My Famous Iowa Ham Balls Recipe | Takes Just 10 Minutes To Prep

These ham balls are juicy, tender, and just so much better than regular meatballs. And, to make them even more irresistible, these glazed ham balls have a simple yet flavor-packed homemade sauce. Oh, and the best part? All of this deliciousness takes just 10 minutes to prepare!

The Best Ham Balls Recipe

Step aside traditional meatballs, these ham balls will be the only thing you want to eat after trying this recipe!

These classic Iowa ham balls are a Midwestern take on the iconic spaghetti side. Ham balls are made with ingredients like ground ham, ground beef, and saltine crackers to create ultra-tender and flavorful meatballs.

Then, to make them even more delicious, they're coated in a sweet - and slightly zesty -brown sugar glaze. Honestly, it's so good I could eat it with a spoon! Seriously, the combination of the two - the ham balls and sauce - is just a match made in delicious heaven.

Also, for what it's worth, my family is obsessed with this recipe, and we make it every first Sunday of the month. We make this recipe, along with this fried spaghetti and garlic bread - it's a Cunningham family tradition.

Ingredients

The ham ball ingredients list is actually really short, and you'll need fewer ingredients to make 'em than a typical meatball recipe. Also, the sauce ingredients are pretty basic too. You might even have everything you need at home already

Anyway, here's what you'll need to make ham balls:

• ½ lb. ground beef
• ½ lb. ham
• ½ cup crushed paprika-flavored saltines (or regular saltine crackers)
• 1 small egg
• 3 tbsp milk
• Salt and pepper, to taste

And for the homemade tomato sauce:

• 6 oz. tomato sauce
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ tbsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp mustard

Now, I mentioned earlier that I love having these ham balls with spaghetti and garlic bread. But another favorite way to eat them is served on top of these red skin mashed potatoes.

With that said, these ham balls really are so versatile. So you can pair them with really anything that you want and end up with delish results.

By the way, you can use almost all of the ingredients for the ham balls to make a ham loaf, and I think I have the best ham loaf recipe. So you'll definitely want to check out that ham loaf recipe next.

Ingredient Substitutions & Suggestions

I always make these ham balls with the ingredients listed above. But there are some substitutions you can make, and the recipe will turn out just as delicious.

For the ham ball mixture, you can use paprika-flavored saltines, regular saltines, or graham crackers. Now, I know using graham crackers sounds weird, but the graham crackers actually add a subtle sweetness that goes well with the sauce. 

As for the tomato sauce, the one in this recipe has a slightly sweet flavor that is just so good but feel free to use any kind you want. You can even use marinara sauce if that's all you've got on hand.

How To Make Ham Balls

This recipe for ham balls is actually really easy to make, and easy might be an understatement.

Seriously, it'll only take you about 10 minutes to prep the ham balls and sauce. Then, all you have to do is wait for them to bake up to golden perfection in the oven. 

Anyway, without further ado, let's stop wasting time and dive into how to make ham balls!

Step 1: Prep The Ham Ball Mixture

First, before you do anything, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180°C). 

Then, to make the ham balls, you'll start by crushing the saltines (or graham crackers) in a Ziploc bag - or in a food processor - until they're coarse in texture.

After that, put the ham in a food processor and pulse until you have a finely ground ham mixture. Alternatively, to skip this step, you can ask your butcher at your local grocery store to use a meat grinder so you can just get ground ham from the store.

Step 2: Make The Ham Balls

Now, place the rest of the ham ball ingredients - the ground ham, ground beef, saltines, milk, egg, and salt and pepper - in a large bowl.

Then, give it a good stir until all of the ingredients combine and form a uniform mixture. Now, once you have a well-combined ham ball mixture, you can shape 6 large ham balls from it and then place them into a baking dish.

Step 3: Make The Sauce

Now you'll make the delicious sauce to complete the glazed ham balls.

So, to make the sauce, take out a large bowl and add the tomato sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, and mustard to it. Then, give the ingredients a good whisk until you have a smooth and combined sauce.

Lastly, pour the brown sugar glaze evenly over the ham balls in the baking dish.

Step 4: Bake The Ham Balls

Now that the glazed ham balls are complete put the baking dish in the oven and bake for about 50 minutes, basting the meatballs occasionally throughout the cooking time.

Once the time is up - or the ham balls reach an internal temperature of 160°F - you can take them out of the oven. Before serving, let the meatballs cool in the tray for a few minutes.

Then, finally, serve with mashed potatoes, spaghetti, or alone, and top with a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan. Enjoy!

How To Store Ham Balls

As you know, this ham ball recipe will make about 6 large meatballs. But, if you want more for a big family dinner, you can easily double or triple the recipe. And If everyone doesn't finish them off you can store the Iowa ham balls for days after you make 'em.

To store 'em, just put the leftover ham balls in an airtight container, and they'll keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Also, for what it's worth, I love making an extra batch or two since the leftover ham balls store so well in the freezer. They make a great addition to any meal and are just great to have on hand.

So, to freeze the leftover ham balls just put them in an airtight container - or freezer-safe bag - and they'll last in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Reheating Ham Balls

If you stored the ham balls, you'll definitely want to reheat them for the best leftover experience, and reheating them is super quick and easy.

To reheat, place the meat balls in a baking dish and heat at 350°F for about 15 minutes or until thoroughly warm.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make ham balls! If you were skeptical about this recipe, I have a feeling you'll be as obsessed with it as I am.

These easy-to-make ham balls are a dish I love serving as a side with a bunch of different dinners, and they're terrific as an appetizer if you make each ham ball smaller.

Gah, they're just so good, and I hope you like this recipe as much as I/we do.

As always, if you give it a try, leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts!

Oh, and make sure to follow us on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok for more easy recipes. We post new ones on them daily.

More Recipes

If you're looking for more simple yet delicious recipes, we have a ton on the blog that I think you'll enjoy.

Give one of these easy recipes a try next:

• IKEA Swedish meatballs
• Panko breaded chicken
• Southern meatloaf
• Meatball soup
• Curry shrimp
• Spicy ramen
• Shrimp pasta

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