Ham Salad
This classic ham salad is a creamy, crunchy, and deeply savory spread made with finely minced cooked ham, hard-boiled eggs, celery, sweet pickle relish, and a perfectly seasoned mayonnaise dressing. It comes together in just 15 minutes with no cooking required, making it one of the best ways to use up leftover holiday ham. Serve it on soft sandwich bread, fluffy dinner rolls, crackers, or lettuce cups for a lunch that everyone at the table will love.
Equipment
- Food processor - For finely mincing the ham; a sharp chef's knife works as a manual alternative
- Large mixing bowl - For combining all ingredients
- Cutting board - For rough chopping the ham and vegetables
- Chef's knife - For cutting ham into chunks and preparing vegetables
- Small saucepan - For hard boiling the eggs
- Rubber spatula - For folding the dressing into the ham mixture
- Fine-mesh strainer - For draining excess liquid from the sweet pickle relish
- Airtight storage container - For chilling and storing the finished ham salad
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs boneless cooked ham - 680g; cut into rough 1–2 inch chunks; leftover holiday ham or a smoked ham steak works best
- 2 hard-boiled eggs - peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 stalks celery - about ½ cup or 75g; roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons sweet onion - such as Vidalia; finely minced
For the Dressing
- ¾ cup mayonnaise - 180g; full-fat recommended; Duke's or Hellmann's preferred
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish - drained of excess liquid before adding
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- black pepper - freshly ground; to taste
- salt - to taste; use sparingly as ham is already salty
Instructions
- Remove any skin, fat, or bone fragments from the cooked ham and cut it into rough 1–2 inch (2.5–5 cm) chunks. If the ham is glazed or wet, pat the chunks dry with paper towels to prevent a watery salad.
- Place eggs in a small saucepan, cover with cold water by 1 inch, and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook for 10–12 minutes, then transfer to an ice bath for 5 minutes. Peel, roughly chop, and set aside.
- Roughly chop the celery into 1-inch pieces and finely mince the sweet onion; drain the sweet pickle relish through a fine mesh strainer or press with a spoon to remove excess liquid before using.
- Add ham chunks to the food processor and pulse in short 1–2 second bursts, checking after every 5–6 pulses, until finely minced but not pasty; transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the roughly chopped celery and hard-boiled eggs to the food processor and pulse 3–4 times until minced but still slightly textured; add to the bowl with the ham along with the minced onion.
- In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, drained sweet pickle relish, yellow mustard, garlic powder, and onion powder until fully smooth and combined.
- Pour the dressing over the ham mixture and fold gently with a rubber spatula until everything is evenly coated; season with black pepper to taste and add salt only if needed, as the ham is already salty.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld; stir before serving and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve on sandwich bread, dinner rolls, crackers, or lettuce cups.
Notes
- Always drain the sweet pickle relish before adding it — undrained relish is the most common cause of watery ham salad.
- Use short pulses in the food processor, not continuous blending. You want a fine mince with some texture, not a smooth paste.
- Pat the ham dry with paper towels before processing, especially if it is leftover glazed ham, to avoid excess moisture in the salad.
- Taste before adding salt — cooked ham is naturally high in sodium and the salad often needs little to no additional salt.
- The salad tastes significantly better after chilling for at least 1 hour; making it the night before a gathering is highly recommended.
- For a no-food-processor version, dice the ham by hand into very small ¼-inch pieces for a slightly chunkier but equally delicious result.
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days. Do not freeze, as the mayonnaise will separate upon thawing.
- For a lighter version, substitute half the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt without sacrificing too much creaminess.
- For a spicy variation, add 1–2 teaspoons of hot sauce or swap yellow mustard for spicy brown mustard.
- For extra richness, mix in 2–3 oz (55–85g) of softened cream cheese along with the mayonnaise.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 280kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 16gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 900mgPotassium: 280mgSugar: 2gVitamin A: 3IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 2mgIron: 6mg
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