Ham Balls
intro
Tender, savory-sweet baked ham and pork balls coated in a sticky brown sugar glaze, a beloved Midwestern American comfort food built for sharing.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep oven and baking dish
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F), then lightly grease a 23x33cm (9x13 inch) glass baking dish with 5g (1 tsp) of unsalted butter to prevent ham balls from sticking during baking.
Mix meatball base
In a large 3L mixing bowl, combine 450g ground cooked ham, 225g 20% fat ground pork, 115g fine dry breadcrumbs, 2 lightly beaten large eggs, 120ml whole milk, and 0.5g (1/4 tsp) ground black pepper. Use clean, damp hands to gently fold ingredients until just evenly combined; stop mixing as soon as no dry breadcrumbs remain to avoid tough meatballs.
Shape uniform ham balls
Use a 60ml (1/4 cup) cookie scoop to portion equal amounts of the meat mixture, then roll each portion between your palms into smooth, 5cm (2 inch) round balls. Arrange the balls in the prepared baking dish in neat rows, leaving 1cm (1/2 inch) of space between each to allow even cooking and glaze circulation.
Cook the sticky glaze
Place a small 1L saucepan over medium stovetop heat (5/10 heat setting). Add 150g packed light brown sugar, 30ml apple cider vinegar, and 15g Dijon mustard. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sugar fully dissolves and the glaze reaches a low, gentle simmer, then remove from heat immediately.
Bake with initial glaze
Pour exactly half of the warm glaze evenly over the tops of the arranged ham balls, using a spoon to spread glaze to lightly cover each ball. Place the baking dish on the middle oven rack, and bake uncovered for 25 minutes at 175°C (350°F).
Finish bake and rest
Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven after 25 minutes, pour the remaining half of the glaze over the ham balls, then return the dish to the oven to bake for 15 more minutes, until the glaze is bubbly and caramelized and meatballs reach an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F). Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving to let the glaze set.
Tips
2.Do not add extra salt to the meat mixture, as cured cooked ham is already high in sodium and will make the finished dish overly salty.
3.Use a 1/4 cup cookie scoop to portion meat for evenly sized balls, which ensures every ham ball cooks at the same rate for consistent doneness.
Brought these to our neighborhood block party potluck last weekend and people were hounding me for the recipe before I even set the platter down! I was worried the glaze would be too sweet since I don’t love super sugary meats, but it’s got that little hint of vinegar that cuts it perfectly. 10/10, will be making these for every gathering from now on.
Super easy recipe, threw these together after work on a Tuesday and they came out great. Only tweak I made was adding a little extra crushed red pepper to the glaze for a tiny kick, will definitely make again.
Game changer for my weekly meal prep! I baked these up on Sunday, portioned them out with roasted broccoli and mashed cauliflower, and they reheated beautifully all week. No soggy texture, the glaze stayed sticky and delicious even after microwaving. Obsessed!
These tasted amazing at Easter dinner! Only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is that my first batch fell apart a little when I was mixing the meat mixture - I think I didn’t crush my crackers fine enough. Flavor was 100% there though, everyone raved.
Y’all, I’ve been making my grandma’s ham ball recipe for 20 years and decided to give this one a try on a whim… and I might never go back! The glaze is chef’s kiss, so much better than my usual brown sugar only version. My grandma even asked for the recipe, that’s the highest compliment I can give!
Made these in my tiny dorm oven for my roommates and they all thought I was a professional chef lmao. Super straightforward, no fancy ingredients, didn’t even need to go to a special grocery store. Only downside is my whole dorm floor smelled like ham for 2 days, worth it though.
So happy I found this! I swapped the regular cracker crumbs for gluten free butter cracker crumbs and they came out exactly like the recipe says, no weird texture or off flavor. My whole family (who doesn’t eat gluten free) didn’t even notice a difference! Will be a staple.
Made these for our Super Bowl watch party and they were the perfect appetizer! I stuck toothpicks in them for easy grabbing, and paired them with a little spicy mustard for dipping. Absolute home run, will be making these for every game day next season.
As someone who’s literally never cooked meat before I was so nervous these would turn out bad, but the instructions were so easy to follow! They came out juicy, the glaze was sticky and perfect, and my boyfriend said they’re the best thing I’ve ever made. Winning!
Flavor was really good, but mine took almost 80 minutes to cook all the way through instead of the 60 minutes listed. I think my oven runs a little cool though, so that might be on me. My kids still loved them, just wish I’d budgeted extra time!
I’ve been chasing that perfect old-school ham ball flavor I remember from my elementary school hot lunch days, and this recipe NAILED IT. That tangy tomato-brown sugar glaze tastes exactly like what the lunch ladies used to make. Total nostalgia trip, I’m so happy!
Made these keto by swapping the crackers for pork rind crumbs and using a brown sugar substitute in the glaze, and they came out fantastic! Only reason for 4 stars is the original is a little high carb for my diet, but the base recipe is so easy to tweak. Delicious!
These are now a mandatory part of our Christmas and Easter dinner spread! I’ve made them 4 times in the last 3 months and every single time, relatives ask for the recipe before they leave. They’re so easy to throw together even when I’m juggling 10 other holiday dishes.
Wait a second, I had a ton of leftover holiday ham in the freezer so I ground that up instead of using ground ham from the store, and these were INSANE. Total game changer for using up leftover ham after holidays, I’ll never throw out leftover ham again!
I was intimidated to make these because I thought meatballs were super hard, but these were so easy! No fancy skills needed, just mix, roll, glaze, bake. They came out perfectly juicy on the first try, I was so proud of myself. SO good!
Made these for my office potluck and even the guy who never brings anything and only eats takeout came up to ask for the recipe. The glaze is so sticky and flavorful, the ham stays moist, no dry bits at all. 10/10, will be making these for every work event from now on.