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14 Recipes That Prove Pulled Pork Is The Ultimate Midweek Hack For Busy Families

Featuring new and easy meals — perfect for enjoying your delicious pulled pork leftovers throughout the week.

Australian Pork
by Australian Pork

Brand Publisher

If the thought of toiling away for hours in the kitchen after a long hard day of work fires up your nope reflex, allow me to present the antidote: pulled pork.

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And I know, you're probably thinking: pulled pork as in the shredded, delicate, tender meat that takes a few hours to cook?

But hear me out, pulled pork is the definition of a kitchen hack. One batch of pulled pork makes for endless meal variations — each one effortless, speedy and worlds apart from another in terms of flavour.

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All you need to do is whip up your pulled pork base. The leftovers will keep for the whole week in the fridge, and you can create an entirely new dish each time you use the leftovers. 

Honestly, just try and find me a pairing more perfect or lower effort than that of a pork shoulder and a few hours in a dutch oven, slow cooker or even your good old conventional oven.

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Mid-week dinners with tender leftovers, come through.

1. Pulled pork base recipe you can use again and again.

Rectangular dish of plain pulled pork
Australian Pork

You'll want to bookmark this recipe ASAP. Cook it at the start of the week and re-purpose the leftovers many times over for the tastiest mid-week dinners.

2. Pulled pork pasta that uses pantry staples for a low-fuss, high-taste mid-week dinner.

A plate of linguine and pulled pork ragu topped with freshly chopped parsley.
Australian Pork

When you aren't sure what to do with your pulled pork leftovers and absolutely do not feel like going out to the shops for extra ingredients, this recipe is your saving grace. Using common pantry ingredients like tinned tomatoes and dried pasta, it's ready in less than half an hour and exactly what a mid-week dinner should be.

3. Jamaican-flavoured pulled pork because even if you're not dining out for a mid-week dinner, you can still recreate the flavours of a fancy restaurant-style main.

A pan of a pork shoulder that's halfway through being turned into pulled pork.
Australian Pork

This effortless recipe will transform any pulled pork you already have on hand, and is perfect for when your tastebuds are craving something new, but you don't want to turn the kitchen upside down for a mere mid-week meal. 

4. Pulled pork-stuffed sweet potatoes for a dinner where flavour and effort aren't correlated.

Close up of two sweet potato halves topped with pulled pork, slaw and a drizzle of BBQ sauce.
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For nights when you simply cannot, these two ingredient pulled pork-stuffed sweet potatoes are a meal that barely requires any effort on your part. Simply bake your sweet potatoes, season your leftover pulled pork and voila, a mouth-watering dinner is served.

5. Mexican pulled pork that will level up taco Tuesdays.

Seasoned pulled pork in a teal serving dish. Tortillas, halved limes and another dish are blurred in the background.
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We know — prepping for tacos night has an odd habit of taking longer than you thought it would. And that's when you're just frying up a packet of mince. But trust us on this one: Using pulled pork will not only cut back on your prep time, but make your mid-week tacos look and taste seriously weekend-night-out-like. Simply season your pulled pork leftovers, warm up your tortilla and start building your tacos.

6. BBQ pulled pork rolls for a simple, geometric take on a classic.

A plate of pre-bake BBQ pulled pork rolls.
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When you've got pulled pork leftovers that have been sitting in the fridge for a week, this simple recipe is will breathe new life into your next meal. Plus, everything just tastes better when it's in a scroll shape.

7. BBQ pulled pork fries for comfort food from the the comfort of your own kitchen.

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Sometimes, the middle of the working week just calls for comfort food — and what's more comforting than the metaphorical bear hug of a bowl of loaded fries?

 This recipe is perfect for when you want something that's guaranteed to hit the spot and elicit no complaints from the fam. With pulled pork, cheese and whole potatoes,  these fries are a complete meal in their own right.

8. Pulled pork sliders with crunchy slaw that are a deceptively brilliant way for the whole family to get their daily serves of veggies in as the week gets underway.

An overhead shot of three pork sliders, with the slaw oozing out from the brioche bun edges, and a garnish of three halved gherkins.
Australian Pork

You wouldn't know it just looking at this plate of pork sliders, but this recipe packs four different veggies in — none of which require any further cooking. A perfect mid-week meal that's good for both freeing up more your evening and everyone's nutritional intake. Score.

9. Pulled pork-stuffed milk buns that are perfect on their own or as an upgraded dinner roll.

A milk bun pulled in half showing the pulled pork filling.
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What's more satisfying than a glossy golden-topped soft milk bun? A made-from-scratch milk bun hiding a delectable pulled pork filling which balances the soft, sweetness of the bread.

10. Pulled pork burgers because you just can't beat a classic.

A brioche pulled pork burger on a pale pink plate.
Australian Pork

Burger night at home? Serve up something you'd ordinarily order at your fave burger joint instead with these delectable pulled pork buns. The secret is in the pork's spice rub, which will add a zingy burst of flavour to each and every bite. 

11. Pulled pork nachos that are both a one pan wonder and a family favourite.

Overhead shot of a cast iron pan of baked nachos with pulled pork, tomato salsa and a sour cream drizzle.
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Nachos are an undeniable crowd favourite and for good reason too. Deceptively easy to make and even easier to clean up since everything's contained to just one pan or tray. The pulled pork in this recipe makes these nachos feel even more like gastropub fare when, in fact, nope, they're just made for three day old leftovers.

12. A refreshing salad of pulled pork, brussel sprouts and apple that's an exercise in flavour balancing.

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Fruit and pork? Trust us, this one just works. The fresh apple and brussel sprouts called for in this no-cook recipe (unless you count the pulled pork that you've made hours in advance) help make this a dish that's light and refreshing, but also satiating and full of flavour.

13. Pulled pork-stuffed cornbread muffins that you'll want to make double of for lunch the next day.

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Pulled pork is fantastic on a slider but there's a whole world out there of alternative ways to hero this tender ingredient. This recipe is American-inspired through and through, putting a fresh spin on the hard-to-find-in-Australia Southern staple cornbread.

14. And finally, balsamic pulled pork burgers with fennel slaw that'll make you question your pre-conceived notions of pulled pork pairings.

Three fennel slaw and balsamic pulled pork burgers, one of which has its burger top displaced.
Australian Pork

Pulled pork naturally calls for BBQ sauce and creamy, classic coleslaw, right? Not in the case of this recipe that unexpectedly heroes crisp, fresh fennel and adds a kick of acidity to the pulled pork thanks to the inclusion of balsamic vinegar. Try this one when you're after a deliciously fresh flavour combo to re-invigorate your already made pulled pork base.

Whether you're dishing up brekkie, lunch or dinner, pork is the simple and versatile meat that makes any meal shine. Discover even more delicious pork recipes at the Australian Pork website.