One of the easiest ways to use up leftover ham! This ham salad is loaded with bright vegetables, coated in a tangy Dijon dressing and is a delicious twist on a classic recipe.

If you’ve got a dish of leftover ham from a holiday dinner, this ham salad is the perfect way to use it up and transform the meat into a light lunch option. It’s also light years away from the traditional goopy, mayo-laden ham salads your grandma might’ve made.

Made with fresh, crunchy vegetables, this salad is then mixed with a Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar dressing for a tangy, bright punch. Sprinkled with some extra dill on top, and this salad is perfect with a side of pita bread for lunch.

Here Are The Ingredients You Need For The Ham Salad

Cooked ham: the ham you have leftover from dinner will work perfectly for the salad. All you need to do is chop it into small chunks. You can also save some for a breakfast quesadilla if you don’t use it all in the salad.

Vegetables: the crunchier the vegetable the better when it comes to salad. For this recipe, you’ll need carrot, celery, bell pepper and green onion. Not only do these vegetables add texture and taste but they make the ham salad look bright and delicious too!

The dressing: fresh dill, mustard, red wine vinegar, olive oil and black pepper are all you need to coat the salad.

How To Make Ham Salad

Step 1: Prepping
Make sure to chop the ham and the vegetables into small, bite-sized pieces to make the ham salad easy to pop onto pitas, wraps, etc.

Step 2: Mixing
Mix together the salad ingredients so that everything is dispersed evenly. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.

Step 3: Assembling
Pour the dressing over the ham salad and mix well until fully coated. Serve immediately or pop it into the fridge.

Leftover ham salad in a white bowl with a spoon.

Why You’ll Love The Recipe

Ham salad is a classic way to use up leftover ham. This version, however, is unique, bright and delicious in a whole new way.

The salad itself is versatile and easy to adapt based on the vegetables you have in the fridge.
You only need a handful of ingredients for this recipe and it comes together in about 10 minutes making it an easy option for any day.
The salad can be made in advance and used as a tasty lunch or even served with crackers as a midday appetizer.

Tips and Tricks To Make The Best Ham Salad

Chop the vegetables into small pieces so that they’re easier to mix. Any ham will work for the recipe. If you have a cooked ham with a sweet glaze on it that will come through in the salad recipe and give you a tasty balance of sweet and savory flavor.

Store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Enjoy it chilled.

Variations and Add-Ins

This ham salad recipe is easy to make unique and customize based on your flavor preferences. Below are a few options and ideas:

Protein up: add in some hardboiled eggs for an extra dose of protein and to stretch it further.

Tart and tangy: if you love tangy flavors, chop up a dill pickle or any other pickled vegetable and add it to the mix.

Sweet and savory: if you’re not using a glazed ham but love the sweet and salty flavor blend, add a tablespoon of honey or maple syrup to the dressing.

Serve it: the salad can be served as a sandwich, in a bowl with pita or crackers or spread onto a wrap for lunch.

Ham salad in a white bowl on a wooden table.

How long does ham salad last in the fridge?

It will stay fresh in the fridge for roughly 3-5 days if stored in an airtight container. If using leftover ham, you may need to factor in how long the ham has already been in the fridge.

What is the best ham to use?

Any ham you have cooked will work to make a ham salad. Ham steaks work as well. Just note that whatever you glazed or seasoned your ham with when originally cooking will come through in the flavor of the salad.

What fruit goes with ham?

Typically, pineapple goes best with ham. That’s why we use it in our BBQ Hawaiian pizza recipe. Add some chopped pineapple to this ham salad for a bright, uplifting and tropical flavor.

Do you need to grind or process ham for salad?

No. Dicing the ham into small, bite-sized pieces works fine for this ham salad recipe and gives it a great texture.

More salads like this to try

This chickpea pesto sandwich makes a lunch salad out of unexpected ingredients by smashing chickpeas and avocado together.

Another recipe that bucks tradition when it comes to a lunch sandwich is our honey apple chicken salad. Herbaceous fresh sage adds a really nice flavor to the mix in this recipe.

Our healthier spin on a tuna Waldorf salad is a popular recipe too for it’s sweet pops of flavor and crunchy ingredients. We love this one spread on some toasted bread for an easy, quick protein-packed lunch.