WARMING UP DINNER ROLLS: 6 Ways

These are the top surprising ways of warming up dinner rolls, given in order of popularity. They come from many years of restaurant work and focusing on speed while maintaining quality, soft rolls. These methods are for reheating rolls. Also, it’s a part of our Food Guides, Bakery, Bread, Christmas, Holidays, & Thanksgiving categories.

Overview of Warming Up Dinner Rolls – So Many Ways

The need for having many different ways of heating up dinner rolls is because different people don’t always have the kitchen appliances, like a microwave. Also, there are different scenarios like when your oven is full and can’t be used to coordinate everything just right.

And, for saving costs or home heat, you might not want to start up a big oven just for reheating rolls. With that, there are still other reasons like timing of serving dinner side dishes might be easier using a different method.

Also, you might be grilling. So, keep reading to see a variety of scenarios you might want to use and different times.

1st Way. Warming Up Dinner Rolls in Microwave

This way is for reheating dinner rolls in the microwave. The example shows 4 King’s Hawaiian dinner rolls. You can use more rolls easily. Just account for a maximum of 4 rolls per paper towel.

Microwave Step 1. Preparing The Dinner Rolls

FROZEN Dinner Rolls Prep

If the dinner rolls are frozen, you’ll need wrap them in paper towels, place in the microwave, and run the microwave on its reheat cycle (or power level of about 20%) for about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Check them half way through the duration. They should still be cold in the center. Then, open up the paper towel and advance to next step.

REFRIGERATED or ROOM TEMP Dinner Rolls Prep

Position 4 dinner rolls in the center of a full sheet of a paper towel (or 2 pull-apart paper towel sections as 1 piece). Repeat for any other quantities with a maximum of 4 rolls per full sized paper towel.

Microwave Step 2. Sprinkling Water and Wrapping Dinner Rolls

1. Position the rolls on the open paper towel near faucet. Run the tap of cold water and wet your (clean) fingers. Move your wet fingers over and above the rolls, while flicking then to drizzle (sprinkle) water drops across paper towel and rolls. Repeat this action one more time.
2. Wrap up the slightly moistened dinner rolls with the slightly dampened paper towel. This is strategically done by folding one corner of the paper towel at a time to drape across and just past the rolls center. It’s repeated with all 4 corners.

Microwave Step 3. Reheating Dinner Rolls in Microwave

Turn the paper towel wrapped rolls upside down so the folded corners are on the bottom. Place into the microwave. Turn on microwave to run full power for about 12 seconds.

Open them up and check rolls for any needed additional time. They’re typically perfectly moist, warm, and ready for serving.

2nd Way. Warming Up Dinner Rolls in Oven

This is for warming up dinner rolls in the oven that were already previously baked or the store-bought ones that came already fully cooked. One way to tell is if they have browned tops.

Most people just preheat the oven, put them on a tray, and heat them again for a few minutes. And then, the outer parts of the roll are hard or too crusty. So, keep reading to see the surprisingly better way to keep them soft.

Oven Step 1. Preparing the Oven & Dinner Rolls

Start to preheat the oven to 375⁰F. Then lay out a sheet of foil, enough for covering all the rolls. Sprinkle some water droplets across the foil. Spread out your rolls on the foil. Then, sprinkler some water drops all across the rolls tops. Wrap up the rolls in the foil completely.

Oven Step 2. Reheating Dinner Rolls in Oven

When the oven is preheated, place the foil wrapped rolls directly onto the oven shelf. Or, you can use a baking sheet. Then, after about 5 minutes, they’re ready. You won’t want to unwrap the foil until ready to serve.

3rd Way. Warming Up Dinner Rolls in Air Fryer

The air fryer is popular for reheating dinner rolls. Just follow these steps below to see a newer way of doing this with having crusty edged rolls.

Skillet Step 1. Preparing the Air Fryer & Dinner Rolls

Preheat your air fryer for about 1-2 minutes at about 375⁰F. While is heating, prep the rolls. Lay out some foil and sprinkler some water drops all across it. After that, place the rolls on the foil and sprinkler water drops on those. Then, wrap them all up and ensure it’s shaped to fit in your air fryer. Also, be sure there are not openings in the foil.

Skillet Step 2. Reheating Dinner Rolls in Air Fryer

After the air fryer has preheated, place your lightly moistened rolls, wrapped in foil in it. They will be ready in about 3-4 minutes. Tip: Keep them wrapped in the foil under ready to serve.

4th Way. Warming Up Dinner Rolls in Skillet

Some will try warming up dinner rolls in a skillet but they are hard on the bottom. Here’s how to do this successfully without tough bottoms.

Skillet Step 1. Preparing the Skillet & Dinner Rolls

Place your skillet or frying pan on a burner and turn the heat to be medium low. While it’s heating up, prep the rolls. Wrap the rolls in some paper towels. Then, wrap them in aluminum foil.

Skillet Step 2. Reheating Dinner Rolls in Skillet

After the skillet is heated, place the foil wrapped rolls package in the skillet. After about 3-5 minutes, turn the rolls package over. Finally, after about 3-5 more minutes, they are ready.

5th Way. Warming Up Dinner Rolls in Pot

Most people haven’t heard of this method of reheating dinner rolls in a pot. So, keep reading to learn how. It’s another handy way and serves well if your oven is full or if your microwave is broken or if you don’t have one.

Pot Step 1. Preparing the Pot & Dinner Rolls

Get a pot and a colander that fits over the top of the pot. Pour roughly 2 cups of water into the pot and turn the burner on high. Before it boils, wrap up the rolls fully in paper towels. For a dozen rolls, you’ll need a very large pot.

Pot Step 2. Reheating Dinner Rolls in Pot

When the pot water boils, place the paper towel wrapped rolls into a colander. Then, place the colander over the boiling water. After that, fold a sheet of foil loosely over the top of the paper toweled rolls. They’re ready in about 3-4 minutes.

The few that have used a different method of warming by steaming over a pot, end up with soggy rolls. That’s because it’s too much steam and it’s not distributed across the rolls. So, the paper towels helps in absorbing the excess moisture. And, the paper towels and foil across the roll tops helps distribute it more evenly. Also, the time over the hot water is brief to further reduce the amount of soggy rolls.

6thWay. Warming Up Dinner Rolls on BBQ Grill

There are actually several ways of warming up dinner rolls on a barbecue grill. We’ll cover both direct heat and indirect heat methods. You’ll find some added ways to heat them up that’s different than the way your were probably taught. So, you don’t just wrap up the rolls in foil and slap them on the grill. Read on to see how to avoid the crusty edges from grill reheated rolls in foil.

BBQ Grill Step 1. Preparing the dinner rolls

Prepare your dinner rolls for the grill. Pull out a long sheet of foil. Then, on top of that, lay out a long stretch of paper towels but just enough for the rolls. For high softness, sprinkle some water drops across the paper towels. After that, place all your rolls onto those paper towels. For maximum softness, sprinkle the rolls tops with a good bit of water drops. Then, cover the rolls tops with paper towels. Finish by wrapping the foil over all the rolls and paper towels. If needed, use an extra sheet of aluminum foil. To conclude, ensure rolls & paper towels are wrapped in the foil and no paper is exposed.

BBQ Grill Step 2. Reheating Dinner Rolls on Grill

There are 2 ways of reheating dinner rolls on the grill. You can do it fast on direct heat or slow on indirect heat. Keep reading to learn both.

Fast Direct Heat for Reheating Dinner Rolls on the Grill

The fastest way of reheating dinner rolls on the grill does require that you previously sprinkled water on the paper towels and on the tops of the rolls. Initially, place the foil enclosed rolls onto the grill directly over heat. Then, after 1 minute, flip them over. After that, wait 1 minute. Then, take them off and let the sit for about 3 minutes to finish heating their centers. They’re ready to unwrap and serve.

Also, know that depending on the hotness of your grill, you might need 1 extra flip for an extra minute. But, most of the time, two minutes total is fine. The sprinkling of the water and covering in paper towels in the foil are the most important aspects.

Indirect Heat for reheating dinner rolls on the grill

The typical way of reheating dinner rolls on the grill is using indirect heat. That is, when placed on the grill off to the side.

Some grills have a warming shelf and it’s perfect for warming up bread. However, there are also a lot of grills that don’t have a warming shelf.

Indirect Reheating Dinner Rolls on the Grill without warming shelf

If no warming shelf, place the foil enclosed rolls on the grill on indirect heat off to the side. If the lid is closed, flip the rolls over in about 3 minutes, recover the grill, and rolls are ready after 3 more minutes. But, if the lid remains off, flip them after 5 minutes, and the rolls are ready after 3 more minutes.

Indirect Reheating Dinner Rolls on the Grill with warming shelf

If using a grill’s warming shelf, place the foil enclosed rolls on it. If the grill lid is closed, they’re ready in 10-12 minutes. But, if the lid remains open, flip them over after 10 minutes, and they’re ready in 5 more minutes.

Extra Tips for Warming Up Dinner Rolls

• Time will vary with microwave strength; this example uses one with 1,200 watts.
• When drizzling the water drops, use about 2-3 teaspoons of water for each 4 dinner rolls. However, ensure you’re drizzling the water and not pouring it. So, one way is to wet your fingers and flick them over the rolls.

If It’s Later Than 10 Minutes After Warming Up Dinner Rolls

They will hold their warmth for a typical max of around 10 minutes if opened. If dinner is determined to be noticeably later than that, just do this. First, ensure they’re wrapped up in paper towels. Then, just a couple of minutes before dinner is served, pop them into the microwave for 5 seconds.

Holding and Serving Reheated Dinner Rolls

After the dinner rolls are reheated, serve immediately in the usual way. However, if you’ve got about 5-10 minutes before the rest of dinner is ready, you should NOT open their paper towel. Just leave them fully wrapped up in a cloth napkin or towel, or in paper towels and set aside.

Using Leftover Reheated Dinner Rolls

So, usually if dinner rolls have been reheated a 3rd time, they’re not as good a quality for serving. But, you can use them as leftover bread for other purposes such as these:

• Let them dry out to make bread crumbs.
• Use them for making your own croutons from the oven or skillet.
• Split them open in halves and apply butter, garlic, and salt. Then broil them for miniature garlic toast as a perfect side dish.
• After splitting them open, broil them after apply some butter, cinnamon, and sugar. It’s cinnamon toast!
• Think of your own bread ideas that doesn’t require these leftover rolls to be soft.

Related Articles or Recipes

Here are some related recipes. Also, see our other reheating articles.

• How to Reheat Pizza in an Oven: Expert Ways
• Reheat pizza in a Skillet or Pan

Conclusion of Best Ways of Warming Up Dinner Rolls

Now you’ve learned the top surprising ways of warming up dinner rolls. And you know the fastest is through the microwave. Also, you’ve seen how to warm them up in the oven, air fryer, skillet, pot, and on the grill. So, go ahead and try one of these ways! Also, you also have good usage ideas for leftover reheated dinner rolls as well.

Also, visit our Bakery category of recipes for wonderful ideas of homemade fresh breads, pizza dough, cornbread, sub rolls, and French bread. And, don’t forget, make an incredible Sliders Recipe using those dinner rolls also!