on. Add some sauce into the crockpot as well. This is a great way to make buffalo wings, barbecue wings, or even honey lime chicken wings.

Set up your crockpot on the buffet table at your next party. It is a great way to serve your guests delicious wings without any hassle. Just be sure to add enough sauce to the bowl of the crockpot so the wings do not get dry as they sit.

If you want the leftover wings to be a little crispy, fry the wings first in a saute pan or deep fryer. Once crisp, (which should only take two minutes to 3 minutes!), take the wings out of the pan and place them in the slow cooker. Stir and let the wings sit! You’ll be surprised by how fresh they taste.

The Best Method for Reheating Chicken Wings

All of the methods we talked about will work wonderfully to reheat wings. You can choose which method you prefer based on how much time you have, how crispy you want your wings, and also which kitchen appliances you have handy.

If you need wings in a hurry, put the wings on a microwave-safe plate and cook them for about 3 minutes in the microwave. If you have a little extra time, preheat your oven to 350 f and place your wings in a casserole dish or on a sheet pan. Cover the wings with some aluminum foil and pop them in the oven or toaster oven to reheat. With so many great ways for reheating wings, how long you have matters to determine which method you should choose.

I always think that reheating wings in a toaster oven is the best way. You do not need to turn on a huge oven but you get crispy chicken in just a matter of minutes. A toaster oven is a great tool for reheating boneless wings, frozen chicken or to reheat buffalo wings. The leftovers retain their great flavor and you will be ready to eat in under 10 minutes! Seems like the best way to reheat your favorite meal for sure!

There are a lot of ways to reheat wings. Tell us which technique you like best! From baking in the oven to a quick trip in the microwave, you are sure to find your favorite way to reheat this classic cooked food. Enjoy!