How To Reheat Beef Wellington – I Test 5 Methods [Pics]

If you’ve got a few slices of beef wellington leftover, you may be wondering if you can save them for later and bring them back to their former glory.

Well, the good news is that you can – with the right method.

In this article, I outline the very best methods of reheating beef wellington, to ensure you get a delicate tender inside, and a flaky, buttery pastry. Just like day one.

In a rush? Here’s the short answer.

The best way to reheat beef wellington is in the oven. place the beef wellington on a wire rack with a baking tray underneath. Set the oven to 250°F (120°C) and cover the wellington loosely with foil. A ​slice will reheat in 15-25 minutes. A whole beef wellington can take 40-60 minutes to reheat.

The experiment

I spent a glorious evening preparing a beef wellington, stuffed my face with a few slices, and then left the rest in the fridge overnight.

The next day, I cut the beef wellington into slices and tested five different reheating methods. 

I was looking for an option that gave me flaky pastry and pink, tender meat.

I tested:

• Reheating the wellington in the oven 
• Reheating beef wellington in a skillet
• Reheating beef wellington in the microwave
• Reheating beef wellington in the air fryer
• Reheating a deconstructed beef wellington

I go into more detail on the exact methods I used below.

Results summary 

What temperature should I reheat my beef wellington to?

Current advice is to reheat meat to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

But, it’s impossible to get your beef this hot without compromising on quality. 

Most beef wellingtons are initially cooked to an internal temperature of 135°F-140°F (57°C-60°C). 135°F (57°C) for medium-rare beef and 140°F (60°C) for medium beef. 

If stored your beef wellington within 2 hours, you should be safe reheating the meat to similar temperatures (as long as you accept the (very) small risk of becoming ill). 

Remember that chunks of beef will continue to heat after the heat source has been removed.

I would take a whole beef wellington out once it reaches 15-20°F (3-4°C) below your desired temperature.

Reheating beef wellington in the oven

To reheat beef wellington in the oven, place it on a wire rack with a baking tray underneath. Set the oven to 250°F (120°C) and cover the wellington loosely with foil. A ​slice will reheat in 15-25 minutes. A whole beef wellington can take anywhere between 40-60 minutes, depending on size.

Skip to instructions on reheating frozen beef wellington.

The oven is the best way to reheat beef wellington. The only downside is that it’s a little slow.

You can reheat whole, sliced, refrigerated, or frozen beef wellingtons in the oven.

How to reheat beef wellington in the oven:

1. Set your oven to 250°F (120°C).
2. Place the wellington (sliced or whole) on a wire rack.
3. Cover the wellington loosely with foil, creating a few slits in the foil to act as vents.
4. Put the wellington in the oven, and place a baking tray beneath the wire rack to catch any drippings.
5. Heat beef wellington slices for 15-25 minutes. Whole beef wellingtons will need between 40-60 minutes depending on size.
6. Check the temperature of the meat* (ideally using a meat thermometer) before removing the wellington from the oven. This is especially important for whole beef wellingtons.
7. To crisp the pastry, take the foil off for the last 4-5 minutes of heating.
8. Let the beef wellington rest for a few minutes before serving.

*I would take my wellington out once it reaches the temperature it was initially cooked to (around 135°F), but this is personal preference.

To reduce the time your wellington needs to spend in the oven, you can put it in the microwave for a few minutes (on 50% power) before putting it in the oven.

This will give kickstart the heating process (similar to the speed boost you get on Mario kart for a good start).

Letting the meat come to room temperature before heating it will also shave some time off.

Low and slow is best for oven reheating.

A too-hot oven will dry the meat out and burn the pastry. 

I like to rest my wellington on a wire rack so the pastry isn’t left sitting in a pool of liquid for too long. It also helps distribute the heat evenly around the wellington.

The foil keeps the meat moist, but you don’t want to trap all the steam, or you’ll end up with soggy pastry. That’s why the vent slits are necessary – they let some of the steam escape.

The heating times will vary depending on your oven and the size of the beef wellington.

Check on the wellington periodically while it’s heating, so you don’t overdo it.

For slices, you can simply feel how warm the meat is. With a whole wellington, the best thing to do is use a meat thermometer.

Alternatively, stick a knife in the wellington and feel how warm it is when you pull it out. 

Verdict

The oven wellington best emulated a fresh beef wellington, probably because wellingtons are cooked in an oven!

The pastry was flaky but could have been crispier. The meat was tender, juicy, and still pink.

The oven took the longest, and admittedly, 20 minutes of waiting for one slice of wellington is a lot, but it was worth the wait for me.

Reheating beef wellington in a skillet

To reheat beef wellington in the skillet, heat some oil or butter on a medium heat. Once the butter is bubbling, or the oil is simmering, add a slice of beef wellington cut side down. Heat the wellington for 1-2 minutes on each side. 

The skillet is a less traditional way of reheating beef wellington but can give it a really nice flavor boost.

The skillet is only suitable for slices of beef wellington, and you can only reheat refrigerated slices using this method, not frozen ones.

How to reheat beef wellington in a skillet:

1. Slice the beef wellington up into 1-inch slices.
2. Heat some oil or butter in a heavy-bottom skillet (a cast iron pan is best) on medium heat.
3. Once the oil is shimmering or the butter is bubbling, add the wellington slices and heat on one side for 1-2 minutes.
4. Flip the wellington over and heat the other side for 1-2 minutes. 
5. Remove the wellington slices from the pan and let them rest for 1-2 minutes before serving.

I recommend 1-inch slices to ensure that the meat heats all the way through. With thicker pieces, you risk ending up with overcooked edges or a cold middle.

I like using butter because it gives the wellington a buttery flavor, but any fat will do. For a really decadent wellington, try using leftover bacon grease.

To save on the calories, use cooking spray.

Verdict

The main advantage of this method is the speed, it’s MUCH quicker than the oven, and it gave good results.

The pasty was nice, but it didn’t crisp up. The outside of the meat browned, but the inside remained pink and was still moist. The butter added a nice flavor.

I would use this method again if I didn’t have 20 minutes to wait for the oven (or I was starving).

Reheating beef wellington in the microwave

To reheat beef wellington in the microwave, place a slice on a microwave-safe plate and set the microwave to 50% power. Microwave the beef wellington in 30-second intervals until it’s heated through, flipping the wellington during each break. One slice will take around 2 minutes. 

The microwave is only suitable for slices of wellington. It’s easy and fast but won’t yield the best results.

You can reheat both refrigerated and frozen wellingtons in the microwave.

How to reheat beef wellington in the microwave:

1. Cut your wellington into slices and put one on a microwave-safe plate. It’s best to reheat each slice individually.
2. Set the microwave to 50% power and microwave the wellington in 30-second intervals. Flip the wellington after every 30 seconds to ensure even heating.
3. Keep heating the wellington in 30-second intervals until the meat is warm to the touch. 
4. Let the wellington slices rest for a few minutes before serving.

Most wellington slices will be done in around 2 minutes, but thicker pieces can take 3-4 minutes. Frozen slices will need 8-10 minutes.

I only recommend reheating slices of beef wellington in the microwave because bigger chunks of wellington won’t heat evenly. Some parts will cook, and other parts will be cold.

Using 50% power ensures you’re only warming the wellington instead of cooking it. At full capacity, the microwave can be too strong, and you’ll end up with overcooked wellington.

If your microwave doesn’t offer a low power option, lower the time intervals and check on the wellington more often. I would use 15-second bursts. 

Optional: if you want to ensure really moist meat, cover the wellington slice with a damp paper towel before you microwave it. But be aware that this will leave you with really soggy pastry.

Frozen wellington slices are likely to release a lot of water upon reheating, so line the plate with a paper towel to soak this water up.

Verdict

The microwave was quick and convenient, but it ruined the pastry. 

The pastry around the wellington was wet and floppy. You can’t avoid this with the microwave because the butter in the pastry melts, which leaves it deflated and soggy.

The meat was pretty good but was slightly tougher than the meat out of the oven.

Overall, the microwave is okay in a pinch, but there are much better options.

Reheating beef wellington in the air fryer

To reheat beef wellington in the air fryer, set it to 250°F (120°C) and place a slice of wellington in the air fryer basket. Heat the wellington slice for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through. To make it easier to get the slice out once it’s done, you can rest it on some parchment paper. 

An air fryer is a good option when you want to give the illusion of freshly baked wellington but don’t have time to use the oven.

Smaller foods cook more evenly than large foods in the air fryer, so I recommend only using this method for slices or small sections of beef wellington. 

How to reheat beef wellington in the air fryer:

1. Set your air fryer to 250°F (120°C).
2. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper and turn the corners up (this makes it easy to get the beef wellington out when it’s done).
3. Place the beef wellington cut side down in the air fryer. You can fill the air fryer but only use a single layer.
4. Heat the beef wellington for 10-15 minutes, flipping the wellington slice halfway through.
5. Let the beef wellington slice rest for a few minutes before serving.

The pastry can get pretty hot in the air fryer, so it can be hard to get the wellington slices out of the air fryer by hand.

That’s where the parchment paper comes in. If you turn the corners up, you create little handles that you can easily grab onto to lift the wellington out.

However, lining the air fryer with parchment paper interferes with the airflow, which is why you need to flip the slice halfway through heating.

The air fryer can be fast, so check on the wellington every few minutes to gauge its progress. 

Verdict

I was impressed with the air fryer. I was afraid the pastry would burn, but my fears were unfounded. 

The only downside was that the meat fried out a tiny bit because of the harsher heating environment. 

If you have an air fryer, you can definitely use it to reheat a beef wellington.

Note: I also tried hot and quick in the air fryer (5 minutes at 350°F (180°C), but the meat browned while still being cool on the inside.

Reheating a deconstructed beef wellington

If reheating a whole beef wellington seems too daunting for you, or you’re worried it’s going to be ruined, you can always deconstruct the wellington and reheat each component separately.

By reheating the meat and the pasty separately, you know the pastry won’t come out soggy or burnt. And you have the option to reheat the meat in liquid to re-moisturize it.

Take your wellington out of the fridge and carefully separate the pastry from the meat, keeping it as intact as possible.

To reheat the pastry:

Lay the pastry on a wire rack and put it in a 300°F (150°C) degree oven. Heat the pastry for 5 minutes. If you’re worried about browning, cover the pastry loosely with foil. 

Once the pastry is crisp and warm, it’s ready.

To reheat the beef:

There are several options for reheating the meat. 

You can use a skillet, the oven, or the microwave for sliced beef. If you want to keep the beef whole, the oven is your best option.

In a skillet

My favorite option is to slice the beef and heat it in a pan with some melted butter and leftover sauce or stock.

Melt the butter in a pan on a medium heat and then add the beef. Once you’ve added the beef, sprinkle over a few tablespoons of stock or leftover sauce.

Heat each side of the meat for 1-2 minutes.

The liquid adds flavor to the beef and keeps it juicy. 

Some people like to completely submerge the sliced beef in warm water or stock for a few minutes. But this means you’d lose all the extras that come with beef wellington like the paté and duxelle (unless the meat is well sealed in a waterproof bag). 

In the oven

The oven is a good method for keeping the meat tender, but it takes a long time.

Wrap the beef in foil and heat it in the oven at 250°F (120°C) until it’s warmed through (15-25 minutes for a slice, 40-60 minutes for a big chunk).

In the microwave

The microwave is the quickest method.

For the microwave, slice the meat and put it on a microwave-safe plate. Cover the beef with a damp paper towel and microwave it in 30-second intervals on 50% power until it’s warmed through.

The damp paper towel keeps the meat moist.

Verdict

Honestly, I got such good results reheating the beef wellington intact that I see no reason to deconstruct it.

The only time I can see it would be helpful is if you have very soggy pastry that needs special attention.

Having said that, the pastry came out nice and flaky, and the meat was juicy. 

How to reheat a sauce or gravy

Gravy is a common accompaniment to beef wellington and is easy to reheat. 

The quickest and easiest way to reheat gravy is in the microwave, although the stove is better if you have a large portion.

Your gravy will likely have turned to jelly in the fridge, but don’t worry, this is normal. The fat in the gravy solidifies in the fridge, thickening the gravy. The fat will melt when you start heating it.

Reheating gravy in the microwave

Transfer the gravy into a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in 30-second bursts until it’s warm through. Stir the sauce well after every 30 seconds. 

Reheating gravy on the stove

Spoon the gravy out into a cold saucepan and heat it on a low heat while stirring. After a few minutes, the gravy will be smooth and warm. 

How to store leftover beef wellington

The best way to store beef wellington is to slice it up and place the slices cut side down in an airtight container or sandwich bag. Keep the slices in a single layer and line the container with a sheet of paper towel to soak up excess moisture. Beef wellington will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge. 

Slicing the wellington makes it easier to reheat later. Single layers are best because, with double layers, the juices from the top layer will make the bottom layer soggy.

Depending on how much beef wellington you have leftover, storing all the slices in a single layer can take up a lot of space. To combat this, place the pieces in sandwich bags and then layer the sandwich bags up.

Always wait until the beef wellington is at room temperature to store it. If you put the wellington in the fridge while it’s still hot, condensation will leave you with soggy pastry.

The paper towel will go some way to combat this, but it’s better to avoid this altogether. 

If you want, you can also place a paper towel on top of the beef wellington slices.

Storing a whole beef wellington

If you want to store your beef wellington whole, your main issue is getting a soggy bottom. 

Luckily, I’ve got some clever ways to combat this.

If you have an airtight container big enough to hold the wellington – great. If not, you’ll need to wrap it in plastic wrap or foil. 

You also need something to make sure excess liquid can drain, so the wellington isn’t sitting in a pool of its own juices. 

No one wants a soggy bottom.

The simplest way to do this is to rest the wellington on a few layers of paper towel. 

A step up from this is to create a bed of rice and cover this with a paper towel. Then put the wellington on top of this.

The rice creates a porous bed for the juices to drain into. The paper towel stops the rice from sticking to the bottom of the wellington.

How to freeze leftover beef wellington

To freeze leftover beef wellington, slice it up and wrap each individual piece in plastic wrap. Place the slices in a heavy-duty freezer bag, squeeze the air out, and put it in the freezer. Cooked beef wellington will last for up to 6 months in the freezer. You can also freeze the wellington whole.

I prefer freezing slices because it means the wellington is quicker and easier to reheat later.

Plastic wrap serves two purposes. It prevents slices of beef wellington from sticking together and provides a protective layer against freezer burn.

Another step aimed at preventing freeze burn is getting as much air out of the freezer bag as possible. Squeezing is the easiest way to do this, but sucking the air out with a straw is much more effective. 

If you have a vacuum sealer – even better! 

Wait until the wellington is frozen solid (around 3-4 hours), then seal it. There’s no chance of a properly vacuum sealed wellington developing freezer burn.

If you have a whole beef wellington that won’t fit in a freezer bag, wrap it with foil instead.

How to thaw frozen beef wellington 

It’s not advisable to thaw whole beef wellingtons because you’ll end up with very soggy pastry. You can thaw individual slices by taking them out of the freezer and putting them (still wrapped) into the fridge overnight. But I would always opt to cook them from frozen.

How to reheat beef wellington from frozen

As above, I advise not to thaw beef wellington before cooking it because this can ruin the pastry. Instead, cook it straight from frozen. 

To reheat a frozen slice of beef wellington:

Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C) and cover the wellington loosely with foil. Place the wellington on a wire rack and heat it in the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 250°F (120°C) and heat for a further 15-20 minutes.

To reduce the heating time, you can swap the 15 minutes at 400°F (205°C) for nuking the wellington for 60 seconds in a 50% power microwave.

You can also just use the microwave, but you’ll end up with soggy pastry. 

Line a microwave-safe plate with a paper towel and place the wellington slice on top. Microwave the slice on 50% power for 8-10 minutes in 30-60 second intervals. The paper towel soaks up any excess water.

To reheat a whole frozen beef wellington:

For a whole wellington, preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C) and cover the wellington loosely with foil. Place the wellington on a wire rack and heat it in the oven for 60 minutes. Then up the temperature to 325°F (160°C) for the last 30-50 minutes. 

The times will vary depending on how big your wellington is. Always check the internal temperature of the wellington before taking it out of the oven.

Can I make beef wellington ahead of time?

You can prep a beef wellington up to 24 hours before you want to cook it. Cook the beef, let it cool to room temperature, then chill it in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Next, wrap it with your mushrooms, prosciutto, and pastry. Finally, wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge.

Cooling the meat before adding the pastry is essential because otherwise, you risk heat from the beef melting the butter in the pastry. 

Excess moisture can also be a problem. Make sure your duxelle is cooked until it’s dry, and consider drying the tenderloin uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours before wrapping it.

When you want to cook the beef wellington, do it as normal but be aware it might take slightly longer for the middle of the beef to come up to temperature since it’s starting from a cooler base.

What to do with leftover beef wellington

If you don’t want to eat the beef wellington as it is, here are some inventive ideas for repurposing your beef wellington:

• Turn the beef wellington into a pie. Deconstruct the wellington, and add the beef into a nice red wine sauce with some carrots and mushrooms. Then lay the pastry over the top, and you have a delicious pie.
• Beef wellington sandwiches. Thinly slice the wellington and put it in a sandwich along with some cheese and lettuce. A very fancy lunch.
• Use the pastry and the beef separately. The meat can go in a stir fry, a stroganoff, or a salad, and you can use the pastry to make cheese twists or simply dip in your favorite sauce.
• Mix up the side dishes. Sometimes simply using a new side dish can reinvent your wellington. Some less common side dishes for beef wellington include macaroni cheese, horseradish mashed potato, creamed spinach or creamy leeks, or even a salad.

The Best Way To Reheat Beef Wellington

If you’ve got a few slices of beef wellington leftover, you may be wondering if you can save them for later and bring them back to their former glory.

Well, the good news is that you can – with the right method.

In this recipe, I outline the very best method of reheating beef wellington, to ensure you get a delicate tender inside, and a flaky, buttery pastry. Just like day one.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Keyword: beef wellington, reheat beef wellington

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 1 person

Calories: 305kcal

Equipment

• Wire rack

Ingredients

• 1 portion whole beef wellington optional
• 1 portion sliced beef wellington optional

Instructions

• Set your oven to 250°F (120°C).
• Place the wellington (sliced or whole) on a wire rack.
• Cover the wellington loosely with foil, creating a few slits in the foil to act as vents.
• Put the wellington in the oven, and place a baking tray beneath the wire rack to catch any drippings.
• Heat beef wellington slices for 15-25 minutes. Whole beef wellingtons will need between 40-60 minutes depending on size.
• Check the temperature of the meat* (ideally using a meat thermometer) before removing the wellington from the oven. This is especially important for whole beef wellingtons.
• To crisp the pastry, take the foil off for the last 4-5 minutes of heating.
• Let the beef wellington rest for a few mintues before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 100g | Calories: 305kcal