Have leftover smoked pulled pork? Turn it into this incredible delicious Smoky Pulled Pork Chili! Leftover smoked pulled pork, pinto and kidney beans and in a spicy bbq chili. Delicious served with sweet corn cake, cheddar and allthetoppings.
When life hands you leftovers, turn it into chili.
This was actually the first recipe I thought of (besides this soup) for using my leftover smoked pork shoulder. I thought tacos or nachos would be too easy and a smidge unoriginal. However, don’t get me wrong, I will most definitely be making those the next time we have leftovers. Especially since I recently got a really good idea from a neighbor friend of ours, so stay tuned.
Plus it’s chili season.
To Make This Smoky Pulled Pork Chili:
- olive oil
- yellow onion
- garlic
- jalapeño
- tomato paste
- chili powder
- chipotle powder
- cumin
- smoked paprika
- barbecue sauce
- leftover pulled smoked pork shoulder
- tomato sauce
- pinto beans
- pink kidney beans
In a dutch oven add 1 tablespoon olive oil plus 1 medium chopped yellow onion, 1 diced jalapeño (seeded for less heat is desired) plus 1 large garlic clove that has been finely minced.
Sauté over medium-low until the onions are soft and translucent and the edges are starting to slightly brown.
To that add; 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon both chipotle powder and ground cumin and 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika.
Stir and cook for 1 minute.
Next, add in 2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce and 1/2 cup bbq sauce (I used this one) with 2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans and 1 (15 ounce) can pink kidney beans that have been rinsed and drained.
Lastly add the smoked pork. Before adding the pork, I picked through it and discarded any overly fatty pieces. Then I warmed it up a smidge and drained off any excess fat in the bowl.
Stir, cover and simmer for 30 minutes for the flavors to meld.
Smells incredible!
Serve this chili in bowls with a scoop of sweet corn cake, cheddar, plain nonfat greek yogurt (or use sour cream), a little red and green onion with a sprinkle of cilantro.
Smokey, sweet with a little heat! This chili is incredible and perfect for you game day dinner.
How To Freeze Chili And Reheat Later:
- COOL: make sure the chili is completely cool before freezing. Never place hot or very warm items in the freezer (or fridge!) as it can thaw and negatively affect the nearby food.
- PORTION: when cool, divide chili into portions. Whether it’s a single serving, two or four, portion the cooled chili into either freezer safe bags or air-tight containers. I prefer using freezer safe bags and removing as much air as possible, this helps with storing.
- FLATTEN: once portioned, lay flat on a rimmed baking sheet and freeze for a few hours. Like in this post.
- STORE: stack the flat frozen chili portions vertically or horizontally saving so much freezer space. Store chili in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- REHEAT: I prefer to thaw frozen chili overnight in the fridge. However you can soak in a sink of lukewarm water for 20 to 30 minutes – flip every so often and change out the water at least once or twice. You can also defrost in the microwave until thawed. Lastly, add thawed chili to saucepan or dutch oven and heat until thoroughly heated throughout.
For More Chili Recipes Click Here!
Enjoy! And if you give this Smoky Pulled Pork Chili recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
Smoky Pulled Pork Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large jalapeño, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- kosher salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 30 ounces canned tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, [I used this]
- 30 ounces pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 ounces canned light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1¾ pounds leftover smoked pulled pork shoulder
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
- sweet corn cake
- Greek Yogurt or sour cream
- sliced green onions
- sliced jalapeños
- fresh cilantro
- chopped red onion
- diced avocado
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, onions, jalapeno and garlic with a small pinch of kosher salt.
- Stir and cook over meidum to medium-low heat until the onions are soft and edges slightly caramelized. About 10 to 12 minutes.
- Add in tomato paste, chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika. Stir and cook 1 minute.
- Next add in tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, beans and pulled pork (see notes). Stir and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
- Spoon chili into bowls and top with desired toppings.
Notes
Buy the Cookbook: Simply Scratch : 120 Wholesome Homemade Recipes Made Easy Now available on Amazon »
THANK YOU in advance for your support!
Great photos! The dish looks so colorful, pretty and fun. I will defintely try it.
Thank you, Simon! Enjoy!
Thank you for the step-by-step instruction with photos. It makes the recipe easy to follow.
You’re welcome!
This was really good. I made shredded pork in my crock pot and used that. Then I added liquid smoke. I didn’t know what size tomato sauce to use so I used a 15 oz and a 15 oz can of diced. I also added chicken broth because mine was too thick but it came out so good!
Glad you enjoyed it, Kelli! Thanks for your stellar review of this recipe, it’s greatly appreciated!!
I have followed your blog for years, and love so many recipes. This specific recipe with sweet corn cake was a HIT with all 4 my kids!!
I followed the step by step and didn’t jump to the recipe. In section where you add the beans and bbq sauce you list 1 cup bbq sauce which made it overly hickory. But when I finally got all the way down to the actual recipe you list 1/2 cup bbq sauce which would have made the final product so much better.
But overall a nice twist to chili and a good use of leftover shredded pork. I also used a chipotle pepper instead of a jalepeno. Interchanged nicely.
Hi Leslie! I apologize for the confusion. I’ve gone ahead and edited the post to correct the mistake. Thank you for your taking the time to make this recipe and leave a review!
This recipe was the perfect find. I’ve been making 3-ingredient pulled pork in a crock pot for years, graduated to now smoking 12-pound butts on a Kamado grill. Kiddo loves it but eventually gets tired of the same leftovers every day. What makes this recipe great? It’s chili – chili powder and cumin make anything better. It is so simple for the great flavor you get. And it is truly quick. I didn’t have tomato paste – threw in a can of diced tomatoes instead – a go-to in my chili’s. Generous on the chili powder, cumin, and chipotle powder. One suggestion I have is to leave out the barbeque sauce until near the end and add it to taste only if needed. I didn’t need it. I could smell right away as I was cooking down the onions, garlic, spices, and tomatoes that I already had a great flavor profile working without needing to add anything more than a splash of water to thin out the gravy a bit. The hint of barbeque sauce was already there from the other ingredients. Great result.
Delicious! We finally smoked our own pulled pork and had plenty of leftovers. I found this recipe and I am glad that I did! My husband said he’d make pulled pork again just so we could have this chili again. I halved the recipe and only added a can of pinto beans. Very tasty! Will be making again.
How much pulled pork do you use?
Hi Stephen! Per the recipe, it states 1 and 3/4 pounds.