The Best Way to Reheat Every Kind Of Leftover (2024)

Do your leftovers never seem to taste as good as the night before? That’s probably because you’re reheating them wrong.

Skip the microwave and follow these steps to make your day-old meal taste like you just whipped it up.

1. Pizza

Pizza crust turns soggy in the microwave, says Nate Appel, a chef with the meal kit delivery service HelloFresh.

To keep the crispy texture, place slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. And if the crust is already dark, wrap it in aluminum foil—otherwise, it’ll burn while reheating, Appel says. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.

Looking for the perfect drink to go with it? Pair your pizza with one of our favorite beers.

2. Chicken and Steak

In order to keep meat from drying out, you need to reheat it low and slow, says Appel. Place the meat in a baking dish and bake in the oven at 200 to 250 degrees until it’s warmed through. A one-inch thick steak or chicken breast should take 20 to 30 minutes.

You can get away with reheating rare steaks or pork chops without turning on your oven.

“Sear it on the grill or in a lightly oiled pan over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the cut,” Appel says.

Since these meats are already less cooked, you don’t have to worry about a quicker, hotter cooking method drying them out. For perfectly done meat every time, check out the7 ways to cook a better steak.

3. Vegetables

Heat roasted vegetables again in a hot oven to keep them firm and crisp. A microwave will just turn them to mush.

Spread the vegetables out on a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil, and bake at 450 degrees for 4 or 5 minutes, says Nick Evans, author of Love Your Leftovers. Piling the vegetables too close together can cause them to steam. When they sizzle, they’re done.

4. Pasta

Put last night’s fettuccine in the microwave, and you’ll be left with dry, crunchy noodles. Instead, fill a sauté pan with just enough water to coat the bottom of the pan, and add a drizzle of olive oil. Drop in the pasta, stick the pan over medium heat, and toss often until the noodles are warmed through—which should take about 3 to 5 minutes.

“This technique basically steams the pasta, so it rehydrates while it reheats,” Appel says.

If you have 10 extra minutes to spare, try one of these insanely delicious noodle bowls you can make in 15 minutes.

5. Soups and Stews

Nuking that big batch of chili you made last weekend will give you a mix of scalding hot spoonfuls and lukewarm bites.

6. Fish

Like chicken and steak, fish can dry out if reheated at too high of a temperature and too fast.

Wrap the fish in a foil packet with one or two tablespoons of water or stock, and a drizzle of oil. This helps retain even more moisture, which is essential for delicate proteinsources like fish, says Appel. Place the packet on a baking sheet, and bake it in the oven at 250 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until heated through, Appel says.

Check out this recipe for another simple way to make fish taste awesome.

7. Rice

Rice or other grains become crunchy in the microwave. Instead, scoop the rice into hockey puck-sized patties and fry them in a skillet coated with olive oil until they’re browned on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Then use up your newly cooked leftovers in this quick lemon chicken with rice recipe.

8. Eggs

Stick a slice of leftover quiche or frittata in a covered, lightly oiled skillet and cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. “This keeps the bottom crispy and heats the eggs gently,” says Evans.

As for scrambled or fried eggs? Sorry, there’s no way to reheat those without making them rubbery, so “just make enough to serve fresh,” Evans says.

If you’re tired of the same old scramble, here are the 14 best ways to eat an egg.

Marygrace Taylor

Marygrace Taylor is a health and wellness writer for Prevention, Parade, Women’s Health, Redbook, and others. She’s also the co-author of Prevention’s Eat Clean, Stay Lean: The Diet and Prevention’s Mediterranean Kitchen. Visit her at marygracetaylor.com.

I've been immersed in culinary arts for years, exploring recipes, techniques, and the science behind food. Let's delve into the reheating methods mentioned in that article:

Pizza: To retain pizza's crispiness, use an oven. Placing it on parchment-lined baking sheets prevents sogginess. Dark crusts should be wrapped in foil to prevent burning while reheating. Bake at 350°F for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese bubbles.
Chicken and Steak: Reheat meat slowly at 200 to 250°F in an oven. Alternatively, sear rare meats on a grill or in a pan for 1 to 2 minutes per side. This method prevents drying out.
Vegetables: Avoid microwaving roasted vegetables to retain their crispness. Bake at 450°F for 4 to 5 minutes after drizzling with olive oil on a baking sheet, ensuring they're spread out to prevent steaming.
Pasta: Avoid the microwave for pasta. Instead, use a sauté pan with a bit of water and olive oil over medium heat, tossing frequently for 3 to 5 minutes to rehydrate the noodles.
Soups and Stews: Warm gently in a pot over low heat, adding extra liquid to prevent thickening due to simmering. Stir occasionally until steaming.
Fish: Reheat fish in a foil packet with water, oil, baked at 250°F for 25 to 30 minutes. This method helps retain moisture for delicate proteins.
Rice: Avoid microwaving rice; instead, form patties and fry in olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes per side to get crispy results.
Eggs: Reheat quiche or frittata in a covered, oiled skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes to maintain crispiness. Unfortunately, scrambled or fried eggs don't reheat well.

These methods preserve textures and flavors better than microwave reheating. Each approach caters to the specific nature of the food, ensuring it tastes just as delightful as when it was freshly prepared.