Classic Southern Ham Salad is so delicious and easy to make! It’s perfect for sandwiches, on crackers, and makes a yummy dip. Turn leftover holiday ham into something amazing with this simple recipe.
For a light, easy-to-make lunch, serve ham salad with Mom’s Best Egg Salad and Penne Pasta Salad.
In This Post
Reader Comment
“Best ham salad we’ve ever had! This recipe is a keeper!”
Patti
Ham Salad is one of those simple recipes that never needs to be messed with. The reason. It’s great…just as it is. Like my homemade Pimento Cheese, some things are wonderful just as they are.
One of the things that makes this Ham Salad or deviled ham spread so good is that you’re taking one recipe and making it into two. It all starts with baked ham normally served during a holiday like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter. There’s always some leftover ham from a Southern ham dinner menu, and what better way to use it than in Ham Salad?
Ways To Serve Ham Salad
- It’s delicious served as an appetizer with an assortment of crackers.
- Pile it high on toasted bread with crispy lettuce.
- Serve it alongside your favorite soup for a great twist on Soup and Salad Night.
- Of course, my favorite is saltine crackers with some pickles on the side!
Ingredients For This Recipe
- Leftover ham or store-bought cooked ham
- Egg
- Mayonnaise
- Sweet Pickles – sweet pickle relish can also be used.
- Pickle Juice
- Celery
- Black Pepper
How To Make The Best Ham Salad Recipe
I’ve found the best way to make this recipe is to use a food processor. If you don’t have one, chop the ham into small pieces.
- First, add the ham, eggs, pickles, pepper, and mayonnaise to the processor bowl and pulse about 12 to 15 times.
- Next, add finely chopped celery and fold everything together using a spatula. Taste and add more mayonnaise if needed, along with fresh cracked pepper.
- Chill in the fridge for about an hour before serving if you can wait that long!
Want To Change Up The Recipe?
This easy ham salad recipe can be changed to include all other ingredients. Here are a few ideas:
- Switch out the sweet pickles for dill pickles.
- Chopped green onions, or other fresh herbs like parsley or chives.
- bell pepper
- Dijon mustard or horseradish sauce
Donya’s Success Tip
If you don’t have leftover holiday ham and are hankering for Ham Salad, aka deviled ham, you can purchase cooked ham from the deli, either already chopped or thick-sliced.
How To Store Ham Salad
Keep Ham Salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
As a reminder, if you’re serving it as an appetizer, do not leave it out for more than 2 hours since it has mayo in it.
More Easy Salads You’ll Love
If you tried this Southern Ham Salad Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 – 3 ½ cups fully cooked ham
- 1 large hard-boiled egg
- 2 tablespoons chopped sweet pickles
- 1 tablespoon sweet pickle juice
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 stalk finely chopped celery
Instructions
- To the bowl of a food processor, add ham, egg, sweet pickles, pickle juice, pepper, and mayonnaise. Pulse for 12 – 15 times until ham is finely chopped.
- Place ham mixture in a medium-size bowl. Fold in chopped celery. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and place ham salad in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour before serving.
- ***a sharp knife can be used to chop ham, egg, and pickles if no food processor is available.
Video
Notes
- If you don’t have leftover holiday ham and are hankering for Ham Salad, you can purchase cooked ham from the deli, either already chopped or thick-sliced.
- Keep Ham Salad stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- As a reminder, if you’re serving it as an appetizer, make sure not to leave it out for more than 2 hours since it has mayo in it.
Nutrition
5 Days of Southern Summer Comfort Food!
My go-to summer recipes!
Delicious! I also added a little dill seasoning to the mayo and a little Dijon mustard.
Sounds like a great addition! Thank you for your review! ~Donya
This is exactly how my mother made it! Love it!
I cannot wait to make this! We love baked ham and always have left overs. Love your site and thank you for sharing so many great recipes!
You are so welcome, Sherry! Thank you for your sweet comments.
~Donya
Great recipe. Thanks for sharing. Especially about ask deli to cut thick slices. That and your recipe are a real winner thanks
Thank you so much, Elaine!