What’s the best way to reheat rotisserie chicken leftovers? Try air frying! Air fryer leftover rotisserie chicken turns out perfectly, with golden crispy skin. Learn how long to reheat rotisserie chicken in air fryer to get the best flavor and texture. Reheating rotisserie chicken in the air fryer is a gamechanger for putting together easy and healthy meals! This will be your new favorite way to reheat cooked chicken from the supermarket.
TL; DR: Put cut chicken pieces skin-side up in a single layer and air fry at 400F (200C) for 5-6 minutes. Use the top rack for air fryer ovens. There’s no need to preheat the air fryer and no need for cooking spray. If you like easy air fryer ideas, subscribe to my Weekly Newsletter!
Say you go to the grocery store in the morning. You might consider picking up that $5 Costco rotisserie chicken, but leave it because you know it’ll be soggy by dinner. There goes that easy dinner idea, right?
What if I told you there’s a way to revive rotisserie chicken that keeps your chicken moist, with skin that’s crisp as crackling? Neither texture nor flavor will be compromised with this heating method.
I’m not going to tell you to use the microwave. The chicken will get hot, but the chicken skin won’t crisp back up with microwave heating.
Instead, we’re going to reheat roasted chicken in an air fryer. If you’ve been wondering how to reheat cold rotisserie chicken without drying it out, this is a great way to do it. Plus, with a mere 5-6 minutes of cooking time, air frying is much faster than reheating chicken in the oven. Love it!
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📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
One serving of air fryer reheated rotisserie chicken has 147 calories, 0 grams net carbs, and 28 grams protein. This nutrition information is for 4 ounces (113 grams) of Costco rotisserie chicken breast (per Cronometer).
⭐ Benefits
Why try reheating rotisserie chicken in an air fryer? Here are a few reasons to love this kitchen hack:
- Fast and easy: Air frying leftover rotisserie chicken is one of the fastest ways to reheat chicken. Your chicken will be ready in half the time it takes to preheat an oven!
- Crispy skin: Though you can microwave rotisserie chicken a little faster, only the air fryer produces lovely crisp chicken skin.
- High-quality protein: Chicken is an excellent source of filling complete protein. Skinless chicken breast counts as a lean protein and fits a variety of special diets, including low carb and keto. (Check with your store if you need a gluten free rotisserie chicken; some seasonings used may contain gluten.)
- Vitamins and minerals: Chicken is a rich source of many B vitamins, including niacin and vitamin B12. You’re also getting a variety of essential minerals in your chicken dinner, including phosphorus.
- Delicious: Chicken tends to be a crowd-pleaser that works with a variety of side dishes. With a rotisserie chicken on hand, you’ll have a great start to a variety of tasty meals.
🥘 Ingredients
To make air fryer leftover rotisserie chicken, all you need is the chicken! No cooking spray is needed. The rotisserie chicken size doesn’t matter, since we’re going to cut it up before air frying.
🍽 Equipment
You need an air fryer and a knife to make this recipe. I use a Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Oven. It’s fine to use a Ninja Foodi, Instant Vortex, Cuisinart, Philips, Pampered Chef Air Fryer, Actifry, Cosori, Nuwave, Power Air Fryer, etc. instead.
🔪 How to Reheat Rotisserie Chicken in Air Fryer
Let’s learn how to make leftover rotisserie chicken skin crispy! Start by cutting the chicken into pieces. You don’t need to separate the chicken from the bones.
Separate the wings, legs, drumsticks, chicken breasts, or whatever other parts of the chicken you’ll be having. It’s fine if the pieces are a variety of sizes.
Put the chicken skin side up on an air fryer tray. You want to keep the chicken in a single layer so the air can circulate around the pieces freely. This is what helps the skin of the chicken get nice and crispy.
Put your air fryer basket or tray in the air fryer. If you’re using an air fryer oven to reheat leftover rotisserie chicken, put the tray in the top rack position.
⏲️ Cooking Time and Temperature
How long to air fry leftover rotisserie chicken? What temperature to cook leftover rotisserie chicken in the air fryer? Air fry leftover chicken for a total of 5-6 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200C).
That’s it! You don’t need to flip the chicken or do anything else. Now you can buy rotisserie chickens ahead of time, and have hot chicken with crispy skin whenever you want!
🍗 How to Serve
What to serve with rotisserie chicken? This time I served chicken with roasted potatoes and a side of broccoli. Here are some other side dishes for rotisserie chicken:
- Air Fryer Frozen Vegetables
- Air Fryer Garlic Bread
- Butternut Squash in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Baby Potatoes
🌡️ Leftovers
How long does rotisserie chicken last in the fridge? You can keep rotisserie chicken in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To freeze, remove the bones from the chicken and store the chicken meat in freezer bags with the air pressed out.
How to use leftover rotisserie chicken? Leftover rotisserie chicken is wonderful in a variety of dishes, from sandwiches and salads, to soups and casseroles. Here are some ways to use rotisserie chicken leftovers:
And why not use the leftover chicken bones to make Bone Broth in the Instant Pot?
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). Rotisserie chicken is a super option if you have a weight loss goal or are just trying to eat healthier. Pair it with some low-oil non-starchy veggies for a low-calorie meal. Add some starchy foods (potatoes, corn, peas, rice, etc.) if you have higher energy needs.
The leanest and most protein dense type of chicken is skinless chicken breast. This means that this is the part of the chicken that has the most protein per calorie.
Chicken thighs (dark meat chicken) are a little higher in fat and calories. Chicken skin also adds more fat and calories. (That said, I’d argue crispy chicken skin is the tastiest part of the chicken and it’s important to enjoy your food!)
One of the most classic examples of a “health food meal” is skinless chicken breast paired with rice and broccoli. That’s a fine option, but there are so many other ways to enjoy rotisserie chicken that are just as nutritious.
For example, make a chicken stir fry, or throw some chicken chunks in a broth-based soup. You could also experiment with different chicken + grain + veggie combinations. Consider quinoa, wild rice, barley, sorghum, or whole wheat pasta instead of rice. Try snow peas, roasted peppers, Brussels sprouts, carrots, or zucchini instead of the broccoli.
Mixing up the variety of foods in your healthful diet can keep things from getting boring. This may make eating healthier easier for you to stick to.
FAQs
Preheat the oven to 350F (177C). Put the chicken in a roasting pan and add some broth to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan with foil and heat for about 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil and roast an additional 5 minutes to help crisp up the skin.
Yes, you can reheat rotisserie chicken in a Crock Pot. Wrap the chicken in foil and place the chicken (foil seam up) in the slow cooker. Add water to cover the bottom of the Crock-Pot, cover with the lid, and cook on low for 3-4 hours.
If you have a convection toaster oven, you can reheat rotisserie chicken pieces as you would in an air fryer. Try cooking chicken pieces skin-side up in a single layer and air fry at 400F (200C) for 5-6 minutes.
To reheat leftover rotisserie chicken on the stove, cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat, and add the chicken. Heat, turning frequently, until the rotisserie chicken is warmed to your liking. It should only take a few minutes.
Follow the oven directions or slow cooker directions above.
This recipe will only re-crisp the skin on the chicken that was already crispy and brown. If your rotisserie chicken did not start out with crispy skin, this reheating recipe won’t fix the issue. Sometimes using a little cooking oil spray on the chicken can help with browning.
👩🏻🍳 More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
Want even more recipes for chicken in the air fryer? Check these out:
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Thighs
- Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken Air Fryer Recipe
- Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken
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The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Reheat Rotisserie Chicken in Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken (cold)
- chicken side dishes (optional)
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into pieces. You don’t need to separate the chicken from the bones. It's fine if the pieces have some variation in size, but if the pieces are too small, it will take less time to reheat.
- Put the chicken skin side up on an air fryer tray. Put your air fryer basket or tray in the air fryer. (Use the top rack position for air fryer ovens.)
- Air fry for 5-6 minutes at 400°F (200°C). (Air fryer times may vary, so check the chicken early, after about 3 minutes, the first time you try this recipe.)
- Serve chicken with side dishes, if desired.
Kathy says
I was excited to see directions for reheating rotisserie chicken in the air fryer, as I had spent too much time dissecting the chicken before remembering to preheat the oven. I did 400F for 5 minutes in a Philips XXL digital air fryer with the grill plate, and our chicken seemed dry. Last time I used the oven method, which came out moist. But the air fryer beats out the microwave, for sure. Any ideas whether I cooked too long? Or should I have added water at the base of my air fryer (the Philips turbostar shield does wonders to prevent drainage from splashing up) to add steam?
Summer Yule says
Hi Kathy, Thank you for visiting! I'd check after 3 minutes like I suggested in the recipe card if the chicken is too dry after 5. The water is a great idea to preserve moisture, but it may prevent the chicken skin from crisping up well. BTW, thank you so much for adding the info about which air fryer you're using. It's really helpful to others who may be using the same fryer. 🙂
Enai says
You earned a follower with "TL;DR" 😍🤣
Summer Yule says
😂 There's also a "jump to" button at the end of the first section on long posts!