Leftover pork recipes: 24 ways to use up leftover roast pork (2024)

With our collection of leftover pork recipes, using up leftover pork from yesterday’s roast dinner couldn’t be easier.

Pork is a versatile meat that can be used in a variety of different ways, including Chinese pork dumplings and pork satay noodles. Whether you’re looking for a way to transform your leftover pork into a light lunch or a hearty dinner for the whole family, our recipes cater to a variety of options – and help reduce food waste.

“In a world where a third of all food produced globally goes to waste, it may (or may not!) come as a surprise to hear that the average UK household wastes the equivalent of eight meals a week!” says environmental health practitioner and mother of 2, Jenna Brown, known as The Food Safety Mum. “Knowing how to safely handle leftovers can be the key to helping you reduce your food waste.”

Jenna says that any leftovers from your roast pork (as well as for leftover chicken recipes and the same for leftover beef) should be cooled as quickly as possible and popped into the fridge within two hours of cooking. “As a general rule of thumb, your leftovers are safe to keep in the fridge for two days but, if you don't think you can use them all up in this time, just pop them in the freezer as slices of meat ready to use in dishes like a pork casserole, enchiladas or as a pizza topping,” she advises. “To stop the cooked meat clumping together in the freezer, lay the slices of meat onto a lined baking tray and freeze for two hours before moving to a sandwich bag for easy storage. Of course you don't always need to reheat your leftovers. Cold meat in a sandwich the next day is ALWAYS a winner for us!“

Leftover pork recipes

1. Pork curry

Serves: 4 | Uses: 900g of pork | Total time: 45 mins

As with any cut of meat, popping pork into a curry is a brilliant way to use up leftovers. This one uses ready-made curry paste to save time on a midweek meal, and also means that you can choose one to suit your taste – and your levels of chilli tolerance… Unlike a lot of oily, creamy curries, this one is pretty healthy, too. You could always throw in some extra veg such as carrots and cauli as well. Serve with raita, chapatis and plain rice.

Get the recipe: Pork curry

2. Pork and pepper fajitas

Serves: 4 | Uses: 225g of pork | Total time: 20 mins

This recipe from healthy eating guru Rosemary Conley uses fajita seasoning and a ton of vitamin-rich peppers and onions with a yogurt sauce and wraps it all in a tortilla wrap. Adding guacamole and salsa, too, is always a good idea, and you could also pop some grated cheese in there for good measure.

Get the recipe: Pork and pepper fajitas

3. Chinese pork dumplings

Serves: 2 | Uses: 25g of pork | Total time: 50 mins

Making dumplings is a super fun activity that gets your kids off screens and into the kitchen. Chop your leftover pork finely for this dish, and mix with cabbage and spring onion before wrapping up in Chinese dumpling pastries (find them at your local Asian supermarket). Then steam them, and serve with a tangy and lightly spiced dipping sauce.

Get the recipe: Chinese pork dumplings

4. Mexican-style pork with corn salsa

Serves: 4 | Uses: 400g of pork | Total time: 25 mins

Pork is infused with the wonderful flavour of smoked paprika and served with a homemade tomato salsa and corn tortillas, though you could make it as a big lunchtime salad bowl instead, should you prefer. This is a very healthy, low fat recipe, which could be rather welcome if you’ve gone overboard with a huge roast dinner the day before.

Get the recipe: Mexican-style pork with corn salsa

5. Pork ragu enchiladas

Serves: 8 | Uses: 1kg of pork | Total time: 1 hr 45 mins

Baked enchiladas are always a good idea, especially when you get to use up your leftovers on them. This recipe uses minced pork, but finely chopping it works just as well. The spices and chilli give this meal a serious flavour punch. Serve with a green salad to balance out the flavours and textures.

Get the recipe: Pork ragu enchiladas

6. Pork, broccoli and black bean stir fry

Serves: 4 | Uses: 600g of pork | Total time: 20 mins

Quick and easy, just grab a jar of black bean sauce the next time you’re in the supermarket and you’re good to go. Toss your cooked pork strips into bundles of egg noodles or rice and stir-fry veg for a speedy mid-week super. The roasted cashew nuts are a lovely touch, too, to make a quick meal feel that little bit special.

Get the recipe: Jo Pratt's pork stir-fry

7. Pork satay noodles

Serves: 4 | Uses: 500g of pork | Total time: 30 mins

This will give your midweek dinner table a bit of vavavoom, for sure. Inspired by the flavours of Malaysia and Indonesia, this satay dish uses good ol’ peanut butter in the sauce, along with chilli, fish sauce and garlic. A good one if you’re having people over for dinner and want something easy but impressive.

Get the recipe: Pork satay noodles

8. Smoky paprika pork kebabs

Serves: 4 | Uses: 600g of pork | Total time: 20 mins, plus marinating

One of the easiest ways to use up your leftover pork is by turning your leftover cuts into kebabs. As long as they're all of a similar size, they should warm at the same rate – just be sure to leave plenty of time to marinate them. Add spices and fresh herbs to jazz up the flavour, grill, barbecue or stir fry and then assemble. Serve with a potato salad or rice and some grilled veggies, like courgettes and peppers.

Get the recipe: Smoky paprika pork kebabs

9. Tandoori pork kebabs

Serves: 4 | Uses: 675g of pork | Total time: 30 mins, plus 2 hrs marinating

Marinated with ginger, garlic and cumin, these kebabs would work equally well with leftover roast chicken. We suggest serving them with rice or stuffed in naan or chapati with raita, salad and hot sauce. A side of protein-rich, creamy tarka dahl would go down a treat, too.

Get the recipe: Pork kebabs Tandoori-style

10. Herby pork steaks

Serves: 4 | Uses: 4 pork steaks| Total time: 20 mins

It doesn't take much to add flavour to pork; it can be dusted in herbs and spices, drizzled in a sauce or simply served on its own. Here, use thick cuts of leftover pork to be topped with a salty, zesty crust made with olive tapenade and breadcrumbs. Serve with mashed potatoes or jackets, if you prefer, and a pile of steamed broccoli or perhaps some green beans.

Get the recipe: Herby pork steaks

11. Satay pork steaks

Serves: 4 | Uses: 4 pork steaks| Total time: 25 mins

This sauce, with the lime, ginger, soy sauces, spices and peanut butter, packs a serious flavour punch. Wonderful with any kind of rice, you could also serve with a cucumber salad on the side to add some freshness. This recipe is wonderful with chicken breast or thighs, too, and the could even be used on meaty white fish, like cod cheeks or monkfish.

Get the recipe: Satay pork steaks

12. Crispy Parmesan pork

Serves: 4 | Uses: 500g of pork | Total time: 30 mins

Breaded pork is a great way of using up stale bread and your meat leftovers in one, and this one, featuring parmesan and mustard powder is extremely delicious, and ridiculously versatile – serve for a hearty lunch in a baguette with salad, with spaghetti and a simple tomato sauce for dinner, or serve with spuds of your choice and some steamed green veg or salad for dinner – some rocket drizzled with balsamic vinegar would be a real winner.

Get the recipe: Crispy Parmesan pork

13. Gingered pork hot pot

Serves: 4 | Uses: 4 pork steaks | Total time: 3 hrs 15 mins

Cooking your pork in a pie is a marvellous way of using up those leftovers. This one is a riff on the traditional Lancashire hot pot, spiced up with ginger, cinnamon and cloves as well as thyme and pork’s best fruit friend, apples – both whole Pink Ladies, and a pint of apple juice. An excellent winter warmer, that you could also serve in the summer months with a big, bold salad.

Get the recipe: Gingered pork hot pot

14. Pork and sausage pie

Serves: 8 | Uses: 4 pork chops | Total time: 1 hr 20 mins

Using just three ingredients – pork, sausages and pastry, basically (with a spot of seasoning), the putting together is slightly less simple, involving pastry layers, but using ready-made shortcrust helps a treat with that. It’s ideal for a family dinner and, because it’s pretty heavy and meaty, you’ll be wanting to add a large portion of light, steamed greens on the side – spinach, chard and green beans would work well.

Get the recipe: Pork and sausage pie

15. Hairy Biker’s Shropshire Fidget Pie

Serves: 6 | Uses: 3 slices of pork | Total time: 1 hr 10 mins

What the blazes is a fidget pie, you might well ask? Well, apparently no one really knows where the name came from, so we’re none the wiser, but we do know that there are varieties all over the Midlands, so there are no hard and fast rules for how to make one and, while the traditional varieties use gammon, you could swap that out for leftover roast meat. It’s a slightly sweet pie that marries the pork with apples, sage and nutmeg, topped with shortcrust pastry.

Get the recipe: Hairy Bikers' Shropshire fidget pie

16. Pork and chorizo stew

Serves: 6 | Uses: 500g of pork | Total time: 30 mins

Bringing a touch of Spain to your dinner table, while stew is traditionally a wintery dish, this one is perfect for summer, flavoured with white wine, passata, olives, peppers and new potatoes. A one-pot, all-round nutritious dinner, delicious with a hunk of crusty bread to mop out the juices (and a nice, crisp glass of rosé too, if you ask us).

Get the recipe: Pork and chorizo stew

17. Stewed pork and red grapes

Serves: 4 | Uses: 600g of pork | Total time: 1 hr

Cooking with grapes brings retro vibes, and this dish is a twist on the classic chicken veronique, flavoured with rosemary, thyme and bay leaves, and a cheeky pot of splash of double cream. Serve with a selection of veggies and perhaps some new potatoes on the side.

Get the recipe: Stewed pork and red grapes

18. Pasta with pork and peas

Serves: 4 | Uses: 300g of pork | Total time: 15 mins

We might think of bacon or ham in pasta sauce, like the classic carbonara, but pork can work well too, and this one is super simple for a mid-week dinner, made with mostly store cupboard and freezer ingredients. Using a ready-made jar of creamy mushroom sauce and some frozen peas, you could also add in some broccoli, or olives.

Get the recipe: Pasta with pork and peas

19. Sichuan pork stir fry

Serves: 4 | Uses: 450g of pork | Total time: 20 mins

This has to be one of the best used for leftover roast meat, and it’s super simple, fried up with spring onions, garlic, chilli and soy sauce, and sprinkled with cashew nuts. Serve with egg-fried rice, steamed rice, or a pile of egg noodles. You could add more veggies to the mix too – mangetout or sugar snap peas would work brilliantly.

Get the recipe: Sichuan pork stir-fry

20. Quick sweet and sour pork

Serves: 4 | Uses: 500g of pork | Total time: 20 mins

Pork meat is always a brilliant pairing for a sweet and sour sauce and learning to make your own, rather than using a shop-bought one full of preservatives is definitely worthwhile – we’ll go so far as to say it will taste better than that of your local takeaway. Curry paste, fish sauce, lime, sugar (ideally palm sugar) and fresh pineapple are key ingredients, and it’s a well balanced meal thanks to the green beans, red onions and baby tomatoes. Serve with plain rice.

Get the recipe: Quick sweet and sour pork

21. Pork and apple bake

Serves: 4 | Uses: 4 pork steaks| Total time: 40 mins

Who doesn’t love a tray bake for a hearty, midweek family meal? Using pork’s best flavour friends, apples and sage, it’s a simple affair, flavoured with onions and garlic. Throw some potatoes in the mix and chuck in some green beans and you’ve got a pleasing one-pot dinner.

Get the recipe: Pork and apple bake

22. Three pork pate

Serves: 10 | Uses: 250g of pork | Total time: 35 mins

This will make a hearty change from your usual ham sarnies, and is perfect served on crusty bread, with some watercress salad. You’ll need some other porky ingredients – pig livers from the butchers, plus bacon – and some sage, garlic, onion and nutmeg, all blitzed in a food processor. A lovely lunch, or a dinner starter, if you’re feeling posh or have guests over.

Get the recipe: Three-pork pate

23. Pork parcels with Brazil nut stuffing

Serves: 4 | Uses: 400g of pork Total time: 50 mins

This one feels a tad festive, but could be adapted for any time of year. Flavoured with port, frozen cranberries and a stuffing of nuts, sage, goat’s cheese and dried apricots, it’s a salty and fruity flavoursome feast. Serve with mash and green veggies. You’ll need a bit of time on your hands for this one, but it’s well worth it.

Get the recipe: Pork parcels with Brazil nut stuffing

24. Pork stroganoff

Serves: 4 | Uses: 430g of pork| Total time: 30 mins

A handful of mushrooms can go a long way to transform your pork strips into a delicious, flavour-packed stroganoff. A classic – one that’s pretty simple to prep for midweek – you’ll need a carton of cream (though a healthier version can be made with reduced-fat creme fraiche), mustard, honey and paprika to make a stomping great dinner. Serve with rice or tagliatelle pasta.

Get the recipe: Pork stroganoff

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