How To Reheat A McChicken Sandwich – I Test 4 Methods

This article was updated on 27/07/2023 for clarity and to incorporate new insights.

Fast food isn’t known for reheating particularly well. Buns go stale, lettuce turns limp, and patties become chewy or soggy.

To prevent this happening to you, I’ve tried out four different reheating techniques to bring these sandwiches back to life and restore as much softness and crunch as possible.

In a rush?

The best way to reheat a McChicken sandwich is to remove the lettuce and mayo, then fry the patty in a pan and heat the bun in a microwave. Lightly oil a pan and fry the patty for 1-2 minutes on each side. Cover the bun with a damp paper towel and microwave it for 30 seconds. Reassemble the sandwich.

A note on my experiment

I bought a couple of McChicken sandwiches. A couple too many, so I could keep the leftovers for my experiment. The next day, I tested reheating them:

• In a frying pan: Best method overall.
• In the microwave: Nice bread, but soggy patty.
• In the air fryer: Delicious crispy patty, not great for buns.
• In the oven: Inconvenient and worst results overall.

Reheating a McChicken sandwich in a frying pan

Time: 4-6 minutes
Rating: 8/10

1. Deconstruct your sandwich, remove the lettuce, and scrape off excess mayo.
2. Set your stove to medium-high heat and lightly oil a frying pan.
3. Fry your patty for 1 to 2 minutes on each side and set aside.
4. Turn the heat to medium-low, then add the bun to the pan cut side down.
5. Sprinkle some water around the edge of the pan and cover with a lid for 1 minute.
6. Reassemble your sandwich and serve.

The reason for adding the water along with the buns is so you can steam them. This will soften them a bit, but don’t think it’s going to completely revive 3-day old bread. I don’t like leaving the patty in the pan for the steaming step because it will lose some crunch.

Results: Overall, this method gave me the best results. I really liked how juicy and crispy the patty was, and the buns, while a bit dry, weren’t make-or-break. I thought this was the ‘freshest’ tasting burger overall.

Reheating a McChicken sandwich in the microwave

Time: 1 minute
Rating: 6/10

1. Open up the sandwich and remove the lettuce and mayo, setting it aside.
2. Place your sandwich on a microwave-safe plate and loosely cover it with a piece of damp paper towel.
3. Microwave on high for 30 seconds.
4. Then, allow it to rest for 30 seconds.
5. Re-add (or replace) the lettuce and mayo, and serve immediately.

The damp paper towel is important for rehydrating the bread, but don’t wrap the whole sandwich in it, just place it on top. Wrapping the buns can leave the bottom one wet and soggy.

Once the burger is hot, eat it as soon as possible. When the bread cools down, it will turn into inedible cardboard (I wish I was joking…).

Results: The microwave was super convenient, and the bread softened wonderfully. But it didn’t do much for the chicken patty, which was mushy and lacking flavor. 

Reheating a McChicken sandwich in the air fryer

Time: 2-3 minutes
Rating: 7/10

1. Deconstruct your burger, setting the mayo and lettuce to one side.
2. Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (180°C).
3. Place the chicken patty in the basket and heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Then add the buns to the basket, cut side down, and heat for a further 30 seconds.
5. Remove the patty and buns from the basket and reassemble the sandwich.

This method heats the burger components very quickly, so you need to keep a close eye on them to ensure they don’t burn.

Another option here is to splash the buns with water and wrap them in foil, then heat them alongside the patty. This is better if your buns are stale and need softening.

Psst… or you can consider heating them in the microwave for a few seconds instead.

Results: I loved how fresh and delicious the chicken tasted from the air fryer, and while the buns were dry, I enjoyed their crispiness. This method was pretty quick too!

Reheating a McChicken sandwich in the oven (or toaster oven)

Time: 5-7 minutes
Rating: 5/10

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Disassemble the burger, removing the lettuce and mayo, and setting it aside.
3. Wrap the patty in foil and place in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the buns lightly with water and wrap them in foil, then place them in the oven with the patty for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Remove the patty from its foil for the last minute of heating.
6. Remove both the patty and buns from the oven and reassemble.

Note: if you’re using a toaster oven the burger won’t need as much time.

Timing is crucial with this method. Leaving the buns and patty in the oven for too long will dry them out and make the chicken tough and tasteless. Too short, and the patty won’t warm through.

I also tested simply wrapping the whole burger in foil and reheating it that way, but I found it took too long for the patty to heat properly.

Results: This was my least favorite method. Despite my best efforts, the reheated sandwich wasn’t moist; instead, it was dry, and the chicken was devoid of flavor. It was also pretty slow.

How to store a McChicken sandwich

You can store a McChicken sandwich in the fridge for 1-2 days. Keep it wrapped in its original packaging, or alternatively, wrap the sandwich in a piece of paper towel then place it in an airtight container.

I like to remove the lettuce and sauce before storing as well because this can make the bread soggy. But this is optional.

Can you freeze a McChicken sandwich?

I don’t recommend freezing McChicken sandwiches because you’ll never get that ‘just-cooked’ taste or texture back. But if you really want to, you can remove the condiments and wrap the burger in a paper towel before placing it in a freezer bag.

Remove as much air from the bag as possible, and freeze the burger for up to four months.

The paper towel holds in moisture and protects the sandwich from freezer burn. Lettuce doesn’t freeze or thaw well, so it’s best to remove it. You can always add fresh greens when you reheat your sandwich.

You can use a straw to remove the air from the freezer bag or a vacuum sealer if you have one handy.

More McDonald’s Content:

• Can You Reheat A Big Mac?
• Can You Reheat McDonalds Fries?
• Can You Reheat McDonalds Apple Pie?
• Can You Reheat McNuggets?
• Can You Reheat A McMuffin?

How To Reheat A McChicken Sandwich [Tested Methods]

Fast food isn’t known for reheating particularly well. Buns go stale, lettuce turns limp, and patties become chewy or soggy.

To prevent this, I’ve tried out four different reheating techniques to bring these sandwiches back to life and restore as much softness and crunch as possible.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 minute min

Cook Time 3 minutes mins

Total Time 4 minutes mins

Course Snack

Cuisine Fast Food

Servings 1 person

Calories 357 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 piece McChicken Sandwich

Instructions

 

• Deconstruct your sandwich, remove the lettuce, and scrape off excess mayo.
• Set your stove to medium-high heat.
• Lightly oil a frying pan.
• Fry your patty for 1 to 2 minutes on each side.
• Add the bun, cut sides down.
• Sprinkle them lightly with water.
• Cover with a lid for 1 minute.
• Remove the components and reassemble your sandwich.

Notes

Sprinkling the buns with water helps soften them, but it won’t completely freshen up 3-day old stale buns.

You may choose, as an alternative, to simply warm your buns in the microwave. This will give you soft, fresh bread and eradicate any risk of drying them out or burning them.

 

Keyword mcchicken sandwich, reheat mcchicken sandwich