Transform Your Store-Bought Rotisserie Chicken From A Mushy Mess To A Crispy Delight

Store-bought rotisserie chicken is undoubtedly an enormous timesaver, and when you buy it from the right place, it can be a money-saver, too. But if you're looking for chicken with the crispiest skin, it sometimes doesn't deliver. Dennis Littley, Chef and Recipe expert at Ask Chef Dennis, has advice that will change that.

”Letting a rotisserie chicken sit uncovered in the fridge overnight actually works — it dries out the skin just enough to help it crisp up beautifully when you reheat it," Littley said. "Kind of like how you'd air-dry chicken before roasting it for the best golden skin. It's a trick worth trying if you're all about the texture, especially when you're planning to reheat [the chicken] in the oven or air fryer.”

The reason this works is that the moisture on the surface of the chicken needs to be eliminated in order to achieve crispiness. That's why many experienced cooks recommend patting proteins dry with paper towels before cooking them. Even if the chicken's skin was perfectly crispy when it finished cooking at the store, often the skin moistens while it's in the container. Leaving it uncovered in the fridge will help revive it when it's reheated.

Once you've left your rotisserie chicken uncovered in the fridge overnight, it's time to bring that crispy skin back to life. Chef Dennis Littley says that the best way to do that is with one handy kitchen appliance. ”If I'm reheating rotisserie chicken to get that skin crispy again, the air fryer is my go-to," he said. "It hits the skin with direct heat and circulates air to give you that crunch without overcooking the meat. I'll usually do it at around 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 [to] 8 minutes, depending on the piece. Just make sure to pull the meat out of the fridge and let it come to room temp first — it helps everything heat evenly without drying out the inside.”

Once you have the basics of drying out the skin and reheating the chicken squared away, you can play around with upgrading your rotisserie chicken, too. One easy way to take your store-bought chicken to the next level is to add a spice rub before you warm it up in the air fryer. You can also coat the chicken with sauces or glazes to add more flavor. Finally, you can simply use a bit of fresh lemon or lime juice to brighten up your bird.