How To Turn Your Leftover Pork Chops Into A Takeout Favorite

Pork chops make for a great dinner choice — and, if you have leftovers, you can even turn them into a second dinner of a takeout favorite: pork fried rice. Instead of putting in extra effort and spending more money to buy and cook another protein, you can use what you've already made. This will make the process of cooking homemade fried rice even easier — and just as tasty as if you had used freshly cooked pork. This trick works with just about any pork chop recipe, whether cooked on the stovetop or baked in the oven. 

However, you may be wondering if you can still make this work if your pork chops have some sort of glaze. The answer is yes — as long as you don't mind switching up the flavor profile of the fried rice. In fact, this can actually make for a unique version of fried rice. For example, if you made barbecue pork chops, you can still integrate it into your fried rice for a tangier, smokier version of the same dish. Or, use your maple-glazed pork chops if you like a touch of sweetness in your savory dishes. Of course, not all pork chop recipes are going to work for this, so just consider how the flavors will integrate into fried rice before making the decision. If anything, you simply hold off on this hack until the next time you make pork chops that are simply seasoned and seared. 

To start, you'll need a basic fried rice recipe that you want to use — such as our easy vegetable fried rice (and feel free to swap out any veggies to suit your preferences). The pork chops are already cooked, so the only prep they require is cutting them up. Before starting the cooking process for the fried rice, dice up the pork chops into any size that you'd like. For example, if you want the taste of pork to be a bit more prominent, make the pieces a bit larger than you may normally find.

Follow the fried rice instructions as normal, but be sure to add in the leftover pork along with the veggies that need to be sautéed or alongside the aromatics, like garlic and ginger, before adding the rice. Make sure to stir frequently and keep an eye on the pork so that it doesn't overcook — the last thing you want is too-chewy pork in each bite of fried rice. Then, continue with the fried rice instructions.

If you're worried about adding the leftover pork chops too soon, you can always experiment with adding them later on in the process. For example, you could try adding the pork after the rice has been combined with the sauce. After all, the most important details, when it comes to the pork, is that it heats through and is thoroughly integrated into the rest of the rice — both of which are possible if you add it a bit later.