Chicken strips are a great source of protein for any meal. They are quick and easy, as well as affordable. Kids and adults, alike, love chicken strips.
Reheating chicken strips in the air fryer is a great option for making a quick meal or warming a protein to add as a topping to a dinner. To reheat chicken strips in an air fryer, you can simply put them in the basket and set the time. It’s as simple as that, but there are a few tips you can use to make this handy cooking method even easier.
An air fryer is a convenient cooking mechanism that has made its rounds in big box stores over the past few years, and they are great for reheating fried items that are best eaten crispy. This includes chicken strips, which can be warmed and made crunchy again in an air fryer.
Steps for Reheating Chicken Strips in Your Air Fryer
If you think you can simply throw chicken strips into an air fryer and let them cook, you would definitely be mistaken. Although it seems like a simple task to reheat chicken strips in an air fryer, there is a bit more to it than that. Follow these steps for reheating delicious and crispy chicken strips in your air fryer every time:
- Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees. With an air fryer, it takes much less time to warm up than a conventional oven. So, keep an eye on it until it reaches your intended temperature.
- While you are doing this, let the chicken that you intend to reheat come to room temperature for quicker cooking.
- Once your air fryer has reached the intended temperature, place your chicken directly into the basket. Some people question whether they should put their chicken in foil to seal in moisture, but this can actually make your chicken quite soggy.
- Arrange the chicken in one layer across the bottom of your air fryer basket. Don’t place chicken strips on top of one another, as it can prevent thorough heating.
- Cook your chicken for four minutes total, flipping the strips halfway through to brown it evenly on both sides.
- To ensure even cooking for a crispy texture, you may have to spread your chicken out more during the cooking process. Even if you have to cook your chicken strips just two at a time, the end result will pay off with delicious reheated chicken strips right from your air fryer.
Tips and Tricks for Reheating Chicken Strips in Your Air Fryer
There are several ways you can change up your methods of reheating chicken strips in an air fryer to create a completely unique and great-tasting dish.
Chop Up the Chicken Strips
If you need your chicken strips to cook even faster, you can chop them up before you put them in the air fryer. You’ll still need to flip them just as often, but they will certainly cook at a faster rate than in whole pieces.
Chopped-up chicken strips work great in salads or as toppings for pasta or casseroles. You don’t have to eat your reheated chicken strips whole all the time. Branch out and try something new.
Add a Little Spice
When you’re tired of the same, bland chicken strips, you can always try something new for a change. Add different spices until you find something you like. Cajun seasoning, seasoned salt, and lemon pepper are great additions.
Sauce It Up
Reheated chicken strips in the air fryer make a perfect substitute for boneless hot wings. When you’re done reheating your chicken strips in the air fryer, you can cut them into slices or chunk them up and toss in your favorite sauce for a game-day treat.
Popular sauce options for reheated chicken strips in the air fryer consist of buffalo sauce, honey BBQ, teriyaki, garlic, lemon pepper, and more. Using some creativity, and create your own sauce if you want.
Try to Reheat Chicken Strips of Similar Sizes Together
Even though you might be in a hurry, it can work against you to toss all your chicken strips in the same basket to reheat. Try to reheat your chicken strips in two batches in the air fryer with one consisting of larger pieces and the other containing smaller pieces.
This ensures your chicken all cooks at the same rate, and you aren’t left with smaller burnt pieces and larger undercooked pieces.
Benefits of Using an Air Fryer to Reheat Chicken Strips
Aside from its quick cooking abilities, air fryers make it easy to reheat chicken strips for many reasons. Their baskets are made for even cooking, so you can ensure you will have crispy chicken all around.
Not to mention, they are much easier to clean than an entire baking sheet. Reheating chicken strips in the air fryer can also revive that crispy, crunchy texture you love so much.
