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20+ Leftover Pork Chop Recipes to Dig Into Tonight

20+ Leftover Pork Chop Recipes to Dig Into Tonight

Updated June 16, 2020

Credit: Dominic Perri; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

Got a couple of leftover pork chops in the fridge after last night's dinner? Cook once, eat twice with these recipes that either call specifically for cooked pork, or can be easily adapted to use up extra meat. See how versatile leftover pork chops can be with everything from a Copycat McRib Sandwich to Cuban Nachos.

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Pork-and-Shaved Vegetable Salad

Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Pork-and-Shaved Vegetable Salad Recipe

If you’re looking for a hearty salad that can serve as your entire meal, then this Pork-and-Shaved Vegetable Salad is perfect. A mixture of fresh vegetables, tender pork, crispy bacon, and even candied pecans come together for a flavorful combination. This main-dish salad is perfect for family dinner or lunch the next day.

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Caramelized Onion, Spinach, and Pork Strata

Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Caramelized Onion, Spinach, and Pork Strata Recipe

If you’re in need of a breakfast casserole for hungry guests or even a savory one for dinner, this pork strata is perfect. Everyone will be loving the combination of crunchy bread cubes, creamy cheese, and tender pork. Using leftover pork chops saves time; simply skip cooking the chops in the slow cooker and toss cooked strips with the onion and apple cider mixture.

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Cuban Nachos

Credit: Daniel Agee; Food Styling: Julia Levy; Prop Styling: Kashara Johnson

Cuban Nachos Recipe

With the succulent pork, Swiss cheese and mustard sauce, and bread-and-butter pickles, this crowd-pleasing play on a Cuban sandwich packs a powerful load of flavor. Although they may seem out of place at first glance, the briny-sweet pickles are a perfect balance for the savory pork and the funky Swiss cheese sauce.

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Pork Congee

Credit: Thomas J. Story

Pork Congee Recipe

Congee is one of East Asia's best comfort foods--a soft, almost puddingy rice soup with any number of toppings. Usually it's made with raw rice, but the beauty of this recipe is that it uses up both leftover cooked rice and leftover sliced pork.

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Hoppin' John Starter

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Hoppin' John Starter Recipe

It's hard to beat homemade hoppin' john, a dish that's especially popular around New Year's day—making this starter perfect for gifting. Prep the flavorful ham mixture by combining bacon, pork sautéed in the drippings, and a jarred ham soup base—this mixture can be refrigerated in a glass jar for up to two weeks. Pair with a custom mix of black-eyed peas, rice, and seasonings. To cook the hoppin' john, combine the ham soup mixture, peas, and water in a slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.

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Shrimp Mandu (Shrimp Dumplings)

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl

Shrimp Mandu (Shrimp Dumplings) Recipe

These delicious homemade steamed shrimp dumplings get their flavor from a savory mix of shiitake mushroom caps, green onions, garlic, tofu, and boneless pork loin chops. To adapt the recipe to use cooked pork instead of raw, simply toss finely diced meat with the mushroom mixture in the same step as the tofu, salt, pepper, and and sesame oil.

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Delfina's Carbonara Pizza

Credit: Thomas J. Story

Delfina's Carbonara Pizza Recipe

This is the best home pizza dough we've ever tried—smooth, supple, and easy to work with. You can use regular flour, but for a truly awesome, springy-yet-crunchy crust, go for high-protein Italian "00" (finely milled) flour. Weigh the flour for best results. Since pork cheek can be tough to find, diced cooked pork chop makes a fine substitute.

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Italian Jambalaya

Credit: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey

Italian Jambalaya Recipe

Orzo pasta replaces rice in this clever twist on a Creole favorite. The sauce is also delicious spooned over hot cooked spaghetti. Depending on the level of heat you prefer, use mild or regular tomatoes with green chiles or a can of each. To use cooked pork chops, simply add after the chicken is cooked through.

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Rainbow Fried Rice

Rainbow Fried Rice Recipe

To keep the rice texture firm in the finished dish, rinse the cold cooked rice and drain it well before adding it to the stir-fry. For variety, substitute chicken or shrimp for the pork.

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Barbecue Deviled Eggs

Barbecue Deviled Eggs Recipe

If you want to omit the chopped pork, Madelaine suggests adding a drop of liquid smoke to provide a barbecue-like flavor.

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Double-Stuffed Barbecue Potatoes

Double-Stuffed Barbecue Potatoes Recipe

Chopped barbecued pork chops make the perfect topper for these incredible twice-baked potatoes. The recipe calls for 8 potatoes, but you'll only use the pulp of 6 (which, when combined with the other ingredients, fills the 8 shells).

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Taquitos With Pork Picadillo

Credit: Oxmoor House

Taquitos With Pork Picadillo Recipe

Make Mexican night unforgettable with these simple and addictively tasty Taquitos with Pork Picadillo.

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Easy Brunswick Stew

Credit: Caleb Zorn; Styling: Nicole McLaughlin

Easy Brunswick Stew Recipe

Okra, lima beans, and chopped chicken make this stew a hearty, filling option for the slow cooker. Toss in whatever leftover pork you have on hand—be it pork chops, pulled pork, or tenderloin.

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Copycat McRib Sandwich

Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Copycat McRib Sandwich Recipe

The recent return of the McDonald’s McRib (to select locations only) inspired us to create our own rendition of the iconic fast food sandwich, consisting of a pork-based patty, shaped into the shape of a miniature slab of ribs. If you can’t get your hands on the “real” McRib (or even if you can), rest assured that this copycat version is well within your grasp—not to mention, a totally viable option to feed the family for dinner. Our Copycat MicRibs are easy to make and taste better than most anything you’ll find at a drive thru.

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Smoked Pork and Split Pea Soup

Smoked Pork and Split Pea Soup Recipe

This hearty and filling Instant Pot soup showcases the perfect pairing of ham and pork with split peas, along with the "slow cook" function of this all-in-one appliance. Orange juice and orange zest, sherry, and a variety of spices lend this soup a depth of flavor you simply can't find in store-bought varieties.

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Scandinavian Stuffing

Credit: Romulo Yanes; Styling: Claire Spollen

Scandinavian Stuffing Recipe

Rye bread, dill, and smoked pork give this stuffing a hearty nordic flavor.

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Smoked-Pork-Stuffed Pasta Shells

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Smoked-Pork-Stuffed Pasta Shells Recipe

A cool, autumn evening is the perfect time to serve a cheesy pasta bake for supper. Save time by using a pound of pork from your local barbecue restaurant, or use leftover cooked pork chops instead.

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Pork and Red Chile Tamale Filling

Credit: Thomas J. Story

Pork and Red Chile Tamale Filling Recipe

Cookbook author Marcela Valladolid showed us how to put on a tamalada--a tamale-making party--at her house near San Diego; this was one of the several tamales that day. Dried guajillo chiles have a rich, fruity flavor and mild heat. Look for chiles as supple as soft leather--they are fresher and better-tasting than dried-out crackly ones. Already got pork chops cooked and ready to go? Simply skip step 1.

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Orange-Sesame Pork with Napa Slaw

Credit: Brian Kennedy; Styling: Claire Spollen

Orange-Sesame Pork with Napa Slaw Recipe

Mix the slaw for this dish up to a day in advance, if you wish. The cabbage will absorb the flavors and still retain a satisfying crunch.

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Spiced Pork and Mango Tacos

Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Spiced Pork and Mango Tacos Recipe

These fruity tacos are the perfect solution for when you've got leftover pork chops in the fridge and Taco Night on the brain.

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Rice Noodle Salad with Pork and Snow Peas

Credit: Dominic Perri; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

Rice Noodle Salad with Pork and Snow Peas Recipe

On a busy weeknight, Rice Noodle Salad with Pork and Snow Peas is a family-pleasing meal that's sure to satisfy.

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20+ Leftover Pork Chop Recipes to Dig Into Tonight

1 of 21

Pork-and-Shaved Vegetable Salad

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Caramelized Onion, Spinach, and Pork Strata

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Cuban Nachos

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Pork Congee

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Hoppin' John Starter

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Shrimp Mandu (Shrimp Dumplings)

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Delfina's Carbonara Pizza

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Italian Jambalaya

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Rainbow Fried Rice

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Barbecue Deviled Eggs

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Double-Stuffed Barbecue Potatoes

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Taquitos With Pork Picadillo

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Easy Brunswick Stew

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Copycat McRib Sandwich

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Smoked Pork and Split Pea Soup

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Scandinavian Stuffing

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Smoked-Pork-Stuffed Pasta Shells

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Pork and Red Chile Tamale Filling

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Orange-Sesame Pork with Napa Slaw

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Spiced Pork and Mango Tacos

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Rice Noodle Salad with Pork and Snow Peas

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