Top 5 Foods to Reheat Using the Air Fryer!
Reheating food in your air fryer is a total game changer!
My family uses our air fryer just about every day as a yummy and easy cooking method. My Power XL air fryer is so simple to use, and I personally think that it’s a must-have kitchen appliance. One of our favorite ways to use the air fryer is for reheating leftovers!
There’s no going back to soggy leftovers from the microwave, or dried out re-heated food in the oven when you can throw things like fries, pizza, and even steak in the air fryer for a few minutes! These leftovers onlinee out perfectly cooked, crisp, and just as yummy as the first night you enjoyed them.
Here’s how to easily reheat food in the air fryer:
I will typically set my air fryer at 370 degrees, then reheat foods for about 3-4 minutes at a time. It’s easy to also check to see if food is warm and crisp enough during the cooking process. If it needs more time, you can simply close the air fryer again, and add a couple more minutes. I love how forgiving and casual air fryer cooking is!
Here are the top 5 BEST foods to reheat using the air fryer, according to myself and Hip2Savers in our Facebook group!
1. Pizza reheats with a crisp melted texture.
Even if you don’t cook often, it’s still worth having an air fryer around just to reheat pizza! Ha! I have tried every method including the stove, oven, and microwave – and you will not get better results than reheating pizza in the air fryer. It’s like magic because it melts the cheese perfectly and brings back the buttery texture on the crust.
2. Steak onlinees out super juicy in the air fryer.
Leftover steak is one of those foods that gets chewy and tough when reheated in the microwave. Sometimes I’ll slice it up and reheat on a skillet, but by far the best reheating method I’ve found is to throw it in the air fryer for a few minutes. When I’m feeling indulgent, I’ll also top it with a dollop of butter before warming, and the texture is so sizzling and fantastic!
Hip steak tip: Did you know that making a whole steak in the air fryer in the first place is AMAZING?! I usually grill steak outside or in a cast-iron skillet using the stove/oven, but I made this ribeye at 400 degrees for 14 minutes in my air fryer and it was perfection!
3. Restaurant Tortilla Chips are like new again thanks to the air fryer.
Don’t let those leftover tortilla chips from your favorite Mexican restaurant go to waste! Sometimes they can get soggy once brought home but warming them in the air fryer will bring them right back to life! Heat them up and serve with some salsa as a snack at home! I also love the idea of perking up any chips that may be past their prime in your pantry using this method. They beonlinee crisp and yummy again, too!
4. Grilled or smoked BBQ ribs turn out warm and caramelized.
I personally find that warming up any type of BBQ in the air fryer is so GOOD, especially when there’s a sauce that caramelizes! Since we use our Traeger smoker/grill so much at home, we often have leftovers. The microwave tends to make the meat tough, and the air fryer warms it up to have that tender juicy texture we love!
5. Chicken tenders/nuggets & French fries beonlinee crispy again thanks to the air fryer.
When we asked Hip2Save readers via Facebook what they reheat in the air fryer, a majority of responses came back with chicken nuggets and fries! This makes so much sense since breaded foods and fries are so soggy when warmed up in the microwave. Fries and any breaded chicken just need a few minutes warmed up to beonlinee crispy again!
Other foods to consider reheating in the air fryer:
- fish
- burgers
- chicken wings
- calzones
- garlic bread
- burritos
- deep-fried appetizers like breaded mushrooms, zucchini, etc
- egg rolls
- corn on the cob
- french toast & bacon
I also love this tip for avoiding food waste.
Consider reheating things in the air fryer you may otherwise be tempted to toss. Leftovers are like gold right now, especially while food costs continue to soar, so using the air fryer to reheat is super smart! My kids, who are now older, can operate it by themselves and I find it to be such a handy kitchen tool.
Check out these tasty homemade Hot Pockets made in the air fryer!
