How to Reheat Fish and Chips

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Written By Ross Young

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The most traditional of all British dishes, fish and chips, is popular in takeaways, pubs, and restaurants throughout the UK.

Whether you’ve cooked them yourself or ordered in from your favourite chippy, you can refrigerate or freeze fish and chips if you want to save them for later. With this in mind, can you reheat fish and chips? Yes, you can!

To reheat fish and chips, pop them into a hot oven with a little cooking oil for around 15 minutes in total. Fish and chips can also be reheated in an air fryer or microwave as a last resort.

How to Reheat Fish and Chips

You can reheat fish and chips in the oven, air fryer, and microwave, although the latter isn’t ideal. You could also reheat them in a deep fat fryer, but as very few people have these today, we don’t introduce the steps required to do so.

Let’s start by looking at how to reheat fish and chips in the oven:

How to Reheat Fish and Chips in the Oven

The best way to reheat fish and chips is in the oven, and here’s how to do it: 

  1. Preheat Oven
    Switch on your oven and heat it to 400F or 205C. 
  2. Prepare Fish and Chips
    Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper or tin foil and lightly spray it with low-fat cooking oil. Lay your fish on the tray and place the chips to one side, spreading them out as evenly as possible. 
  3. Cover
    Place some tin foil over the top of the fish and chips to prevent them from burning. 
  4. Reheat
    Add the tray to the centre of the oven and cook for 7-8 minutes. Remove the tray and flip the fish before cooking for another 7-8 minutes. 
  5. Check the Temperature
    When you’re reheating fish, you need to check that it’s at least 75C or 165F before serving. 
  6. Serve and Enjoy
    When your fish is up to temperature and your chips are hot, it’s time to enjoy your fish and chips with mushy peas or curry sauce! 
Reheated Fish and Chips

How to Reheat Fish and Chips in the Air Fryer

Air fryers are great for reheating food, as they’re easy to use and deliver great results. Here’s how to reheat them in an air fryer: 

  1. Place Fish and Chips in the Rack
    Add your fish and chips in the rack of your air fryer. You don’t need to worry about separating your chips as they will heat evenly in the fryer however they’re positioned. 
  2. Turn the Fryer On
    Set your air fryer to a temperature of around 400F or 205C. 
  3. Reheat
    Reheat your fish and chips for around seven minutes. After this time, remove them from the fryer and check if they’re ready. 
  4. Check the Temperature
    When you’re reheating fish, you need to check that it’s at least 75C or 165F before serving. 
  5. Serve and Enjoy
    If your fish is up to temperature and your chips look done, all that’s left to do is to enjoy your reheated fish and chips!

How to Reheat Fish and Chips in the Microwave

Although it’s possible to warm up fish and chips in the microwave, we wouldn’t recommend it. While the previous two methods produce delicious, crispy fish and chips, the microwave will cause both your fish and chips to soften, and they may even go soggy.

However, if the microwave is your only option, here’s how to reheat fish and chips: 

  1. Separate
    It’s best to separate your fish and chips if you’re going to reheat them in the microwave. Lay your fish on a microwave-safe plate, cover it with plastic wrap or a paper towel, and place it in the microwave. 
  2. Reheat Fish
    On your microwave’s medium setting, reheat your fish in ninety-second intervals, checking it for doneness each time. 
  3. Check the Temperature
    When you’re reheating fish, you need to check that it’s at least 75C or 165F before serving. 
  4. Reheat Chips
    When your fish is ready, remove it from the microwave and cover it. Then, add your chips to a microwave-safe dish or container and place them in the microwave. You should reheat them on medium heat, checking them every sixty seconds. 
  5. Serve and Enjoy
    Once up to temperature, your fish and chips will be ready to enjoy! 

How to Reheat Fish and Chips Successfully

Now you know three ways to reheat fish and chips, here are our 3 top tips to help you have complete success:

  • The Microwave is a Last Resort – Microwaving is great for reheating lots of food, but not battered fish and chips. You will find that your fish and chips will soften and may even go mushy in the microwave, while they will be delicious and crispy if you reheat them in the oven or air fryer. As such, only reheat them in the microwave if you have no other choice. 
  • Reheat Accompaniments Too – If you’ve ordered mushy peas, curry sauce, or gravy from the chip shop, you can reheat each of these accompaniments too. However, you will need to reheat them separately from your fish and chips, and a short blast in the microwave is usually sufficient. 
  • Freeze! – If you’re not going to eat your fish and chips within a couple of days, you should wrap and freeze them to ensure they don’t go bad. It’s best to wrap them separately, but they should be good in the freezer for several months.

Is It Safe to Reheat Fish and Chips?

You’ll be pleased to hear that reheating fish and chips is perfectly safe. You just need to ensure that your fish is correctly stored (either in the fridge or freezer) and is heated to the correct temperature (75C or 165F) before serving it.

Otherwise, reheating fish and chips is a great way to enjoy your leftovers. 

Reheating Fish and Chips FAQs

Do you have more questions about reheating fish and chips? Then check these common FAQs out:

Can You Reheat Fish and Chips from the Chip Shop?

Yes, fish and chips from the chippy can be reheated in the oven, air fryer or microwave. The best method to use is the oven, but, of course, this is also the longest method taking around 15 minutes.

Can You Deep Fry Leftover Fish and Chips?

Yes, it is possible to deep fry leftover fish and chips to warm it through, but this is far from practical and certainly not healthy.

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