Why You Should Avoid Ordering Fried Food For Delivery

When you're craving something greasy and crispy, nothing hits the spot quite like something fried, be it chicken or fish, cheese sticks or pickles. Unfortunately, when you get a hankering for something fried and can't head to the restaurant yourself, getting your greasy goods delivered might not be the best idea. As it turns out, fried food is one of the things you should avoid ordering for delivery unless you want a soggy mess. 

Food delivery is often pretty slow, depending on where you live and how busy the restaurant you're ordering from is. This can have devastating effects on your crispy fried goods because the longer they sit around, the mushier they'll get. This is because when the hot fried food is packaged, condensation will begin to form as the food cools down. Now, when the food is stuck inside the container, there is nowhere for this moisture to go but back onto your fried goods. Sadly, this means the crunchy fried coating of your food will gradually get soggier and mushier the longer it sits. 

Don't get too discouraged, though, because we know how irresistible fried food can be. The good news is that if you do order fried food and find it's gotten soggy on the way over, there is a way you can crisp it back up. You just need an air fryer. 

There are many great air fryer hacks, but one of the most underutilized is using it to bring soggy fried food back to life. Best of all, it doesn't use any extra grease because of how air fryers work by using circulated heated air to make food crispy. Plus, it's super easy. 

For almost any fried food, all you have to do is lay it out in an even layer inside your air fryer's basket. Try not to overcrowd the basket because this can lead to uneven crisping and leftover soggy spots. Reheating the food at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for around five minutes is usually all you need to crisp things up. About halfway through, you can shake the basket if needed to check on progress and ensure everything gets done at the same rate. Remember, you're just removing the built-up moisture from the fried breading, not cooking the food from raw. A little time is all that's needed so you don't end up overcooking your meal!

If you don't have an air fryer on hand, your oven will do in a pinch. Laying your fried food out on a baking sheet and putting it in the broiler for five to ten minutes — depending on what you're reheating — will help crisp up the breading. Just make sure to keep a close eye on things so nothing burns. Once things start sizzling, flip the food over and wait until the other side is crispy.