How To Reheat Beef Wellington - I Test 5 Methods [Pics] (2024)

This article was updated on 20/07/2023 for clarity and to incorporate new insights.

In this article, I outline the very best methods of reheating beef wellington, to ensure you get a delicate tender inside, and a flaky, buttery pastry. How do I know they’re the best? Because I tested them!

In a rush? Here’s the short answer.

The best way to reheat beef wellington is in the oven. Place the beef wellington on a wire rack with a baking tray underneath. Set the oven to 300°F (150°C) and cover the wellington loosely with foil. A ​slice will reheat in 15-20 minutes, while a whole beef wellington can take 30-40 minutes to reheat.

The experiment

I spent a glorious evening preparing a beef wellington, stuffed my face with a few slices, and then left the rest in the fridge overnight.

The next day, I cut the beef wellington into slices and tested five different reheating methods. I tested:

• The oven: My favorite method.
• A skillet: Good if you’re in a hurry.
• The microwave: Not recommended.
• The air fryer: Good for thin slices.
• Deconstructing the beef wellington: A bit too much effort

I was looking for an option that gave me flaky pastry and pink, tender meat.

Reheating beef wellington in the oven

Time: 15-20 minutes
Rating: 9/10

1. Set your oven to 300°F (150°C) and place the wellington (sliced or whole) on a wire rack.
2. Cover the wellington loosely with foil, creating a few slits in the foil to act as vents.
3. Put the wellington in the oven, and place a baking tray beneath the wire rack to catch any drippings.
4. Heat beef wellington slices for 15-20 minutes. Whole beef wellingtons will need between 30-40 minutes, depending on size.
5. Check the temperature of the meat (ideally using a meat thermometer) before removing the wellington from the oven. This is especially important for whole beef wellingtons.
6. To crisp the pastry, take the foil off for the last few minutes of heating.
7. Let the beef wellington rest for a minute before serving.

To reduce the time your wellington needs to spend in the oven, you can put it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds before putting it in the oven. This will kickstart the heating process (similar to the speed boost you get on Mario kart for a good start).

Letting the meat come to room temperature before heating will also shave some time off.

I like to rest my wellington on a wire rack so the pastry isn’t left sitting in a pool of liquid for too long. It also helps distribute the heat evenly around the wellington. The foil keeps the meat moist, but you don’t want to trap all the steam or you’ll end up with soggy pastry (hence the vents).

Results: The oven took the longest, and admittedly, 20 minutes of waiting for one slice of wellington is a lot, but it was worth the wait for me. The pastry was flaky (but could have been crispier), and the meat was tender, juicy, and still pink.

Reheating beef wellington in a skillet

Time: 5-6 minutes
Rating: 8/10

1. Slice the beef wellington up into 1-inch slices.
2. Heat some oil or butter in a heavy-bottom skillet (a cast iron pan is best) on medium heat.
3. Once the oil is shimmering or the butter is bubbling, add the wellington slices and heat on one side for 3-4 minutes.
4. Flip the wellington over and heat the other side for another 2 minutes.
5. Remove the wellington slices from the pan and let them rest for 30 seconds before serving.

I recommend 1-inch slices to ensure that the meat heats all the way through. With thicker pieces, you risk ending up with overcooked edges or a cold middle.

I like using butter because it gives the wellington a buttery flavor, but any fat will do. For a really decadent wellington, try using leftover bacon grease. To save on the calories, use cooking spray.

Results: The main advantage of this method is the speed, it’s much quicker than the oven, and the results were decent. The pasty was nice, but it didn’t crisp up. The outside of the meat browned, but the inside was pink and was still moist. The butter also added a nice flavor.

Reheating beef wellington in the microwave

Time: 2 minutes
Rating: 4/10

1. Cut your wellington into slices and put one on a microwave-safe plate. It’s best to reheat each slice individually.
2. Microwave the wellington in 20-second intervals. Flipping the wellington after every 20 seconds to ensure even heating.
3. Keep heating the wellington in 20-second intervals until the meat is warm to the touch.
4. Let the wellington slices rest for 30 seconds before serving.

Most wellington slices will be done in around 2 minutes, but thicker pieces can take 3-4 minutes.

I only recommend reheating slices of beef wellington in the microwave because bigger chunks of wellington won’t heat evenly. Some parts will cook, and other parts will be cold.

If you want to ensure really moist meat, cover the wellington slice with a damp paper towel before you microwave it. But be aware that this will leave you with really soggy pastry.

Results: The microwave was quick and convenient, but it ruined the pastry (it was wet and floppy instead of crispy). The meat was pretty good but was slightly chewier than the meat out of the oven.

Reheating beef wellington in the air fryer

Time: 10 minutes
Rating: 7/10

1. Set your air fryer to 250°F (120°C).
2. Place the beef wellington slices cut side down in the air fryer. You can fill the air fryer but only use a single layer.
3. Heat the beef wellington for 10 minutes, or until the meat is warmed through.
4. Let the beef wellington slice rest for a 30 seconds before serving.

The pastry can get pretty hot in the air fryer, so it can be hard to get the wellington slices out of some air fryers by hand. If you think you’ll have this problem, you can place the wellington slice on a piece of parchment paper and turn the corners up. The corners act as little handles.

However, lining the air fryer with parchment paper interferes with the airflow, so you’ll want the flip the wellington half way through heating.

The air fryer can be fast, so check on the wellington every few minutes to gauge its progress.

Results: I was impressed with the air fryer. I was afraid the pastry would burn, but my fears were unfounded.The only downside was that the meat fried out a tiny bit because of the harsher heating environment.

Note: I also tried hot and quick in the air fryer (5 minutes at 350°F/180°C), but the meat browned while still being cool on the inside.

Reheating a deconstructed beef wellington

Time: 5 minutes
Rating: 5/10

1. Take your wellington out of the fridge and carefully separate the pastry from the meat, keeping it as intact as possible.
2. Lay the pastry on a wire rack and put it in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 5 minutes. If you’re worried about browning, cover the pastry loosely with foil.
3. There are several options for reheating the meat, but I like the skillet. Melt some butter in a pan on a medium heat and then add the beef.
4. Once you’ve added the beef, sprinkle over a few tablespoons of stock or leftover sauce.
5. Heat each side of the meat for 1-2 minutes.
6. Serve the hot pastry and meat together.

By reheating the meat and the pasty separately, you know the pastry won’t come out soggy or burnt. And you can use liquid when you’re heating the meat to rehydrate it.

Other options for reheating the meat include in the oven or the microwave.

To use the oven, wrap the beef in foil and heat it in the oven at 250°F (120°C) until it’s warmed through (15-25 minutes for a slice, 40-60 minutes for a big chunk). For the microwave, slice the meat and put it on a microwave-safe plate. Cover the beef with a damp paper towel and microwave it in 15-second intervals until it’s warmed through.

Results: I got good results reheating the beef wellington intact that I see no reason to deconstruct it. The only time I can see this method being useful is if you have very soggy pastry that needs special attention.

How to store beef wellington

The best way to store beef wellington is to slice it up and place the slices cut side down in an airtight container. Keep the slices in a single layer and line the container with a sheet of paper towel to soak up excess moisture. Beef wellington will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge.

Slicing the wellington makes it easier to reheat later. Single layers are best because, with double layers, the juices from the top layer will make the bottom layer soggy.

Always wait until the beef wellington is at room temperature to store it. If you put the wellington in the fridge while it’s still hot, the resulting condensation will leave you with soggy pastry.

Storing a whole beef wellington

If you want to store your beef wellington whole, wait for it to cool to room temperature and then wrap it in foil. It will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Your main issue with storing a whole wellington is getting a soggy bottom. But you can avoid this with a clever trick.Make a bed of rice and cover it with a paper towel, then put the wellington on top of this. The rice creates a porous bed for the juices to drain into and the paper towel stops the rice from sticking to the bottom of the wellington.

Told you it was clever! If you don’t have any rice, you can simply use paper towels.

How to freeze beef wellington

To freeze leftover beef wellington, slice it up and wrap each individual piece in plastic wrap. Place the slices in a heavy-duty freezer bag, squeeze the air out, and put it in the freezer. Cooked beef wellington will last for up to 6 months in the freezer. You can also freeze the wellington whole.

I prefer freezing slices because it means the wellington is quicker and easier to reheat later.

The plastic wrap serves two purposes. It prevents slices of beef wellington from sticking together and provides a protective layer against freezer burn.

Another step aimed at preventing freeze burn is getting as much air out of the freezer bag as possible. Squeezing is the easiest way to do this, but sucking the air out with a straw is much more effective.

If you have a vacuum sealer – even better!Wait until the wellington is frozen solid (around 3-4 hours), then vacuum seal it. There’s no chance of a properly vacuum sealed wellington developing freezer burn.

If you have a whole beef wellington that won’t fit in a freezer bag, wrap it with foil instead.

How to reheat frozen beef wellington

I advise not to thaw a frozen beef wellington before reheating it because this can ruin the pastry. Instead, cook it straight from frozen.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and cover the wellington loosely with foil. Place the wellington on a wire rack and heat it in the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 300°F (150°C) and heat for a further 15-20 minutes.

To reduce the heating time, you can swap the 15 minutes at 350°F (180°C) for nuking the wellington for 60 seconds in a 50% power microwave.

Note, these times will vary a lot depending on how big your wellington is (they’re based on slices). Always check the internal temperature of the wellington before taking it out of the oven.

What to do with leftover beef wellington

If you don’t want to eat the beef wellington as it is, here are some inventive ideas for repurposing your beef wellington:

• Turn the beef wellington into a pie. Deconstruct the wellington, and add the beef into a nice red wine sauce with some carrots and mushrooms. Then lay the pastry over the top, and you have a delicious pie.
• Beef wellington sandwiches. Thinly slice the wellington and put it in a sandwich along with some cheese and lettuce. A very fancy lunch.
• Use the pastry and the beef separately. The meat can go in a stir fry, a stroganoff, or a salad, and you can use the pastry to make cheese twists or simply dip in your favorite sauce.
• Mix up the side dishes. Sometimes, simply using a new side dish can reinvent your wellington. Some less common side dishes for beef wellington include macaroni cheese, horseradish mashed potato, creamed spinach or creamy leeks, or even a salad.