The Best Type Of Ham For Ham Salad And How Thick To Cut It

When spring arrives, there's nothing better to serve-up than a classic ham salad. If you haven't had this dish before, ham salad's history is one for the books. It started off as funeral fare and graduated to a Southern staple. Filled with diced ham, celery, white onion, pickles, mayonnaise, and mustard, this spread is salty, creamy, smoky, and crunchy. Pile it on some white bread — just like you would a tuna fish sandwich — and you're in business. It's tasty and easy. 

But if you are wondering what type of ham you should be reaching for to make this salad, Tasting Table has got you covered. Jay Craddick, executive chef at Humble Baron told us that he thinks the nod should go to spiral ham. He explained, "It's something about pieces of ham with good textured skin that's a winner in my eyes all day."

Spiral has a tender, juicy quality to it, ensuring you aren't biting into a tough, dry piece of meat. It's sweet, salty and flavorful. It's also exceptionally convenient. These pre-cooked, pre-sliced hunks of meat make your life easy. If you are hosting a brunch and serving a spiral ham, buy a bigger one than you will need to feed everyone so you will have leftovers to make your ham salad. But when you chop up your spiral ham, chef Craddick says there is an optimal cut size you should be shooting for.

While ham salad can be spreadable, a mushy ham salad is less fun to eat. You want a little texture, so save the food processor for another task. When crafting your ham salad, chef Jay Craddick says to cut those pieces of ham so they are ½ inch to ¾ inch in thickness. Craddick noted, "Small dice is the way to go." This is an easy cut to accomplish by hand, too. Dice your crunchy elements as well and when you mix it all together with your mayo and mustard, it will not only satiate your taste buds, it will look like a pro made it.

Ham salad tends to get watery because of all the high-water-content ingredients used to make it. If you find yours is going that way, give it a couple of stirs and it will be ready for business. Turn it into a tasty lunch dish with kale, which is a good lettuce swap for a sturdier wrap, or make some homemade fluffy Southern biscuits and serve your ham salad alongside their buttery goodness for a truly craveable meal. And before you go ham shopping, don't forget to check-out our ranking of 13 spiral ham brands.