Have some leftover smoked pulled pork? I'll show you a little trick that turns it into THE best addition to this vibrant, flavorful salad with a sweet homemade mango chipotle vinaigrette. It's perfect for summer or for anytime you're missing the sunshine.

If you have a smoker and make big batches of pulled pork, this is what needs to happen on day two. If you're weary of pulled pork sandwiches, you'll love this salad. It's also not BBQ-y which makes it even more unique as pulled pork tends to be pigeonholed as a BBQ meal.

If you DO want a more BBQ pulled pork type of salad, check out my other BBQ Pulled Pork Salad post. You'll love that one, too.

Why This Pulled Pork Salad Works

• The pork is CRISPY. No sloppy warm strands weighing your greens down.
• A fruity vinaigrette with a touch of heat is a fun alternative to the typical BBQ ranch in a pork salad.
• The COLOR. Are you like me and think pretty food tastes better? I intentionally threw together some brightly colored ingredients that also happy to taste good together. (I can't get over those pickled onions.)
• You can make it all from scratch and it'll still be quick. But if you're wanting an extra easy route, find a store bought fruity vinaigrette, pickled onions, and candied nuts.
• It's all naturally gluten free.
• Salad bar type meals helps picky eaters easily choose what they like.

Ingredients

All of the ingredients for this salad can be found at the grocery store -- including prepared smoked pork in some cases! I like the smoked pulled pork at Costco if I don't have any homemade.

For the Salad

• Mixed spring greens: I like lighter greens in this salad because they play well with vinaigrettes. Butter lettuce or an arugula + romaine mix would also be good here.
• Grilled Corn: If it's not summertime or fresh cobs are scarce, just put some frozen corn tossed in some oil and a pinch of salt under the broiler. It's surprisingly good.
• Pickled Red Onion: Store-bought is just fine, but I've got a Homemade Pickled Red Onion recipe that's stellar.
• Goat cheese crumbles: You can also use feta or cotija cheese.
• Candied pecans: Any candied nut will do here -- I'd recommend pecans, walnuts, or cashews. If you want to make your own, here's my 5-minute Candied Pecans recipe. Just omit the ground ginger.
• Sliced avocado: Yes. The creaminess adds some balance to all of the sweet/briny flavors.

For the Mango Chipotle Vinaigrette

• Frozen mango: Yes, frozen. I mean, you can use a fresh mango if you prefer, but frozen mango is always ready to go.
• Fresh lime juice: Please. fresh.
• Avocado oil: this vinaigrette needs a neutral tasting oil. Save the extra-virgin olive oil for another time. You could also use light olive oil which has a more mild flavor.
• Chipotles in adobo: Find these in the latin aisle of the grocery store. My store even has them pre-chopped which is fabulous. Just don't use the whole jar -- just ONE chili. (It's happened to someone following one of my recipes before...)
• Honey: Love the touch of sweetness. Feel free to use sugar if you prefer.
• Apple cider vinegar: It'll give it an extra pop.
• Sea salt: Always
• Fresh garlic: Just a little to round out the flavor.

For the Crispy Pulled Pork

• Leftover smoked pulled pork: Either homemade or store bought. You don't want it covered in BBQ sauce, though.
• Avocado oil: My go-to searing oil. Another heat safe oil will work here, too.

The Crispy Pulled Pork Technique

This is important. Don't skip this.

Put a light layer of cold pulled pork in a screaming hot pan with some oil, and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Seriously, don't touch it. It needs to sit there so it can develop crispy, caramelized edges. It'll crisp up even further after you take it out of the pan. It'll need to drain on some paper towels to get rid of some of the oil.

And yes, if this feels familiar to the way you make pork carnitas, you're right! I love using cooking techniques in different ways. I actually prefer crisped up pork in salads now.

How to Make the Mango Chipotle Vinaigrette

This is super easy. It buzzes up really well in a blender. You can even put the mango in frozen if you like. Also, chipotles vary a little in heat, so start with one pepper (or 1 teaspoon of chopped) and go up from there.

How to Assemble the Salad

Build your salads by laying down a bed of salad greens. Top with warm pork and the rest of the toppings. Drizzle some dressing over the top and serve! I love the contrast of the warm pork + cool greens. Salads with a lot of contrasting texture and temperature are some of the best, in my opinion.

Tips and Variations

• No smoker? Store-bought pulled pork or one from a local BBQ restaurant will work!
• Mango swap: Use a fresh peach in summer if you're into that or pineapple to lean more tropical.
• Make it dairy-free: skip cheese & add extra avocado
• Cheese swap: Use cotija or feta instead of goat cheese
• Make it a grain bowl: Add cooked farro or rice underneath the greens for a heartier version

Frequently Asked Questions

More Ways to Use Leftover Pulled Pork

If you love this salad, wait until you try my other salad using leftover pulled pork: BBQ Pulled Pork Salad. Here are a few other uses for those leftovers. And if you need a pulled pork recipe, I've got an Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe that's really great.

• BBQ Pulled Pork Spaghetti Squash Bake
• Tacos, Nachos, and anything in that universe

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Continue to Content

Pulled Pork Salad with Mango Chipotle Vinaigrette

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Crispy smoked pulled pork piled over fresh greens with grilled corn, pickled red onion, goat cheese, candied pecans, and a smoky-sweet mango chipotle vinaigrette. This is the salad that makes people forget they're eating leftovers.

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Ingredients

For the salads:

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• 5 Tablespoons avocado oil
• 2 ears of corn, shucked
• 8-12 ounces leftover pulled pork
• 1 cup candied pecans
• 3-4 ounces goat cheese crumbles
• 2 ripe avocados, sliced
• 4 ounces spring salad mix
• ½ cup pickled red onions

For the dressing:

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• ½ cup frozen or fresh mango chunks
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice (3-4 limes)
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (or 1 teaspoon chopped)
• ⅓ cup avocado oil

Instructions

1. Heat a Tablespoon of oil in a large skillet until it's almost smoking. Lay the ears of corn in the skillet. Turn them every minute or so until there are dark, golden spots. Remove and add 2 more Tablespoons of oil to the skillet.
2. The pan should still be really hot. Put half of the pork in the skillet in one layer. If the pan is so full you can't see the bottom then do this in 3 batches. Leave it alone for 2-3 minutes so it can form a crusty, carmelized layer. Flip the pork around for a few more minutes. Transfer the pork to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining pork.
3. Put the dressing ingredients (except for the oil) in a blender. Blend until smooth. While the blender is running, slowly drizzle in the oil. Set aside.
4. Cut the corn from the cobs.
5. Assemble the salads by putting a bed of salad greens into each bowl, top with pork, corn, pecans, avocados, pickled red onions, and goat cheese. Drizzle with dressing.

Notes

1. Use frozen corn if you can't find fresh cobs. You can toast it in the pan or toss it with some oil and broil it on a upper oven rack for 10-15 minutes.
2. You can quickly make some candied pecans by putting them in a dry skillet and cooking them on medium heat for a few minutes until toasted. Add a Tablespoon of pure maple syrup and cook, stirring often, until the syrup reduces to the point where there's no liquid in the pan. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and set aside to cool.
3. You can also make your own pickled red onions (a week or two in advance even!) Here's the recipe: Homemade Pickled Red Onions.