Ham balls are tender meatballs made from ground ham and a little ground pork, bound with saltine crumbs, eggs and milk, baked in a 9×13 pan and basted with a sweet and tangy brown sugar, dry mustard and cider vinegar glaze. They’re a good way to use up leftover holiday ham, and this batch makes 24.
How to make ham balls: mix 2 pounds of ground ham with 1/2 pound of ground pork, eggs, onion, milk, cracker crumbs, salt and pepper, shape 24 balls, bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, baste with a boiled brown sugar and vinegar glaze, then bake 15 minutes more until they read 160°F inside.
Why You’ll Love Them
- Uses leftover ham, including the Easter or holiday ham.
- Pantry glaze: brown sugar, dry mustard, cider vinegar and water.
- Makes 24 ham balls in one 9×13 pan.
- About 20 minutes of prep, then the oven does the work.
What Is Ground Ham (and Why It Isn’t Ground Pork)?
Ground ham and ground pork are not the same thing. Ground pork usually comes from the shoulder and is fresh meat. Ham is cut from the leg and is cured, dry or wet, and sometimes smoked, and that cured flavor is what you want in ham balls. Ground pork can’t replace the ham.
This recipe uses both: 2 pounds of ground ham for the flavor, with 1/2 pound of ground pork as a partner. The pork is there alongside the ham, not in place of it.
How to Grind Ham at Home
Ground ham is not always in the meat case, but it’s easy to make:
- Start with ham steak. A ham steak or bone-in ham steak works, and so does leftover boneless ham.
- Ask the meat counter to grind it to the texture of ground beef.
- Use a grinder attachment on a stand mixer.
- Or use a food processor. Cut the ham into 2-inch chunks and pulse 40 to 50 times, until it looks like ground beef.
Ingredient Notes
Meat. Two pounds of ground ham and 1/2 pound of ground pork.
Binder. Two eggs, a cup of milk and a cup of saltine cracker crumbs hold the mixture together.
Onion. One medium onion, minced.
Glaze. One and a half cups of brown sugar, a tablespoon of dry mustard, 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar and 1/2 cup of water, brought to a boil in a saucepan.
Ingredients
Ham balls
- 2 pounds ground ham
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 2 eggs
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup saltine cracker crumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
How to Make Ham Balls
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F and get out a 9×13-inch pan.
2. Mix and shape. Mix the ground ham, ground pork, eggs, onion, milk, cracker crumbs, salt and pepper well. Shape into 24 balls and set them in the pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
3. Make the glaze. While the ham balls bake, stir the brown sugar, dry mustard, cider vinegar and water together in a saucepan. Heat for about 5 minutes, until it begins to boil, then take it off the heat. Baste it over the ham balls.
4. Finish baking. Return the pan to the oven and bake 15 more minutes, until a digital meat thermometer reads 160°F in the center of a ham ball.
Cook to 160°F, Not by the Clock
The mixture has raw ground pork and raw egg in it, so check the center of a ham ball with a digital meat thermometer. USDA FSIS says ground meat is done at 160°F. Let the thermometer, not the clock, tell you they.re ready.
Other Ways to Make Ham Balls
| Version | Meat and binder | Sauce | Bake |
|---|---|---|---|
| This recipe | 2 lb ground ham, 1/2 lb ground pork, saltine crumbs, 2 eggs, 1 cup milk | Brown sugar, dry mustard, cider vinegar, water | 350°F, 30 minutes, glaze, 15 minutes more |
| Ham and beef | 1 lb ground ham, 1 lb 85/15 ground beef, graham cracker crumbs, 1 egg, 3/4 cup milk | Condensed tomato soup, brown sugar, white vinegar, dry mustard | 12 to 15 balls of about 1/3 cup, 350°F uncovered, basted once or twice |
| Swedish ham balls | 2 1/2 lb ground ham, chopped apple, breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, 3/4 cup milk | Brown sugar, dry mustard, vinegar, water | Small balls at 325°F, basted often |
Whichever version you make, check the center with a thermometer for 160°F. The ham and beef version rests 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat covered until they reach 165°F, on the stove, in the oven or in the microwave rather than a slow cooker.
What to Serve With Them
Ham balls go well with potato sides like scalloped potatoes and a vegetable like smothered green beans. For more ways to use ham, try crock pot ham and beans or crockpot ham and potato casserole. If you like glazed meatballs, there’s sweet and sour meatballs and slow cooker Mississippi meatballs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make ham balls easy?
Have the meat counter grind the ham, or pulse ham steak in a food processor. Then mix, shape 24 balls, bake 30 minutes, baste with the glaze and bake 15 minutes more.
Can I use ground pork instead of ground ham?
No. Ground pork is fresh meat from the shoulder; ham is cured leg meat, and the cured flavor is the point of ham balls. Here the pork is used only alongside the ham.
Can I make ham balls with leftover ham?
Yes. Cut leftover boneless ham into 2-inch chunks and pulse it in a food processor until it looks like ground beef.
What temperature should ham balls be?
160°F in the center, checked with a digital meat thermometer.
Final Notes
Grind the ham, mix in a little pork, bake, glaze and check for 160°F. Tell me in the comments which ham you used.
Ham Balls
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground ham ham steak or leftover ham, ground
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 2 eggs
- 1 medium onion minced
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup cracker crumbs saltines
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar for the glaze
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard for the glaze
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar for the glaze
- 1/2 cup water for the glaze
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350F and get out a 9x13-inch pan.
- Mix the ground ham, ground pork, eggs, onion, milk, cracker crumbs, salt and pepper well. Shape into 24 balls and set them in the pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
- While the ham balls bake, stir the brown sugar, dry mustard, cider vinegar and water together in a saucepan. Heat for about 5 minutes, until it begins to boil, then take it off the heat. Baste it over the ham balls.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake 15 more minutes, until a digital meat thermometer reads 160F in the center of a ham ball.
Notes
Nutrition
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