Old Fashioned Ham Salad Recipe
This Old Fashioned Ham Salad Recipe is a classic throwback dish that is perfect for using up leftover ham from the holidays! Simple, yet packed with flavor and a little crunch, it’s excellent with crackers or on sandwiches! No leftover ham? No problem! Deli ham works perfectly, too!
Ya’ll know I LOVE me a good throwback recipe! In my opinion, food should be simple and delicious and so many throwback recipes I had as a kid are just that! Like my Taco Casserole or these Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes!
This easy ham salad is simple and DELICIOUS–and just like my grandma used to make! It’s more of a “southern style” ham salad recipe and includes eggs and a lot of the same ingredients you’d find in egg salad or deviled eggs. Sometimes I even call this a deviled ham salad! 😉
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- A great way to use up leftover ham!
- Can be made ahead of time and stores well in the fridge.
- Simple recipe and super easy to assemble!
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
You’ll need the following ingredients to make the best ham salad:
INGREDIENT NOTES
Ham: Honestly, you can use any kind of ham you like! Leftover holiday ham is obviously easy and ideal. If you just want to whip this up for “everyday,” deli sliced ham (from the deli counter) works best because of the low moisture content.
I personally love honey smoked ham in this recipe, but use whatever you like!
Mustard: Regular yellow mustard works best (not dijon).
HOW TO MAKE OLD FASHIONED HAM SALAD RECIPE: STEP BY STEP
Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with exact ingredients will be in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Place roughly chopped ham in a food processor and pulse 7-10 times until finely chopped. Don’t over mix or it will get mushy.
Step 2: Transfer the ground ham to a mixing bowl and add all remaining ingredients: onion, celery, mayo, eggs, mustard and a little black pepper to taste.
Step 3: Mix until everything is well-blended. Then, serve on sandwiches, with crackers on in lettuce cups!
RECIPE TIPS & TRICKS
- If you want to make this recipe with sliced ham, try to get ham from the deli counter as it has less water in it. If you get pre packaged ham, just make sure you pat the slices “dry” with paper towels so there isn’t any excess moisture to make your ham salad soggy.
- If you are serving this as an appetizer for a party, garnish it with a little chopped fresh parsley for a pop of color!
STORAGE & REHEATING
- Storage: Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. ((These are my favorite storage containers))
- Freezing: You can freeze this ham salad! As long as you use full fat mayo, this homemade ham salad freezes up great! Freeze in a large freezer bag or in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw on the counter or in the fridge overnight.
ADDITIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
This ham salad recipe is my original, traditional recipe, but there are lots of yummy additions and substitutions to make it your own!
Additions
- Sweet Pickle Relish: Some people like to add some sweet relish to this ham salad if their ham is more on the savory side.
- Cheddar Cheese: Stir in some freshly grated cheese to make this a cheesy “dip!”
- Hot Sauce: Need a little spice? Add a few dashes of hot sauce (such as Tabasco)!
Substitutions:
- Ham: The kind of ham you use doesn’t matter! Leftover holiday ham is perfect. If you want to make this with sliced ham, opt for ham from the deli as it has less water content. I recommend honey ham as the sweetness is so delish in this recipe!
- Mayo: If you want a little extra sweetness, Miracle Whip can also be used!
- Onion: I prefer red onion but any sweet onion works. Finely chopped green onion is great, too!
- Celery: Don’t like celery? Try chopped dill pickles or dill pickle relish instead for a little crunch!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Besides just eating on a spoon straight from the bowl?!? There are lots of different ways to serve up this amazing ham salad!
With Crackers: My favorite way to enjoy this ham salad is as an appetizer “dip” with crackers. Ritz crackers are traditional, but wheat cracker (like Wheat Thins) or thick potato chips are also delish!
On Sandwiches: Ham salad on white bread is traditional, but again, make it your own! Use wheat bread of pile it on a baguette or soft roll with lettuce!
In Lettuce Cups: Keto or low carbin’ it? Serve this delicious ham salad in fresh romaine or butter lettuce leaves!
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OTHER OLD FASHIONED “THROWBACK” RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
I hope you love this Old Fashioned Ham Salad! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Old Fashioned Ham Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. cooked ham (leftover ham or deli sliced), roughly chopped See Note 1
- 4 large boiled eggs, chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 4 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 2 tsp regular yellow mustard
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil your eggs. See Note 2 below for my favorite methods for boiling eggs! When cool, finely chop.
- Place ham in a food processor and pulse 7-10 times until ham is finely chopped (don't blend too much or the ham will become mushy). See photo in the post above for how the ham should look texture-wise!
- In a large mixing bowl, add ham and all remaining ingredients. Stir until everything is well mixed.
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Add eggs to a medium saucepan, then cover eggs with water. Bring water to a rolling boil, then turn off the heat and cover the pan. Let the pan/eggs sit for 10-15 minutes, then rinse eggs under cold water and peel.
- In the Instant Pot! I use this method: Instant Pot Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs.
My family loved the ham salad sandwiches in their lunches. A delicious way to use up the leftover ham.
Loved my sandwiches filled with ham salad today at lunchtime! So easy to prepare and what a delicious filling to make with leftover ham! My new favourite!
Another great retro recipe by Get On My Plate! This one brings back a lot of childhood memories. This was delicious on a fresh roll and we enjoyed the leftovers on crackers the next day. Great recipe!
Oh yum! Definitely the perfect use for leftover ham. I love how easily it all comes together in just 30 minutes.
Love how easy this recipe is. It’s perfect for our family!
I’ve got lots of leftover ham in the freezer so this is a great idea. Love all the crunch from the celery and onion too.
That is making me so hungry. I love making homemade ham salad. Now all I need is some bread!
Cant wait to make this ham salad. Thanks for sharing the recipe
We used our leftover Christmas ham to make this ham salad and it was delicious! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
I had this on a sandwich, and I totally loved it! Like an amped up version of egg salad 🙂
Now that spring is around the corner I’ll be making this salad regularly. So delicious.
OK, this is genius, what a great way to use leftover ham slices. Hoping to make some, I will add some jalapeños for some kick. Thanks for sharing!
Whilst it’s an old-fashioned recipe, truth be told, we never made ham salad before. Now, after trying this recipe, I ask myself why? A brilliant way to use any leftover ham! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
You can’t beat a classic ham salad. This was delicious and I will definitely be making it again.
This is the best classic ham salad recipe I’ve ever had. Just like the ham salad I grew up on!