Anyone who has been to McDonalds and ordered a massive box of Mcnuggets knows the feeling of getting halfway through, giving up and throwing the box away, or taking them home and eating them cold.
I’ve done it myself a bunch of times, but it’s super wasteful, and in any case, totally unnecessary.
As I’m going to tell from experience, there are plenty of ways to reheat Mcnuggets and enjoy them as if they just came straight out of the Drive Thru lane.
Can You Reheat McDonalds Chicken McNuggets In The Microwave?
A lot of people will tell you to microwave them, and this is definitely the most easy way. But it’s most definitely not the tastiest.
Microwaving Mgnuggets is one of those time sensitive gambles; leave them in for a few seconds and they’re barely warm, but leave them in too long and they come out all dry and rubbery.
This is because much of the remaining moisture (and there’s normally not much left) has been sucked out; at this point, you might as well throw them away.
I’ve found that leaving in a small cup of water can definitely ‘take the edge off’, but the other downside of this is that they come out all soggy and sodden. By this time, they’re going to be way past their best.
Reheating McNuggets In The Oven
Whilst it is more time consuming, the oven is by far the best way to get those McNuggets cooked in a way that replicates the taste and feel of McDonalds whilst also keeping them safe to eat.
Remember, McNuggets are poultry so they carry a lot more bacteria, and leaving them overnight (like after a night out with friends, when a 20 box sounds like a good idea) so whilst they may taste great, not cooking them fully can leave you with a full on germ bath.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (gas mark 4) and place any remaining McNuggets on a baking tray, preferably with some foil or a silicone sheet underneath, as this will ensure that any leaking oil, fat or moisture is heated back up and soaked into the McNuggets, preventing any loss of moisture.
Keep them spaced out and cook them for around ten minutes.
It really depends how you want to go with them; if you want to fully recreate the ‘out of the box’ feel, a light glaze of peanut oil on the cold MgNuggets will mean they crisp over beautifully.
Heating McNuggets In A Pan on The Stove
There is another way that combines the two above methods; I’ve tried it once or twice, and it’s quick and easy, if a little unpredictable.
Heating up a pan with the lid on and sticking the McNuggets in for five minutes on either side keeps them moist and cooks them up properly.
But you’ll need to make sure they’re done through, otherwise they are not only soggy, but can still be unsafe.
Other people have tried some pretty outlandish methods; sticking them in a toaster can work, and
I’ve even seen people throw them in air fryer, where they cook in their own oil, but these have both produced McNuggets that are more on the drier side and less enjoyable.
How To Reheat Your McDonalds Chicken Nuggets
And there you have it! You’ll never get the true taste of the McDonalds experience, but its definitely possible to safely enjoy them later and not waste a single McNugget!
Hi all! I’m Cora Benson, and I’ve been blogging about food, recipes and things that happen in my kitchen since 2019.