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If you’ve just cooked up a big batch of sweet and sour chicken, you may be left with a little more than you can finish in one sitting. (Unless you’re my partner, but that’s another story…). If so, you may be wondering what the best method of reheating sweet and sour chicken is. I have personally experimented with several different reheating techniques and tips to find out what really works. How can you bring the dish back to its former, crispy, tangy glory? These reheating methods include:
I also give some tips on making sweet and sour chicken in advance (so it stays crispy) and some best practices for storing and freezing the dish. Psst. have some sweet and sour chicken already covered in sauce? You can save it! Click here to jump to the section where I manage to salvage and crisp up already sauced sweet and sour chicken. Ready? Let’s jump right in. A note about my experimentTo properly experiment with different reheating methods, I ordered a large batch of sweet and sour chicken from my local Chinese take-out joint, explicitly asking for the chicken to be packaged separately from the sauce. I divided the extra-large portion of sweet and sour chicken into several different containers (1 per experiment). The next day, I reheated and taste-tested each portion individually, rating it on how crispy the chicken turned out, how easy the method was, and the overall taste and aroma of the dish. The best way to reheat sweet and sour chickenThe best way to reheat sweet and sour chicken is by reheating the chicken and the sauce separately. Remove the chicken from the sauce and pat dry. Reheat the chicken in an air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 390°F (200°C). Reheat the sweet and sour sauce in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. How to reheat sweet and sour chicken:
Note: if you don’t have an air fryer to hand (seriously, this machine is a godsend), you can still achieve similar results by patting the chicken dry and cooking it in the oven or toaster oven. Do not cover the chicken in foil – this completely defeats the point of trying to crisp it up. VerdictNow, THIS is what I’m talking about. The chicken still had crunch and life, even when it had been covered in sauce for two days. How? The magic of the air fryer. Okay, I’ll admit, it’s not 100% as fresh as day one. But this is the closest you’ll get. Reheating sweet and sour chicken in the ovenReheat the sweet and sour chicken in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 15-20 minutes or until piping hot. Place it in an oven-safe dish and cover it with foil. Covering the dish with foil prevents it from drying out when reheating. How to reheat sweet and sour chicken in the oven:
VerdictThis method is okay IF you don’t care about the chicken pieces regaining any crisp or crunch. For me, it’s a complete deal-breaker. I really dislike soggy fried chicken pieces, and sadly, the oven just can’t fix the sauce-logged chicken pieces. Other than that, the rest of the dish was perfectly edible and delicious. How do you fix this? A compromise is to remove the sweet and sour chicken from the sauce and cook uncovered on the top shelf when reheating the sweet and sour sauce. Reheating sweet and sour chicken in the microwaveTo reheat sweet and sour chicken in the microwave, place it in a microwave-safe bowl and cover it with pierced plastic wrap. Reheat the sweet and sour chicken on full power for 60-90 seconds, stirring frequently. Allow the sweet and sour chicken to rest for 60 seconds before serving. How to reheat sweet and sour chicken in the microwave:
VerdictHonestly, I can’t recommend using the microwave to reheat your sweet and sour chicken UNLESS you have no other choice. The chicken pieces lose all of their crunch and turn into unappetizing, soggy lumps. Don’t want to throw the dish away? Try removing the chicken pieces from the dish and adding something with a bit of crunch instead. The best way to keep sweet and sour chicken crispy is to store the chicken pieces separate from the sweet and sour sauce until you’re ready to plate. If the chicken is already soaked in sauce, you can remove it and pat it dry using a paper towel. This isn’t perfect, but it does help to regain some crispiness – especially if following my air fryer technique above. Removing excess sauce from sweet and sour chicken helps it to regain some crisp when reheatingMaking sweet and sour chicken at home?
Ordering sweet and sour chicken as take-out?
How to store sweet and sour chickenSweet and sour chicken should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it will last for up to 3 days. For longer-term storage, sweet and sour chicken can be frozen, where it will keep for up to 3 months. For best results, store the chicken and the sauce separately. Where possible, aim to store the un-sauced chicken and sauce in separate containers. If the chicken is already sauced, it still helps to remove it and keep it separately. Related: How To Store Uncooked Chicken Freezing sweet and sour chickenTo freeze sweet and sour chicken, place the sweet and sour sauce in a heavy-duty freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air. Place the dry chicken pieces in a separate freezer bag or airtight container. Sweet and sour chicken frozen in this way can last for up to 3 months. How to freeze sweet and sour chicken:
*Some sources online suggest removing the bell peppers before freezing. This is because peppers can go a little mushy when frozen. I have experimented with both keeping the peppers in and out when freezing. I don’t mind how peppers keep when frozen, but if you prefer your peppers to have that fresh ‘bite’, I recommend binning them and adding fresh ones when reheating later. How long does sweet and sour chicken last?
How to reheat sweet and sour chicken ballsSweet and sour chicken balls can be reheated in the same way as regular sweet and sour chicken. Patting the sweet and sour chicken balls dry before reheating in the oven or air fryer will help to regain some of their original crispiness. See detailed instructions above for reheating sweet and sour chicken balls. Want to learn how to reheat other Chinese favorites? Check out these posts: How To Reheat Peking Duck – I Test 5 Methods
Note: if you don’t have an air fryer to hand, you can still achieve similar results by patting the chicken dry and cooking it in the oven or toaster oven. Do not cover the chicken in foil – this completely defeats the point of trying to crisp it up. Serving: 100g | Calories: 250kcal Can you reheat Chinese chicken in Airfryer?It's a popular Chinese dish made with breaded and fried chicken, then coated in a sweet and sour sauce. If you have leftovers, you can reheat them using an air fryer. An air fryer will warm the chicken up quickly and give it a crispy crust.
How do you reheat leftover Chinese food in an air fryer?If your food is frozen, you can dhow it first in the microwave since the fryer may not heat the center of the leftover foods. When it is ready, plug in the air fryer and allow it to heat up between 350-400 degrees. That should take around 4 to 5min.
Can you reheat sweet and sour sauce from the Chinese?Pour the sweet and sour sauce into an oven-safe dish and cover it with a piece of foil. This way it will get heated up without evaporating. Reheat the sauce for about 10-15 minutes at 350 °F.
What is the best way to reheat chicken in an air fryer?If you happen to own an air fryer, you can certainly reheat your fried chicken in its basket. Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and let the fried chicken come to room temperature. Next, arrange the fried chicken in a single layer and cook it for about four minutes, flipping it once to ensure even cooking.
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