The Best Way To Freeze And Reheat Fried Chicken For First-Day Flavor Every Time

There's nothing quite like a crunchy, well-seasoned piece of fried chicken. But what do you do if you bite off more than you (quite literally) can chew and cook too many pieces for one meal? Luckily, it is possible to preserve your perfectly crispy fried chicken (a feat you can accomplish without deep frying, by the way) in the freezer and turn it into tomorrow night's leftovers. But how? To find out, we sat down with Chef Melvin Boots Johnson, chef and owner of Harlem Biscuit Company and Boots & Bones Smokehouse, at the New York City Wine & Food Festival who offered tips and tricks on the best ways to freeze and reheat your fried chicken.

Johnson explains that the best freezing method to preserve the flavor of your fried chicken is to throw it in the freezer pretty soon after it's been cooked. According to the USDA, it's important to freeze your food "sooner rather than later" to preserve its overall quality and improve its taste upon thawing. With that said, there's no need to be in too much of a rush. It's best to allow your chicken to cool until it hits room temperature as you don't want to put food in the freezer while it's still warm.

Now that you've mastered the art of freezing your fried chicken, how should you reheat it to maintain its original flavor and bring back that signature crunch? While some say you should think twice before freezing leftover fried foods, Johnson has the perfect reheating method to bring back the crunchy exterior: the air fryer. After a bit of experimentation, Johnson found that it was the re-heating method that brought the crispiest results. The Harlem Biscuit Company owner recommends setting your air fryer to medium heat and allowing your chicken to both defrost and cook within your air fryer. The best part of this method? It's a simple way to "get that crunch back" on your fried coating without using a ton of dishes or making a huge mess.

If you don't have an air fryer on hand, have no fear. There are plenty of other ways you can reheat your fried chicken. One of the best alternatives that ensures warm and crispy results is reheating your fried chicken in a skillet. Just let your chicken defrost to room temperature, bring a pan filled with a bit of oil to medium high heat (remember we're pan frying here, not deep frying — you'll only need just enough oil to coat the pan), and pan fry your chicken until the meat is heated all the way through and the crisp exterior has returned.