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How to Reheat a Sandwich in an Air Fryer

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Who doesn’t adore a hot sandwich, stuffed with all of our favorite things?! Crisp, doughy bread, oozing with warm, fragrant fillings.

Chances are that all of your hot sandwiches will likely get eaten in the first sitting, but if you do have any leftovers you will want to reheat them carefully to enjoy them at their best.

So, are you wondering what the best way is to reheat a sandwich in an air fryer? The best method is to use a layer of parchment paper below the sandwich, to keep the bread from becoming too crusty.

A standard-thickness sandwich will take just a couple of minutes on each side to reheat in an air fryer, although larger sandwiches may take longer than this.

We’ve got everything on how to reheat a sandwich in an air fryer, including our top tips and mistakes to avoid. Keep reading to find out more!

Why Would You Want to Reheat a Sandwich?

These days, sandwiches can come in all shapes and sizes, and it is not uncommon to encounter a hot sandwich that is just too huge to eat in one sitting! So, rather than waste delicious food, you might start thinking about ways to reheat it.

Or maybe your lunchtime break got interrupted, or your friends were delayed for lunch, causing that homemade hot sandwich you lovingly prepared to go cold. 

Whatever the reason, it would be terrible to let your delicious hot sandwich go to waste. You are then left with a decision to make: should you reheat your sandwich, or eat it cold?

Cold sandwiches are perfectly edible, and many of them are intended to be consumed in this way. However, if your sandwich was a hot variety to start with, to be enjoyed at its best we would advise that you reheat it.

Reheating the sandwich will ensure that the fillings are at their absolute best, allowing them to maximize their delicious flavors. It will also help to bring the bread back to life, as long as we reheat it in the correct way.

Is It Safe to Reheat a Sandwich?

When reheating sandwiches, you need to take certain precautions if reheating one with a meaty filling, such as barbeque chicken or shredded pork.

Most food experts recommend against reheating cooked meats more than once, so if they were reheated when the sandwich was first cooked they cannot be reheated again.

It is also essential to ensure that the sandwich is heated thoroughly before serving, especially if it has toppings that contain meat, fish, or seafood.

sandwich

This means you need to ensure the sandwich is hot enough to eat, rather than just warmed through.

Another thing to be aware of is that some sandwich fillings will not taste good when reheated.

Salads such as lettuce and cucumber will become soggy and unappetizing. These are normally added to a hot sandwich, rather than cooked or heated inside the sandwich.

What Is an Air Fryer? And How Does It Work?

If you’ve got an air fryer, you’ll already be familiar with how amazing these countertop gadgets are. And if you don’t have one, you’ll be rushing out to buy one once you’ve read about all their benefits!

Air fryers work by circulating hot air at high speed. This enables them to cook food quickly, giving it a crispy brown outer layer—the same as foods that have been fried or roasted in hot oil. 

However, very little oil is required when using an air fryer—and in some cases, none at all!

These little magic ovens are small enough to sit on your countertop and can be popped into a cupboard or on a shelf when not in use.

The inside of an air fryer has a basket, that sits over a drip tray to catch oils and spillages. Some air fryers have a mechanism to shake the basket during cooking, while with others you will need to do this manually.

Air fryers have three big advantages over other cooking methods:

Heat

The intense heat in an air fryer recreates the delicious crispy taste and texture of fried food, without the oil.

Air fryers are much more effective at crisping up food than a conventional oven, without any residual dryness to the food.

Speed

Using an air fryer can help to reduce cooking times by up to half! When you’re in a hurry and you need to get some food on the table as soon as possible, an air fryer is the way to go.

Nutrition

If you crave the flavor and texture of fried food, an air fryer will give you this without the unhealthy fats and oils.

Should You Reheat Sandwiches in an Air Fryer?

This is one of those situations that requires a bit of common sense, as not all types of sandwiches will reheat well in the air fryer.

The way the air fryer circulates heat will give the bread a crispy finish on the outside, with a gooey, hot filling.

reheat a sandwich

This is a great option (in our opinion!) if you’ve got a sandwich stuffed with chili beef, barbeque chicken, or cheese-laden meatballs.

However, if your sandwich is something a bit more delicate, such as tuna mayonnaise, chicken Caesar salad, or shrimp and avocado, we’d suggest that you enjoy them cold instead.

Step-By-Step Guide to Reheating a Sandwich in an Air Fryer

OK, so you’ve got a leftover stack of sandwiches in the fridge—let’s find out how to reheat them in an air fryer!

  1. Place a layer of parchment paper on the bottom of the air fryer basket. This will prevent messy fillings from dripping over the bottom of the air fryer, and also make sure your bread does not become too crispy.
  2. Add the sandwiches in a single layer to the basket. Leave a small gap between each sandwich, and do not overlap them.
  3. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F.
  4. Reheat the sandwiches for two minutes, then carefully turn them over with tongs.
  5. Reheat for a further two minutes on the other side. By this point, the fillings should be completely warmed through. However, thicker sandwiches may need another minute or two.
  6. If you have a food thermometer, check that the internal temperature of the fillings is at 165°F or above.
  7. Once you are satisfied that your sandwiches are piping hot, remove the basket from the air fryer. Allow them to stand for a couple of minutes, then serve.

Related Questions

Now we’ve got reheating sandwiches in the air fryer all figured out, let’s look into anything else you might need to know about this topic!

Why Do Sandwiches Become Soggy When Reheated?

One of the big problems when it comes to reheating bread is that it turns soggy and unappetizing. This will not only be unpleasant to eat, but you may also find that your delicious sandwich falls into pieces—what a waste!

But why do bread sandwiches become soggy when they are reheated? Quite simply, it all comes down to moisture and air. Any crispy food, such as a crusty bread roll, will quickly become stale, with a soft and chewy texture.

And then when we add moist fillings to a sandwich, we make the problem even worse. When first cooked, the bread is robust enough to withstand this and will stay crispy on the outside.

However, over time moisture will soak into the bread, creating a disgusting soggy mess.

Can You Reheat Pizza in an Air Fryer?

An air fryer is a great way to bring leftover pizza back to life, keeping the doughy base crisp and light whilst heating the toppings to perfection.

The trick is to spray the pizza slices lightly with an air-fryer-safe oil, to prevent them from becoming dry and inedible.

pizza in an air fryer

Simply preheat the air fryer to 350°F, and place pizza slices in a single layer in the air fryer basket.

Lightly spray the surface of the pizza with oil, and reheat for 3-5 minutes. A pizza with a thin base will take less time than a deep-pan pizza.

Remove the basket from the air fryer, and leave the pizza to stand for a couple of minutes before serving.

Can You Make Toast in an Air Fryer?

Making toast in the air fryer is so quick and simple, that you’ll be wondering why you never tried it before! This method works well for small batches of toast, as you will need to ensure they are not stacked on top of each other.

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F, and lay the slices of bread flat in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook the slices for 3 minutes on one side, turn them over with tongs, and cook for 3 minutes on the other side.

Once the cooking timer has ended, lift the basket from the air fryer and carefully remove the hot toast with tongs. Serve with lashings of butter and your favorite toast toppings!

Looking for some new sandwich ideas? Check out this great video from the folks over at Tasty!

Up Next: Air Fryer Advantages And Disadvantages

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