How To Reheat Clam Strips [I Test 5 Methods]

Fried food never seems as appetizing the next day, but you also don’t want it to go to waste! I decided to experiment and find the best way to reheat clam strips.

The best way to reheat clam strips is in the oven (or air fryer if you have one). Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and put the clam strips on a wire rack to ensure they heat evenly. Heat for 10-12 minutes, or 5-7 minutes in a toaster oven.

How I Tested Reheating Clam Strips

I got my hands on some fresh clam strips, stuffed my face for lunch, and then put the leftovers away. After a night in the fridge, the clam strips were ready for reheating. I tested reheating them in:

• The oven: A good method, but a bit slow.
• An air fryer: Speedy and good for crisping.
• The stove: Average.
• The microwave: Avoid this method.
• Another dish: Good if you want something different.

My goal was clear, find a reheating technique that would bring back the crispy texture of my clam strips without drying out the clams too much.

Reheating Clam Strips In The Oven

Time: 10-12 minutes
Rating: 8/10

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Spread your clam strips out on a wire rack if possible, or a preheating baking tray if not.
3. Heat the clam strips for 10–12 minutes (less in a toaster oven).
4. If they need a burst of extra crisping at the end, turn the broiler on for 1-2 minutes.

Using a wire rack is the way to go in the oven for fried foods because it means the air can flow freely around the clam strips and heat them from all angles. It also means the clam strips don’t have to sit in their own grease.

On a baking tray, you risk getting a soggy bottom. Preheating the baking tray will mitigate this risk slightly, but not completely.

If you have a toaster oven, this will work better than a regular oven because of the smaller space. It may also be faster, so check on the clam strips after 5 minutes instead of 10.

Results: This oven was the slowest method I tried, but the results were decent. The clam strips had lost their sogginess from the fridge and were tasty. You can also heat large amounts of clam strips at once, which is a bonus if you’re cooking for guests.

Reheating Clam Strips In The Air Fryer

Time: 3-4 minutes
Rating: 9/10

1. Set your air fryer to 350°F (180°C).
2. Spread the clam strips out in the air fryer, keeping them in a single layer.
3. Heat the clam strips for 3-4 minutes, checking after 2 minutes.

The air fryer works by circulating hot air around the food, which is why it’s important not to overcrowd the basket. If there’s no room for the air to flow, the clam strips wont crisp up as well.

Some people will recommend spraying the clam strips with oil before putting them in the air fryer, but I find they have enough redisual oil in the coating to skip this.

Pro tip: After one to many disasters with the air fryer where I completely burnt my food, I always set the timer to a bit below how long I think the food will need. This way, even if I forget to check on it, I don’t ruin whatever I’m cooking.

Results: The air fryer is excellent at reheating any kind of fried foods, so it’s not surprise it worked well with my clam strips. They were as crispy as the day before, and the ones that had got a little too crispy were easily fixed with a dollop of sauce.

Reheating Clam Strips On The Stove

Time: 4-5 minutes
Rating: 6/10

1. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
2. When the oil is hot, add the clam strips (not overcrowding the pan) and fry them for 3-4 minutes.
3. Toss the clam strips around the pan a few times to make sure they heat from all sides.

If you fancy ingluging, try using bacon grease in the pan instead of oil – it will be one of the most delicious things you’ve ever eaten.

It’s important not to use too much oil here and to make sure it’s hot before you add the clam strips. If there’s too much or it’s cold, the breading will soak it all up and become too greasy.

Results: The method was okay a reheating the clam strips, but it’s not as convenient as the oven or the air fryer and the strips weren’t as crispy. Average overall.

Reheating Clam Strips In The Microwave (Avoid)

Time: 1-2 minutes
Rating: 3/10

1. Place a portion of clam strips on a paper towel-lined plate. 
2. Microwave in 30 second intervals until hot.
3. Let the hot clam strips rest for 20 seconds before serving. 

I place a paper towel on the plate to soak up any excess grease that comes out of the clam strips while I’m microwaving them. It saves them from sitting in a pool of oil (yuk!).

As soon as the clam strips are hot, take them out of the microwave eat them as soon as possible. Once the clam strips start to cool down, the breading will dry out incredibly quickly and start to resemble cardboard.

Results: I don’t recommend using this method. Clam strips are a fried seafood, and this is possibly the worst combination of things you can put in the microwave. The clams came out pretty rubbery and tasteless, and the breading was mushy with zero crunch. But I included the instructions anyway because I know some people will still want to try.

Bonus Method: Use The Clams In Another Dish

If the idea of day old fried clams doesn’t appeal to you, don’t worry. You can still use the clams. Remove the breading from the clams and then stir them into a hot dish like pasta, soup or eggs. The residual heat from your dish will be enough to heat the clams through and you’ll have a tasty dinner.

You can also reheat them clams on their own by steaming or frying and then serve them on toast (I’ve even had cold clams on toast before and it was delicious, but I have a weird love for clams).

How To Store Clam Strips

To store leftover clam strips, let them cool to room temperature before spreading them out in an airtight container lined with paper towel. Store the clam strips in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Try to minimise contact points between the clam strips because anywhere they’re touching they’ll get soggy. If you need to separate layers you can use a layer of paper towel or wax paper. Both these things will soak up extra grease so help keep the clam strips crispy.

Can You Freeze Clam Strips?

You can freeze clam strips but they will never be as crispy and when you first cooked them.

To freeze, let them cool to room temperature before spreading them out on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Freeze them uncovered for an hour or until they’re frozen solid. Transfer the semi-frozen clam strips to a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible before sealing.

Aim to eat the clam strips within 3 months.

Flash freezing the clams uncovered first means they won’t stick together in the freezer bag, so you only need to defrost however many you want to eat instead of the whole bag. Removing the air helps to protect against freezer burn, I like to dunk the open bag in a bowl of water to push all the air out.

How To Reheat Clam Strips [Tested Methods]

In this short recipe, I show you the best way to revive and reheat your leftover clam strips.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 0 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Main, Snack

Cuisine American, New England

Servings 1 person

Calories 202 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 portion clam strips

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Spread your clam strips out on a wire rack if possible, or a preheating baking tray if not.
• Heat the clam strips for 10–12 minutes (less in a toaster oven)
• If they need a burst of extra crisping at the end, turn the broiler on for 1-2 minutes.

Notes

Using a wire rack if the way to go in the oven for fried foods because it means the air can flow freely around the clam strips and heat them from all angles. It also means the clam strips don’t have to sit in their own grease.

On a baking tray, you risk getting a soggy bottom. Preheating the baking tray will mitigate this risk slightly, but not completely.

If you have a toaster oven, this will work better than a regular oven because of the smaller space. It may also be faster, so check on the clam strips after 5 minutes instead of 10.

Keyword How to reheat clam strips