Let’s talk honey ham. It’s so good, it inspired a whole chain of stores. I speak, of course, of The Honey Baked Ham Co., which sells, almost entirely, honey baked ham. That crackling, sticky-sweet rind. That juicy, savory meat. My family used to get one every New Year’s Day for a party (leave the NYE party to the amateurs, the real pros party in the daylight). And the best part was the sandwich after the party made with leftover honey ham slices. But we’re not rich. Well, most of us, at least. And some of us have tiny fridges that couldn’t fit a whole honey baked ham even if we could afford it. So we can’t always have a honey baked ham on hand for sandwiches. Enter the best store bought honey ham.
I tasted eight different honey ham brands in search of the best honey sliced ham. I looked for a sweet, honeyed rind (really good honey ham has gotta have a rind) that contrasts with savory, well-seasoned meat. It could be thick or thin, but it should pack a flavorful punch. When I layer honey ham slices onto a sandwich, I want to know that flavor won’t get lost amongst all the toppings and condiments.
Here are the four best honey hams you should buy for those everyday honey ham needs. And if you’re looking for the best ham (not honey), we can help you out with that, too.
- Great Value Thin Sliced Honey Ham
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This honey sliced ham is bouncy—like true, all-American deli meat should be. No, you won’t confuse this with roasted ham. But that’s not what it’s trying to be. It’s deli ham. And the flavor is good—it’s meaty and rich. The skin around it gives it nice snap and texture. There’s not a huge amount of honey flavor, but there’s enough to let you know you aren’t just eating ham. You’re eating honey ham. Plus, it’s the cheapest honey ham on this list.
Related: Best Low-Sodium Ham
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Hillshire Farm Ultra Thin Honey Ham
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Points for Hillshire Farm’s Tupperware-style containers. They’re reusable and they keep the meat fresh and easy to store. I also think Hillshire always does a great job with their ultra thin-cut meats. They really are so, so, so thin—and this honey sliced ham is no exception. And it’s extremely flavorful for being so very delicately sliced. The honey flavor comes in at the end and the meat itself is both seriously savory and sweet—it almost tastes like it has BBQ sauce on it.
Related: Best Roast Beef
Credit: Merc / Target
- Hormel Natural Choice
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This is the baby bear of honey hams—it’s not too thick and it’s not too thin, it’s just right. And it’s about the size of a standard slice of store-bought bread, making it perfect for stacking onto a sandwich. It’s rich and meaty and the honey flavor is there. Plus, it’s all natural—no preservatives, no nitrates, no added hormones.
Related: Best Deli Turkey
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- True Story Uncured Wildflower Honey & Maple Ham
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This isn’t the first time we’ve included True Story in one of our meat rankings. They’re also one of the best prosciutto brands you can find at the grocery store. Their honey ham has a great, thick rind that is filled with yummy, cooked honey flavor. And the meat tastes like ham cut off a spiral ham! Incredible. It tastes like Easter leftovers (or New Year’s Day leftovers, if you’re in my immediate family). It’s a fancy honey ham. And it comes at a higher price than the other honey hams on this list. But it’s worth it, I promise.
Related: Best Bologna
Credit: Merc / Instacart
Best Budget
Best Thin Sliced
Best Sandwich Sized
Best of the Best
Other honey ham brands we tried: Land o’ Frost Honey Ham, Boar’s Head Uncured Honey Ham, Good & Gather Uncured Honey Ham, Bar S Deli Style Honey Ham
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!