Name: Exactly How To Reheat Lasagna
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 portion lasagna; 2 tbsp water

Table of Contents

To help you avoid the potential pitfalls of a dry, overly crunchy, or watery lasagne, I personally tried and tested five ways to reheat it.

Want a quick answer?

The best way to reheat lasagna is in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F and sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of water over the lasagna to remoisturize it. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and reheat until the sauce is bubbling at the edges. If you’re in a hurry, you can also use the microwave.

Follow my instructions, and your lasagne is going to taste just like it did when you first pulled it out of the oven (or potentially even better!).

A note on my experiment

I cooked up an extra-large batch of mid-week lasagna, ate more than I should have (with a side of garlic bread), and put the leftovers in the fridge.

The following morning I tested five reheating methods:

The oven: best overall result
The microwave: great if you’re in a hurry
Frying in a skillet: good result if the lasagna is cheesy
Reheating in the air fryer: lasagna dried out a bit, but not a bad result
Steaming in a skillet: not recommended – too watery

The oven is perfect for large portions of lasagna and heats it through evenly. You can also reheat frozen lasagna in the oven.

But the microwave is my go-to method if I only have a slice or two to heat up because it’s quick and easy.

Frying the leftover lasagna is a bit out there but can totally transform the dish.

Reheating lasagna in the oven

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Meanwhile, remove the lasagna from the fridge and let it warm to room temperature. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of water or sauce over the lasagna for extra moisture and then cover it with foil. Reheat until the lasagna is piping hot all the way through, which could take up to 45 minutes.

How to reheat lasagna in the oven:

Preheat the oven to 350°F, or 325°F if you’re using a toaster oven.
Remove the lasagna from the fridge and allow it warm up to room temperature while the oven is reheating.
Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of water or leftover sauce over the lasagna.
Cover with aluminum foil to keep the lasagna moist.
Reheat until hot all the way through and the sauce is bubbling around the edges (10-15 minutes for a slice, or up to 45 minutes for larder portions).
Remove the foil for the last 5-10 minutes of heating to crisp the cheese. Add some extra cheese if you have any.
Let the lasagna rest for a few minutes before serving.

Letting the lasagna warm to room temperature first will help it heat more evenly and also reduce the time it needs in the oven. If you forget this step, don’t worry too much, just allow for a few extra minutes heating time.

It can be tricky to tell if the lasagne is hot all the way through, but I have a neat trick to help you.

Stick a knife into the thickest part of the lasagna.

If the metal is warm when you pull it out, the lasagna is done.

Of course, a temperature probe would be more accurate, so use that if you have one. You’re looking for a temperature of 165°F.

Pro tip: I definitely recommended adding a little bit of newly grated cheese – it brings the dish back to life.

My verdict

Pros: the lasagna tasted fresh, was heated evenly all the way through, and the top had some crisp.

Cons: it was the slowest method

Reheating lasagna in the microwave

Place 1-2 portions of lasagna on a microwave-safe plate. Cover the lasagna with a damp paper towel to keep it moist. Reheat on full power for one minute, then in 30-second intervals until the lasagna is warmed through.

Pro tip: don’t reheat a seafood lasagna in the microwave, the seafood will not survive!

How to reheat lasagna in the microwave:

Place 1-2 portions of lasagna on a microwave-safe plate (any more and you risk cold spots).
Cover the lasagna with a damp paper towel.
Reheat on full power for one minute, and then in 30-second intervals.
Remove the lasagna from the microwave once it’s hot all the way through.
Allow the lasagna to rest for a minute before serving.

The damp paper towel creates steam to keep everything nice and moist.

If you’ve got lots of melty cheese on your lasagna, stick a toothpick into the middle and rest the paper towel on it.

This will prevent it from sticking to the cheese (although I didn’t have a problem with this).

Warning: be careful not to overheat the lasagna, or the pasta will become very chewy!

My verdict

Pros: this was the quickest and most convenient way to reheat a couple of slices of leftover lasagna.

Cons: the sauce became slightly watery and the pasta was softer than with the other methods.

Reheating lasagna by frying in a skillet

Cut cold (from the fridge) lasagna into small slices approximately one inch thick. Heat a skillet and some oil over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, fry the slices for 60 seconds on each side until golden brown. Remove the slices from the pan and allow them to rest for a minute before serving.

This is a trick I learned from Reddit and the food genius Kenji López-Alt… I couldn’t not try it out.

How to reheat lasagna frying in a skillet:

Remove your lasagna from the fridge.
Cut the cold lasagna into small slices approximately one inch thick.
Heat a skillet and a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat.
Fry the slices of lasagna on each side until golden brown. About 60 seconds per side.
Remove the slices from the pan and allow them to rest for a minute or two.
Serve hot.

Your lasagna must be cold and solid for this method to work.

If your lasagne is room temperature, or it’s flimsy and poorly built, then it will start to fall apart in the pan and you won’t get the effect you’re looking for.

As the lasagna heats, the cheese oozes out and caramelizes into the pan and turns crunchy.

(or that’s what’s supposed to happen)

Sadly, I don’t think my lasagne was suitable for this method.

There wasn’t enough cheese to hold the pasta sheets together, so they started to collapse and there was no melted-cheese crust forming.

My verdict

Pros: when done right, it totally transforms the dish into something unique and tasty.

Cons: it was quite a bit of effort compared to the other methods and messy! The lasagna was on the drier side too (but you can fix this with extra sauce).

Bottom line: I’d try it again, but only if I knew my lasagna was solid and cheesy enough (Kenji actually used a spinach and ricotta lasagna)

Reheating lasagna in the air fryer

Preheat your air fryer to 375°F. Put slices of lasagna into a small heat-proof dish or make a foil pan. Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and cook for 5-10 minutes, depending on the portion size. Remove the lasagna from the air fryer and allow it to rest for a minute or two before serving.

How to reheat lasagna in the air fryer:

Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C).
Slice the lasagna into medium-sized slices.*
Put the lasagna in a loaf pan or make a foil ‘pan’ for it.
Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil.
Place the lasagna in the air fryer and cook for 5-10 minutes.
Stick a knife into the lasagna to test if it’s warmed through.
Remove the lasagna from the air fryer and allow it to rest for a minute or two.

It is best not to put the lasagna ‘naked’ into the air fryer because it can make a mess.

If you don’t have a heat-proof dish that will fit into your air fryer, you can mold one out of aluminum foil.

*If your slices are too big, then the outside of your lasagna will start drying out before the inside is warm enough.

If you like your lasagna reheated with some ‘crispy’ bits, don’t cover the top with foil.

My verdict

Pros: it’s quick and efficient and brilliant at crisping the lasagna back up.

Cons: the lasagna ended up being a bit drier than with the other methods I tried, but it wasn’t terrible.

Reheating lasagna by steaming in a skillet

To reheat lasagna in a skillet, heat it on medium-high. When the skillet is hot, add the lasagna and sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons of water around the pan (or throw in an ice cube). Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the skillet with a lid. Heat the lasagna for 3-4 minutes.

It’ best to use a non-stick pan for this, but if you don’t have one, simply lightly oil the skillet before adding the lasagna.

How to reheat lasagna by steaming in a skillet:

Heat a non-stick pan on medium-high heat.
Add the lasagna and sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons of water around the pan.
Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cover the skillet with a lid* to retain the steam.
Heat for 3-4 minutes, depending on the size of the portions.

*If you don’t have a lid, you can use a sheet of foil to cover the pan.

You’re effectively steaming the lasagne with this method. The water will vaporize and, trapped by the lid, will warm and re-moisturize your leftovers.

Top tip: go easy on the water.

I used way too much water on my first attempt with this method, and the lasagna pretty much disintegrated.

My verdict

Pros: the lasagna was nice and moist and the cheesy was really gooey.

Cons: the overall result was a bit wet for my liking and you’ll need to clean the pan afterwards!

How to reheat frozen lasagna

You can freeze your lasagna before or after baking, but the reheating process is the same.

To reheat frozen lasagna, thaw it in the fridge overnight. Then take the lasagna out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature while you preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover the lasagna in foil and bake until heated through and bubbling.

This will take around 45-60 minutes for a whole lasagna.

To get a crispy top, remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.

Always aim to thaw frozen lasagna before cooking it. Thawed lasagna will reheat much more evenly and there’s no risk of a still-frozen center.

If you’ve run out of time to thaw the lasagna you can reheat it straight from frozen in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F, cover the lasagna with foil and bake it until piping hot all the way through (this can take up to 2 hours). Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes to crisp the cheese.

If you’ve got a frozen slice of lasagna, you can thaw it using the microwave. But this is hit and miss and you may end up with mushy pasta.

How to store lasagna

Let your lasagna cool to room temperature, and then either transfer it to an airtight container or cover the baking dish tightly aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Lasagna lasts between 3 and 5 days in the refrigerator. It also freezes exceptionally well.

Vegetable lasagnas won’t last as long as meat lasagnas.

Cooked vegetables tend to get pretty sad looking in the fridge after 3 days, so that would be my limit for veggie lasagna.

If you cover the lasagna before it’s completely cool, you’ll get condensation building up in the container. This can lead to soggy pasta and cheese.

Top tip: if you have any spare sauce leftover from making the lasagne, save this too. You can use the sauce to help brighten up the dish when reheating it.

Can you freeze lasagna?

Lasagna freezes well and will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. You can freeze it baked or unbaked. Go for unbaked if you want the best quality lasagna, but if you’re after a quick freezer meal, opt for baking before freezing.

Cooking, freezing, thawing, and re-cooking will inevitably affect the textures in the lasagna.

For example, you’ll lose the crunchy cheese top. But if you reheat it correctly, it will still taste amazing.

Cooking a frozen unbaked lasagna is just like baking a fresh one.

Top tip: use no-boil pasta in a lasagna you plan to freeze before cooking.

Be aware of using lots of watery vegetables in the lasagne if you plan to freeze it. Vegetables like zucchini don’t always fare well in the freezer.

How to freeze lasagna

Allow the lasagna to cool to room temperature.
Slice the lasagna into portions (optional).
Wrap the lasagna tightly in plastic wrap or foil. You can wrap individual slices, or you can cover a whole lasagne in its baking dish (as long as it’s freezer and oven safe).
Aim to eat the lasagna within 3 months.*

It’s important not to put warm lasagna in the freezer. Any condensation will turn into ice crystals which will play havoc with the texture of your lasagna.

*Your lasagna will remain safe to eat past 3 months, but the quality will start to slowly decline.

How many times can you reheat lasagna?

I would only recommend reheating lasagna once. While you can technically reheat it several times and be safe, the quality of the pasta will worsen significantly with each reheat. If you do want to reheat it more than once, make sure you bring it up to an internal temperature of 165° each time.

Tips to revive stale lasagna

If you want to give your leftover lasagna a bit of a boost, the easiest thing to go is sprinkle extra cheese on top. You can also use fresh herbs to brighten the lasagna up. Another option is extra sauce (fi you have it). If you don’t, a drizzle of pesto or infused oil will do wonders.

A slice of fresh garlic bread will also have everyone smiling!