How to Reheat Leftover Pork Chops Without Overcooking

Different Coatings for Fried Pork Chops
Written By
A.J. Andrews
A.J. Andrews
Published: Dec 19, 2013
Updated: Feb 1, 2019
1 minute read
Jupiterimages/Stockbyte/Getty Images

You walk a fine line between overcooking and safely reheating when warming up leftover pork chops, because you have to reheat all meat to 165 degrees Fahrenheit for safe consumption. Steam reheats food more gently than any other medium. But when you use steam, you have to keep the heat source between 180 and 200 F and check the chops' internal temperature with a meat thermometer to get it right.

Reheating Safely for Freshness

Heat the oven to 180 F or adjust it to the "Warm" setting, if it has one. Bring about a quart of water to a boil in a pot and place a wire baking rack in a shallow baking dish. Pour the boiling water in the shallow dish until it reaches just below the bottom of the wire rack. Place the pork chops on the rack in an even layer, then cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Carefully place the dish in the oven without spilling the hot water. Reheat the pork chops until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, or for about 20 minutes.

Photo Credits

Jupiterimages/Stockbyte/Getty Images

A.J. Andrews

A.J. Andrews' work has appeared in Food and Wine, Fricote and "BBC Good Food." He lives in Europe where he bakes with wild yeast, milks goats for cheese and prepares for the Court of Master Sommeliers level II exam. Andrews received formal…

Sponsored
Our Everyday Life Logo

Explore our everyday life, the best source for food and drink tips, health and general wellness, healthy relationships and much more.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.