---
title: "Can you reheat chicken? Yes"
description: "Yes, to 74 °C (165 °F) throughout. Reheating more than once is where the risk creeps in. What actually happens, what goes wrong, and what to do instead."
url: https://atoneplace.net/can-you/reheat-chicken/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Can you reheat chicken?

**Yes: Yes, to 74 °C (165 °F) throughout. Reheating more than once is where the risk creeps in.**

Reheating cooked chicken is safe provided it reaches 74 °C or 165 °F all the way through, which is the temperature at which salmonella and campylobacter are destroyed. The common failure is uneven heating in a microwave, which leaves cool pockets in the middle of a dense piece. Each additional cool-down and reheat gives bacteria another window to multiply, so reheat only the portion you intend to eat. Cooked chicken keeps three to four days refrigerated.

## How to do it properly

1. Refrigerate within two hours of cooking, or one hour above 32 °C.
2. Reheat only the portion you are eating.
3. Cover, and stop halfway to stir or turn so it heats evenly.
4. Check with a thermometer that the thickest part reaches 74 °C (165 °F).

## What goes wrong

- Microwaves heat unevenly, leaving cool centres in thick pieces.
- Repeated cooling and reheating multiplies the opportunities for bacterial growth.

## Other "can you reheat" questions

- [Can you reheat rice?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/reheat-rice/) — It depends — Yes, once, if it was cooled fast and refrigerated within an hour. Otherwise throw it away.

## Common questions

### Can you reheat chicken?

Yes, to 74 °C (165 °F) throughout. Reheating more than once is where the risk creeps in.

### What happens if you reheat chicken?

Microwaves heat unevenly, leaving cool centres in thick pieces. Repeated cooling and reheating multiplies the opportunities for bacterial growth.

## Related pages

- [Can you reheat rice?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/reheat-rice/)
- [Can you microwave styrofoam?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/microwave-styrofoam/)
- [Can you microwave aluminum foil?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/microwave-aluminum-foil/)
- [Can you microwave plastic containers?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/microwave-plastic-containers/)
- [Can you wash pillows?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/wash-pillows/)
- [Can you wash sneakers in the washing machine?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/wash-sneakers/)
- [Can you recycle pizza boxes?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/recycle-pizza-boxes/)

## Sources

- Food Safety and Inspection Service — US Department of Agriculture (https://www.fsis.usda.gov/) [Public domain (US Government)]