Deviled Ham

Deviled Ham – Spice up your breakfast or appetizer repertoire with this quick and easy deviled ham. You can ramp up sandwiches as a spread or a dip for your favorite crackers. It’s smooth, spicy, and scrumptious! 😋

After Christmas last year, a friend messaged me asking for a recipe to use up her leftover ham from Christmas Eve, and I came to the rescue with my deviled ham recipe. She made breakfast ham sandwiches the next day for breakfast, and everyone loved it. She calls it her “superstar” Christmas Day breakfast now. 😆

Christmas or not, anytime you make a ham, this is an amazing way to use leftovers. Shoot—deviled ham is so delicious you might find yourself baking a ham solely for the purpose of making deviled ham! I’ve been there myself. 😅

What Is Deviled Ham?

Deviled foods are generally super spicy. It must be the devil’s penchant for all things hot, 🙊 and deviled ham is no exception. My recipe includes cayenne pepper and hot sauce, but there are lots of ways to make deviled ham spicy. Some people use chili pepper or even diced hot peppers. 

Recipe Ingredients

1. Ham – A couple of cups of ham, diced into cubes, is all you need to get this dip going. 
2. Cream Cheese makes the base for a smooth and creamy dip with a hint of tang.
3. Sweet Ingredients – Finely chopped sweet onion and sweet pickle relish balance the savory and spicy notes, making it absolutely addictive.
4. Savory Ingredients – Mayo keeps things extra creamy, along with green onions, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and a dash of lemon juice to add layers upon layers of flavor. 
5. Spicy Ingredients – A little hot sauce and cayenne pepper are all you need for a nice kick of heat. ❤️‍🔥

How to Make Deviled Ham

• Dice Ham – Pulse the diced ham in a food processor until finely chopped. Remove it from the processor and place it in a large mixing bowl. (Photos 1-2)
• Assemble – Add cream cheese, onion, sweet pickle relish, green onion, mustard, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce (optional), mayonnaise, salt and black pepper to taste, cayenne pepper (optional), and lemon juice. Salt lightly if desired, but remember ham is already salty. (Photos 3-4)
• Store in the fridge for up to 48 hours or serve immediately with crackers and vegetables, toast, or spread on sandwiches.

Recipe Variations

1. Make it mild. Sure, deviled ham is supposed to be hot as hell lol, but you can make it mild if you don’t do spicy foods. Simply cut back on the spicy ingredients or leave them out altogether. 
2. Make it herby. A tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs (like parsley or thyme), a teaspoon of lemon zest, and a half teaspoon of garlic powder create a herbed deviled ham. 
3. Make it smoky. Use smoked ham and add a dash of smoked paprika for a unique spin on deviled ham. If you love smoky flavors or don’t have smoked ham, add ½ teaspoon of liquid smoke. 

Tips and Tricks

1. Ham can be quite salty. If that’s the case, scale back on Worcestershire sauce or leave it out.
2. This recipe contains mayonnaise, so I don’t recommend leaving it at room temperature for more than two hours.  
3. Deviled ham makes a fun holiday gift! To gift it, store it in a tightly closed jar placed in a cooler filled with ice. Remind your recipient to transfer it to the refrigerator and consume it within two days for optimal freshness.

Make-Ahead Instructions

Feel free to make deviled ham a day or two ahead. Just refrigerate it in an airtight container until you’re ready to serve it.

I don’t recommend freezing it since it will affect the dip’s creamy texture. However, if you need to freeze it, use a freezer ziplock bag. Squeeze all the air possible from the bag, flatten it so it doesn’t take up much room, and freeze it for 4-5 months. Thaw deviled ham overnight in the refrigerator and stir it well before serving to get the creamy texture back.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Serve deviled ham chilled or at room temperature with plenty of dippers! It’s also a great filling for sandwiches.

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to two days.

What Goes With Deviled Ham

Deviled ham spread goes great on basic homemade white bread or easy dinner rolls as a breakfast sandwich. If you want to serve it as a dip instead, you can serve it with celery sticks, carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, etc. Carby dippers are always welcome, too. I like to serve it with either homemade pita chips or grilled bread. Since it’s pretty spicy, you might also want to offer a refreshing drink like mango lemonade. 👌

More Yummy Ham Recipes to Try

1. Brown Sugar Glazed Ham 
2. Pineapple Honey Baked Ham 
3. Ham and Bean Soup 
4. Ham Steak
5. Ham Casserole

Watch How to Make It

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This blog post was originally published in December 2020 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video