Don't let your Hanukkah efforts go to waste!
Chances are, if you’re cooking a big meal for Hanukkah or Christmas this year, there’s a 100% chance you’re going to end up with some leftover brisket. Don’t let it go to waste! These 27 easy recipes will put all that leftover brisket it to excellent use, and because you’re using leftovers, they come together fast too. They’re so good and are anything but boring and same-y (a very technical term) these clever stews, nachos, and beefed-up pasta recipes might just have you making brisket more often.
The trick to these recipes is to use a light hand when it comes to the added liquid. You’re also likely going to want to make these recipes on the stovetop rather than in the slow cooker, so you can keep an eye on things and taste as you go. Your meat should meld with the flavors quickly, turning a 6- to 8-hour affair into only a half hour one. Start with just half the liquid the recipe requires. Remember, you can always add more, but it’s much more difficult to remove any once you’ve put it in. Don't be intimidated by changing up a recipe, you've got this!
Went with a corned beef brisket for your celebration this year? We’ve also included a few recipes here for leftovers from it too, like our Reuben sandwich, our corned beef sandwich, or our Reuben-stuffed chicken. Want even more? Check out our best leftover corned beef recipes too (we’ve got some quesadillas on that list you’ll flip over!). More of a ham fan? Check out our roundups of leftover ham ideas, from ham sandwiches to split pea and ham soup. Have an excess of lamb? We've got you too, with everything from lamb curry to shepherd's pie for your leftovers.
1
Beef Stew
A winter dinner staple, beef stew is the hearty comfort food to make when you need a bowl of stick-to-your-bones, warming goodness. Complete with baby potatoes, veggies, and tender leftover brisket in place of the stew meat, this is a recipe you want to keep up your sleeve, whether you’re serving guests or looking for a make-ahead meal (that will get even better as the week goes on).
Get the Beef Stew recipe.
2
Sheet Pan Bibimbap
In Korean, bibimbap literally means mixed rice. You'll often see it filled with all different types of meats, vegetables, and toppings. Though people will typically cook or prepare each individual item that will be placed on their own bowl of fluffy white rice, by using a sheet tray and subbing for leftover brisket, you can eliminate more than half that work.
Get the Sheet Pan Bibimbap recipe.
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3
Beef Chili
Lots of other chili recipes call for simmering for at least an hour, sometimes even more. That’s tough when you're looking to get dinner on the table after a long workday. Ours is a chili recipe that you can make in just 40 minutes, made even faster by using leftover brisket!
Get the Beef Chili recipe.
4
Beef Ragú
You can skip step one of this recipe and only will need to cook the ragú long enough for your leftover brisket to begin to fall apart. It should take much less time than the original 2 1/2 hours. Serve over your favorite pasta, like we did, or polenta.
Get the Beef Ragú recipe.
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5
Steak Grain Bowls
A double-purpose chimichurri acts as a marinade for the steak (or leftover brisket!) and as a finishing sauce for these grain bowls. The not-too-spicy jalapeño sauce provides a tangy, creamy counterpoint to it—you might just want to put this combo on everything from here on out.
Get the Steak Grain Bowls recipe.
6
Birria Ramen
This birria stew usually takes 4 to 5 hours to come together. By using leftover brisket, you can cut that time significantly, without cutting any of the delicious Mexican-Asian fusion flavor.
Get the Birria Ramen recipe.
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7
Philly Cheesesteak Soup
Everything you love about Philly cheesesteaks, in soup-form! The bread bowls aren't strictly necessary, but we love how they give this soup extra sandwich vibes. You could sub croutons instead if you want.
Get the Philly Cheesesteak Soup recipe.
8
Easy Reuben Sandwich
Not only is this Reuben built on one of the best of all sandwich breads—rye, ofc!—but it balances the salty, cured corned beef brisket with tart sauerkraut and mild, almost creamy melted Swiss. Don't even get us started on how amazing Russian dressing is.
Get the Easy Reuben Sandwich recipe.
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9
Instant Pot Shredded Beef Nachos
Who doesn't love a big tray of nachos? These are particularly good, considering they're loaded with delicious, tender braised beef chuck roast (or brisket!). If your cut of meat is especially big, you can save the leftovers for quick and easy tacos—just add tortillas.
Get the Instant Pot Shredded Beef Nachos recipe.
10
French Dip Squares
Turns out you don't need fancy ingredients to make the best party appetizer ever. These easy french dip squares are loaded with complex flavors (thanks caramelized onions!) AND there's enough to feed a hungry crowd. The perfect shortcut to a French dip sandwich (especially when you swap in leftover brisket), we'll be making these over and over again.
Get the French Dip Squares recipe.
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11
Reuben-Stuffed Chicken
As much as we’d like to, we can’t eat a Reuben sandwich for dinner every day. This stuffed chicken, though? That’s a whole other story. It’s filled with all our favorite ingredients—corned beef brisket, Russian dressing, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese—and is fancy enough to serve to dinner guests while still being easy enough to enjoy any night of the week.
Get the Reuben-Stuffed Chicken recipe.
12
Nachos
Loaded with melty cheese and all your favorite toppings, this game day snack is the ideal way to keep your crew satisfied while the game powers on. Because we can't get enough of toppings, we went with nachos supreme for our recipe, but this snack is nothing if not versatile: we love swapping in leftover brisket in place of ground beef for the most deluxe nachos possible.
Get the Nachos recipe.
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13
Smoked Brisket With Chorizo-Cheese Fondue
Once served at Disney's International Flower & Garden Festival at Epcot, this glow-up of a loaded baked potato is so phenomenal, it’s worthy of its own celebration.
Get the Smoked Brisket With Chorizo-Cheese Fondue recipe.
14
Classic Corned Beef Sandwich
With corned beef brisket, sauerkraut, and relish, what's not to love? We spread ours with a thick layer of mustard, but feel free to add or sub your favorite spread to make this your perfect sandwich.
Get the Classic Corned Beef Sandwich recipe.
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15
Beef & Barley Soup
Looking for a soup that is warm and hearty? This beef and barley soup is just the one. Usually you'd simmer the soup until the meat is tender, but by using leftover brisket, you can pull it from the heat once the barley is cooked, making this come together extra fast.
Get the .
16
Birria Quesatacos
Using leftover brisket, you can skip the long braise in a lot of liquid here and just cook your meat in the chile paste long enough that it becomes shreddable and takes on the birria flavor. Remember, you can always add more liquid, but it's much harder to take too much away.
Get the Birria Quesatacos recipe.
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17
Keto Beef Stew
Making beef stew keto-friendly only meant a couple simple swaps. It's still silky and deeply comforting, and thanks to your leftover brisket, it can come together in less than 30 minutes!
Get the Keto Beef Stew recipe.
18
Beef Stroganoff
We can all agree that anything involving pasta or a rich delicious gravy is right at the top of the comfort food list. This recipe for stroganoff features both! With buttery egg noodles smothered in a creamy beef and mushroom gravy that's rich, warm, and full of flavor, this is the ultimate comfort food. Make it even more so by subbing in leftover brisket.
Get the Beef Stroganoff recipe.
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19
Brisket Bites
Meat and potatoes, the co*cktail party way. We love serving these as appetizers or a weeknight, pre-dinner snack.
Get the Brisket Bites recipe.
20
BBQ Brisket Tacos
By using leftover brisket, you can have these shredded meat tacos on your table in less than 30 minutes. Serve these with homemade salsa to make them extra special.
Get the BBQ Brisket Tacos recipe.
