How To Use Leftover Chuck Roast In Asian-Inspired Dishes

It's widely known that chuck roast is one of the best cuts of beef for pot roast, but did you know that you can actually use your leftover roast for Asian-inspired meals? Whether you've made a zesty Mississippi pot roast or a classic version that's been upgraded with bold ingredients like Asian black bean sauce, save that tender meat and consider transforming it into new and exciting lunches or dinners that can last you all week long.

One of the reasons why leftover chuck works so well in this capacity is that it remains super juicy and tender when reheated, especially when it's reheated with liquid. It's an ideal meat to eat on repeat without risking texture. You especially won't have to worry about the meat coming out too dry once heated through again, especially because many recipes use liquids like broth and sauces. Another benefit is that your meal can be ready quickly since the meat is already cooked — all you have to worry about is getting together the other pieces of your recipe without having to mull over your protein. Especially when it comes to busy weeknights, we absolutely love a cooking hack.

So, if you're looking for interesting and flavorful ways to use up your chuck roast leftovers, we've got some ideas for you. From brothy Japanese-style soups to a veggie-packed stir fry, there's no limit to what you can do.

If you're looking for an easy way to use up your leftover chuck, look no further than a brothy and flavorful beef ramen. While you do have to gather a handful of ingredients, like ramen noodles, veggies, and broth, we love that the star of the show is already done here. You can slice up your leftovers and zap them in the microwave for a minute or two before adding them to the final dish, or you can let them heat through in the broth. We prefer heating it in the broth so that the meat becomes extra juicy, but that's totally up to you.

There's nothing like a quick and easy stir-fry to really hit the spot. Consider using up your leftover chuck here and you'll get dinner on the table even faster. While you can make your own stir-fry sauce by whisking together ingredients like soy sauce, honey, minced garlic, oyster sauce, and toasted sesame oil, you can even use up a premade stir-fry sauce packet to move things along even faster. Slice your beef thin and just let it heat through in the pan along with the rest of the ingredients and you won't have to worry about it getting tough. Serve your stir-fry on a bed of rice or with noodles for a balanced meal. 

A flavorful dish made of thinly sliced beef cooked in a savory sauce, Mongolian beef is so simple to throw together that it's a no-brainer when it comes to re-purposing your leftovers. In this case, you can simply thinly slice your chuck and let it heat through in the skillet along with the sauce. Similar to stir-fry sauce, this one also consists of various ingredients like hoisin sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Feel free to toss in some veggies, like string beans or scallions, and serve alongside rice or noodles.

Similar to Japan's ramen, pho is a brothy Vietnamese dish made with protein (like beef, chicken, pork, or tofu), veggies, and noodles. Light and flavorful, you can make this in very much the same way with leftovers as you would ramen. This means you can slice your chuck thinly and either reheat it in the microwave or let it warm through in the broth. Don't forget to serve your pho alongside some condiments like sriracha, chili crisp, or hoisin sauce.

If you like some spice, consider using your leftovers to make a batch of gochujang jjigae — aka Korean stew. If you don't know what gochujang is, it's a spicy chili paste readily available in stores. While it definitely brings the heat, you can get a mild version (even though that will still have a kick to it).

For this stew, you can use ingredients like your leftover chuck, gochujang, water, potatoes, and veggies to get the ball rolling. Similar to the other options, slice your beef thin. Since you'll be cooking the veggies and potatoes in the stew, let those get done first before adding the beef at the very end to warm through.

If you're looking to make a quick snack instead, consider using your leftovers to make bahn mi, a Vietnamese sandwich packed with marinated meat, pickled veggies, mayo, and herbs. While most recipes have you grilling the beef in a marinade of soy sauce, fish sauce, and spices, for this purpose you can simply slice your beef thinly and warm it up in a skillet with the same ingredients. Once that's done, just pile everything onto a crispy baguette and enjoy.