Throw Those Pulled Pork Leftovers Into Chili And Taste Greatness

There's a lot to be said for meals that come together in the blink of an eye. Pulled pork isn't one of them; while you might opt for some perfectly respectable Instant Pot BBQ pulled pork, making this dish often takes an entire afternoon of smoking pork shoulder low and slow. Those in the know might even tell you that you should have that smoker going for the majority of a day. But once you've actually made pulled pork, things get more versatile. Not only are there a ton of ways to use up that leftover pulled pork, one of our favorites is a quick and easy meal. 

Specifically, we're talking about chili. It's easy: Take your shreds of leftover pulled pork, and put them in the chili pot. Since the pork is pre-cooked, you only need to warm it through. Add it at the end of the cooking process if you're making a new batch of chili, or, if you're beefing up leftover chili, simply stir it in and reheat. It really is that easy — and that heartily delicious.

One of the things that many people love about pulled pork is that it's the perfect entry point into the world of barbecue. The sheer variety of spices and rubs you can use when making it is extraordinary. Combining these flavors with chili makes things even more enticing. There's really no way to go wrong when using leftover pulled pork with chili, as many classic pulled pork flavor profiles are similar to those of chili. If you want a head start, though, make your pulled pork with things like paprika, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, garlic, onion, and black pepper, which complement chili beautifully. There's something else we recommend using in both: Soda. Root beer makes for unbeatable pulled pork, and soda takes chili to an even better level of flavor.

Prefer white chili to red? Pulled pork is also amazing in a white chili that's filled with beans. In fact, we'd go so far as to say that pulled pork works so well in this sort of chili it's worth making the former just to add to the latter dish. It adds smokiness, heartiness, and zesty flavor, which intermingles deliciously with the beans.

There are plenty of ways to get creative after you've added pulled pork to your chili. Throw in pinto, red, or black beans to make the dish even more filling. Some chili purists might balk, but it's hard to argue with deliciousness. Jalapeno peppers add some zingy spice to the affair if your heat tolerance is up to it. A little more freshness is also welcome: Corn, and fire-roasted tomatoes are perfect for this. Any corn, including frozen corn, works well here, but if you can give it a bit of a roast or a char, it's even better. Serve your chili topped with sour cream or cheese if you want things to be even richer.

Looking for even more variety? A thick chili filled with pulled pork is pretty great when served over nachos or waffle fries. It's also visually impressive, which makes it a fun choice for a gathering. This is also a great opportunity to serve cornbread, whether it's fresh or left from your original BBQ night. The traditional side's rustic sweetness complements pulled pork chili's deep smokiness just about perfectly.