Air Fryer Frozen KFC Chicken. Have you got leftover KFC Chicken Pieces that you want to reheat in the air fryer? Or did you freeze your leftover Kentucky Fried Chicken and now want to eat it. Or did you buy more KFC Chicken than you wanted and want to freeze it for later. Let me show you how.
Air Fryer Frozen KFC Chicken
Can I be honest now and say that my love affair with Kentucky Fried Chicken took a while to get started? In fact, until I was about 18, I HATED KFC and wanted to be as far away from the Southern Fried Chicken brand as possible.
You know how kids can be with their fussy eating habits and how as a child we hate something and then as an adult we love it.
Well that was me with KFC.
I grew up in the 80’s/90’s in a small town when there was not much choice about fast food. You had McDonalds and that was it for the famous American chains. There was plenty of fish and chip shops, a Chinese & an Indian restaurant and lots of kebab shops.
My dad would always complain about the lack of a KFC as he loved it. So, when we hit the city or were on the motorway stopping for dinner, it was always KFC.
BUT I hated meat, was a vegetarian at the time and was repulsed by the look of meat on the bone. I would go next door and get some cauliflower cheese and complain that we should have gone to McDonalds.
I used to watch as my parents ate this horrible looking chicken and then feel even more tortured as they took the spare bit of the bucket home for later. So, the smell of KFC was going to spoil my vegetarian zone again, at some point in the future.
Fast forward until I was 18 and meeting a man that loved meat and who showed me how nice meat could be and before long, I liked KFC for the first time in my life.
Last month on my 37th birthday, it was me that was craving the KFC and I bought a couple of big buckets and the leftovers went in the freezer for another time.
Well today is that other time and its one of the simplest reheats you’ll do and will bring a delicious round of KFC Chicken to the dinner table and it will taste so good, that you would think you had just bought it from KFC.
Freezing KFC Chicken
It starts with freezing the KFC chicken so that it would be good for later. I recommend when you have finished eating, that you place your leftovers in the fridge and wait a couple of hours. Or if you go to KFC for a late-night meal, then it is fine to be left in the fridge overnight.
Freezer food tastes good because it is placed in the freezer when its at its best, therefore make sure you freeze it within 24 hours.
When you freeze your leftover KFC Chicken use a zip loc bag and place the pieces of KFC chicken that you have leftover into one bag.
And then because the KFC Chicken is already cooked it wont stick together, so if you want just one piece out at a time from the freezer, then that is fine. You don’t need to piece up each bit of chicken into separate bags.
It can then stay in the freezer until you want to use it.
What KFC Food Can You Reheat In The Air Fryer?
You’re probably thinking of all your favourite KFC food and thinking that they can all go in the air fryer, which technically they can, BUT some of it will taste AWFUL.
As in it tastes so bad, my cats wouldn’t even eat it.
Pieces of chicken with the bone in taste the best. Think your favourite chicken pieces like we’re doing today, or something like air fryer frozen KFC hot wings.
BUT…..
Chicken burgers, fries, onion rings, wraps and corn on the cob, taste disgusting re-heated and are like rubber.
So, if you are planning ahead, eat the burgers and then save the chicken pieces for the freezer.
How To Cook Air Fryer Frozen KFC Chicken
The first thing I must say is that not all chicken pieces weigh the same amount. Its like when you buy chicken breasts, you can end up with a huge one, medium or tiny little ones.
The same thing applies when you buy your KFC Chicken.
I weighed our leftover KFC Chicken after I had reheated it and discovered out of 5 pieces that:
- 2 weighed 80g
- 1 weighed 140g
- 1 weighed 96g
- 1 weighed 62g
The tiny piece was less than half the size of the biggest piece. You need to consider this when reheating as you don’t want the big one under cooked, or the small ones so overcooked that the chicken is dry.
Reheating KFC Tip #1 – If you have little and large pieces, place the little ones in the middle and the big ones on the outside. The outside ones cook quicker and this will avoid the smaller ones being overcooked.
Reheating KFC Tip #2 – It can be dangerous and scary for people to reheat chicken knowing the health risks. The way to check if chicken is fully reheated is to put a thermometer into the thickest part and you want to see a reading of at least 75c. This is the temperature that reheated chicken must go to, to be considered safe.
More Air Fryer KFC Recipes
If you love KFC Chicken, then you will love our other KFC Chicken recipes. All of them are made from scratch and cooked in the air fryer and once you have them, you’ll want them forever and ever.
Click on the links below for more air fryer KFC chicken:
- Air Fryer KFC Chicken Rub
- Air Fryer Chicken Pieces
- Air Fryer KFC Popcorn Chicken
- Air Fryer KFC Chicken Zinger Burger
- Air Fryer KFC Chicken Strips
- Air Fryer KFC Chicken Wrap
Plus, if you look at the calories below you can save a small fortune in your own air fryer versions:
More Air Fryer Frozen Food Recipes
We have some fantastic quick reheat guides for cooking food from frozen in the air fryer. If you love frozen food and want to cook it with less calories than in the deep fat fryer, then you’ll love these recipes.
Click on the links below for more air fryer frozen food:
- Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
- Air Fryer Frozen Mozzarella Sticks
- Air Fryer Frozen Egg Rolls
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets
- Air Fryer Frozen Mini Pizzas
- Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potato Wedges
- Air Fryer Frozen Fish Sticks
- Air Fryer Frozen KFC Hot Wings
- Air Fryer Frozen Hash Browns
- Air Fryer Frozen Breaded Mushrooms
- Air Fryer Frozen Potato Chips
- 5 KFC Chicken Pieces
- Place the frozen pieces of KFC Chicken into the air fryer basket and cook for 16 minutes at 160c/320f.
- When it beeps following my notes below, check to see if the chicken is fully reheated.
- Eat while still warm.
Reheating KFC Chicken with a thermometer – Place a thermometer into the thickest part and you want to see a reading of at least 75c. This is the temperature that reheated chicken must go to, to be considered safe.
Reheating KFC Chicken without a thermometer – Place a knife into the thickest part of the chicken, leave it a couple of seconds and it should get very hot. Then place your finger on the part of the knife that touched the chicken. If its so hot you can’t leave your finger there for more than ½ a second, then it’s hit the right temperature.
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