Since the first McDonald’s opened its doors in 1955 in California, the fast-food restaurant has taken the world by storm. It has been the company that other fast food restaurants look towards for inspiration.
The main reason for McDonald’s’ success is how delicious practically every single item on its menu is. If you want to enjoy your favourite McDonald’s meal the next day, it will taste much better reheated.
To reheat McDonald’s, you can pop both burgers and chicken nuggets into the oven to reheat. McDonald’s fries, however, are better reheated in the microwave.
How to Reheat McDonald’s
Like any good fast-food chain, McDonald’s is constantly bringing out new menu items for people to try. In most cases, these new items immediately become everyone’s favourite thing to order.
But even the most adventurous of fast foodies must admit that nothing beats the McDonald’s classics.
Here is how to reheat a few of McDonald’s’ best menu items:
How to Reheat McDonald’s Fries in the Microwave
Whether it be the saltiness or the oil used to fry them – something about McDonald’s’ fries just tastes so much better than most other fast food places.
Nearly every McDonald’s meal comes with a side of fries. They are the natural pairing to any burger or nugget.
The next time you find yourself over faced with the extra fries in your McDonald’s meal, save them for the next day and warm them up using a microwave:
- Transfer To A Plate
Take the fries and pour them into a microwavable plate. You can use a bowl, but a plate will allow for a more even reheating. - Spread Them Out
Arrange the fries so that they are no fries on top of each other or overlapping. - Cover with A Damp Towel
Slightly damp either some kitchen roll or a tea towel and lay it over the top of the fries. Ensure that all of the fries are covered. - Microwave
Set the microwave to 50 – 75% power and microwave the fries for 10 seconds. - Microwave (Again)
If, after 10 seconds, the fries are still cold, microwave them for a further 10 seconds. But no longer. Then enjoy!
How to Reheat McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets in the Microwave
When McDonald’s invented their sharing portion of chicken nuggets, their intentions were (as the name suggests) for the box to be shared amongst a few people.
But we all know the truth. Nobody orders a sharing portion of McDonald’s chicken nuggets to share.
They are much better enjoyed by yourself, but don’t rush to finish them. You can save some of the nuggets for a great treat later in the day. All you need to do is reheat them using your oven:
- Preheat The Oven
Before you start, set your oven to 180 C. - Prep The Nuggets
While the chicken nuggets are still in their cardboard takeaway box, spray them with neutrally flavoured cooking oil. - Place In Oven
Using the middle rack of your oven, place the nuggets directly onto the rack. Space them out for an even reheat. - Reheat
Set a time for 8 minutes and allow the oven’s heat to work its magic. - Check For Burning
After 8 minutes, open the oven and check to see if any nuggets have started to burn. They may be hot enough to eat after 8 minutes, but if they are still cold in the centre, turn the heat down and reheat for a further 2 minutes.
How to Reheat McDonald’s Burgers in the Oven
Though McDonald’s offers a whole range of chicken-based menu items, the McDonald’s beef burgers have the most variety.
But you can reheat all McDonald’s beef burgers the same way:
- Preheat The Oven
Set your oven to 175 C before prepping the burger for reheating. - Remove The Topping
You only want to reheat the beef burger and the buns, as trying to warm up the burger toppings will result in a limp, soggy mess. Remove the toppings, setting them aside on a spare plate (you don’t want to cook the lettuce). - Place In The Oven
When the oven is hot enough, place the burger buns and the beef burgers directly onto the middle rack of your oven. - Reheat
Set a timer for 3 minutes and leave the burger to reheat. - Remove The Buns
After 3 minutes, remove the burger buns from the oven. Leave the beef burgers in the oven for a further 3 minutes. - Reassemble
Once the burger is hot to the touch, you can reassemble the burger to its original glory and enjoy.
How to Reheat McDonald’s Successfully
Fast food is notoriously tricky to reheat successfully, especially if it has already been left out for a few hours. Here are a few tips you can use to ensure that your McDonald’s taste just as delicious the next day:
- Always Preheat The Oven – Take the extra time before you use your oven to preheat it. If you try to reheat fried food without heating the oven beforehand, the batter will not warm up quick enough and will turn soggy.
- Try Frying – For any McDonald’s menu items that have been fried (such as fries and chicken nuggets), you can briefly fry them again to reheat them. However, this is much more work than the methods listed above.
- Use A Baking Tray To Protect Your Oven – Avoid using a baking tray to reheat McDonald’s’ chicken nuggets as it will make the nuggets soggy. You can still place a baking tray on the bottom of your oven to catch any crumbs that fall, which will help to keep your oven clean.
Is It Safe to Reheat McDonald’s?
Most McDonald’s items are safe to reheat so long as the food is eaten within 24 hours of purchase.
This is especially true of meat-based items, which need to be heated thoroughly enough to kill any bacteria.
Reheating McDonald’s FAQs
If you still have questions about reheating McDonald’s food, then these FAQs might help you out:
Can You Reheat McDonald’s Filet O Fish?
McDonald’s Filet O Fish can be reheated in the oven. Remove the fish filling from the bun, spray it with a little oil and then place it directly on the racks of your oven for 10 minutes until hot through.
Is Reheated McDonald’s Any Good?
Yes! It is delicious. In fact, with most food items, you will struggle to tell that it hasn’t gone straight from McDonald’s!
Acacia may be a freelance writer by day, but they are a food fanatic by night. They are always trying out new recipes or finding different ways to elevate classical dishes. But their biggest culinary aim is to educate others on the basics of the kitchen so that they too can enjoy delicious food.