How To Reheat Chicken Wings

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My youngest son would eat chicken wings every single day. Yes, every single day.

It doesn’t matter what flavor. To him, they are all finger-licking good. Buffalo wings, Teriyaki wings, Teri-Hot, Hot wings, and Honey Barbeque wings as well as wings with a dry rub.

He will soon be in braces and unable to eat his “chicken on the bone” so we are eating a lot of wings these days.

We all know reheating fried foods is tricky and wings are no exception.

In this article, we’ll take a look at traditional bone-in chicken wings as well as boneless ones. So, let’s get started…

Can You Reheat Chicken Wings Successfully?

Yes, you can reheat cooked chicken wings in the oven, toaster oven, microwave, air fryer, skillet (frying pan), on the grill, or under the broiler. Certain wings can also be refried. The method you choose and whether your wings were sauced or had a dry rub will impact the quality of your reheated chicken wings.

As with all things in the kitchen, there are multiple ways to reheat wings. Some methods will yield better results than others.

Your Goals When Reheating Chicken Wings

You want them to be crispy.
You want them to be moist and juicy on the inside.
You want them to be reheated to the proper internal temperature to be safe to eat.

So let’s take a look at 6 different ways to reheat wings!

How To Reheat Wings In The Oven Or Toaster Oven

You can successfully warm up leftover wings in the oven or toaster oven. While you can reheat wings by other methods, taking the time to warm up the wings in the oven or toaster oven will often yield the best results.

If you ask around, some people swear reheating wings at 475°F-500° F is the way to go. Others swear low and slow is best and only reheat wings at 250° F.

Because chicken wings are white meat, which tends to dry out faster than dark, I prefer to reheat at no higher than 350° F.

Since there are so many ways to warm up leftover chicken wings in the oven, I would recommend you start with 350° F. See how you like them, how long it took to reheat them, and then make any necessary adjustments the next time.

Reheating wings in the oven can be time-consuming. Let’s start by discussing the tools you need.

Kitchen Items Needed To Reheat Wings In The Oven

Oven or Toaster Oven (obvious, I know but this is mine and I LOVE it)
Oven Mitts or Dish Towels for handling the hot pan
Tongs, Spatula, or other Utensils to handle wings with. I’ve used these tongs for 17 years.
Sheet pan (the kind you bake cookies in)
Non-stick Spray or Oil
Instant Read Thermometer
Aluminum Foil (optional)
A plate or bowl to serve them

Once you’ve gathered your tools, follow these instructions:

Oven Reheating Instructions

Remove your leftover wings from the fridge and set on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes.
Make sure your oven rack is in the center of your oven.
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Spray a cookie sheet pan with non-stick spray or lightly coat the pan with oil.
Spread out the wings on the cookie sheet in a single layer. Be sure they are not touching.
Place a thermometer into the largest chicken wing being careful not to touch bone. You want to place the thermometer into the middle of the thickest part but not touching the bone.
Put the sheet pan with wings into the oven and reheat until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, flipping about halfway through (probably 5 or 6 minutes).
Using oven mitts and tongs, carefully remove wings.
Plate and enjoy it!

Tips

You want to be sure to flip your wings once while reheating. You can do this one of two ways. If you are in the kitchen, just monitor the thermometer and when it reaches around 110° F, flip them. Or, if you have other things to do, you can set the timer for 110°F, flip the wings and reset the timer to 165°F.
You can also line your cookie sheet with aluminum foil to make clean up a breeze. However, be sure to spray the aluminum foil with non-stick spray or lightly oil it.
If your wings don’t have much sauce or look a little dry, you can spritz them lightly with water to help keep them moist.

If you don’t have the patience to reheat wings in the oven, you do have a few other choices. Although the results may not be as good, sometimes we just don’t have the time so we do what we have to do.

With time constraints an issue, let’s look at how to reheat wings in the microwave.

How To Reheat Wings In The Microwave

Full disclosure here. Reheating wings in the microwave generally won’t produce the same quality you get from reheating them in the oven.

Now, with that said, I do reheat my wings in the microwave. Why?

Often, I am short on time and energy. So I will almost always sacrifice some taste over the time and effort it would take to reheat the wings for optimal quality.

If you are willing to sacrifice taste to save some time, here is how you reheat wings in the microwave.

Kitchen Items Needed to Reheat Wings In the Microwave

Microwave (of course)
Microwave-Safe Dish
Paper Towels
Oven Mitt or Kitchen Towel for handling the hot dish
Tongs, Spatula or Other Utensil to handle wings
Plate or bowl for serving reheated wings

Microwave Reheating Instructions:

Lay the wings in a single layer onto a microwave-safe dish.
Cover the wings with a clean, damp paper towel.
Begin by reheating wings 30 seconds to one minute.
Rotate the wings. Place ones in the middle to an outer edge. The ones on the edge should be moved to the middle.
Continue reheating in 30-second increments until the largest wings have an internal temperature of 165°. Be sure to stick the thermometer probe into the middle of the meatiest part of the largest wing. Be careful not to touch the bone as this will give you an inaccurate reading.
Remove the wings from the microwave and place them on your serving dish using oven mitts and tongs.

If the microwave isn’t your thing, try refrying the wings in a skillet.

How To Reheat Wings by Refrying Them In A Skillet

This method works best if your wings were not previously sauced or if you have extra sauce to apply after they are reheated.

Kitchen Items You Need To Reheat Wings In A Skillet (Frying Pan)

Frying pan
Oil
Tongs (use ones with Nylon heads if your frying pan is nonstick)
Plate with paper towels
Plate or bowl to serve reheated wings
Oven Mitt or Dish Towel – Optional (depends on whether your frying pan handle gets hot or not).
Extra sauce if available

Skillet Reheating Instructions:

Take your leftover wings out of the refrigerator and let them sit on the counter for 15-30 minutes.
Heat pan with a tablespoon or two of oil. You want just enough to barely cover the bottom of the pan.
When the oil looks like it has lines in it, carefully add your wings in a single layer. You could also sprinkle a few drops of water into the pan. If it sizzles, then it’s time to add your wings.
Reduce heat to medium. Flip wings every 2 to 3 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. For safety reasons, be sure to temp the biggest wing in the thickest part without touching the bone.
When the wings are temping 165°F, add the sauce and toss. The residual heat will warm the sauce.

How To Reheat Chicken Wings on The Grill

Yes, you can reheat wings on the grill and if done properly, they are good. But this method is not very cost-effective and I don’t advise it unless you cranking up the grill for something else anyway.

Kitchen Items You Need To Reheat Wings On The Grill

Grill
Grill Tongs
Grill-safe pan or aluminum foil
Instant Read Thermometer
Serving Dish
Aluminum Foil (optional)

Instructions for reheating wings on the grill

Preheat your grill to low heat.
Either wrap wings in aluminum foil or place onto your grill-safe tray
Place wings onto your grill and reheat for a couple of minutes.
Using your tongs, turn them over (or the aluminum foil packet) for another few minutes.
Reheat until the internal temperature of the largest wing is 165°F. Be sure to stick the thermometer probe into the middle of the meatiest part of the largest wing. Be careful not to touch the bone as this will give you an inaccurate reading.
Using tongs and oven mitts, remove wings from the grill,
Toss in the extra sauce if available.
Plate and enjoy!

If the grill is too much trouble, try reheating your wings under a broiler.

How To Reheat Wings Under A Broiler

Kitchen Items You Need To Reheat Wings Under A Broiler

Oven or Toaster Oven (obvious, I know but it’s the teacher in me)
Oven Mitt or Dish Towel for handling the hot pan
Tongs, Spatula or other Utensils to handle wings with
Broiler pan
Non-stick Spray or Oil
Instant Read Thermometer
Aluminum Foil (optional)
A plate or bowl to serve them.

Instructions for Reheating Wings Under a Broiler

Remove your leftover wings from the fridge and set on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes.
Make sure your oven rack is on the second one from the top. If using your toaster oven, no rack adjustment is necessary.
Turn the oven to Broil High.
Spray a cookie sheet pan with non-stick spray or lightly coat the pan with oil.
Spread out the wings on the cookie sheet. Be sure they are not touching.
Place a thermometer into the largest chicken wing being careful not to touch bone. You want to place the thermometer into the middle of the thickest part but not touching the bone.
Place the cookie sheet into the oven, flipping every 5 to 6 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Using oven mitts and tongs, carefully remove wings
Plate and enjoy!

You can also reheat wings in the air fryer. Here’s how:

How To Reheat Wings In An Air Fryer

Yes, you can reheat wings in the air fryer with varying degrees of success.

I’ve found greater success with dry wings rather than sauced wings. However, if you are fortunate enough to have extra sauce on hand, definitely try this method for your sauced wings.

Kitchen Items You Need to Reheat Wings In an Air Fryer

Air Fryer
Oven Mitt or Dish Towel for handling the hot pan/basket
Tongs, Spatula, or other Utensils to handle wings with
Non-stick Spray or Oil
Instant Read Thermometer
A plate or bowl to serve them.
Extra sauce for your wings.

Instructions for Reheating Wings in the Air Fryer

Remove wings and let them come to room temperature for about 15 to 30 minutes.
Spray or rub the basket/tray lightly with oil to prevent wings from sticking
Place wings in a single layer (this works best)
Reheat wings at 360°F for 4 to 5 minutes.
Turn up the air fryer to 400°F and rehat for another 5 minutes
Temp the largest wing in the thickest part to be sure it is at 165°F. Be sure your thermometer probe is not touching a bone. If the wings are not at the desired temperature, reheat in 1-minute intervals until the wings temp to 165°F.
Carefully remove wings with tongs and oven mitts.
Toss in extra sauce (if available).
Plate and enjoy.

Best Way To Reheat Boneless Wings

How To Reheat Buffalo Wild Wings Boneless Wings

Many people ask how to properly reheat buffalo wild wings boneless wings and while there is no right answer, reheating them in the oven will give you the best quality but the microwave is much quicker.

Follow the instructions above and reheat to an internal temperature of 165°F.

If you have extra sauce, pour it into a large bowl, add the reheated wings and toss with tongs until all wings are fully coated. Remove from bowl and enjoy!

How To Reheat BBQ Boneless Chicken Wings

Reheat any type of boneless or bone-in chicken wings in the oven, air fryer, or microwave following the above instructions. Just be sure your wings are reheated to an internal temperature of 165°F.

Then, toss reheated wings with additional sauce and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

How To Reheat Wingstop Wings

Wingstop wings can be reheated in a variety of ways. However, the oven will yield you the best results. Reheat following the above instructions to an internal temperature of 165°F, toss with additional sauce, and enjoy!

Final Thoughts From Cost-Effective Kitchen

There aren’t many things better than fresh, hot chicken wings from your local wing joint.

Unfortunately, eating wings out is expensive! Wings at our local wing restaurant run about $1.04 to $1.12 each. Yes, I said each. For me to get 8 wings, it costs $9.59. That’s expensive.

And honestly, reheated wings just aren’t the same as fresh but at a little over a dollar per wing, I won’t let any go to waste.

So if you find yourself with wings to go, ask for extra sauce. The restaurant may charge you a little extra but it is well worth it when attempting to reheat wings at home.

Do you have any wing reheating tips I haven’t shared? If so, please let me know. I’d love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Kim

How To Reheat Chicken Wings