If you don’t reheat chicken properly, you risk food poisoning. Chicken is a common source of foodborne illness, so it’s important to take care when handling and preparing it. When chicken is not reheated to the proper temperature, bacteria can grow and cause food poisoning. Symptoms of food poisoning include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you experience these symptoms, it’s important to see a doctor.
What Happens If You Don’t Reheat Chicken Properly
Chicken is a popular source of protein for consumers around the world. This type of meat needs to be well looked after to prevent any diseases from forming.
It is also possible that chicken not appropriately reheated can be challenging to digest. Choosing an inappropriate heating method will make the chicken dry and tough. There is also a significant chance that the chicken will lose its juicy flavor when reheated incorrectly.
Chicken should only be reheated if it has been stored correctly. This process requires you to keep the chicken in the fridge for under an hour after it’s served. Ensure that the chicken is placed in an airtight container and the fridge temperature is between 4-6ºC. This technique should prevent any moisture from leaving the chicken over time. The chicken should then be reheated to a temperature of at least 74ºC. The goal is to cook the chicken again, not just warm it up. This internal temperature should deem the chicken safe to consume.
Can you get ill from not reheating chicken properly?
Adverse health effects such as digestive problems can occur when not appropriately reheated. Bacteria such as Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Clostridium can develop when the chicken is at room temperature. These organisms flourish between 5ºC to 60ºC and increase the chances of getting food poisoning.
How many times can you reheat chicken?
Depending on how you store the chicken, you should be able to reheat it two or three times without getting food poisoning. Ideally, if the chicken has been cooled before it was stored, it can be safely reheated multiple times. However, it is worth noting that each reheat has a chance for bacterial growth. Chicken is often best eaten immediately after being cooked. If you must reheat, you should avoid doing so more than once.
How to Reheat Cooked Chicken
Reheating Chicken in the Oven
The oven is a method that allows for even heating because of warm convectional currents. Many consumers choose this because it prevents cold centers when reheating chicken.
- The first step involves patting the chicken of any grease.
- After this, you can add some oil to help the cooking and make the chicken skin crispy.
- To be deemed safe, you need to get the chicken to 70ºCdegrees.
- Place the chicken on an oven-safe pan and cover it with aluminum foil for even heating.
- The oven should therefore be set to 180ºC.
- Reheat the chicken for 10 minutes.
Reheating chicken in the microwave
Microwaves are often the most convenient choice because of how quickly they can heat food. The challenge with this option is that it won’t always reheat food evenly. Cold centers in chicken can be harmful and unpleasant.
- The first stage of this process involves cutting the chicken into as small pieces as possible. The smaller the dice, the more evenly the chicken will reheat.
- Place the chicken dice on a microwave-safe plate and cover the lid. Covering the top will prevent any food from exploding into the oven.
- Place the microwave on a high heat setting and reheat the chicken for 5 minutes.
- You should stop the microwave and reposition the chicken to allow for even reheating.
- When the chicken has started to steam and is scolding hot throughout, it should be ready to serve. If it is too hot, then wait a few minutes to consume.
Reheating Chicken on the Stove
The way chicken is cooked often one of the best methods to reheat it. This reheating method works for cooking the food again, allowing you to add new spices and herbs to the chicken. The stovetop will allow for active management of the spices and moisture within the chicken.
- To start with, it is best to add oil or butter to the chicken before placing it on the stove.
- Cut the chicken into smaller pieces and place them into a nonstick pan. Ensure that the pan is the correct size to prevent unnecessary moisture loss.
- Place the stove at a high temperature, and once the pan is hot, you can add the chicken. Cover the nonstick pan with a lid to prevent moisture from escaping the chicken
- It should take you about five minutes to thoroughly reheat the chicken. You can continue to stir as you reheat to ensure even reheating.
Tips for Reheating Chicken
- Check that all the reheated chicken pieces are very hot (steaming) in the middle. Neither the meat nor the juices should not have any pink in them. If you notice any pink spots, it represents the blood that is not fully cooked. These areas can lead to food poisoning and should be avoided.
- When reheating a big piece of chicken, it is best to check the center of the thickest part of the meat. Chicken is deceptively thin, and blood doesn’t often show in the outer layers.
- Reheating chicken can dry it out. This process of overcooking should be avoided by using gradual reheating. However, it is always best to overcook rather than undercook chicken.
Safety Measure to Reheat Chicken
- Raw chicken should always be defrosted in the fridge. Allowing it to reach room temperature will lead to health issues, even when thawing the meat.
- Whenever chicken is cooked and served, it should always be covered to prevent it from dropping temperature very quickly.
- Cooked chicken should always be sealed and placed in the refrigerator within one hour of being cooked.
- Chicken should have an internal temperature of at least 75°C.
- Chicken should ideally only be reheated once.