Ham Salad Recipe makes a creamy, tangy filling with little pieces of ham and tender chopped egg. Make it for a quick lunch after you have leftover ham, or set it out with crackers for a shared snack.
How to make ham salad: Chop cooked ham, stir it with mayonnaise, sweet relish, mustard and pepper, then gently fold in chopped boiled eggs. There’s no cooking or required chilling; it’s ready in 5 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- Quick to put together: With cooked ham and boiled eggs ready, the chopping and mixing take 5 minutes.
- Texture you control: Use a knife for distinct bits of ham or a food processor for smaller pieces.
- Just a mixing bowl: Once the ham is chopped, everything comes together in the same bowl.
- Easy to serve: Spoon it into sandwiches or rolls, or put it out with crackers.
Ingredient Notes
Cooked ham: Leftover smoked or baked ham both fit here. Start with ham that is already cooked, and chop it as finely as you like. I reach for a knife when I want more noticeable pieces in each bite; a food processor is handy when I want the ham smaller.
Mayonnaise: This is the creamy dressing, not an extra topping. Buy enough for the full 1/2 cup so the chopped ham and egg get coated when you stir. The relish and mustard go into that same mixture, so you don’t need a separate prepared dressing.
Sweet pickle relish: Its sweet-tangy bits are part of the filling’s texture.
Boiled eggs: Use fully hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped. They’re added after the ham and dressing are blended so you can stir them in gently rather than working them through every turn of the spoon.
Spicy brown mustard and black pepper: The mustard adds a sharp note against the creamy mayonnaise and sweet relish. Add the black pepper to taste; there’s no measured amount to aim for.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked smoked or baked ham, chopped as finely as you like
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
- 2 boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
- Black pepper, to taste
How to Make Ham Salad
1. Chop the ham. Chop the cooked ham with a knife or food processor to the fineness you prefer. If you use the processor, pulse just until the ham is in small pieces; stop and look before deciding whether you want it finer.
2. Mix the salad. Put the ham, mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, mustard and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Stir until the ham is well blended with the dressing and you can see relish distributed through it.
3. Add the eggs and serve. Gently stir in the chopped boiled eggs. Serve the salad cold on sandwiches, rolls or crackers. If you reheat leftovers for another use, check with a thermometer that they reach 165°F; this salad itself is served cold.
How Finely Should You Chop the Ham?
You get to choose the texture. A knife leaves it easy to see and feel the individual pieces of ham, while a food processor lets you make smaller pieces quickly. For the processor, use short pulses and look at the ham when it reaches small pieces. You can always pulse again if you want it finer.
My pick for a sandwich is finely chopped ham that still has visible pieces. It mixes easily with the mayonnaise without disappearing from the filling. If you prefer a chunkier spoonful alongside crackers, stop chopping sooner. Neither choice changes the order of mixing: coat the ham first, then bring in the eggs with a gentle stir.
Tips for Success
Why can’t I see distinct pieces of egg?
If the egg looks worked into the dressing, it may have been stirred along with everything else. Blend the ham, mayonnaise, relish, mustard and pepper first, then add the chopped eggs with a gentler stir. You’re looking for pieces of egg in the finished salad, not a perfectly uniform mixture.
Variations
- Change the mustard: Use Dijon or yellow mustard in place of spicy brown mustard if that’s what you have.
- Add crunch: Stir in chopped celery if you want a crisp contrast to the creamy ham mixture.
- Use dill pickle: Swap chopped dill pickle for the sweet relish when you want a less sweet pickle choice.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate ham salad promptly in a covered container and use it within 3 to 4 days. USDA FSIS says to keep cold perishable food at 40°F or below and discard it after more than 2 hours at room temperature, or more than 1 hour above 90°F. Mayonnaise does not freeze well for quality, so skip the freezer.
What to Serve With It
For a lunch spread, put the ham salad beside layered pasta salad or deviled egg pasta salad. If you’re planning what to do with more ham, try Crock Pot ham and beans, ham and potato corn chowder, slow cooker ham pasta or slow cooker ham steaks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to chill ham salad before serving it?
No. You can eat it as soon as the eggs are folded in; there’s no required rest. If you’d rather serve it later, put it in a covered container in the refrigerator promptly instead of leaving it on the counter.
Can I make ham salad with leftover baked ham?
Yes. Cooked baked ham works, as does cooked smoked ham. Chop whichever you’re using to the size you want before combining it with the mayonnaise mixture.
What kind of dressing should I use for ham salad?
Use the mayonnaise in the ingredients list, mixed with sweet pickle relish and spicy brown mustard. Stir that mixture through the chopped ham before adding the eggs; you don’t need a bottled salad dressing.
Final Notes
Before you put the cutting board away, check that the chopped ham is the size you want in your sandwich. Leave a question or tell me how your ham salad turned out in the comments.
Ham Salad Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 cups ham cooked smoked or baked; chopped as finely as you like
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
- 2 boiled eggs fully hard-boiled, peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop the cooked ham with a knife or food processor to the fineness you prefer. If using a food processor, pulse just until the ham is in small pieces and check whether you want it finer.
- Put the ham, mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, mustard and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Stir until the ham is well blended with the dressing and the relish is distributed throughout.
- Gently stir in the chopped boiled eggs. Serve cold on sandwiches, rolls or crackers. If reheating leftovers for another use, check with a thermometer that they reach 165°F; this salad is served cold.
