How Should You Reheat McDonald’s Nuggets? 8 Explanations of Techniques

McDonald’s chicken nuggets are a well-known crunchy pleasure, so it’s easy to overdo it. But, since they are fried and quite greasy, it is unlikely that you would be able to complete the full piece in one sitting. Whether you order them from the restaurant or have them delivered, you should consider your storage and reheating choices. So, how should you reheat McDonald’s nuggets?

McDonald’s chicken nuggets may be reheated in the oven, microwave, toaster oven, air fryer, waffle maker, stove, grill, or deep fryer. But, there are several techniques you should use to get the greatest outcomes.

McDonald’s chicken nuggets are always welcome on my menu; however, I make sure not to overdo them, since they are somewhat fatty. Since I seldom finish the whole dish in one sitting, I’ve had some bad attempts to reheat them. After much investigation and experimentation, I have come to a few conclusions that will assist you in this process.

In the following sections, I will describe how to reheat McDonald’s chicken nuggets, what to do, what not to do, and what works best for each approach.

Can You Reheat McDonald’s Nuggets?

McDonald’s chicken nuggets can be reheated. Yet, since McDonald’s chicken nuggets are fast food, I must first provide an outline of reheating fast food in general.

The time between when the meal was prepared and when it was reheated is the decisive element in reheating fast food, particularly Big Mac. Fast food, particularly chicken nuggets, is very perishable, disintegrating three hours after it is prepared. Hence, unless your chicken nuggets have been refrigerated, you should not reheat them, but rather discard them.

McDonald’s chicken nuggets may be reheated and taste as good as fresh. But, there are several aspects you must consider in order for this procedure to be effective.

Also, each reheating process has benefits and cons, so not all of them are appropriate for everyone. Certain techniques need more oil as well as more time and effort.

But, if you follow the procedure of your choice exactly, your chicken nuggets will be tasty and as fresh as new without missing any processes.

How to Reheat McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets in the Microwave?

Microwaving your McDonald’s chicken nuggets is the easiest and most apparent method to reheat them. Nevertheless, the nuggets tend to harden throughout the warming process, so if you’re not cautious, you can wind up with heated, hard-to-chew nuggets.

There are two methods to prevent this and return your nuggets to as near to freshly created as possible.

The first approach is to microwave your nuggets for one minute on high heat. Once the timer goes off, remove them from the oven, cover them with aluminum foil, and let the heat to circulate evenly. This will reheat the nuggets without hardening the flesh.

The air beneath the foil will circulate evenly, giving your nuggets the appearance of air frying.

If the foil is not used, the nuggets will be warm on the exterior and chilly on the inside, making them difficult to chew.

The alternative way is to microwave the nuggets for 30 seconds at a time on medium heat. Inspect your nuggets after each interval, and don’t leave them in the microwave after the final cycle is complete. While removing your nuggets, you may wrap them with aluminum foil if desired. Remember to wait for 10 seconds between intervals, to check the nuggets after each, and to not exceed five periods.

Regardless of whatever technique you choose, remove the nuggets from their original packing and lay them on a cloth-covered platter. The cloth will absorb any extra moisture from the nuggets, preventing them from becoming soggy when you remove them from the microwave.

If you leave them in their original packaging, your nuggets will be destroyed since it isn’t microwave-safe and may harm your microwave.

If the dish is not covered with a towel, there will be nothing to absorb the moisture, resulting in soggy and wet chicken nuggets.

Likewise, if you microwave your nuggets right from the fridge, let them rest out for 10 minutes before putting them in the microwave.

How to Reheat McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets in the Oven?

Another option for reheating your nuggets is to bake them. The important step here is to put your nuggets on parchment paper and cover them with aluminum foil. Bake them for 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius), and they will be as good as new.

Nevertheless, before placing the nuggets in the oven, warm it for roughly 10 minutes.

The parchment paper will keep your nuggets from sticking, and the aluminum foil will aid in rehydrating and properly distributing the heat. Hence, if you decide to employ this strategy, don’t overlook this step.

If you don’t use parchment paper, your nuggets will adhere to the pan, reducing the quantity of nuggets you can eat and slightly burning them.

If you do not cover the nuggets with aluminum foil, they will dehydrate and harden, leaving them dry and difficult to eat.

Let the nuggets to come to room temperature if you have just taken them out of the fridge.

How to Reheat McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets in Toaster Oven?

A toaster oven is a great way to reheat your nuggets. You don’t need to cover them since there isn’t much room for hot air to move, so the nuggets will absorb it rapidly without getting soggy.

Set your toaster oven to broil and cook for around two minutes on each side. To prevent your nuggets from sticking, line your pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. If you don’t line the pan, the nuggets may stick and perhaps burn.

If you are reheating the nuggets directly from the fridge, like with the previous two procedures, you should let them rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.

How to Reheat McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets in Air Fryer?

This is most likely the most effective strategy with the greatest outcomes. Since the air fryer uses air circulation, it will not dry or harden your nuggets. They will be nice and delicious, and you will not waste any time.

Also, it is a highly clean method to reheat your nuggets, since it does not need any extra oil or other processes.

Your nuggets will be as good as new after three to four minutes at 400 F, or 200 C.

If your nuggets are fresh out of the fridge, allow them to come to room temperature before placing them in the air fryer.

The air fryer is maybe the safest technique to avoid burned or hard nuggets.

How to Reheat McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets in Deep Oil?

Reheating your nuggets in deep oil is another viable option. It’s quite basic, and there’s not much to it. But, you must keep an eye on the heated oil since it might severely injure your skin.

The only thing you need to do is prepare the oil before adding the nuggets, and by preheat, I mean it should be boiling hot. Set your deep fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) five minutes before adding the nuggets.

Remove the nuggets from the deep oil after 10 to 15 seconds. Avoid overcrowding the fryer. It is preferable to place fewer nuggets than can fit.

Place the warmed nuggets on a platter lined with paper napkins to absorb any excess oil.

If you employ this approach, your nuggets will be quite oily, therefore failing to cover the dish with paper napkins will be a significant error. Your nuggets will absorb the extra oil, and there will be a lot of it, altering their flavor and structure dramatically.

If you’re using fresh nuggets, let them rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before dipping them into heated oil.

How to Reheat McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets on the Stove?

This technique is quite similar to the one described above, except instead of a deep fryer, you use a skillet or frying pan.

Heat the skillet or frying pan with three fingers of oil to 350 F, or 180 C. Place the nuggets inside and cook for 15 seconds on each side. Take care not to overcrowd the pan, and use fewer nuggets than it can accommodate.

Similarly with the deep-frying procedure, a paper napkin-covered dish is required to absorb the excess oil. There will be a lot of surplus oil.

If you do not cover the dish with paper napkins, the oil will seep into the nuggets, resulting in an excessively greasy lunch that is best left uneaten.

Let your nuggets to come to room temperature for 10 minutes if you just took them out of the fridge.

How to Reheat McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets on a Grill?

Grilling your nuggets is an excellent method of reheating them. It’s quick, easy, and far less oily than deep or pan-frying.

All you need to do is preheat the grill to medium heat for four to six minutes before adding the nuggets. Next, spray the nuggets with cooking oil and arrange them on the rack.

They will be ready in four to six minutes. If they’ve been in the fridge, bring them to room temperature before grilling.

How to Reheat McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets with a Waffle Maker?

Let the iron to heat up for five minutes before placing your nuggets on it. Place the nuggets in the pan with a thin coating of cooking oil. A simple strategy that is also highly effective.

Please do not pack the nuggets too closely together, but rather allow a half-inch gap between each pair.

Let the hot waffle iron to rest on the nuggets for one minute before gently pushing it down. Stop pushing when the top and bottom plates are one inch apart and let the nuggets to cook for three to four minutes.

If your nuggets have been in the fridge, let them come to room temperature for five minutes before placing them in the iron.

What Is the Best Way to Reheat McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets?

The oven, toaster oven, and air fryer are the finest three methods to reheat McDonald’s chicken nuggets since they will make your nuggets taste and appear as if they were newly produced.

The oven cooks the nuggets evenly, without focusing on any one section, but you must cover them with aluminum foil while baking them, otherwise they will dry up. The main advantage of this procedure is that no extra oil is required to be added to the already greasy nuggets.

The toaster oven is an ideal way for reheating McDonald’s chicken nuggets since it saves time, is easy and clean, and does not need the addition of oil. To prevent sticky nuggets, just be cautious and cover the pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

The air fryer is the very best method to reheat chicken nuggets. This procedure, as easy as it is, will return your nuggets to their original state. You don’t have to worry about your nuggets drying out or burning since the air fryer pan is nonstick. Your nuggets will be juicy and fresh, with no extra oil, as they come out of the fryer.

Can McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets Sit Out Overnight?

Since McDonald’s chicken nuggets are very perishable and begin dissolving three hours after cooking, leaving them at room temperature overnight is a bad idea.

They will deteriorate and become a breeding ground for germs such as salmonella if left at room temperature for more than an hour, let alone overnight.

Needless to say, if you leave your chicken nuggets out overnight, there is nothing you can do to salvage them, and your only alternative is to toss them away.

But, if refrigerated, your McDonald’s chicken nuggets will be OK for a night in the fridge, after which you must consume them since they will not survive another night.

How Long Do McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets Last?

McDonald’s chicken nuggets keep for three hours after cooking if not refrigerated. If you want to keep them for a longer period of time, place them in the refrigerator.

When refrigerated, you may increase the shelf life of the nuggets by roughly a day or two, but you must keep them correctly. You must use either airtight containers, which is the ideal option, or securely wrap them in plastic foil, leaving no gap for air to enter.

If carefully kept in sealed containers, the freezer may survive for a month or two. If your freezer operates at temperatures below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, or -17 degrees Celsius, your chicken nuggets will be safe permanently since no bacteria can live at such temperatures.

How to Store McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets?

When storing McDonald’s chicken nuggets, avoid using the original packaging since it is not ideal for storage. It isn’t completely airtight and is rather squishy.

Use shallow airtight containers to keep your nuggets. The containers must be shallow in order to avoid having too much room to put too many nuggets and too much air within.

If you don’t have airtight containers, set the nuggets on a porcelain or metal plate rather than a plastic or paper plate, since these can collect fridge moisture and transmit it to the nuggets. Cover the plate securely in plastic foil, making sure there are no holes or open spots for air to enter.

Keep your nuggets on the top shelf to avoid collecting moisture from the fridge.

If you wish to freeze your nuggets, place them in shallow airtight containers and freeze them for up to two months. If the freezer temperature is below 0 F, or -17 C, you may store your nuggets forever.