How To Reheat McDonald's Nuggets

how to reheat mcdonald

Have you ever found yourself filled with cooking woes, and it all starts with some terrible experiences with reheating food? It’s natural, and you don’t have to blame yourself for it.

Kitchen appliances vary so much in their ability to reheat food; some work impressively, and some just aren’t meant for the purpose.

So, let’s take chicken nuggets as our subject today and look at different ways to get as close as possible to matching the leftovers to freshly cooked ones.

Is Reheating Leftover Chicken Nuggets Safe?

Eating leftovers is nothing to be wary of, as long as you follow the proper storing and reheating. Leftovers stored in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking are safe to eat. That’s because your food has not been in the danger zone (between 40° F and 140° F) long enough to harbor bacteria outgrowth.

And when you’re reheating your chicken nuggets, ensure they reach an internal temperature of 165° F. This is the optimal temperature and crucial to determining if your food is safe for consumption.

Reheating McDonald’s Nuggets In Oven

Cooking and reheating food is much easier with a handy appliance, and an oven is by far the most common one you’ll find in most kitchens.

Proper prep is always a must when you’re using an oven. So, make sure the chicken nuggets have come to room temperature. Doing so will reduce the required time and give an evenly reheated product. After this, you can follow these steps to reheat them:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
  2. Place the chicken nuggets over a wire rack and apply a light coat of olive oil.
  3. Cook this for 10 minutes; remove it from the oven and let it cool before serving.

If you’re using a toaster oven, the process will be quicker, and you can follow the same steps while reheating. Remember to check the chicken’s internal temperature at the 5-minute mark.

Reheating McDonald’s Nuggets In Air Fryer

If healthy eating has always been a priority, you probably have an air fryer; it’s the best way to get the most delectable results with minimal effort and resources. Follow these few steps, and you’ll have crispy and tender nuggets in a few minutes.

  1. Set your air fryer to 350° F.
  2. Place the chicken nuggets in the fryer basket and lightly coat them with oil.
  3. Let the nuggets cook for about 7 minutes, flipping them around the 3 - 4-minute mark.
  4. Remove from the fryer and let it cool for about a minute before serving.

The baskets in air fryers are usually small, so working in small batches is key to achieving even reheating. This method is the perfect one to use when you have a small batch of leftovers and don’t like reheating in batches.

Reheating McDonald’s Nuggets In Microwave 

The microwave is one quick and easy way to reheat food when you’re short on time. But bear in mind that these super quick results might lack quality. The appliance can be quite manageable, and here’s how you can use it to reheat your leftover nuggets:

  1. Let the nuggets warm up to room temperature.
  2. Place them on a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 15 seconds.
  3. Remove from the appliance and let it cool for a minute before serving.

Using a microwave won’t give you a crispy exterior like the oven or the air fryer, but it can improve if you use a microwave crisper pan. Else, this appliance isn’t the best choice as you’ll be left with soggy nuggets.

Reheating McDonald’s Nuggets In Skillet

To reheat McNuggets in the skillet, you can use a shallow-frying method or a pan-fry. Keeping the amount of oil on your preference, here are the steps to properly reheat the nuggets on a skillet.

  1. Let the oil heat to 350° F. In the language of thermometer-free kitchens, this means oil that is hot enough to make bubbles immediately form when you stick a wooden spoon into it.
  2. Place the chicken nuggets into the hot oil without overcrowding the pan. You can make use of tongs to avoid oil splatter.
  3. Cook for 30 seconds on each side.
  4. Remove the chicken nuggets from the pan and place them on a wire rack to cool before serving.

Frying them in oil is the best way to get a crunchy exterior. But it can be a hassle. So, a cooking thermometer can help prevent burnt foods.

Storing Leftover McDonald’s Nuggets

You cannot just pop your nuggets into the fridge in whatever container you ate them.

Firstly, ensure that the chicken nuggets are cooled to room temperature. But as mentioned, don’t let them sit in the danger zone for more than 2 hours. Next, individually wrap each piece in foil and place them in an airtight container and a fridge.

When refrigerated, they will stay edible for up to 4 days, while frozen ones stay for 2 months. If you want to freeze chicken nuggets, flash freeze them for an hour, wrap each piece in foil, and vacuum-seal them in a freezer bag.

Frozen chicken nuggets may be a lot of work to revive and reheat. So if you’re planning to finish the leftovers in a few days, skip this method!