Quick Answer: How to Reheat Chicken Thighs in the Microwave
Brush the chicken thighs with some oil and place it on a microwave safe plate. Cover this with a microwavable plastic wrap. Put the microwave on high heat and set the timer to 2 minutes. You should be flipping the pieces after every 30 secs for even thawing. The internal temperature must reach 165°F.
In this comprehensive on reheating chicken thighs, I will be teaching you how to use a microwave to reheat your leftover chicken thighs pieces easily.
The method is quite simple and very effective. Hence this method is suggested by different food bloggers from all over the world.
Due to its hassle-free nature, I myself prefer this method over the alternative ones. Let’s get right into the process and utilize the leftovers.
How to Prep Chicken Thighs before Microwaving
Before attempting to microwave you take4 care to brush oil on all the chicken pieces and place it on a microwave-safe dish.
The pieces should be placed very closely as then the heat will not pass evenly.
How to Reheat Chicken Thighs using a Microwave
To reheat chicken thighs you need to first brush some oil on it.
Next take a microwave safe plate and place these oiled pieces on it. Use a microwavable plastic wrap to cover this preparation.
Put the dish inside the microwave and turn it on high settings. Set the timer to 2 mins and keep in mind to flip the pieces over after every 30 secs.
Materials
- Chicken thigh pieces
- Cooking brush
- Oil
Tools
- Microwave safe dish
- Microwavable plastic wrap
- A pair of tongs
Instructions
- Putting the chicken in the microwave: After you have coated the chicken with oil and wrapped it with a microwavable plastic wrap.
Place the dish inside the microwave and close the door. - Adjusting the microwave settings: Switch on the microwave and set on high power. Put the timer on for 2 mins. Click on the start button.
- Checking in between: The chicken thighs demand to be checked at certain intervals to avoid overcooking. Use a pair of tongs to flip the pieces at every 30 secs interval.
For this wear your microwave gloves and take the dish out. Unwrap the meat and flip it to its other side. - Repeat the cycle: After you have flipped the pieces, put it back inside the microwave and resume heating.
Again once 30 secs have passed take the bowl out and flip the chicken thighs. Continue repeating this process till you have reached the 2 mins mark.
Notes
Temperature: Use high heat
Tips to Remember While Reheating Chicken Thighs
Listed below are some tips and guidelines to be kept in mind when attempting to reheat chicken thighs:
- The dish on which the chicken thighs are placed should be microwave safe. You could also use a glass or ceramic dish
- To flip the pieces never use your bare hands, instead use a pair of tongs.
- Some microwaves have an in-built auto-rotate option. If you have it too, you do not need to take out the meat and flip it over.
- It is important to flip the pieces over for even thawing, else some parts of the meat might remain cold while the others might get overcooked.
- Defrost the chicken before reheating it if you are using an oven. This can be done easily using the defrost setting in the microwave.
- You can use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken and also make sure that you are not leaving the middle part cold.
- It is best if you could pour some chicken broth or a little water over the meat before reheating it so that it does not fry out during the process. You could also brush some oil on the pieces if you do not want to use broth.
- It is always suggestable to reheat the meat using the same device by which it was actually prepared. That is, if you had cooked the meat in an oven, you should be using an oven to reheat it
Alternative ways to Reheat Chicken Thighs without using the Microwave
There are several other ways to reheat your chicken thighs if you do not have access to a microwave. You could either preheat the oven to 350°F and place the chicken inside. Heat it until the internal temperature reaches 165°F or reheat the chicken using a stove. Place a pan on the stove and put some oil or butter in it. Then put the chicken in it and turn the pieces over from time to time.
To reheat chicken thighs using an oven, you need to preheat the oven to 350°F. While you are doing this the chicken should be left out at room temperature to cool down.
Next place the chicken on an oven-safe dish and put it inside the oven. Leave it till the internal temperature reaches 165°F or 74°C.
You could also make use of your cooking stove to reheat meat. Take a pan and pour some oil in it.
Now place the chicken thighs on the pan and make sure there is much space between the pieces.
Keep flipping the pieces over to its other side at certain intervals to ensure that it does not stick to the pan.
How Long does it take to Reheat Chicken Thighs in the Microwave
Reheating chicken thighs in the microwave will take up to 3-5 minutes and it should be flipped periodically every 30 secs. The internal temperature should be at least 165˚F.
If you choose to reheat chicken thighs using a microwave, rest assured you are opting for the easiest and quickest method.
In the microwave it takes only around 5 minutes for the meat to be heated properly. But you should be careful to turn the pieces over after every 30 mins interval.
If you have cut the chicken into small pieces it will take less time.
Is it Safe to Reheat Chicken Thighs using the Microwave
Yes, is it completely safe to reheat chicken thighs using a microwave as long as it was properly stored.
You should also keep in mind the guidelines while reheating the meat. You can only reheat your chicken once and it should be consumed in one sitting.
Leftover chicken, if stored in the refrigerator under 40°F, can be reheated easily and consumed without fear of any food poisoning.
When opting to reheat in the microwave you should also follow the rules and guidelines listed above for safety and better quality meat.
Remember reheated chicken must be consumed in one sitting and once taken out of the refrigerator can be reheated only one.
Do not attempt to store reheated meat as it might get stale which will be unhealthy to consume.
FAQs
Cooked chicken thighs can be stored in the refrigerator for upto 3-4 days under 40˚F. It should be tightly wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
Also, cooked chicken should be stored within 2 hrs after it’s cooked. You can also store cooked chicken thighs in a freezer. It will prolong the storage time to 4 months.
Bottomline
I hope this detailed guide has helped you reheat chicken thighs at your place with ease using the microwave.
If you have any queries feel free to let us know. We would love your feedback and use it to enrich our work further.
Do share this with your friends and family who love chicken thighs to help them out as well.