Ham Salad

Ham salad is a great way to use leftover ham. Mix together diced ham, hard-boiled eggs, pickle relish, mayo, onion, celery, bell pepper, and mustard for a terrific salad you can use on sandwiches or enjoy on its own.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated March 23, 2022
Elise Bauer
Ham Salad recipe
Elise Bauer

One of the best reasons to serve a ham for a holiday dinner or family gathering is the prospect of leftover ham, don't you think? Ham keeps well and can be used for a hearty ham and bean soup, a pasta dish with peas, or for a crowd-pleasing ham salad.

It's one of those feed-a-lot-of-people comfort food salads that makes you look forward to leftovers.

Easy Ham Salad
Elise Bauer

How to Use Leftover Ham in Ham Salad

Put it in a sandwich (or a slider bun!), eat it plain, or add it to macaroni. The basic components of our favorite ham salad are ground or finely diced ham, sweet pickle relish (sweet works better than dill for ham, in my opinion), and hard-boiled eggs. Then add something for crunch (celery and/or bell peppers) and mayo to bind it.

Add a little mustard and lemon juice to brighten the flavors, and maybe a touch of cayenne as a nod to deviled ham or eggs.

Do you have a twist on ham salad that you enjoy? Please let us know about it in the comments!

Photos updated; recipe first published 2010.

The Best Ham to Use for Ham Salad

Any cooked ham or ham steak works for this recipe. If the ham has a sweet glaze on it, be aware the sweet flavors will come through in the salad. To avoid the sweetness being a dominant flavor, cut away any parts covered in glaze before dicing or grinding the ham.

How to Store Ham Salad

Store ham salad tightly covered in the refrigerator for three to five days.

Can You Freeze Ham Salad?

We don't recommend freezing prepared ham salad because the mayonnaise can separate as it defrosts. For making ham salad at a later date, freeze diced or ground ham in a freezer-safe zipper bag or container for up to three months.

Hard-Boiled Eggs for Ham Salad 

If you don't have a favorite method of hard-boiling eggs, try steamed hard-boiled eggs or Instant Pot hard-boiled eggs.

More Recipes to Use Up Leftover Ham

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Ham Salad

Prep Time 10 mins
Total Time 10 mins
Servings 3 to 4 sandwiches
Yield 3 cups

To make ground ham, chop leftover ham into cubes and either pulse in a food processor or put through a meat grinder.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups finely diced or ground ham (about 3/4 pound)

  • 3 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped

  • 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise

  • 2 tablespoons minced green onion

  • 2 tablespoons minced celery

  • 2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • Large pinch cayenne, optional

  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

  1. Mix the ham salad:

    Mix everything but the salt, pepper and cayenne in a large bowl. Taste and add cayenne, salt and black pepper to taste. Chill.

    ingredients in ham salad
    Elise Bauer
    leftover ham recipe ham salad
    Elise Bauer
  2. Serve:

    Serve straight, or mixed in with macaroni, or in a sandwich in a hamburger bun, slider roll, kaiser roll, regular bread, in a pita, or as a wrap. Good with lemonade on a hot day.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
303 Calories
18g Fat
16g Carbs
20g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 303
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 3g 17%
Cholesterol 189mg 63%
Sodium 1095mg 48%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 20g
Vitamin C 28mg 138%
Calcium 33mg 3%
Iron 2mg 8%
Potassium 399mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.