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Leftover Meat: Turning Last Night’s Dinner into Healthy, Creative Meals and Snacks

Left Over Meat Platter

Many South African families love a good braai, chisa nyama, potjie or Sunday roast, and that often means a fridge full of leftover meat. With food prices rising, using those leftovers well isn’t just good for the wallet, it can also support better nutrition and help food reduce waste. The key is combining safe storage, heart-healthy preparation methods and plant-forward, creative meal ideas.

Here are some tips to create delicious meals and snacks with leftover meat.

Start with Safety

International food-safety guidelines recommend that cooked meat is refrigerated within about two hours of cooking (or within one hour on very hot days), to avoid the “danger zone” where bacteria multiply quickly. Leftovers should be stored in clean, shallow containers to cool quickly, and eaten within three to four days, or frozen for longer storage.

When reheating:

  1. Reheat meat until it is piping hot throughout (around 70 °C) to kill most harmful bacteria.
  2. Avoid reheating the same dish multiple times; rather portion leftovers into single-use containers.
  3. Discard any meat that has been left at room temperature for more than two hours (or one hour at a hot outdoor braai or picnic).

How Much Meat is Considered Healthy?

South Africa’s food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) recommend that fish, chicken, lean meat or eggs be eaten daily as part of a balanced diet, with an emphasis on lean cuts.

More detailed local guidance suggests:

  1. Up to about 560 g of lean red meat per week (±80–90 g per day).
  2. Including fish and poultry regularly, and using beans, split peas, lentils and soya often as meat alternatives.

Lean meat contributes high-quality protein, iron, zinc and B-vitamins, and it’s been shown that lean cuts (including local lamb and pork) can fit into cardioprotective diets when eaten in moderation and prepared with limited added fat.

The message is clear: use leftover meat as a flavourful “topper” or ingredient, not the main event. Build meals around vegetables, whole grains and legumes, then add a small portion of meat.

Best Preparation Methods for Meat

Whether you’re cooking meat fresh or reheating leftovers, preparation methods can significantly change the health profile of the meal.

Better choices

  • Grilling, baking, air-frying or braising in minimal oil instead of deep frying.
  • Trimming visible fat and removing chicken skin before cooking or before reheating.
  • Marinating meat in herbs, lemon, garlic, yoghurt or maas can improve tenderness and may reduce some of the harmful compounds formed during high-heat cooking.
  • Combining meat with vegetables and legumes (e.g. tomato-based stews with beans and a small amount of leftover beef) increases fibre and reduces the overall saturated fat per serving.

Limit or avoid

  1. Frequently reheating charred braai meat at very high temperatures. Charring can produce carcinogenic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs).
  2. Regular use of processed meats in leftover dishes. Rather treat these meats as “occasional” foods.

Creative Ways to Use Leftovers

Leftovers don’t need to be boring! Used well, a small amount of meat can anchor nutrient-dense meals and snacks that suit local tastes and budgets, while also being tasty and flavourful.

a) Braaied or roast chicken leftovers

Leftover chicken can be:

  1. Stripped off the bone and mixed with chopped tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, red onion and morogo or baby spinach.
  2. Tossed with a small amount of olive or canola oil, lemon juice and fresh herbs.
  3. Served over samp and beans, brown rice or mielie rice for extra fibre and sustained energy.

Give this Grilled Chicken Potato Salad with Spicy Herb and Pomegranate Dressing recipe a try the next time you have some leftover chicken.

b) “Stretch it” stews and potjies

Use leftover roast beef, lamb or oxtail as a flavour base, then bulk up with:

  1. Dry beans, split peas or lentils.
  2. Seasonal vegetables like carrots, butternut, cabbage and green beans.
  3. A tomato-onion base with minimal added salt.

This Traditional Oxtail Sishebo has a great balance of meat and vegetables that can be used over a few family meals.

c) Healthier boerewors and mince

Boerewors and mince are popular braai and lunch or dinner options, but are often high in fat and salt.

When using leftovers:

  1. Slice leftover boerewors thinly and use a small amount to flavour a large tray of oven-roasted vegetables (e.g. baby marrows, peppers, onions, butternut).
  2. Turn leftover mince into a filling for stuffed peppers or baked brinjals, served with a side salad instead of more refined starch.

Try this Flavourful Curried Mince with Mixed Vegetables recipe to prep ahead and freeze for easy week night meals.

Quick, protein-rich snacks

Not all leftover meat needs to be a full meal. Ideas for healthier snacks include:

  1. Leftover roast chicken on wholewheat crackers with avocado and tomato slices.
  2. Small biltong portions (lean, trimmed) in a snack box with raw vegetables like carrots, baby tomatoes and cucumber sticks.
  3. Egg and leftover veg muffins: mix chopped leftover meat and vegetables into an egg mixture, bake in muffin tins for a snack on the go.

The Key Takeouts

Used thoughtfully, last night’s braai chops, roast chicken or mince leftovers can become the base for colourful, nutrient-dense meals and snacks that align with South African dietary guidelines and global evidence on meat, cancer and cardiovascular health, while also helping households save money and reduce waste.

This content is for general information only and does not replace professional medical advice.

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