How to Reheat Chicken on the Bone

When it comes to reheating chicken on the bone, there are a few steps you’ll need to take if you want to avoid dry, tough, rubbery meat. Fortunately, there are 3 ways to reheat chicken on the bone. You can use the microwave, an air fryer or the oven.

When reheating chicken, you need to get the balance right between getting it to a safe temperature and not drying it out. Fortunately, I’ve taken all of this into consideration to come up with a few ways you can reheat it.

These different ways ensure you have delicious chicken without much effort at all.

How to Reheat Chicken on the Bone in the Microwave

The easiest and quickest way to reheat chicken on the bone is in the microwave. There is a risk that the chicken will dry out when using the microwave to reheat it, but there are some precautionary steps you can take to prevent this.

Here’s an easy way to reheat 2 chicken drumsticks of 80g each in the microwave. Obviously, smaller pieces will take less time and vice versa.

1. Prepare Chicken
   Place your chicken on a microwave-safe plate. If it comes with a soup or sauce, cover the meat with it. If not, add a splash of water to your meat to ensure it doesn’t dry out. 
2. Cover
   Wrap the microwave-safe dish in cling film and place your chicken in the microwave. 
3. Reheat
   On full power, reheat your chicken on the bone for 2-3 minutes before removing it to check the temperature. 
4. Check the Temperature
   Your chicken on the bone will only be safe to serve when it’s at least 75°C. Remember to check the thickest part of the chicken. If it’s not quite up to temperature, return it to the microwave in 30-second intervals. 
5. Serve and Enjoy
   Your reheated chicken on the bone is now done and safe to enjoy. 

Timings will differ a little, depending on the size of the chicken and the cut. Below is a table outlining how long it takes to microwave different sizes of meat:

Cut	Weight	Time
Drumstick	70-90g	1.5 to 2 mins
2 Drumsticks	140-180g	2 to 3 mins
4 Drumsticks	280-360g	3 to 5 mins
Chicken Thigh	150-200g	2 to 3 mins
2 Chicken Thighs	300-400g	3 to 4.5 mins
4 Chicken Thighs	600-800g	5 to 7 mins
Chicken Wing	20-40g	1 to 1.5 mins
4 Chicken Wings	80-160g	2 to 3 mins
8 Chicken Wings	160-320g	3.5 to 5 mins
Bone-In Chicken Breast	250-350g	3 to 4 mins
2 Bone-In Chicken Breasts	500-700g	4.5 to 6 mins
Chicken Quarter	300-450g	3 to 4.5 mins
2 Chicken Quarters	600-900g	5 to 7 mins

How to Reheat Chicken on the Bone in the Oven

If you’re not in a hurry, consider reheating your chicken on the bone in the oven. This will produce some of the best results simply by following the steps below: 

1. Preheat Oven
   Switch on your oven and preheat to 180°C fan.
2. Prepare Chicken
   Place your chicken on the bone in a casserole dish in a single layer. Again, if it comes with a sauce or soup, drench the chicken to ensure it will be nice and moist. If you’re reheating breaded chicken or you want crispy skin, you can skip this step.
3. Cover
   Place the lid on your casserole dish or cover it with tin foil if you don’t have one. 
4. Reheat
   Add your chicken to the oven and reheat it for 20 to 25 minutes. 
5. Check the Temperature
   Your chicken on the bone will only be safe to serve when it’s at least 75°C. If it’s not entirely up to temperature, return it to the oven and reheat it for a further 5 minutes or so. 
6. Serve and Enjoy
   Serve your chicken with veggies and freshly prepared potatoes or as it is if in a sauce such as coq au vin.

How to Reheat Chicken on the Bone in the Air Fryer

If you want your chicken on the bone to be crispy and tender, you can reheat it in the air fryer. Here’s how to go about it with chicken thighs:

1. Switch on Air Fryer
   Turn your air fryer on and preheat to 350F or 180°C. 
2. Add Chicken to the Basket
   Place your chicken on the bone in the air fryer’s basket and close it up.
3. Reheat
   Leave your chicken in the air fryer for 10 to 15 minutes. 
4. Check the Temperature
   As always, check the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 75°C. If it’s not quite up to temperature, return it to the air fryer and reheat it for a further two minutes or so. 
5. Serve and Enjoy
   Your reheated chicken will now be crispy and ready to enjoy. It’s a good idea to let it cool just for a few minutes on a wire rack.

As with the microwave, the timings will vary quite a bit based on the cut and the quantity of chicken. Air fryers do a pretty good job of circulating hot air but you still need to adjust timings a little.

The table below will give you a rough idea with timings for different cuts and quantities:

Cut	Weight	Time
Drumstick	70-90g	8 to 12 mins
2 Drumsticks	140-180g	10 to 14 mins
4 Drumsticks	280-360g	12 to 16 mins
Chicken Thigh	150-200g	10 to 14 mins
2 Chicken Thighs	300-400g	12 to 16 mins
4 Chicken Thighs	600-800g	14 to 18 mins
Chicken Wing	20-40g	6 to 8 mins
4 Chicken Wings	80-160g	8 to 10 mins
8 Chicken Wings	160-320g	10 to 12 mins
Bone-In Chicken Breast	250-350g	12 to 16 mins
2 Bone-In Chicken Breasts	500-700g	14 to 18 mins
Chicken Quarter	300-450g	12 to 16 mins
2 Chicken Quarters	600-900g	14 to 18 mins

Tips for Reheating Chicken on the Bone

If you want things to go your way when reheating chicken on the bone, then make sure you read and follow my top tips below:

• Only Reheat Once: You should only ever reheat chicken once, regardless of the reheating method you opt for. Not only will the chicken dry out, but it will also go bad if you reheat it more than once, so it’s best to avoid doing so. 
• Uniform Pieces: If possible, try to reheat chicken pieces of similar size and thickness together for consistent results.
• Use Skin On Pieces: Skinless chicken breasts and other cuts can be reheated, but they dry out more easily. With skin, your chicken will have an extra barrier.
• Flavour the Water: You’ll need to add a splash of water to keep the chicken moist but you could use a little chicken stock, white wine or chicken broth.
• Warm Up: Let the refrigerated chicken sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before reheating. This helps in achieving even reheating throughout.
• Shake or Turn: Halfway through the reheating time, either shake the air fryer basket or turn the chicken pieces in the oven to ensure even heating.
• Always Check the Temperature: It’s important to check the internal temperature of your reheated chicken before serving it. It must be at least 75°C before serving safely. This is why I love having a meat thermometer – you can’t go wrong!
• Rest: After reheating, let the chicken rest for a few minutes to allow heat distribution to even out.