Skip The Microwave: How To Reheat Fried Leftovers For The Crispiest Bite

Soggy onion rings warmed in the microwave that have lost their crunch. French fries that are limp and dry. These fried food leftovers can lead to complete and utter disaster when they aren't reheated properly. Using the microwave for this task is the knee-jerk mistake everyone should avoid when it comes to leftovers. This contraption may be convenient, but there are better ways to reheat fried food that produce a crispy exterior and an evenly warmed-up interior, and it all starts with the original way it was heated in the first place.

Microwaves can dry food out, turn some dishes soggy, and mess with meat textures, transforming them into something rubbery and unappetizing. They can also leave food unevenly heated. The best oven hack for reheating food begins here. Think about how you made the leftovers you want to reheat. If the answer is,  "in the oven," that's where you return. 

To get crispy foods to crisp back up, place those chicken wings, fried zucchini, spring rolls, or fried food of choice on a wire rack on a sheet pan, in a single layer. Preheat the oven to between 350 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit (depending on what you're reheating) and bake for between 8 and 12 minutes. Flip at the mid-point. The wire rack allows the circulating dry air to restore that crunchy texture, keeping any condensation that might form away from your food.  

Reheating using this cooking method isn't just for fried foods. Reheating pizza, crusty bread, and pies in the oven will restore a crispiness to the crust, but the temperature you use can be food-dependent. For foods that aren't fried, the sweet spot for your oven is between 325 degrees Fahrenheit and 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You can even reheat leftover burgers straight from the fridge using this method. However, fish has its own rules. It is a delicate food that needs a low and slow reheat. It needs to be wrapped in aluminum foil, and the oven should be set at 275 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Of course, not everything goes in the oven. Soups, stews, and sauces tend to fare better on the stovetop, as do rice and grains, which can be placed in a double boiler to steam to restore that soft bite. Low to medium heat is about as hot as you want the burner to get. But don't walk away. Reheating foods can cause them to burn, so make certain to be vigilant.