Fish pie is a traditional and popular British dish. It’s filling and delicious and has been a firm family favourite for generations. After freezing your leftovers, you’re probably wondering if it’s safe to reheat fish pie, and if so, how best to go about it?Â
To reheat fish pie, you can either put it in the microwave or oven, depending on how much time you have. It will take just a few minutes in the microwave.
How to Reheat Fish Pie
Freezing and then reheating the leftovers for a future meal is an excellent way to prevent your fish pie from going to waste, as it’s an extremely filling dish. You can reheat fish pie either in the microwave or oven, as we introduce below.Â
How to Reheat Fish Pie in the Oven
Although it takes longer to reheat your fish pie in the oven, it tends to yield much better results than reheating it in the microwave. A fish pie that has been reheated in the oven will have a slightly crispy top and will have heated all the way through.
You can reheat it in the oven by following the steps below:
- Preheat Oven
Switch on your oven and preheat it to 350F or 180C. - Prepare the Fish Pie
You will need to make sure your fish pie is in a suitable dish or ovenproof tray before reheating it. As the contents can bubble over in the oven, it’s a good idea to place your pie on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper to save yourself some cleaning! Alternatively, you could cover your pie with aluminium foil. - Reheat
Once your oven is up to temperature, place the fish pie in the centre of your oven, using the middle rack. Leave it for between twenty and thirty minutes. - Check the Temperature
After twenty minutes or so, remove your fish pie from the oven and check the temperature of the fish inside. It must be at a temperature of at least 75C or 165F before it’s safe to serve. You can always return your pie to the oven for a few minutes if it’s not quite up to temperature.Â
How to Reheat Fish Pie in the Microwave
If you’ve split your fish pie into portions and have taken leftovers to enjoy for lunch at work, your best option is to reheat fish pie in the microwave.
Below are the steps you need to follow if you want to use the microwave:
- Place Fish Pie in an Appropriate Container
Place your portion of the fish pie in a microwave-safe container and cover with a paper towel before placing it in the microwave. - Switch Microwave On
Every microwave operates slightly differently, but you should aim to reheat your fish pie on a medium setting. Set the timer for two minutes and leave the fish pie to heat. - Check the Fish Pie
After two minutes, remove the fish pie from the microwave and check under the paper towel. If steam is coming from the pie, use a temperature probe to check its temperature. If it’s 75C or 165F, it’s ready to serve. If not, return the pie to the microwave and check it every thirty seconds until it’s up to temperature. - Serve and Enjoy
When your fish pie is at the required temperature and has been heated all the way through, it’s time to serve it up and enjoy it!Â
How to Reheat Fish Pie Successfully
If you want to have guaranteed success when reheating fish pie, check out these three simple tips:
- Defrost Beforehand – It’s advisable to defrost your fish pie before you reheat it. Doing so ensures your fish pie will be cooked all the way through. It also takes a lot less time to reheat a fish pie that has been defrosted first, as a frozen pie will take more than an hour to reheat.
- Enjoy It Cold – If you don’t have access to a microwave and you don’t want to wait for your oven to heat up, it’s perfectly safe to eat your fish pie cold, providing it has already been cooked!Â
- Add Breadcrumbs for a Crispy Top – Adding shredded breadcrumbs and a spray of low-fat olive oil before reheating your fish pie in the oven will give it a crunchy and delicious topping. Of course, this is only feasible if you’re reheating a fish pie that has been topped with potatoes as opposed to pastry.Â
Is It Safe to Reheat Fish Pie?
It’s perfectly safe to reheat fish pie in the microwave or oven. You just have to make sure that the fish is at least 75C or 165F before you serve it.
Equally, be mindful that fish pie should only be defrosted in the fridge. If you defrost your fish pie at room temperature, you run the risk of harmful bacteria growing on its surface, which will cause it to spoil.
Reheating Fish Pie FAQs
We’ve got a few more FAQs below which might answer a few of your questions when it comes to reheating fish pie:
Although fish pie can be reheated safely more than once, it’s better to err on the side of caution and only do so once. There is a risk that bacteria can grow more easily if you reheat it, cool it and then attempt to reheat it once again.
Yes, fish pie made with any form of fish can be reheated either in the oven or the microwave. It’s important to ensure that the entire pie is hot through before serving it, of course.
If you have frozen fish pie then you should defrost it before reheating it. This will ensure that all fish is reheated evenly and makes it easy to get the centre of the pie hot before the outside burns.
Ross is a freelance writer with a passion for delicious food and drinks, having worked in the hospitality industry in the past. He began working with Let’s Foodie when it first launched to provide information on how to reheat, freeze and microwave different foods.
