What to do with Leftover Beef: Recipes and Ideas

Nobody likes to see food go to waste. Even so, our leftovers often spend a couple of days lingering in the fridge en route to the bin. A common reason for that is simply a lack of desire to eat the same thing twice in a row. Some days we just lack the inspiration to revitalise yesterday’s headline act.

The good news is that’s easily fixed. Here’s a quick money-saving, trash-avoiding guide to help you breathe new life into practically all leftovers. And if you’re looking for ways to jazz up leftover beef in particular, you’re already in the right place.

5 of the best leftover beef recipes

Leftover beef stir-fry

Let’s start simple with a quick stir-fry, inspired by Woolworths in Australia. You can use more or less whatever vegetables you fancy for this one, and it can be served with rice or noodles. It’s a very flexible recipe and it’s better not to overcomplicate things.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 250g leftover steak, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons frying oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 teaspoons ginger, grated
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• 200g seasonal vegetables
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 red chilli, sliced
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Directions

1. Stir the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil and chill together. Set aside and heat your wok over a medium-high flame
2. Add the frying oil, followed by the onion, garlic, and ginger
3. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds before adding the steak, vegetables, and spring onion
4. After about 2–3 minutes, pour in the sauce you made at the start and toss together
5. Serve with rice or noodles and garnish with the toasted sesame seeds

Leftover roast beef burrito

The best leftover roast beef recipes provide a completely different dish from whatever the beef was originally roasted for. You almost certainly didn’t roast it for burritos. The original Good Food recipe can serve up to 8 people if you have a lot more leftover beef to get through than assumed here

Ingredients (serves 2-4)

• 150g roast beef, sliced or shredded
• 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
• 2 small brown onions, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• A pinch each of chilli powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper
• 200g red kidney beans (approx. half a tin), drained
• 100g chopped tinned tomatoes
• 4 jumbo tortillas
• ¾ cup cooked brown rice
• ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
• 4 heaped tablespoons guacamole
• 1 handful rocket/arugula, washed
• A few jalapeños slices

Directions

1. Place a saucepan over a high heat. Add the olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic
2. Once they start to brown, throw in the salt and spices, and cook for a further 2 minutes
3. Then add the beans and tomatoes before lowering the heat slightly
4. Cook for 5 minutes before stirring in the beef
5. Turn the heat up again and cook for another 3 minutes to ensure the meat is cooked through
6. Warm your tortillas for a few seconds in a dry frying pan or sandwich press
7. Lay them out and, in the following order, fill evenly with rice, the bean and meat mix, cheese, guacamole, and rocket
8. Add a few jalapeño slices, wrap the burrito, and enjoy

Leftover Corned Beef Hash

Looking for leftover corned beef recipes? This hearty corned beef hash, courtesy of The Spruce Eats,[1]  makes a perfect brunch dish and ensures you start the day with a healthy dose of vegetables. It still tastes great without the cabbage and carrot, so don’t worry if you don’t have those particular ingredients to hand.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

• 2 cups leftover corned beef, chopped
• 3 cups leftover potatoes, diced
• 1 cup leftover cabbage, diced
• ½ cup leftover carrots, diced
• 4 tablespoons butter
• ¾ cup onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• ½ teaspoon thyme leaves
• 1–2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

1. Over a medium heat, melt the butter in a heavy frying pan
2. Once the butter is hot, sauté the onion until translucent
3. then add the garlic and continue to sauté for another minute.
4. Add the potatoes, corned beef, cabbage and carrot
5. Then stir in the pepper, parsley and thyme
6. Taste the hash, add salt if needed, and ensure the ingredients have been stirred together thoroughly
7. Pat the mixture down into the pan and give it a further 8–10 minutes to brown underneath
8. You should then be able to flip the hash over and brown on the other side for a few minutes
9. Serve alone or with other brunch foods. You can’t go wrong with a fried or poached egg.

Leftover Steak Fried Rice

This recipe from Sweet and Savory by Shinee isn’t just great for revitalising leftover steak. Fried Rice is famously a great way to use up leftover rice too.

Directions (serves 4-6)

• 220g (½ lb) leftover steak, thinly sliced
• 3 cups leftover jasmine rice
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 100g white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium-sized zucchini, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2–3 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon frying oil

Directions

1. Heat a frying pan or wok over a medium-high heat and add the frying oil
2. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add the garlic and cook for about a minute until fragrant
3. Throw in the mushrooms and zucchini, cook until slightly brown and tender, then transfer to a bowl and set aside
4. Pour the beaten eggs into the pan and scramble until they start to set
5. Then add the mushrooms and zucchini back in before stirring in the rice
6. Make sure everything is mixed thoroughly before adding the steak and peas
7. Then stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil
8. Serve as soon as you’re confident everything is heated through

Leftover Steak Salad with Green Tomato Vinaigrette

Let’s face it, you probably cooked up last night’s steak to serve with some equally heavy sides, be they fried potatoes, cauliflower cheese, or even mayo-rich coleslaw. Today you might be looking to flip the script in search of some balance. Or at least something a little more forgiving on the arteries.

One of your soon-to-be-favourite leftover steak ideas is this refreshing summer salad, adapted from a Southern Living recipe. There’s no need to reheat the steak for this one.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 680g (1 ½ lbs) leftover steak, sliced
• 1 medium-size green tomato, halved and cored
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 ½ teaspoons of honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 packed cups (approx.) mixed greens
• 2 packed cups (approx.) rocket (arugula)
• 2 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 4 cups (approx.) cherry tomatoes, sliced
• ½ medium-size red onion, thinly sliced
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. To make the vinaigrette, start by coating your green tomato halves in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper
2. Grill the tomato halves until charred on both sides and slightly tender
3. Then place them in a large bowl and cover. Let stand for 5 minutes or so
4. Once the green tomato halves are cool enough to handle, peel and discard the charred skin
5. Pop the tomato halves in a food processor with the vinegar and honey, then blend until the tomatoes are finely chopped
6. Stop before the mixture becomes smooth
7. Pour the tomato mixture into a bowl and whisk in the mustard
8. Continue whisking as you slowly pour in the remaining 4 tablespoons. It’s finished once it’s smooth.
9. Arrange your mixed greens, rocket, tomatoes, and red onion on a large serving platter or individual plates
10. Top with the leftover steak and drizzle with your green tomato vinaigrette

Click here for more leftover steak ideas.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/corned-beef-hash-with-cabbage-and-carrots-3054282

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