If you’ve ever been to a fast food joint, you may have noticed they often provide chicken nuggets at a cheap price. It is very tempting to buy 20 or 30 nuggets and then get home and wonder what you’ll do with them?
Yes, you can reheat your Chick-Fil-A nuggets. They are easily stored in the fridge for up to 2 days for the best quality and can be reheated in a variety of ways. These nuggets easily reheat in the oven, air fryer, microwave, or stovetop. Adding a little drizzle of high heat oil will prevent the nuggets from becoming dry and ensure they retain their crisp exterior.
There are better and worse ways to reheat your Chick-Fil-A nuggets. If you want to know more about these methods, continue reading our post!
The Best Ways To Heat Chick-Fil-A Nuggets
| Cooking Method | Time | Temperature | Tips |
| Air Fryer | 5-7 minutes | 350 degrees | Flip them halfway through and drizzle oil on them prior to starting the cooking cycle. |
| Oven | 6-8 minutes | 425 degrees (Preheat) | Don’t stack the nuggets |
| Microwave | 60-90 seconds | 800w | The fewer nuggets you reheat, the less time it takes for them to finish. Open up after a minute to check on them. Don’t stack them. Drizzle a little bit of oil for crispiness. |
| Stovetop | 7-8 minutes | Medium heat | Preheat. |
Chick-Fil-A nuggets can be reheated in a variety of ways because they are simple and do not contain any additional ingredients. They are simple chicken nuggets with a crispy exterior and semi-soft interior.
So, the best way to reheat these little chunks of chicken depends mostly on how much time you have. Obviously, one of the quickest and cleanest methods of reheating these nuggets is in the microwave.
But, this may lead to you getting a somewhat chewy and soggy result. There are ways to avoid this, but the best results will come by using the oven or air fryer.
Additionally, if you add a small amount of vegetable or grapeseed oil to your nuggets it’ll help them crisp. Just avoid too much because it could make a gross, oily, soggy mess.
How To Reheat Chick-Fil-A Nuggets in the Oven
To reheat your Chick-fil-A nuggets in the oven make sure to avoid reheating any nuggets with sauce on them. Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees. While the oven preheats you can start to prep your nuggets.
Lay your nuggets out on a cooking sheet. Avoid stacking them on top of one another to avoid the moisture in the nuggets from seeping into the other nuggets.
If they each occupy their own place they can crisp up nicely. Next, drizzle a little oil over them and toss them gently to spread the oil over their whole surface.
Last, place them in the oven and allow them to bake for 6-8 minutes. Or, until they are warm on the inside and crisp on the outside.
How To Reheat Chick-Fil-A Nuggets In the Microwave
To reheat your Chick-fil-A nuggets in the microwave start by drizzling your nuggets with a little oil. Toss them gently so they are coated all over and place them on a microwave-safe plate.
Some people just place the nuggets on the microwave plate, but we do not recommend this. The oil from the nuggets will likely either stain the plate or spill into your microwave. It won’t damage it, but it’ll likely make a mess!
Microwave your nuggets on high for 1-1:30 minutes. We recommend you avoid overheating your nuggets. They’re still edible, but they might become chewy.
How To Reheat Chick-Fil-A Nuggets In the Air Fryer
An air fryer is a good method for reheating your nuggets. But, you will want to be careful to avoid burning them.
To avoid burning, do not turn your air fryer on too high a heat. Frozen nuggets tend to be cooked at 400 degrees. But for reheating unfrozen nuggets you should select a lower temperature, around 350 degrees.
Drizzle oil over your nuggets and toss them while your air fryer preheats. Then pace your nuggets in the fryer basket and let them reheat for about 5-7 minutes. Halfway through cooking time, flip them for an even crisp.
How To Reheat Chick-Fil-A Nuggets on the Stovetop
To reheat your Chick-Fil-A nuggets on the stovetop start by preheating your skillet. Although almost any type of skillet will work, a cast-iron skillet is the best type. Do not preheat the oil, though.
If you preheat the oil it may become so hot that it will burn the exterior of your nugget before warming the inside. After about one minute turn the stove from high heat (number 8 on numbered stove dials) to medium heat (number 6).
Add 1-2 tablespoons of high-heat oil to your skillet. The best type is either canola/soy oil or grapeseed oil. Do not use olive oil or butter because your nuggets will likely just soak up the oil and become soggy.
Let them cook for about 7-8 minutes and then place them on a paper towel to cool off. The paper towel will help soak up any excess oil (because now they’ve been fried twice!) and keep them crisp.
Can You Freeze and Reheat Chick-Fil-A nuggets?
Yes, you can freeze your Chick-Fil-A nuggets in the freezer. You should avoid keeping them in the fridge for more than 3 days before freezing them to avoid having them become soggy.
Do not freeze them while they are still hot, however. This can make them release heat inside the freezer bag and make the nuggets get soggy. Let them cool off and then lay them out on a cooking sheet.
Cover your nuggets with plastic wrap and put them in the freezer for a few hours. After the nuggets are somewhat frozen, take them off of the tray and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container.
Pre-freezing them on a baking sheet prevents the nuggets from freezing together in the freezer bag or container. If you skip this step the nuggets will still be safe to eat. But, they will be annoying to cook and thaw.
After you place them in their container or bag, place them in the freezer. You can keep them for up to 3 months with good results. They are still safe to eat after this time. But, they may be freezer burnt.
How Long Can You Store Chick-Fil-A Nuggets In the Fridge?
For the best results, you should eat your Chick-Fil-A nuggets within the next day of getting them. This will prevent them from becoming soggy or absorbing other flavors from your fridge.
Chick-Fil-A nuggets can be safely eaten for up to 2 days of getting them. Again, they won’t be at their best taste. But, they won’t harm you.
How Can You Tell if a Chick-Fil-A Nugget is Still Good?
As a general rule, avoid eating a nugget stored in the fridge for more than 2 days. Not only will the taste likely be bad, but the safety of the nugget will decrease significantly.
Pre-cooked food is a breeding ground for bacteria when it is stored for too long in the fridge.
The best way to tell if a chicken nugget is still good is to smell it and examine it. A nugget that has gone bad will likely appear somewhat moist and smell rancid.
If you notice the nuggets got wet from condensation in your fridge, throw them away.
The fridge water may be unsanitary and the wet environment will make them an ideal host for bacteria. Also, if you leave your nuggets out on the counter overnight, definitely throw them away. The ambient room temperature can cause germs and bacteria to thrive on your nuggets.
How to Properly Store Chick-Fil-A Nuggets in the Fridge?
To properly store your nuggets in the fridge you should avoid spaces where moisture builds up. Some spaces in a fridge, such as the bottom shelf or draws experience condensation buildup.
This condensation can puddle up around your nuggets and get them soggy.
The best option is to place your nuggets in a Tupperware container. These seal out the scents and moisture from your fridge from impacting your nuggets.
Another good option is to place your nuggets in a bowl or on a plate. Cover them completely with a layer or two of plastic wrap and place it on the top shelf.
We recommend you avoid using aluminum foil, however. Aluminum foil won’t prevent the scents of the fridge from impacting your nuggets.
Are Chick-Fil-A Nuggets Good When Reheated?
By and large, yes, Chick-Fil-A nuggets taste really good when they are reheated. The method of choice is heavily impactful on how good they are, of course.
Microwaving your nuggets is the simplest and most appealing method, but may not provide the best results.
The reason is, the microwave tends to cause the nuggets to bleed out much of their moisture and become wet on the bottom. And, they tend to become chewy once they cool off.
The best results come from the oven because it cooks them evenly. It also won’t make them chewy or rubbery after they cool off. Some people like to avoid cooking in the oven, however, for fear they may accidentally overcook their nuggets.
You can prevent burning your nuggets by using a timer. You can also cook your nuggets in a timed toaster oven which will shut off automatically after the cooking timer is done.
But, you should make sure you take them out right away to ensure they do not continue cooking in the still-hot toaster oven.