Whether you pick it up from the store or make it at home on the grill, rotisserie chicken lasts about four days in the fridge and about six months in the freezer. But it can start to go bad — or deteriorate in flavor and quality — sooner than that if not stored properly. Food Republic spoke to Dennis Littley, chef and recipe expert at Ask Chef Dennis, and got his take on the best way to keep rotisserie chicken after you’ve eaten it initially.
“Storage matters,” Littley said. For the refrigerator, he advised “breaking [the chicken] down into pieces … and storing everything in an airtight container. You can leave the skin on, but know it won’t stay crispy once it’s in the fridge, so reheating strategy is key later on.”
Freezing requires a bit more prep, though. “If you’re freezing it, wrap the pieces tightly in plastic wrap,” he advised, “then pop them into a freezer bag or container. You want to keep out as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn.” Be sure to also label it with the date you froze it — that way you always know how long you have until, quality-wise, it’s better off in the garbage than on your plate.
How to reheat rotisserie chicken
When you bring home a step-above-the-rest Costco rotisserie chicken and end up with leftovers that get stashed in the refrigerator, it can be difficult to achieve that same taste and texture as when it was fresh — but it’s not impossible. While you can use your oven or microwave, the best way to warm the flesh and re-crisp the skin (remember, Dennis Littley told us it won’t stay crackly in the fridge) is to reheat it in the air fryer. It doesn’t need to go in for long — just a few minutes with the temperature set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
To reheat rotisserie chicken that has been frozen, Littley recommends thawing “it slowly in the fridge overnight” and advises you against “[rushing] it in the microwave if you want to keep the texture intact.” Microwaves tend to cook unevenly, so the outside might end up dried out while the inside is still cold. Once the rotisserie chicken is defrosted, however, you can heat it up the same way you would chicken that has just been refrigerated — in the air fryer (or your oven, if you don’t have the smaller appliance).
