The best ham salad recipe only requires leftover ham, mayonnaise, celery, onion and perfectly combined seasonings! My most requested recipe!
THE BEST HAM SALAD
I've been making this salad for over 25 years. You just can't top perfection. I actually tweaked this recipe based off a recipe I got from my very first Betty Crocker Cookbook. If you love my FAMOUS POTATO SALAD, then you'll know that those old Betty Crocker recipes can't be beat! I've only adjusted them slightly over the years to adjust to my taste and because I'm picky about my salad recipes! This recipe for ham salad all be the one you come back to over and over again!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
This recipe is perfect for leftover holiday ham. For this recipe, I used a small boneless cooked ham. Thick ham steaks would also work well.
No. You could certainly cut this up by hand. It will take a bit of work though because you want it finely minced. You could also do this in a blender. Just mince a little at a time.
Give this ham salad a taste test before serving. I didn't add any additional salt to mine because my ham was salty enough so additional salt would have been too much. Adjust to your taste.
Serve on rolls, biscuits, as HAM SALAD PINWHEELS, in a sandwich or as a spread for crackers!
Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It will last up to 4 or 5 days. I don't recommend freezing ham salad. Sometimes the mayonnaise separates when it defrosts.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- boneless cooked ham
- hard boiled egg
- celery
- onion
- fresh black pepper
- sweet pickle relish
- mayonnaise
- mustard
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HAM SALAD:
Put the ham, egg, celery and onion into a blender or food processor (season with a bit of salt and black pepper).
Pulse (short, quick pulses) 20-25 times to mince.
Combine remaining ingredients into a separate bowl (sweet pickle relish, mayonnaise, mustard.)
Then stir it into minced ham mixture.
Cover and chill. I like to chill ham salad for several hours. It definitely gets better as it chills for a while
Serve on rolls, in a sandwich or with crackers!
WANT MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES? YOU GOTTA TRY THESE!
The Best Ham Salad
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless cooked ham (leftover or purchased thick slab, trimmed of fat and diced)
- 1 hard-boiled egg
- 1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish (optional)
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- assorted crackers and/or soft rolls
Instructions
- Put the ham, egg, celery and onion into a blender or food processor (season with a bit of fresh black pepper)
- Pulse (short, quick pulses) 20-25 times to mince. Scrape down the sides of the food processor to make sure it all gets combined evenly.
- Combine remaining ingredients into a separate bowl (sweet pickle relish, mayonnaise and mustard)
- Then stir in minced ham mixture.
- Cover and chill. I prefer to chill it for several hours. It definitely gets better as it chills for a while.
- Serve on rolls, biscuits or as a spread for crackers!
Video
Notes
- This ham salad is perfect for that leftover holiday ham. I set about making my own version of a ham salad that combines all of my favorite flavors. I used a small boneless cooked ham.
- Ham steaks also work for this recipe
- You should end up with 3 cups ground ham after it is blended in the food processor or blender.
- Give this ham salad a taste test before serving. I didn't add any additional salt to mine because my ham was salty enough so additional salt would have been too much. Adjust to your taste.
- Serve on rolls, biscuits or as a spread for crackers!
Nutrition
Updated to add: The original post had a giveaway. That giveaway has now ended.
Originally published: January 2014
Updated and Republished: March 2021
OldHoosierDude
The beauty of these old-fashioned recipes is how easy it is to customize them to your tastes. All of the elements of a great ham salad recipe are here, the way most of us remember it. I doubled the onion, celery and relish because that's the way mom used to make it, but it is simply damned delicious as written.
It's been years since I've had this, and I'm so glad this resource was here to guide me back to warm summer memories and this perfect concoction!
Michelle Lynes
While normally I make a recipe as written first I didn’t this one as I’m not fond of celery or onions. We usually smoke a ham on the smoker even if it’s already been smoked used the left overs to make ham salad omg good.