Fish and chips are a dish that is enjoyed all over the world, despite the fact that it is traditionally considered a British delicacy. It is also an extremely popular fast food option that many families enjoy ordering.
The only drawback to ordering fish and chips to be delivered (which really shouldn’t even be considered a drawback) is that the portions of fish and chips are frequently quite large, and there is almost always some food left over!
These leftovers are ideal for enjoying the next day for a speedy lunch or even for a second dinner; however, warming up cold fish and chips can be difficult.
How are fish and chips supposed to be reheated? You can reheat fish and chips in a variety of ways, including an air fryer, which is the most efficient method; however, you can also do so on a stovetop or in an oven. You can use a microwave because it is faster than the other options, but the results won’t be as good as they could be. After all, you want to keep the dish’s crisp and flaky nature intact!
Continue reading this article to find out how to reheat fish and chips at home using a variety of methods, including the method that we think is the most effective!
How should fish and chips be reheated for the best possible flavor?
It is likely that rewarming fish and chips in an air fryer is the most effective approach to take. When left in the refrigerator, any remaining fish and chips can become soggy due to the accumulation of moisture.
Reheating fish and chips using some of the other methods does not assist in removing this moisture, which results in the fish and chips becoming soggy after being reheated.
The air fryer, on the other hand, works by circulating dry air around the basket, which will remove any excess moisture. This ensures that the fish and chips will reheat evenly and will be crispy on the outside, while still remaining soft and tender on the inside.
If you are really pressed for time or don’t have any other choices, the microwave should be your last resort for reheating fish and chips; the stovetop and the oven are far superior alternatives to the microwave in this regard.
Instructions for Reheating Fish and Chips in an Air Fryer
When it comes to reheating food, the air fryer is not only the best option in terms of keeping food from becoming soggy during the process, but it is also the healthiest choice. The air fryer is really great at reheating fish and chips.
When prepared with an air fryer, the exterior of the fish and chips will be crisp, but the interior of the fish, in particular, will keep its tenderness and moisture content.
After placing the fish and chips in the air fryer basket, it is a good idea to spray them with a very small amount of oil, but you are free to omit this step if you so choose.
The following steps need to be taken in order to reheat fish and chips in an air fryer:
- Take the fish and chips out of the refrigerator, and using a paper towel, pat them down to remove some of the excess moisture.
- After placing the fish in the air fryer, spray some oil on both sides of the fish and continue cooking.
- After preheating the air fryer to approximately 320 degrees Fahrenheit, reheat the fish for four minutes.
- After four minutes, turn the fish over to reheat for an additional three minutes on the opposite side.
- After three minutes, take the fish out of the air fryer and arrange the chips in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Reheat the chips for five minutes while the temperature is raised to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
The problem with this is that the fish and the chips need to be reheated at different temperatures to ensure that they do not become overly dry or too crispy, but an air fryer is really the best way to accomplish this task.
On the other hand, if you really want to, you can reheat both of them together at the same time at a temperature of 360 degrees Fahrenheit for about seven minutes.
Instructions for Reheating Fish and Chips in a Pan on the Stove
If you do not have access to an air fryer, your next best option is to use a skillet to reheat the fish and chips that you have left over from the previous meal on the stovetop.
The use of a skillet can assist in removing excess moisture while simultaneously contributing to a crispier exterior on the fish and the chips. It is also a quick option, and the leftovers can be reheated in just a few minutes time using this method.
Because you do not want the fish’s batter to come off while it is being reheated, this method works best when it is carried out with a skillet that does not stick.
Reheating fish and chips on the stovetop can be done in the following way:
- Take the fish and chips that are still in the refrigerator out of the refrigerator and lightly pat them down with a paper towel.
- Put a skillet on the stovetop and heat it up to a temperature of about medium. Put just a touch of oil from a vegetable source in the pan.
- Add the chips to the pan once it has reached the desired temperature, and then stir them around in the oil. You should give them up to three minutes to heat up.
- After three minutes, or when evenly heated throughout and crispy, remove the chips from the oven.
- Reheat the fish for three minutes by placing it in the skillet and allowing it to sit there.
- After the first three minutes, turn the fish over so that the opposite side is facing up and allow it to reheat for an additional three minutes. When you are doing this, exercise caution so that you can keep everything in one piece.
- Take the fish out of the oven once it has reached the desired temperature all the way through.
Reheating fish and chips on the stovetop in a skillet is an efficient way to reheat them quickly. However, you will need to add some oil to the pan in order to keep the exterior of the fish and chips crispy, and there is also a possibility that the batter of the fish will stick to the pan when it is flipped over.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Reheating Fish and Chips in the Oven
Reheating fish and chips in the oven requires the most amount of time when compared to all of the other available options; however, if done correctly, this method yields good results, and it also allows you to reheat a large quantity of fish and chips all at once!
You won’t be left with any cold spots after the fish and chips have been reheated in the oven because it heats everything evenly. Additionally, it should still crisp up the outside of the fish and chips in an even manner.
The following steps should be followed in order to reheat fish and chips in the oven:
- Turn the oven up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In the meantime, remove the fish and chips from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature on the counter.
- After placing the fish in a baking dish that is oven-safe, transfer the dish to the oven and cook the fish for up to ten minutes. Wait 15 minutes for the fish to reheat, regardless of whether it is one large piece of fish or several separate pieces of fish.
- Take the fish out of the oven as soon as it has reached the desired temperature all the way through.
- Raise the temperature in the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- After spreading the chips out in a single layer on a baking sheet and then placing the sheet in the oven, you can reheat the chips for up to 15 minutes.
You will need to reheat the fish and the chips separately because they require different temperatures when being reheated; however, this is the method that will allow you to do so in the most uniform manner possible.
The Fish and Chips Revisited: Reheating in the Microwave
It is strongly discouraged to reheat fish and chips in the microwave due to the high likelihood that this will cause the texture of both the fries and the fish to become softer and less flaky.
If, on the other hand, this is the only option you have (or if you do not have enough time to use any of the other methods), then you should at least make an attempt to use a few pointers and strategies to ensure that the fish and chips do not become overly soggy when they are reheated.
The following steps should be followed in order to reheat fish and chips in the microwave:
- Take the fish and chips out of the refrigerator and dry them with a paper towel before serving. It is recommended that you give the food 30 minutes to come to room temperature before continuing, but doing so is not required if you do not have the time.
- Put the fish into a dish that can be heated in the microwave, and then put the dish into the microwave. Reheat the fish in the microwave for three minutes after lowering the temperature to its lowest setting.
- After the fish has been reheated all the way through, remove it from the microwave.
- Reheat the chips in the microwave on a low setting for up to three minutes, or until they are warm all the way through, after placing them in a dish that is safe to use in the microwave.
- Even though reheating the fish and chips over low heat helps to keep them from becoming overly soggy, there is still a possibility that they will be slightly soggy even when they are hot.
Bringing the temperature of the microwave up from its lowest setting will cause the inside of the fish and chips to become drier, while the exterior will drink up all of the remaining moisture.
It is not the best choice, but it will do if you have no other options and are looking for a speedy method to reheat the food that you have left over.
A Few Parting Thoughts
When reheating fish and chips, the goal is to get the exterior of the fish and chips to have a crispy texture, while maintaining a moist and tender interior for both the fish and the chips.
Reheating the leftovers in an air fryer, on the stovetop, or in the oven is the method that will yield the best results in this regard. Reheating the food in the microwave should be the very last resort that you consider.
Make sure the fish and chips are thoroughly heated all the way through before you eat them, regardless of which option you choose.