How To Reheat Food in an Air Fryer

Say goodbye to soggy leftovers and hello to perfectly crispy meals with the magic of your air fryer! Discover the secrets to bringing yesterday's favorites back to life with ease in this ultimate guide on how to reheat food in your air fryer.

Have you ever reheated food and ending up with soggy leftovers that were just a shadow of their former delicious selves?

I bet you’ve been there, trying to rekindle last night's pizza or those crispy chicken wings, only to be disappointed. But fear not, because your air fryer is about to become your reheating savior!

Yes, you heard that right. You can reheat so many different types of foods in an air fryer, and trust me, it’s a game-changer. With an air fryer, you can breathe new life into yesterday’s meals, making them just as crispy and delicious as the first time around.

But the key is knowing the right technique to ensure your meals emerge just as tasty as when they were first made.

And the best part? It’s not complicated at all. So, stick around and find out how to do it in this ultimate guide to reheating food in your air fryer.

Jump to:

• Why Reheat Food In An Air Fryer?
• What Foods are Best to Reheat in an Air Fryer
• What Not to Reheat in an Air Fryer
• Recommended Tools
• How To Reheat Food in an Air Fryer
• Chef's Tips
• FAQs
• Recommended Air Fryer Products
• Air Fryer Recipes and Resources
• Recipe
• Reviews

Why Reheat Food In An Air Fryer?

Why use an air fryer to reheat your food? It's simple: this clever little appliance is all about bringing back the crispiness, flavor, and warmth of your leftover food without the downside of sogginess or dryness that you may get with microwaving or baking in the oven.

The air fryer is one of the most versatile appliances. It heats up and cooks food super fast, and it's really easy to use. Plus, as a doctor, I love that it's a healthy cooking technique and gives you craveworthy crispy food with minimal oil. Read my post on why you need an air fryer in your life.

Here are some reasons why the air fryer is the perfect tool for reheating food:

1. Preserves Food Texture
   • The air fryer excels in preserving the texture of food. Unlike microwaves that can zap the life out of your meals, leaving you with limp fries or rubbery pizza, air fryers circulate hot air around the food. The hot air circulation helps your food retain its delightful crunch and golden perfection.
2. Efficient Heating
   • Reheating food in an air fryer is much faster than heating up an oven and there's no preheating required. Not only does it take less time, the air fryer also uses less energy. For small to medium-sized portions, it's unbeatable. So, you can enjoy your meal quicker and save on your electricity bill.
3. A Healthier Option
   • When it comes to reheating, an air fryer is your go-to for a healthier option, especially with deep-fried foods. It cuts out the need for excess oil, keeping things light and reducing the fat content. So you get all the flavor without any of the guilt!
4. Saves the Flavor
   • The air fryer does an exceptional job of evenly reheating food, which helps maintain the original flavors and aromas. It avoids the uneven heating or the "nuked" taste that microwaves can sometimes cause, making your leftovers feel more like a fresh meal.

Not sure what types of oils to use in your air fryer? Read my post on The Best Oils and Oil Sprays for the Air Fryer.

What Foods are Best to Reheat in an Air Fryer

If you’re unsure what you can pop into an air fryer for quick reheating, here’s your answer:

• Pizza
  • The air fryer's hot air circulation ensures that pizza crusts regain their crispness while keeping the cheese gooey. Unlike microwaves, air fryers don't leave you with a rubbery base or overly dried toppings. It's the best way to revive the pizzeria-fresh taste and texture.
• Fries and Other Fried Food
  • From skinny fries to chunky wedges, the air fryer re-crisps leftover french fries to perfection. It's also perfect for onion rings, zucchini fries, and tater tots. The key here is the air fryer’s ability to simulate traditional frying methods without additional oil, making it a healthier option that still delivers on crunch.
• Chicken Wings and Tenders
  • The air fryer shines in reheating and cooking leftover chicken wings and chicken tenders, ensuring a crispy exterior without drying out the meat inside. This is due to the air fryer's design, which allows for a quick, even reheating process that traditional ovens or microwaves can't replicate.
• Fried Chicken
  • Reheating fried chicken in the air fryer avoids the sogginess associated with microwaving while maintaining the juicy interior. It’s the hot air circulation that warms each piece evenly, preserving the crispy coating.
• Steak
  • While reheating leftover steak often results in overcooked edges, the air fryer can gently warm it, retaining its juicy medium-rare (or however you like it) interior.
• Fish Filets
  • Delicate items like fish can easily become too dry or overcooked with other reheating methods. The air fryer uses a gentle heat that warms without sapping moisture, keeping the filet tender and the skin or coating crispy.
• Roasted Vegetables
  • Air frying to reheat vegetables revitalizes them without turning them mushy. From roasted asparagus to zucchini to butternut squash, the air fryer delivers a slight char and crispness that will make you excited to eat your leftovers.
• Spring Rolls and Egg Rolls
  • The dilemma with reheating these is keeping the wrapper crisp without the filling becoming lava-hot. The air fryer manages this balance perfectly, ensuring the exterior stays crunchy while evenly warming the interior.
• Baked Goods
  • From croissants to muffins, the air fryer revives the outer crispness while keeping the inside soft. This contrasts with microwaves, which can make baked goods tough, and ovens, which may dry them out.

What Not to Reheat in an Air Fryer

Some food items do lose their texture in the air fryer, and knowing them is important. Here are some food categories that don’t do well in the air fryer:

• Leafy Greens
  • If you’ve got some leftover salad or spinach you want to perk up, keep it out of the air fryer. The high-speed air circulation can cause lightweight greens to fly around, causing uneven cooking or even worse, a mini tornado in your appliance. These delicate foods can easily overcook or burn, losing their texture and nutritional value.
• Large Cuts of Meat or Whole Roasts
  • Sure an air fryer can handle smaller cuts or slices brilliantly, but not larger chunks of meat or whole roasts. These require a longer, more consistent heat to cook or reheat properly throughout, something that air fryers, with their quick-cooking nature, can struggle with.
• Creamy or Cheesy Sauces
  • Got a lasagna or creamy pasta dishes to reheat? The air fryer might dry out the top before the heat penetrates to the center. These dishes need gentle, even heating to restore their creamy goodness, which traditional ovens do better.
• Soups and Stews
  • You could technically reheat soups and stews in your air fryer, however, there are better ways to reheat them. And you really don't need your soup to be crispy!
• Soft or Runny Cakes
  • Dreaming of a soft, gooey chocolate lava cake warmed up in your air fryer? It might not live up to your dreams. Soft, runny cakes can dry out or cook unevenly due to the air fryer's intense heat distribution, robbing you of that delightful center.

Recommended Tools

• Air fryer
• Parchment liners or silicone liners
• Oil sprayer
• Instant read thermometer

How To Reheat Food in an Air Fryer

Now that we’re clear on what to reheat in the air fryer and what to keep away, let’s get to work. If you have an awesome air fryer right on your kitchen countertop, here’s how to reheat your food in it:

1. Reheating Pizza in an Air Fryer

• Preheat your air fryer to 350°F as this temperature range ensures that the cheese melts perfectly without burning the crust.
• Place the pizza slices in the air fryer basket. Arrange them in a single layer to allow for proper air circulation. If you're reheating multiple slices, you might need to do it in batches. You can use an air fryer liner to line the basket and make clean up easier.
• Reheat for 3-4 minutes -the exact time will depend on your air fryer model and how crispy you like your pizza. Start checking at 3 minutes to ensure it doesn't overcook.
• Check the pizza and if it needs more time, you can add another minute, but keep a close eye as it might dry out.

2. Reheating Chicken in an Air Fryer

• Preheat your air fryer to 350-400°F as a slightly higher temperature is needed for chicken to help re-crisp the skin and warm the interior without drying it.
• Place the chicken in the air fryer basket but don’t overcrowd the basket; proper air circulation is crucial for even reheating. For chicken wings or chicken tenders, a single layer works best.
• Reheat for about 3-5 minutes for wings, 5-7 minutes for tenders or nuggets, and 8-10 minutes for larger pieces like breasts or thighs. Flip halfway through the cooking time to ensure even heating.
• Check the chicken and if it’s not quite heated through, you can add a few minutes.

3. Reheating Steak in an Air Fryer

• Start by preheating your air fryer to 360°F to ensure your steak reheats evenly.
• If your steak is refrigerated, let it sit out for a few minutes to come closer to room temperature. Doing so reduces the reheating time and helps your steak heat more evenly.
• Put the steak in the air fryer basket. To avoid overcooking, you might want to wrap it in aluminum foil. This helps retain moisture so that your steak doesn't dry out during the reheating process.
• Heat your steak for about 3-5 minutes and check halfway through to ensure it's heating to your liking.
• Let the steak rest for a few minutes after reheating as it allows the juices to redistribute.

4. Reheating French Fries in an Air Fryer

• Heat your air fryer to 350°F because otherwise, your leftover fries are likely to have cold or overdone spots.
• Next, spread your fries in the basket. You can use a parchment paper liner if you want.
• A light spray of avocado oil or olive oil can help bring back the fries' crispy texture, but it's optional. A reusable oil sprayer is perfect for this.
• Cook your fries for about 3-5 minutes. Shake the basket halfway through to ensure they reheat evenly.

5. Reheating a Burger in an Air Fryer

• Start by warming up your air fryer to 350°F and disassemble your burger if possible. Remove any cold toppings or sauces to add back after reheating. Doing this helps in avoiding soggy buns and wilted lettuce.
• Place the burger patty in the air fryer basket first, as it takes the longest to heat. For a standard patty, reheat for about 3-4 minutes for best results.
• Then, add the buns to the basket and heat everything together for an additional minute. This method ensures both the patty and buns warm up nicely without drying out or burning.

6. Reheating Sautéed/Roasted Vegetables in an Air Fryer

• Heat your air fryer to 360°F - but remember that a bit of preheating goes a long way in ensuring your vegetables reheat evenly.
• If the vegetables are clumped together, gently separate them to ensure even reheating. You might want to spray them with a little bit of oil to bring back the sheen and flavor they had when first cooked.
• Spread the vegetables in a single layer in the air fryer basket to allow for optimal air circulation. Heat them for about 3-5 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through to ensure even reheating.

7. Reheating Meatloaf in an Air Fryer

• Preheat your air fryer to 350°F.
• Slice the meatloaf into individual portions or leave it whole, depending on your preference.
• Place the meatloaf slices or the whole meatloaf into the air fryer basket, making sure they are not overcrowded to allow for proper air circulation.
• If you like, you can brush the meatloaf with a thin layer of barbecue sauce or ketchup to add extra flavor.
• Reheat the meatloaf for about 3-5 minutes, flipping slices halfway through to ensure even heating.

FAQs

Air Fryer Recipes and Resources

Recipe