What Is Boiled ham and How Can I Use It?
Boiled ham is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 6 recipes to get you started.
Key Points
- Boiled ham is cured ham cooked in water or steam, mild and tender rather than smoky.
- Despite the name it is simmered gently, not hard-boiled, which would toughen it.
- It is the classic sandwich ham; keep it wrapped and use within three to five days.
What is boiled ham?
Boiled ham is cured ham that has been cooked in water or steam rather than smoked, giving it a mild, clean, faintly sweet flavor and a soft, moist texture. It is the pale, gentle ham of the deli case, the classic sandwich ham before smoke enters the picture.
The name is a little loose: most "boiled" ham is actually simmered or steamed slowly, not boiled hard, which would toughen it. The result is tender and fully cooked, ready to eat cold.
Quick Uses
Boiled ham is built for sandwiches, sliced thin onto soft bread or open-faced on Danish Smorrebrod. Its mildness lets mustard, cheese, and pickle come through.
It also disappears nicely into other dishes. Diced, it seasons Boston Chicken Baked Beans, and it rolls up as a layer inside Crab Stuffed Chicken Breast, adding salt without smoke taking over.
Buying and Storing
Look for boiled ham at the deli counter, sliced to order for the best texture, or prepackaged. Plain "ham" is meatier than "ham and water product," which is wetter and blander.
Because it is moist and mild, boiled ham spoils a touch faster than drier cured hams. Keep it tightly wrapped and cold, and use it within three to five days of slicing.
For smoked and dry-cured styles and how they differ, see the parent ham page.
Quick facts
- In Chinese
- 煮火腿
- British (UK) term
- Boiled ham
- en français
- jambon bouilli
- en español
- jamón cocido
Recipes using boiled ham
There are 6 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Boston Chicken Baked Beans
A copycat Boston Market baked beans recipe loaded with great northern beans, pork and beans, ketchup, BBQ sauce, softened onions, and sliced ham. Thick, saucy, and ready in about an hour. Cookout essential.
Smorrebrod (Denmark)
A traditional Danish Smørrebrød spread with smoked salmon, shrimp, roast beef, ham, blue cheese, eggs and fresh fruit on rye bread. A stunning no-cook platter that feeds 12.
Messy Fredericks
Messy Fredericks pile shredded ham and turkey in a sweet-spiced barbecue sauce onto toasted hamburger buns with melty cheese. A weeknight family sandwich that feeds six in 30 minutes.
Long Life Noodles with Egg
Long life noodles with egg: blanched egg noodles topped with wilted spinach, a soft-poached egg, and a glossy soy-sesame chicken broth. Chinese New Year birthday tradition in a bowl.
Veal Chops with Anchovy & Caper Sauce
Seared veal loin chops topped with a bold Italian sauce of mashed anchovies, capers, ham, and brandy cream. Briny, rich, and on the table in under 20 minutes.
Crab Stuffed Chicken Breast
Crab-stuffed chicken breast rolled around a creamy seasoned crab filling with ham and Gruyere, breaded and pan-seared golden, then baked. An elegant stuffed chicken roulade with a crisp crumb crust.
