Old Fashioned Ham Balls are tender, sweet and salty meatballs of bliss! Savory ham and ground pork are combined and coated in a sticky glaze, then baked until tender. Use them in sandwiches, in a stir fry, over rice, or as an awesome appetizer.
If you love these meatballs, you’ll love our grape jelly meatballs, too!
Old Fashioned Ham Ball Recipe
I’ve made these ham balls so.many.times. What they lack in name and appearance, they fully make up for in taste. Tenfold. I’ve eaten myself sick off of these gems. It’s not hard to do – with a mixture of ham and ground pork, coated in a sweet glaze and baked until tender, they’re like candy!
Similar in quantity as my italian meatballs, this recipe makes plenty – approximately 80 – which I guess sounds like a lot, but I love that. I use meatballs in so many dishes. They freeze very well making meal prep easy.
Ingredients Needed
You only need a short list of humble ingredients to make ham balls.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Leftover ham – These are a great use for leftover holiday ham if you have some! If not, you can certainly purchase ham steak at the store.
- Ground pork – You’ll need unseasoned ground pork, not Italian sausage.
- Eggs – Acts as a binder to hold the meatballs together.
- Whole milk – Adds richness and moisture.
- Panko breadcrumbs – I prefer panko to regular breadcrumbs as they are lighter and crispier.
- Ham Ball Sauce – The ham ball glaze is a combination of brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, water, and ground mustard powder.
How to Make Ham Balls
Making this ham ball recipe is easy in just a few steps. Here’s a summary.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Process the ham and ground pork. Place both ingredients in the bowl of a food processor (if yours is small, you might need to do this is two batches.) Pulse until it resembles hamburger meat.
- Add other ingredients. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and combine with the eggs, milk, and breadcrumbs.
- Form meatballs. Using a tablespoon sized cookie scoop, form into 1-inch meatballs. Arrange the meatballs in (2) 9×13 baking pans coated with nonstick spray.
- Make the ham ball sauce. In a medium saucepan, whisk together all the glaze ingredients over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, whisking until the sugar has dissolved. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 4-5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Pour the glaze over the ham balls, dividing it between the two baking dishes.
- Bake. Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350 degree F oven until the ham balls have browned and the sauce has reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 75 minutes.
What to Serve with Ham Balls
Serve ham balls over plain white rice or fried rice, in pork ramen stir fry, cut in half on Hawaiian pizza, as sliders on brioche buns, or all on their own as an appetizer. They’re quite versatile!
Make Ahead and Storing Leftovers
- Leftovers. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep up to 4 days.
- Freeze baked ham balls. Let the baked meatballs cool and then transfer to a freezer-safe Ziploc bag or an airtight container. Pour all remaining glaze over them and press out any air. Freeze for up to 2 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator before reheating in the oven or on the stove-top.
- To freeze raw: Prepare the meatballs as directed. Then place raw meatballs on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. “Flash freeze” uncovered about 1 hour or until firm (this prevents them from sticking together once completely frozen.) Place partially frozen meatballs in a freezer-safe plastic bag. Seal, label, and freeze no longer than 2 months. Then thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Make the glaze and proceed with the written instructions.
More Meatball Recipes:
- Chicken Meatballs
- Turkey Meatballs
- Italian Beef Meatballs
- Beef Kofta Meatballs
- Grape Jelly Meatballs
- Swedish Meatballs
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Ham Balls
Ingredients
For The Meatballs
- 2 pounds leftover ham , rough chopped
- 2 pounds ground pork
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
For The Glaze
- 3 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons ground mustard powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat (2) 9×13 baking dishes with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the ham and ground pork in the bowl of a food processor (if yours is small, you might need to do this is two batches.) Pulse until it resembles hamburger meat.
- Transfer mixture to a large bowl and combine with the eggs, milk, and breadcrumbs.
- Using a tablespoon sized cookie scoop, form into 1-inch meatballs. Arrange the meatballs in the baking pans; set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together all the glaze ingredients over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, whisking until the sugar has dissolved. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 4-5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
- Pour the glaze over the ham balls, dividing it between the two baking dishes.
- Place in the preheated oven and cook, uncovered, for about 75-80 minutes, until the ham balls have browned and the sauce has reduced to a syrupy consistency.
- Serve over rice, in a stir fry, cut in half on pizza, or all on their own as an appetizer.
Nutrition
Other Notes
As seen on Barefeet in the Kitchen, originally from Foodie with Family
this is the only recipe i use for ham balls…..we add 1lb of hamburger and use graham crackers (crushed) instead of panko…..absolutely to die for…..keep them in the freezer at all times
These really are the best, aren’t they? <3
My boys LOVE these. I make a batch once a month.
WOO HOO! I love that we all adore these ham balls so dang much. You just can’t go wrong with them!