
Ham balls are a great recipe, the perfect way to enjoy leftover ham!
Savory ham and pork meatballs in a quick zesty sauce. These make a great meal served over rice or even an appetizer for snacking on! Pop some into a hoagie sandwich with cheese and onions for a new favorite!
What are Ham Balls?
This recipe comes from an old church cookbook I have, it’s been around for ages. Ham balls are similar to a ham loaf but in meatball form!
Ham is finely diced (or processed in the food processor as you would for a ham salad) and combined with ground beef, pork, onions, and seasonings.
They’re baked in a simple (shortcut) sauce and great served over rice.
Ingredients and Variations
MEAT Our recipe uses a 1:1 ratio of beef and pork, and then a full cup of ground ham, which makes this a great recipe for using up leftovers.
SAUCE The sauce is simple and zesty. Using condensed tomato soup makes the sauce a little bit creamy. For a sweeter flavor, add some pineapple juice!
How to Make Ham Balls
Ham balls are as easy to make as 1, 2, 3!
- Cook onion in butter until tender.
- Place ham in the food processor and process until it is crumbled.
- Mix ham ball ingredients & form into meatballs.
- Place meatballs in a casserole dish, spaced evenly.
- Cover with sauce & foil, bake per recipe instructions, turning once.
Leftovers
- Baked ham balls in sauce will keep in the refrigerator up to 5 days as long as they are covered. Simply reheat them in the microwave.
- Freeze ham balls with the sauce in zippered bags with the date written on the outside. They will keep for about 6 weeks.
So Many Meatballs!
- Sweet and Sour Meatballs – a family favorite
- Porcupine Meatballs – so juicy & tender
- Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs – in a homemade tomato sauce
- Greek Meatballs – a simple & flavorful appetizer
- All-Purpose Turkey Meatballs – freezer friendly
Did your family love these Ham Balls? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!

Ham Balls
Ingredients
- ½ onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ pound lean ground beef
- ½ pound lean ground pork
- 8 ounces ground ham about 3 cups, see note
- 1 egg
- ⅔ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Sauce
- 1 can condensed tomato soup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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Cook onion in butter for 5-6 minutes or until tender. Cool completely.
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Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl.
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Combine ham ball ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Form into 1″ meatballs and place in a 9×13 pan.
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Spread sauce over the meatballs, cover and cook 30 minutes.
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Uncover, flip meatballs over and cook an additional 20-25 minutes or until sauce is thickened and meatballs are cooked through.
Nutrition
Adapted from Riley, Ethel. “Ham Balls.” Circulation Service. Rapid City, SD, 1990. 86. Print.