Recipe ideas for leftover barbecued meat

Barbecues are a staple of the Kiwi summer – throw some meat on the BBQ, whip up a salad and crack open a cold one.

Our love for meat, however, and our BYO-meat style of entertaining means we often end up with a mountain of meat – far more than can be eaten in one sitting.

The problem with leftover barbecued meat is that it often doesn’t taste as great the next day – cold sausages can be unappetising and reheated steak tends to dry out.

Both the financial and environmental costs of wasting meat means that we want every mouthful to be eaten.

We’ve gone beyond New Zealand shores for inspiration on how to give new life to leftover barbecued meat – check out our ideas below.

Reminder: Cooked meats shouldn’t be left out at room temperature for a long time as they can grow harmful bacteria and become unsafe, so once everyone has finished eating, pack up the meat and get them into the fridge as soon as possible to ensure they will be good to eat the next day.

Go Mexican

Turn up the heat with Mexican inspired recipes. Finely chop your leftover meat, add your favourite seasonings, bulk it out with beans and tomatoes and voila, you have a filling for tacos, quesadillas, burritos or enchiladas.

Go Italian

The beauty of going Italian with your leftovers is that you only need a little bit of meat for these.

Think of a small amount of sliced sausage or steak topping a pizza, tossed in a pasta or stirred through a risotto. They’re also excellent ways to use any leftover grilled vegetables you may have.

Go Asian

Add some zing to your leftover meat by pairing it with Asian flavours.

Use steak to make a Thai beef salad or Vietnamese pho, sausages can be chopped up for fried rice and leftover prawns or chicken can be used in a summer roll.