Skip the Microwave: Expert Tips for Reheating Your Leftovers

Do you have a lot of leftovers in the fridge? Do you rely on meal prep to make it quick and easy to eat during the week? You’re probably giving your microwave a good workout. But what if we told you that this is not always the best option for reheating food?

The best way to reheat most foods is without the hot rays of the microwave. With the arrival of air fryerspowerful toasters and easy to clean non-stick cookwareThere are quick ways to reheat leftover pizza, noodles, rice and fried foods without making a mess.

I tried all the internet’s best hacks and shortcuts to turn last night’s main course into today’s lunch. Be it chicken, pizzanoodles or steakThere are much better ways to reheat leftovers than in the microwave, and many of them are just as quick and mess-free.

Read more: Making a whole chicken in the air fryer is the best cooking hack I’ve found all year

If you’re looking for the best way to reheat Thai, Greek, Italian, or barbecued beef, here’s how to do it so it doesn’t dry out or turn to mush.

I don’t use the microwave to reheat most foods

The microwave is the device most commonly used to reheat leftovers and it may be the fastest, but I would also argue it is the worst. Most reheated foods that come out of the microwave have a degree of rubberiness, dryness, or mushiness that they didn’t have when they went in.

Microwaves also typically do not heat food evenly, resulting in food that is too hot or too cold in some places – sometimes both. Additionally, microwave ovens are prone to messy explosions. If you have to clean your microwave after reheating food, it won’t save you time.

“But it’s so much faster!” you say, but is that so? Most of the methods described below take less than five minutes. The air fryer cooks almost as fast as a microwave and, in my opinion, much better. Adding an air fryer to your kitchen may seem like an initial expense, but this expense is not that significant budget-friendly super convection ovens are the best first step to better leftovers. Besides, they will save money on your energy bill in the long run.

Is there any food that you need to heat up in the microwave?

Although most dense foods shrivel or dry out in the microwave, some softer foods handle the heat of the microwave better. Items such as soup (covered), sauce, plain rice, or mashed potatoes will not lose much power if you destroy them. The microwave It’s also a great place to quickly soften butter or make popcorn, or to heat water, baby food and other liquids. In fact, it’s one of my favorite ways to do that poach an eggso the microwave is certainly not a useless device.

Noodles, pasta and rice dishes

The best way to reheat: non-stick frying pan

This broad category of classic takeaway meals includes Italian pasta dishes; Indian curries with rice; Thai, Vietnamese and Korean noodles; and Chinese stir-fries. We’re talking about any dish that contains starch, such as rice or noodles with diced vegetables, meat or vegetable protein and a sauce. The one thing they all have in common is that they are best reheated in a non-stick frying pan or stir-fry.

While you can probably get away with destroying plain fried rice, a microwave tends to overcook pasta and noodles and will likely turn your chicken, shrimp, or sliced ​​beef into rubber. Instead, just throw it all in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Toss occasionally and within a few minutes you’ll have something that’s almost as delicious as when it first showed up at your table or door the night before. Non-stick pans usually take 15 seconds to rinse clean.

For rice dishes, consider a stainless steel, carbon steel or cast iron skillet to get crispy rice.

Pizza and flatbread

Best way to reheat: Air fryer or toaster oven

There are a handful of reasons why I love mine air fryerbut nothing more remarkable than reheating leftovers. Microwaves destroy pizza, so let’s get rid of that one. A toaster and convection oven do a better job, but they still take longer to heat up and the pizza can dry out by the time it’s fully heated.

The high-speed super convection of an air fryer will heat your pizza to crispy perfection at 400 degrees F in about two minutes, depending on how big and thick it is. Make sure you use the basket or rack, otherwise the hot, flat bottom of the air fryer basket can burn the bottom of your slice. I don’t reheat leftover pizza in any other way. If you didn’t have enough reasons to buy one, Air fryers use much less energy than a large oven.

Fried food

Best way to reheat: Air fryer

Leftover fried foods have traditionally been some of the most difficult to bring back to life. Enter the air fryer, which can revive fried chicken, fried dumplings, mozzarella sticks and even french fries like nothing else in the kitchen. Like pizza, it only takes a few minutes to heat through and should have a crispy exterior, just like when the fried food was first cooked.

For thicker pieces of chicken, use a lower temperature of about 325 to 350 degrees F for about three minutes to ensure you don’t burn the outside before the center has had time to heat through.

Side note: moving on warm up fried chicken, a good air fryer also makes delicious “fried” chicken and other foods with much less oil than traditional methods.

Steak, chops, burgers and grilled chicken

The best way to reheat: cast iron skillet or nonstick skillet

Cuts of meat, including steak and chops, are another food that can be difficult to resuscitate. Fear not, for there is a way. Although reheating grilled steak or fish in an air fryer or oven is not impossible, there is a good chance that the meat will dry out. Instead, I recommend quickly searing it again in covered heat cast iron frying pan or nonstick pan for up to one minute on each side. The hot surface of the skillet should bring the crust back to life. Keeping it covered will warm it up before the heat of the pan has time to overcook it. For vulnerable fish it is best to use a non-stick coating frying pan to prevent the meat from sticking or falling apart.

Fair warning: These types of reheated dishes will never be as tasty as when you first take them off the grill, pan or plancha, but this method should leave them more then edible.

Stewed, roasted or slow-cooked meat

The best way to reheat: covered frying pan with a splash of liquid

Braised dishes such as chicken in wine sauce or short ribs should be reheated in a way that mimics how they are prepared. Gently heat them for a few minutes in a covered nonstick pan or stainless steel pan with an ounce of water or chicken stock. The hot liquid will warm and revive the braised or slow-roasted meat, returning it to its juicy tenderness.

For more tasty tips, see how to find it cheap wine in the supermarket and how to cook a perfect one whole chicken in the air fryer.