Use this time efficiently by doing any other prep work you need to do. Preheating the oven is a must, but you can also prepare side dishes, set the table, and so on.
Try to avoid prepping the chicken pieces for the oven before they’re room temperature. Cold meat on the inside can interfere with the “crisping” process going on at the outside of the meat that’s needed to make fried chicken so delicious.
Some online sources will recommend spritzing the pieces of chicken with a small amount of water to prevent them from drying out, while others omit this step. To add moisture to your fried chicken, in a baking dish, add some vegetable broth or chicken broth and cover it with a lid. Plan for at least 10 minutes of cooking time and as much as half an hour. As you’ll see in the next step, cooking times can vary.
One online source lists legs and wings as taking about 15-20 minutes to reheat to perfection and breasts and thighs as taking about 20-25 minutes. [2] X Research source
You shouldn’t generally need to re-season your chicken — any seasoning in the batter will be preserved.
If you don’t let the chicken warm back up, it can affect the frying process. Dropping cold chicken into hot oil will significantly reduce the temperature of the oil for a minute or two, preventing you from giving it a crispy exterior. [3] X Research source
Don’t use olive oil or another oil with a similarly low smoke point, as the smoke can give your chicken a bitter, burnt flavor. Instead, use a high-smoke point oil with a neutral flavor like canola, peanut, or vegetable oil. [4] X Research source If you have a deep fryer, you may use it for this method, though this equipment is not required.
Feel free to adjust the precise cooking time as you wish. Longer cooking times will give you a drier, crispier skin, but cooking for too long will eventually dry out the meat itself. [5] X Research source Don’t be afraid to check your chicken’s texture as it cooks.
