Leftover Pulled Pork Smoked Chili

Sometimes the best recipes are made with leftovers. Well, truth be told, I will usually smoke a pork butt just to have enough for a lot to use later! That’s how this leftover pulled pork smoked chili came into existence (even if just for a short while). Smoked pulled pork, hearty beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and all the right spices – this one is in a league of its own!

The aroma of this chili wafting through the neighborhood was definitely a tough experience for some of my neighbors (and their dogs!). Even we were anxious to pull it out of the smoker.

For the base, I used a beef consommé which is like a concentrated beef broth, but it is thicker, and more flavorful. It’s like espresso vs. drip coffee.

So the secret of this chili is the carefully selected ingredients and the double dose of smokiness. In fact, it comes together fast and easy!

🛒 Ingredients

• Leftover Pulled Pork
• Canned Red Kidney Beans
• Canned Tomato Paste
• Fire Roasted Rotel
• Beef Consomme
• Canned Tomato Sauce
• Yellow Onion
• Chili Powder
• Salted Butter
• Minced Garlic
• Cumin
• Salt
• Coarse Black Pepper
• Freshly Minced Cilantro or Parsley (optional garnish)

🔥 Instructions

👉Step 1 – Fire up the smoker and set it to 300°F. Now, let’s get those flavors going!

👉Step 2 – Grab a Dutch oven (minimum 3 quarts) and melt the salted butter on the stovetop, over medium heat.

👉Step 3 -Toss in the minced garlic and diced onion, and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onion becomes translucent.

👉Step 4 -Then add the rest of the ingredients: the chopped-up leftover pulled pork (I used smoked pulled pork from a smoked pork butt but any pulled pork works), along with the kidney beans, tomato paste, fire-roasted Rotel, beef consommé, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Give it a good stir and make sure everything is well combined.

👉Step 5 -Place the Dutch oven in your preheated smoker, uncovered, and let it do its thing for two hours. Remember to give it a stir every 30 minutes or so, just to make sure those flavors are mingling nicely.

👉Step 6 -After two hours, your chili should be thick, with a deep, smoky flavor. Remove it from the smoker, garnish it with some freshly chopped parsley or cilantro, and dig in!

*If you don’t have a smoker you can cook the chili in the oven keeping the same temperature (300°F). You can add a bit of liquid smoke to replace the lost flavor.

❗❗ Recipe Tips & Tricks

📌This is a hearty chili with a thick consistency and we love it this way! You can thin it out by adding another can of tomato sauce and doubling the beef consommé.

📌If you can’t find beef consommé you can use beef broth instead – it’s less concentrated but it works!

📌We smoked this chili with oak wood but you can also use hickory or mesquite. Hardwoods that yield a stronger smoke flavor are best for this recipe.

🍱 Storage

If, by any miracle, you have leftover chili (it never happened to me!), you can store it in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days.

You can also freeze it in an airtight container for up to three months. I do recommend you don’t let it sit that long, though. The texture and flavor might not be as good unless you are able to vacuum seal it.

🌶️ Additions & Substitutions

✔️Heat Level – If you like a little more heat, add a diced jalapeño or teaspoon of cayenne pepper. You can also replace chili powder with chili flakes.

✔️Beans – Not a fan of kidney beans? No problem! Feel free to substitute your favorite beans, like black beans, pinto beans, or even chickpeas.

✔️Veggie Boost – Want to sneak in some extra veggies? Diced bell peppers, chopped carrots, or even some corn would be delicious additions.

✔️Meat Combos – If you’re feeling extra carnivorous or you don’t have enough leftover pulled pork, try adding some ground beef or chorizo to the mix. Just brown it before adding it to the chili.

✔️Toppings – Don’t forget the toppings! Shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped onions, and avocado are all great options.

And if you’re drooling over this leftover pulled pork smoked chili but you don’t have any pulled pork, there are other options. Maybe you have some leftover brisket so you can make this leftover brisket chili. You can also make smoked chili with ground beef to keep it simple, or smoked beer brat chili for a faster dish!

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

A big bowl of chili is a meal in itself, but you can’t go wrong with some crusty bread for dipping. I do my best to have some leftover smoked cornbread for this, but any bread will do.

Even so, smoked chili can be enjoyed in many other ways.

⭐The Loaded Bowl – Take your chili to the next level with all the fixings! Shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped onions, and avocado are all fair game. I even like to add a dollop of my spicy Creole coleslaw for a fresh twist.

⭐The Chili Dog – You’ll love this if you’re a real chili enthusiast like me. Make some smoked hot dogs while the chili is simmering. Then, pile that smoky chili high on a hot dog and top it with your favorite toppings.

⭐The Chili Cheese Fries – Who needs nachos when you can have chili cheese fries? Just top a plate of crispy fries with smoked chili and your favorite melty cheese. Isn’t this the perfect game day snack?

⭐The Chili Mac – This is a fun twist on a classic. Just cook up some macaroni and cheese and top it with a generous helping of chili. Comfort food mashup for the win!

So, what do you think? Is this the best way to use leftover pulled pork, or what? Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried this smoked chili recipe and how it turned out!