Best-Ever Ham salad is bursting with flavor, combining the savory richness of leftover holiday ham with creamy mayonnaise and zesty seasonings for a delightful spread. It’s the perfect way to transform those extra holiday leftovers into a delicious dish that can be enjoyed on sandwiches, crackers, or as a refreshing salad.
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🥚 The Ingredients
The ingredients, such as mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and crunchy vegetables, work harmoniously to enhance the ham’s flavor, creating a deliciously balanced and satisfying dish. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
🌿 Substitutions and Variations
- Ham – We always make a batch of this salad when we have leftover ham from a holiday feast. However, you can purchase deli ham (thickly sliced) and prepare it in the same way. You can also often find finely chopped (or cubed) fully cooked ham in the meat section of most well-stocked supermarkets.
- Onions – We like a combination of slightly sweet red onions and the milder-tasting green onions (scallions). The flavor is not overpowering, however, you can soak the red onions in white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar to pickle them, also, which mellows the onion flavor considerably. If you don’t care for onions, then omit them.
- Celery – The celery adds a little “crunch” to the salad. Chop it finely if you don’t want too much “crunch.”
- Flavor enhancers – The Dijon adds a subtle depth of flavor to the dressing. Plain yellow mustard can be substituted. Fresh parsley adds an herbaceous pepper flavor, but can be substituted with dried parsley. Other herbs, such as basil, thyme, or rosemary, are excellent flavor enhancers.
See the recipe card (with video) below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Expert Tip
Be sure to allow the salad to chill for at least an hour, or even better, overnight. The flavors will meld, and the taste just gets better. We recommend allowing the salad to sit out for about 30 minutes to take some of the chill off of it.
👩🏼🍳 How To Make Best-Ever Ham Salad
- Step 1: Process chunks of ham in a food processor until uniformly chopped.
- Step 2: Add the chopped ham, pickles, eggs, celery, onion, parsley, and green onions to a large bowl.
- Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk the mayo, Dijon, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until combined.
- Step 4: Pour the dressing over the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Step 5: Chill the salad for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
- Step 6: Serve on a bed of greens or as a sandwich.
🍽️ How To Serve
- This salad is very versatile. It makes an amazing sandwich on your favorite sliced bread. Serve it with potato chips or fresh veggies for the perfect lunch.
- It’s also perfect to serve as a spread for special gatherings, such as birthday parties or showers. Serve the salad on a platter lined with green leaf lettuce. Guests can build their sandwich or on its own.
- They also make fantastic sliders.
- The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if serving a crowd.
🙋🏽♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
Leftover cooked ham is best. However, quality ham steaks from the supermarket will work, too.
4 to 6 days, making it a great option for meal prep or using up leftovers.
In moderation. To make it healthier, use plain Greek yogurt in place of the mayo. Don’t add any additional salt, as leftover hams tend to have a high sodium content. Add plenty of vegetables to the salad.
😋 Other Classic “Salad” Recipes
Ready to take the leftover ham to the next level? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Best-Ever Ham Salad
Video
Equipment
- Food processor or meat grinder, or a large sharp knife (for finely chopping the ham)
Ingredients
- 3 hard-boiled eggs roughly chopped
- 1 lb cooked ham Cut into pieces, about 3 cups (before being processed)
- ¼ cup cornichons finely chopped, see NOTES
- ¼ cup celery finely chopped
- ¼ cup red onion finely chopped
- 2 green onions chopped, aka scallions
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Do Ahead – Make the Hard-Boiled Eggs
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Gently add the chilled eggs to the water for 11 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs and place them in a bowl filled with water and ice. Once cooled, peel away the shells and roughly chop them.3 hard-boiled eggs
Make the Ham Salad
- Place the cut-up ham in your food processor and pulse until the desired consistency.1 lb cooked ham
- Transfer the chopped ham into a large bowl along with the cornichons, celery, onions, and green onions.¼ cup cornichons, ¼ cup celery, ¼ cup red onion, 2 green onions
- Add the mayonnaise, Dijon, white wine vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper into a small bowl. Whisk until combined.¾ cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, Kosher salt and black pepper
- Pour the dressing over the dry ingredients and stir until completely combined. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, or even better, overnight.
Laura M. says
This recipe was easy and delicious. I left out the eggs but it was so flavorful with the little pickles and mustard. I think the 2 types of onions gave it that extra bite! So good!
Kris Longwell says
Yay!!! We are so so so happy you made the ham salad and loved it!!! Thank YOU for sharing and for the awesome review!!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Christina says
Hands down the BEST ham salad I’ve had! The Dijon mustard and green onions give it such great flavor.
Kris Longwell says
Woo hoo!! This makes us sooooo happy!!! Thank you for letting us know and the fantastic review! That means the world to us!!!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Wesley says
Truly, the best! The hard-boiled eggs gives you a taste of traditional but the dijon, white wine vinegar, and red onion takes it to a new level.