How To Reheat Rotisserie Chicken In An Air Fryer
Buying a rotisserie chicken from the store is one of the best food hacks you could use at home.
You could either carve the chicken up and serve it as a roast dinner, cut it into pieces and add it to pasta or stew, or even slice it up and serve it in a sandwich!
There really is just so much that you can make with a rotisserie chicken, without having to spend hours preparing and cooking the chicken yourself.
The only thing you would need to worry about with the rotisserie chicken is warming it up, and one of the best ways to do this is to use an air fryer.
How do you reheat rotisserie chicken in an air fryer? To reheat rotisserie chicken in an air fryer, you need to preheat the air fryer to 350°F, place the chicken into the basket, and cook it for up to 5 minutes to ensure it is heated throughout, and the skin is beautifully crispy.
You might not always be reheating a full rotisserie chicken in the air fryer, so keep reading to find out all you need to know about reheating rotisserie chicken whole or in pieces, and how to prevent it from drying out!
Why You Should Reheat Rotisserie Chicken In An Air Fryer
Most people will jump to use their oven or microwave to reheat rotisserie chicken, but there really are so many benefits to enjoy when reheating it in the air fryer.
If you do not have an air fryer at home, it is worth purchasing one to use in place of the oven and stovetop (we’d recommend this one). It is a healthier alternative to cooking, by using fewer oils and fat in the cooking process.
Other than this, here are the best reasons to reheat rotisserie chicken in an air fryer:
Quick Reheating
The air fryer is ideal for quick reheating of a rotisserie chicken, and you do not have to sacrifice any flavor or tenderness to have the chicken reheated quickly!
A whole rotisserie chicken can be heated throughout in just 10 minutes in an air fryer.
Compared to an oven, this is much quicker, as you would have to wait a while for the oven to heat up, and then leave the rotisserie chicken in for longer.
A microwave comes fairly close to this, but it does not give the same results, and not all microwaves can hold a whole rotisserie chicken.
Crispy Skin And Tender Meat
An air fryer works by circulating hot air in the basket, and this means that the chicken is left beautifully tender on the inside, and the skin on the outside is crispy and flavorful.
As long as you do not leave the rotisserie chicken in the air fryer for too long, it will not dry out, and it should be just as tender as it was when first cooked.
The best thing about the air fryer is that it produces beautifully crispy skin on the rotisserie chicken, which is almost everyone’s favorite part of the meal!
How To Reheat A Whole Rotisserie Chicken In An Air Fryer
The beauty of reheating a whole rotisserie chicken in an air fryer is that it is a fairly simple process, and does not take long at all.
You also do not need anything other than your rotisserie chicken and the air fryer, as you will not need to use oils or any spray.
Here is how to reheat a whole rotisserie chicken in the air fryer:
- Switch the air fryer on and preheat it to 360°F.
- Make sure that the rotisserie chicken is free from any packaging.
- Once the air fryer has heated up, place the whole rotisserie chicken in the basket. It does not matter which way you place the chicken down, but breast-up is a popular choice.
- Place the chicken in the air fryer to reheat for 5-8 minutes, depending on how big it is.
- Check the chicken after this time to ensure it is heated fully throughout, and that the skin is crispy. If it needs more time, place it back into the air fryer for another 3 minutes.
- Remove the rotisserie chicken from the air fryer and serve.
Some larger air fryers actually have a rotisserie function, and this can also be used to reheat a rotisserie chicken. Here is how:
- Preheat the air fryer to 360°F.
- Push the spit rod through the rotisserie chicken, making sure it is secure and won’t fall off.
- Place the rod and the chicken into the air fryer, fitting it in where it needs to go.
- Leave the rotisserie chicken to reheat for between 5-7 minutes.
- Check that the chicken is piping hot after this time and the skin is crispy. If it needs a little bit longer, you can place it back in the air fryer for another 3 minutes.
It is not much different to reheat a whole rotisserie chicken in the basket of an air fryer or reheating it using the rotisserie function, and both will give you crispy, golden skin on the outside, and tender meat on the inside.
It just depends on how you prefer to use the air fryer you have!
You also do not have to flip the chicken halfway through, but some people prefer to do this.
If you want to flip the chicken, lay it down breast side first, and then flip it over to breast side up halfway through, so that the breast skin crisps up well.
How To Reheat Rotisserie Chicken Pieces In An Air Fryer
If you have already cut up the rotisserie chicken (and maybe enjoyed a few pieces the night before) then you would need to reheat the pieces in the air fryer.
You can reheat multiple pieces of rotisserie chicken in one go, and this can save you quite a bit of time!
You just need to make sure that the basket is not overcrowded, and that the chicken pieces have some space around them and are not on top of each other.
If there are quite a few pieces of rotisserie chicken to reheat, and your air fryer basket is small, then you might need to reheat the chicken in two batches.
Placing too many pieces of chicken into the basket can restrict the hot airflow, which means the chicken won’t reheat evenly and the skin won’t crisp up.
- Preheat the air fryer to 360°F.
- Once heated, place the rotisserie chicken pieces into the basket of the air fryer. Place the chicken pieces skin side up, so the skin can crisp up nicely.
- Leave the chicken pieces to reheat for 5-7 minutes.
- Check that the chicken pieces are reheated fully and that the skin is nice and crispy. If the chicken pieces need a little more time, put them back in for another 2 minutes.
When reheating rotisserie chicken pieces, it is best to only reheat as many pieces are you are going to be eating then. It is not a good idea to place the reheated leftovers back in the fridge only to be reheated later on.
Using the air fryer definitely helps with this, because if you decide that you are still hungry and want a few more pieces after you have finished the first serving, it only takes a few minutes to warm the next batch up!
Tips For Reheating Rotisserie Chicken In The Air Fryer
You don’t want your rotisserie chicken to lose any of its flavor or tenderness when reheating it in the air fryer, so here are some tips to follow to ensure it stays as delicious as possible
Allow It To Reach Room Temperature
If you can, you should leave the rotisserie chicken out for 20 minutes on the counter so that the chicken can reach room temperature. Doing this ensures that the chicken reheats evenly and that there will be no cold spots.
Just make sure to not leave the chicken out for too long, as this could then lead to bacteria growth and the chicken not being safe to eat anymore.
Place It In The Highest Position
If your air fryer has a different basket or rack levels, then you should place the rotisserie chicken in the highest position.
This just allows better and more even airflow, and crisps up all areas of the chicken skin really nicely, leaving the inside juicy and tender.
Check The Internal Temperature
It is a good idea to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the rotisserie chicken if you have one (we’d recommend this one).
The rotisserie chicken will be safe to eat when it has been reheated to an internal temperature of 165°F. This is out of the food danger zone between 40-140°F, and means that the chicken is hot enough to eat.
Adjust Reheating Time
Different types of air fryers will have varied reheating times, so follow the above time guidelines, but then check to make sure that the rotisserie chicken is heated thoroughly before removing it from the air fryer.
It might take a few tries to work out the perfect time to leave the rotisserie chicken in, for it to be reheated properly.
How To Prevent Reheated Rotisserie Chicken From Drying Out
The last thing you want is to eat dry, hard chicken. Reheating the rotisserie chicken in an air fryer gives you a great opportunity to avoid this, to have juicy, tender chicken, but if not done properly, the chicken can turn out dry.
Make sure to only reheat the chicken for as long as it needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F, or until piping hot throughout.
Leaving the chicken in the air fryer for too long will definitely lead to it drying out and not being tender and moist.
If the rotisserie chicken has been cut up, then you might want to reheat smaller pieces together, and larger pieces together.
The smaller pieces will reheat quicker than the larger pieces, and by reheating them all together, the smaller pieces might dry out by the time that the larger pieces reheat properly.
Another way to ensure that the rotisserie chicken stays moist is to store it properly.
When kept in the fridge, keep the rotisserie chicken in an airtight container, or wrapped tightly in foil. If you just leave the rotisserie chicken out on a plate in the fridge, it can become quite dry.
Simply storing the rotisserie chicken properly, and making sure to not reheat it for too long, is all you need to do to enjoy tender and soft chicken leftovers!
How Long Can I Keep Rotisserie Chicken For?
Rotisserie chicken is always great to have in your fridge, for when you need a quick-fix dinner, a delicious and easy lunch, or to make some sandwiches for a picnic!
You do however need to be aware of how long you can keep rotisserie chicken in the fridge before it needs to be eaten.
Once you have purchased rotisserie chicken from the store or even made your own at home, you should consume it within 3 days.
The leftover rotisserie chicken should be kept in an air-tight container (or wrapped tightly in aluminum foil) to keep it protected and to keep it tender and moist.
Always have a look for a “use-by” date on the packaging on the rotisserie chicken if it is storebought, to have a better idea of when to use it.
If you are not going to be able to eat the rotisserie chicken before this time, to prevent it from going to waste, you can freeze the chicken.
To freeze rotisserie chicken, place it in a freezer-safe airtight container or plastic freezer bag (squeezing out as much air as you can before freezing), label it with the date of freezing, and place it in the freezer.
Once frozen, the rotisserie chicken should be used within one month.
When it is time to enjoy the frozen rotisserie chicken, you should remove it from the freezer and place it in the fridge to thaw before reheating it. This allows the chicken to thaw at a safe, steady temperature.
Related Questions
Now that we’ve gone over how to reheat a rotisserie chicken in an air fryer, let’s take a look at a few related questions on the subject!
What is rotisserie chicken?
Rotisserie chicken is a normal chicken that has been cooked in a rotisserie oven.
The chicken is placed onto a rod and is then slow-cooked while spinning in a heated oven. This allows the chicken to be tender and juicy.
Can you reheat a rotisserie chicken in the oven?
You can reheat rotisserie chicken in the oven, whether you want to reheat it whole or in pieces.
A good tip to prevent rotisserie chicken from drying out in the oven is to pour some chicken broth over the top of the chicken, so it pours down to the bottom of the pan, with the rotisserie chicken on a roasting rack (such as this one).
You can then cover the baking tray with aluminum foil to keep the moisture in as it reheats.
Rotisserie Chicken In An Air Fryer
Reheating your rotisserie chicken in an air fryer can be a great way to crisp up your leftover chicken in a simple fashion!
Ingredients
- Leftover rotisserie chicken
- An air fryer
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 360°F.
- Once heated, place the rotisserie chicken pieces into the basket of the air fryer. Place the chicken pieces skin side up, so the skin can crisp up nicely.
- Leave the chicken pieces to reheat for 5-7 minutes.
- Check that the chicken pieces are reheated fully and that the skin is nice and crispy. If the chicken pieces need a little more time, put them back in for another 2 minutes.