Leftover food is a great way to extend the life of your food. food over a few days and maximize your food budget. Unfortunately, microwaved leftovers often end up overcooked, mushy, or just plain plain. turned off. Luckily, there are other quick and easy ways to reheat food—you just need to match the method to what you're reheating.
Some time ago I gave up heating in the microwave and have never regretted it. Yes, the microwave is fast, but it usually strips food of its flavor and texture. These days I rely on fryer or pan reheat food, and the results are much better.
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I'm in good company. In an email exchange, Guy Fieri tells me that fryer is his favorite method of reheating leftovers from last night's dinner, including fried foods like egg rolls and wings. “With an air fryer,” says Fieri, “you can reheat and still get professional-quality results every time.”
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If you're willing to ditch the microwave for crispier chicken and bouncy noodles the next day, here are the best ways to reheat leftovers of any type.
Pizza and flatbread
Why such sad, cold pizza?
Best way to reheat: Air fryer or toaster oven.
There are several reasons why I love mine fryerbut nothing is more remarkable than reheating leftovers. Microwaves ruin pizza, so let's cut it out. A toaster and convection oven work better, but they still take longer to heat up and can dry out the pizza by the time it's fully heated.
The air fryer's fast super convection will heat your pizza to crispy perfection in about two minutes at 400°F, depending on its size and thickness. Be sure to use a basket or wire rack; otherwise, the hot flat bottom of the air fryer basket may burn the bottom of the slice. I won't reheat leftover pizza any other way. If you haven't had enough reasons to jump on it, Air fryers use less energy than a large oven.
Read more: Tips for using a deep fryer to prevent grease fires in your home
Two minutes in the deep fryer. It's more like it.
Fried food
If you thought it was impossible to recover leftover fried foods like chicken or French fries, think again.
Best way to reheat: Air fryer.
Historically, fried food scraps have been the most difficult to recover. Meet the air fryer that can bring fried chicken, fried dumplings, mozzarella sticks, egg rolls and even French fries to life like nothing else in the kitchen. Just like pizza, it only takes a few minutes to reheat and you should end up with a crispy outer shell, just like when you first cooked it.
For thicker pieces of chicken, cook at a lower temperature of 325 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for three minutes or so to ensure the outside doesn't burn before the center has time to heat through.
Note: outside warming up fried chicken, a good air fryer makes delicious “fried” chicken and other foods with less oil than traditional methods.
Noodles, pasta and rice dishes
A quick swirl in a nonstick pan is the best way to reheat pasta, noodles, and rice dishes.
Best way to reheat: Non-stick frying pan.
This broad category of takeout classics includes Italian pasta, Indian curry rice, Thai, Vietnamese and Korean noodles, and Chinese stir-fries. We're discussing any dish that contains starch, such as rice or noodles, diced vegetables, meat or vegetable protein, and sauce. The only thing they all have in common is that they are best reheated in non-stick frying pan or wok.
While you'll probably be able to atomic bomb a simple fried rice, the microwave tends to overcook pasta and noodles and will likely turn your chicken, shrimp, or shredded beef into rubber. Instead, just toss it all into a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Shake occasionally, and within minutes you'll have something almost as delicious as when it first arrived at your table or door the night before. Nonstick pans typically only take 15 seconds to rinse.
To make crispy rice, consider a stainless steel, carbon steel or cast iron skillet for rice dishes.
Read more: What is “Teflon flu”? What you need to know about non-stick cookware
Steak, pork chops, hamburgers and grilled chicken
Often the way you cook food is also the best way to reheat it. When cooking steaks, pork, and hamburgers, be sure to cover the pan to help the meat heat up faster.
Best way to reheat: Cast iron or nonstick skillet.
Cuts of meat, including steaks and pork chops, are another food that can be difficult to revive. Don't be afraid, because there is a way out. While it's not impossible to reheat fried steak or fish in the deep fryer or oven, you'll likely dry out the meat. Instead, I suggest quickly roasting it in a covered, hot oven. cast iron frying pan or non-stick frying pan for no more than a minute on each side. The hot surface of the pan should revive the crust. Keeping it covered will help warm it up before the heat from the pan has time to overcook it. For delicate fish, you can use a non-stick pan to prevent the meat from sticking and falling apart.
Fair warning: these types of reheated foods will never taste as good as when you first pulled them out of the grill, frying pan, or plancha, but this method should leave them more than edible.
Stewed, fried or slow-cooked meats
A covered pan with a little broth is the best way to reheat leftover stew.
Best way to reheat: Covered pan with a little liquid.
Stews such as chicken in wine sauce or short ribs should be reheated to replicate the original cooking method. Heat them gently for a few minutes in a covered nonstick or stainless steel pan with a little water or chicken stock. The hot liquid will revive stewed or baked meat, restoring its juicy tenderness.
For more tasty tips, see the How to Find section. cheap wine at the grocery store and how to cook the perfect one whole chicken in the deep fryer.
The microwave is rarely the best way to reheat leftovers.
Step away from the microwave and find better-tasting leftovers.
microwave oven is the appliance most often used for reheating leftovers, and it may be the fastest, but I would also say it's the worst. Most microwaved food has a certain degree of elasticity, dryness, or softness that was not present when it was originally cooked.
Microwave ovens typically do not heat food evenly, resulting in some areas being either too hot or too cold, or sometimes both. Microwave ovens are also prone to nasty explosions. If you need to clean your microwave after heating food, it won't save time.
“But it’s much faster!” you say, but is it so? Most of the methods described below can be completed in less than five minutes. fryer It cooks almost as quickly as in the microwave and, in my opinion, much better. Installing an air fryer in your kitchen may require some upfront costs, but these budget super convection ovens are the best first step to improving leftovers. Moreover, they will save money on your energy bills over time.
Are there foods that should be heated in the microwave?
The microwave is a good place to poach an egg.
Although most dense foods will shrink or dry out in the microwave, some softer foods will tolerate microwave heat better. Foods like soup (with the lid on), gravy, plain rice, or mashed potatoes won't lose too much appeal if you blow them up with a nuclear bomb.
microwave oven It's also a great place to quickly soften butter, make popcorn, or make warm water, baby food, and other liquids. It's even one of my favorite ways to poach an eggso this is far from a useless device.
