How To Reheat Rotisserie Chicken Perfectly, 3 Different Ways
Everyone loves a good rotisserie chicken, even if you aren't afraid to roast a whole one from scratch. Grocery retailers like Costco sell rotisserie chickens for as little as $4.99, so you can hardly afford not to buy one. Unless you're running to the store to purchase one just before dinner, you likely need an easy way to heat it back up without drying it out. Depending on your kitchen setup and your intention for the cooked bird, there are different strategies for reheating.
Most of the time, the chicken is kept in a warming tray or box at the grocery store. That might keep it warm enough until you get home — if you eat it right away. If not, for food safety reasons you'll have to refrigerate it until later and reheat it just before serving. So what is the best way to heat it up? We delve into three of the best, easiest ways that result in chicken that's just as juicy as it was when it came off the rotisserie spit.
First method: Air fryer
First, place the whole chicken on a metal tray in the air fryer, and set the air fryer to 400 F.
Next, cook the chicken for 5-10 minutes.
Finally, check the chicken for doneness before serving. Ten minutes is usually plenty, but if it needs a little more, continue to cook it for about a minute at a time, checking the bird as you go.
Second method: Covered steam
Start by placing the chicken in a deep Dutch oven
Add about an inch of chicken broth (or water) at the bottom.
Bring the pot up to a gentle simmer, cover, and steam the chicken in the liquid for about 10 minutes. Once it's nice and juicy, you can use a paper towel to pat off the excess moisture on the outside of the bird. But be careful — it's hot!
Third method: Microwave
Place chicken in microwave in a covered — but not sealed — dish, or in the manufacturer's packaging if it's microwave-safe.
Heat in the chicken in 30-45 second intervals until heated through.
How to store rotisserie chicken
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, fully cooked rotisserie chicken as to be eaten or refrigerated within 2 hours of taking it out of the store. To store it, cut it up, if you can, and refrigerate it in a shallow, covered container.
Make sure to eat it within 3 or 4 days, either cold or reheated using your desired method to 165 F. If you have plans to make chicken broth, you can carve the meat from the carcass and freeze the bones in a freezer-safe sealable plastic bag for up to 4 months.
How to use rotisserie chicken
Find yourself with leftover rotisserie chicken and not sure what to do with it? There's a wide world of chicken salad recipes, from cool, crisp and creamy chicken salad to an herby blend studded with pickled red onion. For something heartier, fire up the griddle and craft some shredded chicken quesadillas. Don't forget to serve them with some ridiculously good guac!
Of course, there are various pasta dishes that are great for using up leftover shredded rotisserie chicken. Everything from crockpot alfredo pasta to chicken pot pie pasta utilize this versatile protein. Don't forget that any of these recipes that call for raw chicken meat can be adapted to just folding shredded rotisserie chicken at the end, as opposed to the raw meat at the beginning. With all these ways to use shredded rotisserie chicken, it's a good idea to pick one up if you happen to be stopping at the grocery store.