Name: Exactly How To Reheat Sesame Chicken
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 portion sesame chicken

Table of Contents

In this article, I show you the best way to revive your leftover sesame chicken and bring back its signature crunch.

I painstakingly tested a number of reheating methods to find out what’s best at delivering sesame chicken that’s (nearly) as good as the moment it came out of the fryer.

In a rush? here’s the short answer.

The best way to reheat sesame chicken is in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Arrange the sesame chicken on a baking tray so they don’t touch. Cover with foil and reheat the sesame chicken for 10-15 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes. For extra crispiness, use the broiler.

A note on my experiment

I ordered a few portions of sesame chicken from my favorite takeaway joint, and after eating my fill, I left the rest in the fridge.

The next day I tested four different reheating methods:

In a skillet (fast and crispy chicken)
In the oven / toaster oven (slower but consistent)
In an air fryer (great for really crunchy chicken)
In the microwave (convenient, but not the best)

The oven, air fryer, and skillet all worked well, and each had its own advantages.

The microwave was super fast but left the chicken a bit soggy.

Tips for reheating sesame chicken

To get the best results when storing and reheating your sesame chicken, keep the chicken and the sauce separate.

If you’re cooking it for yourself, this is easy.

Simply only sauce the chicken that you will eat right away.

If you’re getting a takeaway, you can ask them if it’s possible to keep the sauce and the chicken separate.

Then you can reheat the dry chicken using any of the methods below and add the sauce towards the end to warm it.

If the chicken’s already smothered in sauce, don’t worry – you can still get some crunch back.

Reheating sesame chicken in the microwave

Place your leftover sesame chicken in a microwave-safe bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Pierce the plastic with a few small holes. Microwave your chicken on 100% power in 30-second intervals, with a 10-second break in between.

Once piping hot, remove from the microwave and rest for a minute before serving.

How to reheat sesame chicken in the microwave:

Place your sesame chicken in a microwave-safe bowl.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (piercing a few holes in it to allow steam to escape).
Microwave your chicken in 30-second intervals. Let the chicken rest for 10 seconds in each break.
Once piping hot, remove from the microwave.
Allow the chicken to rest for a minute before serving. The sauce will be very hot. You don’t want to burn your mouth.

Covering the bowl with plastic wrap locks in moisture, ensuring the chicken stays juicy.

But beware: the downside is zero (and I mean zero) crunch.

If you’re serving the chicken with any rice or noodles, you can microwave these in the same bowl.

My verdict

The chicken tasted OK from the microwave, but it didn’t have any crisp, and the coating was soggy.

I’d only use the microwave if you’re in a real hurry or have no other appliances.

Reheating sesame chicken in the oven

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Arrange your chicken pieces on a baking tray, spreading them out as much as possible. Cover the tray with foil and heat for 10-15 minutes. Remove the foil towards the end to crisp the batter. For extra crispiness, turn on the broiler function.

Timings will vary depending on the oven type (toaster ovens will be faster).

How to reheat sesame chicken in the oven:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
Spread out your chicken pieces on a baking sheet.
Cover the chicken loosely with foil.
Heat the sesame chicken for 10-15 minutes, removing the foil for the last 5 minutes to add some crunch back into the batter.
Once hot, remove from the oven and serve immediately.

The foil makes sure the chicken doesn’t dry out, but if you don’t remove it towards the end, you’ll end up with soggy batter.

The broiler will be more effective at crisping the chicken, but you need to watch the sauce to make sure it’s not burning.

My verdict

The oven method worked pretty well.

It was slow, but the chicken came out nice and tasty, and if you used the broiler (or a toaster oven), there was some definite crunch.

Reheating sesame chicken in an air fryer

Set your air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Spread the chicken pieces out in the air fryer basket and heat them for 4-5 minutes, until hot and crispy. Ensure the air fryer isn’t too overloaded or the batter won’t crisp as effectively. Add some extra sauce to the chicken if you have any before serving.

How to reheat sesame chicken in an air fryer:

Set your air fryer to 400°F (200°C).
Place your leftover sesame chicken into the fryer basket.
Heat it for 4-5 minutes.
Serve once your chicken is hot and crispy.

Spread your leftovers out as much as possible in the fryer basket to ensure even heating, even if it means warming it in batches.

Overcrowding will mean the chicken doesn’t crisp up as well.

The air fryer heat can be quite drying, so if you have any extra sauce, this will help keep the chicken sticky.

My verdict

This air fryer is best if you want super crispy chicken, but you’ll need to sacrifice the sauciness of the dish.

I defiantly noticed that the sauce was dryer than with the other methods.

Reheating sesame chicken in a skillet

Lightly grease a skillet with oil and heat it on high heat. When the oil is hot, add the sesame chicken, tossing it in the pan until crispy. It should take around 4-5 minutes. Since you’re using high heat, don’t leave the chicken unattended, or it will burn.

How to reheat sesame chicken in a skillet:

Lightly oil a skillet.
Heat the skillet over high heat on your stove.
Once the oil is sizzling, add your sesame chicken.
Toss frequently as it warms up, around 4-5 minutes.

I like to add a splash of water to the pan along with the chicken to help moisten the sauce.

Try not to overcrowd the pan.

If the skillet is too full, the chicken will start to steam instead of fry, and the batter will become soggy.

My verdict

I really liked this method. The chicken came out crisp but not dry.

You can easily add in extra flavorings like more sesame oil or some spring onions to liven it up if you need.

The only downside is washing the pan, but the speed and convenience of the method is more than worth it.

How to store sesame chicken

Cool the sesame chicken to room temperature before putting it in an airtight container in the fridge. The sesame chicken will last for up to 4 days. It’s best to keep the chicken and the sauce separately (if you can) – this will help keep the chicken crispy.

Cooling the chicken before you store it stops too much condensation from building up inside the container.

For best results, spread the chicken pieces out while you’re cooling them. This will prevent the bits of chicken at the bottom of your dish from getting too mushy.

Keep any extra sauce in a separate airtight container in the fridge. It will be helpful when you’re reheating the dish.

Tip: don’t store the chicken in its takeaway container. They aren’t always airtight.

Can you freeze sesame chicken?

You can freeze sesame chicken, but it will lose some of its signature crunch, and the meat will be a bit drier than with fresh sesame chicken. Sesame chicken will last for 3-4 months in the freezer in an airtight container.

How to freeze sesame chicken:

Cool your sesame chicken to room temperature.
Transfer it into an airtight container and seal tightly.
Pop the sesame chicken into the fridge for an hour or two to cool further.
Transfer into the freezer, mark clearly with the date and use within 3-4 months.

Chilling the leftover chicken in the fridge for an hour or two before freezing helps it freeze faster (because it’s already cold).

If you have any extra sauce, you can freeze this too.

I would freeze it in an ice-cube tray and then transfer the frozen cubes to a freezer bag.

How to reheat frozen sesame chicken

Thaw your frozen sesame chicken in the fridge overnight. Alternatively, you can defrost it in the microwave on the lowest heat setting. Once the chicken has thawed through, reheat it in a 350°F (180°C) oven or air fryer. Add extra sauce if you have any to keep the dish moist.