You love your pizza but couldn’t finish it all at dinner time, right? So, you’ve saved it but want it to taste as good as if it were fresh.
Turn on the toaster oven! You can reheat your pizza by following this step-by-step guide. The same goes for those leftover French fries or fried chicken. We’ll look at useful functions and temperatures regardless of which brand of toaster oven you own.
This is really easy, and your pizza will taste like it just popped out of the oven as will your fries and chicken. You’ll never microwave again!
Related: How to Bake a Potato in a Toaster Oven?
Temperature
You probably don’t want the crust to be as hard as a rock, and you won’t want your cheese overcooked. So, don’t give in to the urge to scorch your leftover pizza on high heat.
Use a lower temperature of approximately 325°F. Our goal is to enjoy a hot piece of pizza with a re-crisped crust and delicious melted cheese.
Another great aspect is that it isn’t necessary to preheat your toaster oven. It will take a little bit longer, but it’s worth those extra few minutes. If you preheat, the crust and the toppings can get dried out before the entire slice is warmed through.
Also Read: 10 Best Microwave Toaster Oven Combo
Toaster Oven Functions
Your toaster oven’s leftover or reheat function will be your best choice to reheat pizza or other foods.
Why? It’s because your oven’s heating elements will be programmed with these functions to warm your food but not to brown it. My toaster oven doesn’t allow for preheating with my preheat function, and the convection fan just turns on automatically.
Should your toaster oven not have a leftover or reheat function, don’t fret! Your standard bake function will work just fine. When paired with convection, the bake function will do a great job.
Convector toaster ovens feature a fan that works to circulate the warm air produced by the toaster oven. This is a great feature when reheating leftover pizza because it will remove excess moisture and help to keep your pizza’s crust crispy and light.
Many new versions of toaster ovens boast an air-fry function. This entails your toaster oven’s convector fan blowing at a higher speed. This means that both air movement and heating will have more power.
If I use the air-fry function, the reheated pizza is equally delicious. However, since it’s more powerful it’s easy to exaggerate and dry out the crust completely, so I check early.
Related: Can You Put Aluminum Foil, Parchment Paper & Wax Paper In The Toaster Oven?
How to Reheat Pizza in a Toaster Oven?
Step 1: Place your pizza slices in a pan in a single layer. (If you prefer a softer crust, try placing the slices on a rack inserted in the sheet pan. For crispy crust lovers, it’s better to place the slices directly in the pan.)
Step 2: Place the toaster oven rack in the lower or middle position. (With an air-fry function refer to the owner’s manual for rack position instructions).
Step 3: Choose your function (Bake, Reheat/Leftovers, Air-fry) and turn your toaster oven to 325° F. with the convection fan turned on if your toaster oven has a fan.
Step 4: Place the pan in your toaster oven. Press Start and reheat your pizza slices. In approximately five to eight minutes your crust should be crispy, and the cheese and any toppings warmed.
The amount of time will depend on your brand of toaster oven and on the type of pizza you are reheating.
To achieve the best results, check your pizza slices after about four minutes. If your pizza seems to be browning, you can lower the temperature.
Should your pizza have a thinner than normal crust, start checking earlier because they may be ready to eat in four to five minutes. Also, some toaster ovens will heat slower, especially non-convection toaster ovens.
How to Reheat Fries in a Toaster Oven?
Heating up your leftover fries in a toaster oven will give you a crunchy snack and they won’t go to waste. With French fries, you will want to preheat your toaster oven.
Step 1: Place the rack in the middle position and preheat to 400°F.
Step 2: Place a piece of parchment paper or spray the baking sheet with cooking spray.
Step 3: Place the French fries in a single layer on the sheet.
Step 4: Place the fries into the toaster oven for two to three minutes or until they begin to brown.
Remove the sheet pan, flip the fries, and replace the pan in the oven for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and enjoy!
How to Reheat Fried Chicken in a Toaster Oven?
A handy toaster oven is ideal for heating up fried chicken and bringing that finger-licking-good leftover back to life.
Step 1: Line the baking sheet for your toaster oven with aluminum foil.
Step 2: Preheat the toaster oven to 400° F. Meanwhile place the chicken on a plate and cover it with paper towels. The paper towel will remove excess moisture and prevent sogginess. Microwave the chicken for approximately a minute. Remove the chicken and transfer it to the baking sheet. Heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 3: Remove the chicken and set aside until just warm.
Conclusion
Toaster ovens make quick work reheating your favorite leftovers as if they were freshly made, and unlike a full-size oven, they won’t heat up your kitchen and consume much less electricity.