Does store bought fully cooked rotisserie chicken need to be reheated to 165 degrees?

Does store bought fully cooked rotisserie chicken need to be reheated to 165 degrees? - Photo of Assorted Food Hanging on Gray Metal Railings

A little confusion on my part: I have a fully cooked whole rotisserie chicken which I put in the fridge. I read or google that when reheating to serve I should make sure it reaches 165 degrees.

Since the chicken is already cooked why do I need to reach 165 degrees? I could just as well eat it cold, no?

It says the same thing on the directions on the package it came in: 165 degrees. What am I missing here?



Best Answer

This is actually the recommendation of a lot of mass produced items.

They might have been contaminated after being made, and the producer wants to ensure that you kill anything that might have been introduced.

A cynic would also point out that this shifts liability to the consumer, as if you get sick from it, they can insist that you didn’t follow their reheating instructions.




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Does rotisserie chicken need to be reheated to 165?

It should read 165 \xb0F (74 \xb0C) once it's safe to eat. Consider heating it in the oven for 5 minutes if you want crispy skin. If you'd like the whole rotisserie chicken to have a crisp skin, transfer it to a 350 \xb0F (177 \xb0C) oven. Ensure that the chicken is on an oven-safe plate and heat it for 5 minutes.

How do you reheat a store bought rotisserie chicken?

How To Reheat Rotisserie Chicken in the Oven
  • Preheat oven to 350\xb0F.
  • Remove rotisserie chicken from packaging and place chicken in an oven-safe dish. To keep the chicken moist, pour a cup chicken broth in the bottom of the dish. ...
  • Let the chicken roast for approximately 25 minutes. ...
  • Remove chicken from oven and enjoy.


  • How long do you reheat a store bought rotisserie chicken?

    Reheating in the oven is a great way to keep the chicken skin crispy and the meat tender and juicy.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Take the chicken out of it's packaging and place in an oven safe baking dish. ...
  • Cook in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. ...
  • Serve warm and enjoy.


  • Do you have to fully reheat cooked chicken?

    The Food Standards Agency says, "reheating means cooking again, not just warming up. Always reheat food until it is steaming hot all the way through (you should only do this once)." You can safely store and reheat your leftovers, while avoiding food poisoning, just make sure everything is cooked before storing.



    How to Safely Freeze Cooked Meats | 1 Minute Tips | DJ BBQ




    Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Images: Min An, Mithul Varshan, Artem Beliaikin, Engin Akyurt