A classic Southern recipe, you'll find homemade deviled ham spread at just about any Southern gathering and it's a great way to use leftover ham!
This spread consists of cubed ham combined with a host of flavors and texture, including celery, onion, mayonnaise, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sweet relish (or dill relish), cayenne, salt and pepper!
It's typically served with buttery crackers, but you can also make deviled ham sandwiches with this recipe!
What is deviled ham?
The term "deviled" refers to a highly seasoned food, typically with a little heat from cayenne pepper, smoky paprika, hot mustard, hot sauce or Tabasco sauce.
Deviled ham spread (or deviled ham salad) is finely chopped ham combined with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and a little spice that give it a little zesty flavor over plain cubed ham.
Some folks add sweet pickle relish (or dill) to their ham spread - it's really up to you! It's kind of like a poor man's pâté.
The William Underwood company first introduced this canned meat spread back in 1868 and even today, you'll still find this canned meat in grocery stores! This copycat recipe is much healthier than the canned deviled ham you find in your local store.
What does deviled mean in cooking?
"Deviled" is a culinary term - it means adding zesty or hot spices to a dish such as hot mustard, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, or smoky paprika. In this recipe, you'll find Dijon mustard (which has a little heat to it) and Louisiana red hot pepper sauce.
Think about deviled eggs or deviled egg salad. They are simply boiled eggs that have a lot of seasonings added to them. Same thing here with this ham salad.
Why you'll love this recipe!
This deviled ham recipe isn't really a new way to make this spread - but it is a little different from others in that the deviled ham dip doesn't have cream cheese. So, there's really no processed foods, other than the mayonnaise.
- Quick and easy - the total time to make this takes less than 10-minutes
- Versatile - serve as a dip with crackers or vegetables, or spread some on a slice of bread and make a deviled ham sandwich
- Flavorful - make it as mild or spicy as you like!
- Affordable- a great way to use leftover holiday ham
- Healthier than the canned stuff - no sodium nitrite, additives, preservatives or stuff you can't pronounce
- Homemade keto ham salad is also an easy appetizer!
This is a wonderful way to use any leftover Easter ham, ham steaks or deli ham, and it's easy on the waistline because it's low in net carbs!
Here's what you'll need to make it
Ham (cube with a sharp knife), mayonnaise, onion, Dijon mustard, celery stalk, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, white vinegar, cayenne pepper, sweet relish salt and pepper. Louisiana hot sauce or Tabasco pepper sauce and a little garlic powder are optional! This ham meat spread is much healthier than the original Underwood's canned deviled ham.
I garnish this with a sprinkle of cayenne and a chopped green onions!
I garnish this with a sprinkle of cayenne and a chopped green onion
How to make deviled ham
This is an overview. See the printable recipe card below for exact measurements.
In a food processor, pulse the ham and celery; about 3 times (you want it chunky-not a smooth texture); transfer to a large mixing bowl and add in the mayonnaise, onion, dijon mustard, hot sauce and relish directly to the food processor.
Combine well and season the ham mixture to your liking - add more Tabasco sauce, hot sauce or an additional teaspoon cayenne pepper if you want it spicier; add more vinegar and relish if you want it more tangy
Tips and substitutions for ham salad spread
- Use uncured diced ham if possible; uncured is less salty and ham is always salty enough! If you use canned ham, you might want to rinse it first to remove any extra sodium and/or canning brine.
- Don't over pulse in the food processor- a few quick pulses will get the right texture; semi-chunky, but still spreadable
- Minced onion - grate a little onion on a cheese grater (on the finest grate); scoop up the pulp and throw it in the food processor. No onion? Use a little onion powder!
- Add a little acid- lemon juice, vinegar, pickle juice
- Add a little salt last - taste it first before adding more sodium to the salty ham
- If you choose to add pickle relish, drain it first; (squeeze it in a paper towel)
- If you don't have mayonnaise, substitute with Miracle Whip (which is actually a salad dressing!)
- If you don't have Dijon, use whole grain mustard
- Out of celery? Use a little celery salt instead!
Storage and make ahead
Make this homemade ham salad up to 3 days in advance. Place ham salad in an airtight container and when you're ready to enjoy it, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes!
Serving suggestions
Serve homemade deviled ham dip/spread with buttery crackers, celery sticks, or stuff some in an avocado! It's also great as a spread on toast or crostini!
Pair with deviled eggs, chicken salad, pimento cheese, tuna salad or just spread some on your favorite bread!
- Use uncured diced ham if possible; uncured is less salty and ham is always salty enough!
- Don't over pulse in the food processor- a few quick pulses will get the right texture; semi-chunky, but still spreadable
- Minced onion - grate a little onion on a cheese grater (on the finest grate); scoop up the pulp and throw it in the food processor
- Add a little acid- lemon juice, vinegar, pickle juice
- Add salt last - taste it first before adding more sodium to the salty ham
- If you choose to add pickle relish, drain it first; (squeeze it in a paper towel)
- If you don't have mayonnaise, substitute with Miracle Whip
- If you don't have Dijon, use whole grain mustard
This homemade deviled ham spread is a great way to use extra ham. I keep a small bowl in the refrigerator during the summer so I can snack on it at any given time!
Sometimes, I just have a bite or two with crackers and cucumber slices for a quick lunch!
More spreads and related recipes
- Southern Pimento Cheese
- Classic Egg Salad
- Tzatziki Greek Yogurt Dip
- Seafood Cobb Salad
- Homemade Lemonade with no-cook simple syrup
- Southern Sweet Tea
- Original Texas Sheet Cake
- Crunchy Asian Salad
Homemade Deviled Ham Recipe
Equipment
- Food Processor (or a sharp knife or meat grinder)
Ingredients
- 8 ounces ham cubed
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup celery , finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon onion , fresh, minced
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- ½ teaspoon white vinegar , or lemon
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce , optional
- ½ tablespoon relish, drained , optional, sweet or dill
- pepper white or black, to taste
- salt , to taste
Instructions
- In food processor, pulse chopped ham 3 quick times8 ounces ham
- Add remaining ingredients½ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ¼ cup celery, ½ teaspoon onion, ½ teaspoon white vinegar, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, ½ tablespoon relish, drained, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- Pulse to desired consistency
- Add salt and pepper to tastesalt, pepper
- Garnish with chopped parsley and a light sprinkle of paprika or cayenne pepper
- Serve as a dip or sandwich
Notes
- This recipe makes one cup of deviled ham spread. Nutritional information is based on one ½-cup serving.
- Use uncured diced ham if possible; uncured is less salty and ham is always salty enough!
- Don't over pulse in the food processor- a few quick pulses will get the right texture; semi-chunky, but still dippable and spreadable
- Minced onion - grate a little onion on a cheese grater (on the finest grate); scoop up the pulp and throw it in the food processor
- Add a little acid- lemon, vinegar, pickle juice
- Add salt last - ham is inherently very salty; wait till you've combined all the ham spread ingredients before adding salt
- If you choose to add pickle relish, drain it first; (squeeze it in a paper towel)
- Store in refrigerator - this will keep in the fridge up to 3 days (if it lasts that long!)
Nutrition Estimate
I'd love to hear from you!