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Ham salad has the familiar sweet pickle flavor of an old-fashioned deli salad, with cooked ham, celery and red onion minced into a tasty, creamy spread. It’s not a smooth salad because there are little chunks of ham in there as well as crunchy veggie pieces and you can mince it as fine or as chunky as you prefer. Yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish and mayonnaise give this easy ham salad recipe a rich and tangy dressing.
Why You’ll Love It
This old-fashioned ham salad combines finely minced cooked ham with celery, red onion and a mayo-based dressing with sweet pickle relish and yellow mustard.
Classic deli-style texture: The mixture spreads easily and has a light crunch from the small chopped pieces.
Makes good use of cooked ham: Packaged cubed ham or leftover holiday ham can go straight into the food processor.
Good for sandwiches and crackers: The fine mince spreads easily on bread and can be scooped up with crackers.
More salads you might enjoy include my tuna macaroni salad, pepperoncini chicken salad, bacon ranch pasta salad and cashew crunch edamame salad.
Best Ham Salad Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Cooked ham: Use boneless cooked ham, either packaged cubes or leftovers from a holiday meal.
Celery and red onion: These are finely minced with the ham, leaving little pieces that give the salad a light crunch. You can mince the mixture until it’s almost smooth if you prefer, but I usually aim for a slightly chunky texture.
Mayonnaise: Binds the minced ingredients into a creamy spread.
Sweet pickle relish and yellow mustard: The relish gives the dressing its sweet pickle taste. Yellow mustard adds a mild tang.
Salt and black pepper: I recommend that you season carefully because cooked ham can already be quite salty.
How to Make Old-Fashioned Ham Salad
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Process the ingredients: Add the ham, celery, red onion, mayonnaise, mustard, relish, salt and pepper to a food processor. Pulse until finely minced.
Chill the salad: Transfer the ham mixture to a covered bowl and chill for an hour.
Finish: Stir before serving and sprinkle on chopped green onions if using.
Substitutions and Variations
Try dill relish: Use dill relish for a less sweet pickle flavor.
Mayo swap: I tried this recipe with plain Greek yogurt instead of mayo and the result was good. It gave the salad a tangier flavor and slightly looser consistency.
Extra seasoning: Add ½ teaspoon of garlic powder or onion powder.
Another garnish: Garnish with parsley, green onions or cilantro.
Serving Suggestions
With crackers or rolls: Make ham salad sandwiches with crusty rolls, Parker House rolls, homemade yeast rolls or rosemary cheddar crackers.
With other salads: A scoop of ham salad is delicious with a lemon parmesan salad or on a bed of your favorite lettuce leaves. You might like a scoop of this and a scoop of egg salad or pimento cheese.
With a baked potato: For something a little more filling, scoop some into a baked potato.
How to Store
Store: Keep leftover ham salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Give it a stir before serving if the dressing has separated.
Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this salad. Mayonnaise dressings often thaw out watery and grainy.
Top Tips
Use short pulses: For the best ham salad texture, check the mixture often because long processing can make the ham pasty.
Roughly chop the veggies first: Large pieces of celery or onion may not mince evenly with the ham.
Chop it by hand: Finely dicing the ingredients with a knife produces a coarser salad. I prefer using a food processor because it’s so much quicker, but the choice is yours.
Allow the full chilling time: An hour in the refrigerator gives the dressing time to season the ham evenly.
Ham Salad Sandwich FAQs
The ham can become pasty if it spends too long in the food processor. Use short pulses and check the texture often.
Use boneless cooked ham. Packaged cubed ham and leftover holiday ham both mince evenly.
I like to mince it finely, leaving small pieces of ham and vegetables in the mixture. Processing it until completely smooth creates a paste-like consistency.
Old-Fashioned Ham Salad Recipe
Ham Salad
Ingredients
- 2 Cups cooked ham, boneless, diced
- 3 Stalks celery, roughly chopped
- ¼ Cup red onion, diced
- ¾ Cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
- 2 Tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- ½ Teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ Teaspoon black pepper
To Serve (Optional)
- green onions, freshly chopped
- crackers or soft rolls
Instructions
- Add ham, celery, onion, mayonnaise, mustard, relish, salt, and pepper to a food processor. Pulse until minced to your desired texture.
- Spoon into a large serving bowl.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Garnish with chopped green onions if using and serve with crackers or rolls.
Notes
Roughly chop the veggies first: Large pieces of celery or onion may not mince evenly with the ham.
Chop it by hand: Finely dicing the ingredients with a knife produces a coarser salad. I prefer using a food processor because it’s so much quicker, but the choice is yours.
Allow the full chilling time: An hour in the refrigerator gives the dressing time to season the ham evenly.
Nutrition
Old-fashioned ham salad is a simple way to use cooked ham for lunch. Sweet pickle relish gives the dressing its familiar deli flavor and yellow mustard gives it a mild tang. Celery and red onion add some crunch. I love how it spreads easily on soft rolls, toasted bread or crackers. You can make it with packaged cubed ham or use up leftover holiday ham after a roast dinner. And, for me, a spoonful of sweet relish is essential to the old-fashioned flavor!
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
