21 Leftover Ribs Recipes: Delectable, Creative Dishes! (2024)

Don’t waste a single bite of those fabulous baby back, country style, or beef short ribs by following any of these 21 delectable leftover ribs recipes.

Did you recently have a barbecue and are wondering what leftover ribs recipes to try with the extra meat you have from it?

Here’s a list of recipes that you can choose from so you don’t end up wasting any of that succulent, flavorful meat.

Before we launch into the recipes, let’s delve a bit into the many different kinds of ribs you can cook and some history of it.

When it comes to ribs, you have a few choices.

For beef, you have short ribs, baby back beef ribs, and flanken-style ribs.

For pork, you have spare ribs, country-style ribs, baby back ribs, and St. Louis-style ribs.

The meatiest of these rib types is different for beef and pork.

The meatier type of rib when it comes to beef is the short rib, while for pork, it’s either country-style or St. Louis-style ribs.

The kind of ribs you choose to cook, however, is dependent on what you want and what recipe you’re thinking of using.

Whichever you choose, however, whether it’s pork spare ribs, beef short ribs, or baby back ribs, know that these are some of the tastiest meats around.

The recipes in this list range from soups to stews, and to sandwiches, like the BBQ Ribs Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Spinach & BBQ Short Ribs Panini.

There is even a recipe that’s made for breakfast, which is on #5!

Is your mouth watering yet?

If so, then it’s time we get into the recipes!

The first item on this list is probably one of the easiest things to do with leftover ribs.

Just chop up some veggies (cabbage, bell pepper, and onions are great here) and heat up four tortillas for this.

Remove the meat from the bones and pile them high on a tortilla before adding the veggies.

Sprinkle with salsa and some hot sauce, and you’re good to go!

While it may be difficult to imagine having leftovers when you make baby back ribs, this recipe will come in handy when you do.

Hearty, flavorful, and slightly spicy, this is a great dish to enjoy on a cold and rainy day.

Here’s a yummy Italian dish that you can make with leftover beef short ribs.

Simple yet so satisfying and flavorful, this dish will help you use all that tasty meat to the very last morsel.

This is made with chicken broth, but if you want it to be really beefy, you can swap that out with beef broth.

This stew is ideally made with leftover pulled pork, but any leftover barbecued meat will also work.

That’s why this is on our list.

Aside from using leftover pork barbecue ribs, you can also add in BBQ chicken and pulled pork if you have them.

What breakfast should you make the day after a family barbecue?

This recipe for breakfast hash is one you should try.

Not only does it take care of any leftover ribs, but it also satisfies the usual requisites of a full breakfast–eggs, potatoes, and toast!

Another way you can utilize leftover ribs is by adding them to your favorite comfort food.

This chili recipe is one example of that!

Instead of adding ground meat, remove the meat from the bones of your leftover ribs and shred or chop these before adding them to the pot.

Here’s another no-fuss way to finish off those delectable pieces of leftover meat from your family barbecue.

Remove the meat from the bone, simmer in your favorite barbecue sauce, and serve on top of cheesy grits!

Choose from traditional stone ground, quick cooking, or hominy grits for this recipe.

What do you get when you add leftover ribs to your classic grilled cheese sandwich?

You get this pulled-pork slash grilled cheese combo that’s great for a quick lunch.

The recipe calls for Colby jack cheese, but you can substitute this with any cheese you love.

If you have leftover pork ribs and leftover rice, here’s a recipe that can help you repurpose both at the same time.

While this recipe uses mojo grilled pork ribs, you can always use any style of BBQ pork ribs for this dish.

This can be a stand-alone dish or served as a side dish for dinner.

This is a recipe that uses leftover sweet and smoky ribs pulled off the bone and leftover corn on the cob.

This is an amazing way to repurpose those BBQ ribs and satisfy your craving for Mexican food at the same time.

Who would’ve thought that leftover beef short rib meat could be used to make ravioli?

This recipe shows you how it’s done!

And it’s actually quite easy as well as super yummy, with the addition of a mushroom ragu to complete the dish.

If you think that a taco is the only Mexican dish you can make with leftover ribs, think again!

Here’s another one that you’re sure to enjoy when you’re in the mood for dishes from south of the border.

This is one of those leftover ribs recipes that use short ribs, but you can always switch it up according to whatever leftover ribs you have at home.

Looking for a recipe using leftover ribs for game day?

This is the perfect one for such an event.

This recipe features barbecue sauce, rib meat pulled off the bone, and soft Hawaiian rolls.

One of the simplest recipes to try when it comes to any type of leftover is a casserole.

And leftover ribs are no exception.

This dish is pretty much a version of shepherd’s pie, with the ground beef replaced by leftover spare rib meat!

This dish may seem like a hodge-podge of ingredients to you, but then again, aren’t all stir-fry recipes a hodge-podge of ingredients?

The rib used here can be any leftover ribs that you have–pork spare ribs, beef short ribs, etc.

Not only is this recipe one that uses rib meat leftover from your most recent barbecue, but it also makes use of any vegetables you have in your fridge.

Now, you may think that you can’t make this dish because you don’t have a panini press.

The problem is easily solved with the use of a cast-iron pan and a heavy metal lid that you can use to press down on the sandwich.

Voila, instant panini press for your sandwich!

Here’s a recipe that can be used with any leftover beef ribs or beef meat, for that matter.

Wine-braised beef ribs are considered a great leftover to use in this one.

If it’s straightforward you want, it’s what you will get with this dish.

The leftover ribs in this recipe are left on the bone but cut into individual pieces for easier handling.

Served with a colorful plate of pasta and sauteed kale, this one-pan dish is a complete meal you can enjoy with reheated ribs on top.

Leftover rib meat and barbecue sauce on pizza?

Yes, please!

One thing to remember when you’re making pizza dough from scratch is you need at least two hours of prep time for the dough to rise.

If you don’t want to make your dough, however, you can just buy ready-made pizza dough and use it for this recipe.

Elevate your favorite comfort food to the next level with the addition of leftover rib meat to it!

The meat used in this dish is a spicy St. Louis Style rib, but you can always use sweet barbecue or wine-braised rib meat in its place.

This recipe can be prepared in advance.

When you’re planning on cooking braised beef short ribs, try to reserve some of the sauce from it along with the leftover meat.

Making this dish is easy – cook some pasta, remove the meat from your short ribs, shred it, then add both the sauce and meat to your bowl of cooked pasta.

Of course, if you want the dish to be creamier, you can always add some heavy cream to the sauce before adding it to your noodles.

The bottom line

This lineup of leftover ribs recipes helps you to easily repurpose any leftover rib meat that you have.

Now, you don’t have to worry about grilling too much when you hold your next barbecue.

Or when you’re thinking of cooking up a batch of braised short ribs for dinner.

With these recipes on hand, you can rest assured that none of that good rib meat will ever go to waste.