Pork tenderloin is the filet mignon of pork, a delicious and succulent cut of meat. It can be cooked in a variety of different ways and there are usually plenty of leftovers!
This cut of pork is too delicious to go to waste, so it’s always good to have a few leftover recipe ideas in your back pocket. They can be as simple as a sandwich, as fun as tacos, as adventurous as spring rolls, or as flavourful as Thai peanut pork.
Whatever cuisine you feel like whipping up, check out these top leftover pork tenderloin recipes for inspiration! Note that the leftover meat lasts for around three to four days in the fridge, so don’t wait around to get cooking.
1. Cuban Sandwich Quesadillas
If you’re looking for a lunch idea for your leftover pork tenderloin, Jonathon Melendez has concocted this fabulous Cuban sandwich quesadilla. Cut off slices of that tender meat and use it to whip up a quesadilla version of the iconic sandwich. Or if you want it for dinner, serve it with a tasty side of fries.
2. Pork Fried Rice
Fried rice is such a quick and easy dish to make for dinner, the only problem is it can sometimes lack flavor. Omnivore’s Cookbook uses a great combination of seasoning to help with this issue, but most importantly if using leftover pork tenderloin, you’ll have a punch of flavor right there!
3. Pork Ramen
Another easy dish is ramen. Often easier to pull off the flavor than fried rice, and this recipe from Carlsbad Cravings is no exception. Throw in your leftover pork and it turns up the heat from dorm room to gourmet!
4. Pork Ragu Pappardelle
If you’re in the mood for something Italian, Skinny Spatula has got you covered with this delicious pappardelle recipe. It’s also pretty quick to prepare if you are using leftover meat because you only need to worry about heating it through rather than cooking it through.
5. Honey, Garlic Pork Rice Bowl
Rice bowls are a great option for dinner, especially when using leftovers because you can basically add anything to them on top of the rice. You need to include mainly protein and vegetables on top of the rice, and the protein is easily covered with the pork. Eating Well 101 shows you how to carry off the rest.
6. Spicy Pork Noodles
Fit Foodie Finds shares another noodle dish, this one with a much higher spice level. The flavor is outstanding due to the use of gochujang, the peppery Korean paste, and the use of flat noodles changes it up from the usual skinny egg noodles used in Asian-inspired dishes.
7. Creamy Tuscan Pork Pasta
Another pasta option is this indulgent creamy pasta. Buns In My Oven was inspired by the romance of Tuscany but also keeps it real by making it a one-pot meal that can be pulled off in 30 minutes. Who said you can’t have it all in life?
8. Pork Stir Fry
Stir fries are simple, but a really good one can be hard to pull off. Small Town Woman shares which flavors you should be using (ginger and garlic are among them), and how long to cook the vegetables to ensure that perfect al dente crunch.
9. Spicy Korean Pork
Another Korean-inspired recipe, this time from Silk Road Recipes. The flavor of this Jeyuk Bokkeum (jerk pork) is very similar to that of bulgogi pork. It has plenty of chopped peanuts to give it that authentic street food taste,
10. Sweet and Sour Pork
Cafe Delites brings us a recipe that makes us think, Of course! Why didn’t I think of that? Using leftover pork for sweet and sour pork is genius, it’s such a delicious meal you’d never think of it as a ‘leftover’ meal. But here we are!
11. Pork Stroganoff
The Family Food Kitchen shares a recipe that the whole family will enjoy. I mean, it’s served with noodles so if your kids hate the pork part they will at least eat the noodles! And hey, you tried, right?
12. Hoisin Pork With Rice Noodles
This salty pork dish from Pinch of Yum will have you begging for leftovers the next day until you realize that these were the leftovers! Who knew you could make so many delicious dinners from leftovers? Don’t let the recipe shy you away, there may be a lot of ingredients but they are simple ones.
13. Southwestern Pork Stew
Ironically it’s the blogger Plain Chicken that brings us this delightful pork dish. It’s comparable to chicken tortilla soup in flavor and ingredients but is served with a compulsory cornbread. Not really mandatory, but highly recommended!
14. Mexican Posole Soup
A dish with similar flavors to the stew above, Fox Valley Foodie has you adding plenty of fresh cilantro and lime. The hot sauce can be added to taste so you can have it as spicy or mild as you wish. It’s a pretty healthy option too, as the carbs and fat are kept to a minimum here.
15. Thai Style Peanut Pork
Kitchen Sanctuary shares a delicious peanut pork recipe. Such a yummy and unique flavor in meals (unless you live in Asia of course!). Fish sauce adds extra saltiness, and the coconut cream combines it all together nicely.
16. Classic Pork Stew
Alison’s Pantry brings us a perfect leftover recipe because you can basically use any vegetables you happen to have on hand, as well as the leftover pork. If you have everything, or nothing and need to shop anyway, they recommend potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms.
17. Tacos Carnitas
Of course, tacos are a must when using up leftover pork tenderloin! Downshiftology shares how to make carnitas and stuff it into tacos for an absolutely fabulous taco dinner. Don’t forget all the trimmings, like avocado and shredded cheese for the full experience.
18. Carnitas Nachos
Another recipe for carnitas, but this time it’s meant for topping nachos with. The Schmidty Wife really knows how to plan leftovers, because what’s more fun than carnitas nachos? It feels very elaborate to make at home, but if you’ve got the meat leftover… do it!
19. Filipino Pork Skewers
Amanda Cooks and Styles
20. Pork Souvlaki
Using leftover pork tenderloin to make skewers is a fantastic idea, and there are so many different recipe ideas. The Meditteranean Dish shares how to make pork souvlaki which are traditional Greek street food, comprising grilled, garlicky pork skewers served in warm pita and with dips like tzatziki.
21. Vietnamese Pork Skewers
Balance With Jess shares a barbequed pork recipe perfect for leftover pork tenderloin. They are flavored with the classic Vietnamese aromas of garlic and fish sauce. Usually it’s served with vegetables or noodles for a full meal, but also is enjoyed literally any time of day on its own (even for breakfast!).
22. Grilled Hoisin Pork Kabobs
Using a hoisin sauce, The Yummy Life shares how to create these delicious kabobs at home. Extra garlic powder and cayenne pepper are also added to the seasoning for an extra kick. The focus of these kabobs is pure meat, so if you want to make a full meal of it grill up some vegetables to be served on the side.
23. Sweet and Sour Pork Skewers
Another sweet and sour recipe, but this time in a skewer version so a bit ‘drier’. Well Seasoned Studio focuses on flavoring the meat for the grill rather than creating a saucy dish. The meat is marinated in plenty of flavors, including Thai chilis, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and ginger.
24. Pork and Potato Hash
A different spin on a bacon breakfast hash, The Spruce Eats shares how to create a pork and potato hash fit for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The secret to the creaminess of this recipe is the cream of mushroom soup.
25. Pork Pot Pie
Pot pie isn’t just for chicken, Little Sprouts Learning teaches us how to use pork in this tasty dish. The recipe uses plenty of frozen vegetables, so you won’t feel so bad about all the pastry and cream sauce…
26. Pork Spring Rolls
Spring rolls are another amazing leftover idea because they are just so delicious you don’t think of them as a throw-together leftover food. Cook With Rachz shares how to prepare them. These are the indulgent wrapped and fried rolls, not the clear rice paper ones which are a tad healthier! It’s all about the technique, and of course, the dipping sauce! Sweet chili sauce all the way.
26 LEFTOVER PORK TENDERLOIN RECIPES
Ingredients
- CUBAN SANDWICH QUESADILLAS
- PORK FRIED RICE
- PORK RAMEN
- PORK RAGU PAPPARDELLE
- HONEY, GARLIC PORK RICE BOWL
- SPICY PORK NOODLES
- CREAMY TUSCAN PORK PASTA
- PORK STIR FRY
- SPICY KOREAN PORK
- SWEET AND SOUR PORK
- PORK STROGANOFF
- HOISIN PORK WITH RICE NOODLES
- SOUTHWESTERN PORK STEW
- MEXICAN POSOLE SOUP
- THAI STYLE PEANUT PORK
- CLASSIC PORK STEW
- TACOS CARNITAS
- CARNITAS NACHOS
- FILIPINO PORK SKEWERS
- PORK SOUVLAKI
- VIETNAMESE PORK SKEWERS
- GRILLED HOISIN PORK KABOBS
- SWEET AND SOUR PORK SKEWERS
- PORK AND POTATO HASH
- PORK POT PIE
- PORK SPRING ROLLS
Instructions
- Choose your favorite recipe
- Click the link to view the recipe instructions
- Follow the linked instructions
- Enjoy!