This dill pickle ham salad comes together in about 10 minutes and is packed with crunchy pickles, fresh herbs, and creamy mayo. It’s a great way to use up leftover ham, but it works just as well with those little bags of store-bought diced ham!
I feel like ham salad doesn’t get nearly enough love. Chicken salad gets all the glory, egg salad has its loyal fan base, but ham salad? Underrated. Criminally so.
I started making this version after Easter one year when I had a mountain of leftover ham and exactly zero interest in making another ham and egg scramble.
I threw together what I had on hand, and honestly it turned out so good that I now buy ham specifically to make this. The dill pickles and fresh herbs are what really make it shine.
It’s creamy and tangy and just a little briny in the best way. My family eats it straight from the bowl with a fork, stuffed into those mini sweet peppers for crunch, or wrapped up in lettuce leaves.
3 Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
It’s versatile. Lettuce wraps, stuffed mini peppers, eaten with a fork over the sink (we don’t judge here) – there’s no wrong way to serve it. The carb-eaters will love it as a classic sandwich, too.
It takes about 10 minutes. Chop, mix, done. There’s no cooking involved (other than the hard boiled eggs, which you can prep ahead or buy boiled from the store), and cleanup is basically just one bowl.
The flavor is seriously addictive. The combination of tangy pickles, yellow mustard, fresh dill, and a splash of vinegar gives this ham salad way more personality than you’d expect from ham.
Swaps & Tips
The ham: Leftover baked ham works great here, but the small cubed ham packages in the refrigerator section of the grocery store are what I reach for pretty regularly.
The pickles: I’m a Claussen girl (although Grillo’s is a very close second). Whatever you use, make sure it’s a pickle you love because the flavor does shine through.
The mayo: Full-fat mayo is the move here. Low-fat versions have more sugar and the texture of the salad won’t be quite as creamy. Please don’t talk to me about Miracle Whip. I just can’t. 🙅♀️
The vinegar: If you want a less tangy salad, just skip the vinegar. If you love that sharp bite, go a little heavier. It’s hard to mess this up.
The eggs: I love the eggs in here for texture and richness, but if you’re not an egg person, you can leave them out. The salad is still great.
The herbs: Fresh dill and parsley are worth getting, but I don’t always have them on hand either. Dried will work in a pinch. Use about a teaspoon of dried for every tablespoon of fresh.
Step by Step Instructions:
Pop the ham into a food processor to break it up into small bits. You can also use a knife to do this but it takes a bit more time.
Add the ham and the remaining ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir it to combine.
Once everthing is combined, give it a taste. Does it need more salt? More vinegar? A touch of mustard? Adjust the flavors until it’s just how you like.
Pro Tip
One thing worth mentioning: the food processor makes this so much easier. A pound of ham chopped by hand into small enough pieces takes a while, but a few pulses in the food processor and you’re done. Just don’t over-process it into a paste – you want it finely chopped, not pureed.
My Favorite Food Processor
I use this Breville food processor and it’s my FAVORITE kitchen appliance. I’ve gone through all the big brands of food processors, but this one is the best, in my opinion. It makes short work of grating cheese, making cauliflower rice, slicing veggies, and of course chopping up everything for these broccoli fritters.
Storage
Fridge: Keeps well for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Give it a quick stir before serving since a little liquid can separate out.
Make-ahead: This is genuinely one of the best make-ahead lunches around. It actually gets better after a few hours in the fridge once all the flavors have had time to hang out together.
Freezer: I wouldn’t freeze this one. Mayo-based salads don’t thaw well – the texture gets watery and weird.
More Easy Lunch Recipes
Dill Pickle Ham Salad
Would you like to save this recipe?
Enter your email and we’ll send it straight to your inbox so you can come back to it anytime!
By submitting you agree to receive this recipe and occasional emails. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked ham
- 2 hard boiled eggs chopped
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup chopped dill pickles
- 2 tablespoons chopped yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
- Cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the ham to a food processor and process until finely chopped. Alternately, chop the ham by hand, being sure to chop it into very small pieces.
- Add the ham to a mixing bowl with the remaining ingredients and stir together until combined.
- Serve in a lettuce wrap, on a fork, or stuffed in mini sweet peppers and eaten cold.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and calculated automatically – it’s an estimate, not a guarantee. Values can vary depending on the brands and ingredients you use, so if you’re tracking closely, I’d recommend calculating with your own preferred tool. Net carbs are total carbs minus fiber and any sugar alcohols.
Dan K says
I made this last night. I followed the recipe exactly and really loved it. I have a small food processor and cleanup was as easy as the preparation. Thank you Karly.
Kathy H says
Can’t wait to try this one, I’ll use an egglife wrap. Just discovered them (hard to find in rural Montana!) & for all of you that thing ick!! Just try them fried in a bit of oil of butter. I fry mine until they are a bit browned on the edges & they are great! Really good source of protein too. They should work great for this salad I think.
Liz says
I’m not a fan of parsley or dill. What are your thoughts on tarragon for this recipe?