13 Publix Deli Meats, Ranked

Fans of the cult classic Pub Sub already know the Publix deli section could rival any brick-and-mortar sub shop in terms of quality and taste. Part of that is due to the stellar bread it bakes in-house at the bakery; the white sub rolls alone ranked extremely high on our Publix bakery bread rankings, after all. The other part, though, revolves around an incredible collection of cold cuts and sliced cheese.

Premium brand Boar's Head dominates the line-up, with nearly 50 limited-edition and classic deli options. But Publix also has a select few meats that it offers under its in-house label. At the time of writing this article, I could find 13 varieties from the Publix brand, from a sweet and spicy ham to a classic roast beef. I put each one to the test, having it both plain and as the base for a minimalistic sandwich. For flavor, I was evaluating saltiness and the savory oomph of the meat, not to mention checking the texture for tenderness versus dryness. Here's my ranking of the grocery chain's cold cuts, including the ones worth a spot in your at-home sandwich rotation.

Publix offered five different hams in its deli line (though I'm not quite sure there's really that much you can diversify in the ham department). The Publix Deli Tavern Ham sets itself apart from the pack by a combining an all-purpose blend of sweetness, smokiness, and mild saltiness into one standard slice. That flexible flavor profile makes it the prime choice for the ham on Publix's Italian Sub and Ultimate Sub. I like both of those subs — the Ultimate Sub nearly took gold in my Publix sub sandwich ranking — but I'm not quite sure this deli meat works that well on its own.

Though the website points out a "mild" level of saltiness, it didn't bear out in the tasting, slamming me more with a saline taste rather than a smoky, savory ham flavor. Texture-wise, it was a bit dryer than I expected, and I felt like a sandwich with this would need more condiments to bring a bit of moisture to the whole. Of course, that adds a bit more salt, as well, ultimately making it a sandwich I could only eat a few bites of. For these reasons, it comes in last place among Publix deli meats.

There are a lot of varieties of salami out there, but Genoa salami is a particularly popular version in the American deli landscape. Technically, the term Genoa salami lacks a protected designation of origin, so the product can come from anywhere — not just Italy's Genoa region. Thanks to the use of wine and vinegar in the curing process, Genoa salami is generally more tangy and acidic than other salamis. Unfortunately, I'd describe the flavor of Publix's salami as overly salty, with a general funkiness and acidity that wasn't quite enjoyable.

The Publix version sticks to the traditional formula, featuring a dry cured pork and beef base that uses a hefty dose of spices and seasoning. The "funky" flavor can likely be attributed to the starter culture incorporated to help cure the meat, while the tanginess seemed to stem from lactic acid. I don't object to a bit of fermentation flavor in my meats, but this tipped over into unpalatable in my estimation. Even if you used it as one meaty element in a multi-layered sandwich, I think the flavor would stick out — and not in a good way. While it's at least more unique than the Tavern Ham, it's not much tastier.

Another classic Italian cured meat, capicola is named for the cut it comes from, a section of the neck and shoulder of the pig. Of course, fans of "The Sopranos" probably know it better as gabagool, which is the Italian-American phonetic slang for the meat. This cut has a nice bit of fat marbling and often gets a heavy dose of spice during the cure. In the Publix capicola's case, the spice is heavy on the heat, with a pungent hit of paprika chief among them.

Now, I wanted to like this Italian throwback, but it just didn't nail the dismount. The spice level wasn't mind numbingly hot, yet I felt it ultimately overpowered some of the more nuanced flavors. It was at least better tasting than the Genoa salami (hence the higher placement). However, the main sin with this slice is the texture. All capicola has a level of chewiness — it goes with the pork fat territory — but this was borderline bouncy. On its own, chewing it is unpleasant; once I added it to a sandwich set up, it reached untenable levels.

Of the thirteen deli meat options that Publix offered, only one can be found with a low sodium option. Unsurprisingly, it's the all-purpose sandwich work horse, turkey meat. Typically, the term low sodium refers to a product that contains 140 mg or less of sodium per serving. While I can appreciate that Publix is offering a popular deli meat with reduced sodium, there's also a consequence to this healthy option that was clear with this cold cut.

Beyond working as a flavoring agent and preservative, sodium can help retain some of the moisture in meat, making it more juicy. Turkey is already a dryer meat, so when you reduce the sodium, you can make it even drier. The result is basically the Sahara Desert of cold cuts. Even though the actual turkey taste is alright with this Publix option (and more enjoyable than the last three cuts), that arid texture forced me to drown the flavor out with a bevy of condiments. If I have to doctor the sandwich into oblivion to compensate for texture, it's not really a good sandwich meat.

While the Tavern-style ham seemed like a slightly highbrow, all-purpose ham option, this plain Jane cooked ham works as an unfussy alternative. Sometimes, you just want a slice of ham that doesn't boast any bold characteristics, and that's when you turn to this obvious option.

The best way to describe this ham's flavor and texture is inoffensive. It's not too salty or sweet, and the texture is pretty standard. There's definitely an uptick in moisture as opposed to the lower sodium turkey, though it's still a bit chewy. While there's no one thing I'd single out as a problem, I also wouldn't say it stands out in any meaningful or positive way. Sure, there's a time and place for a basic, no-frills ham slice — a child's sack lunch, maybe. But when compared to the other, higher-ranked varieties from Publix, it can't really beat more than four other options.

I often find turkey meat to be the safest option at a deli, mostly because it doesn't suffer from the pitfalls that other meats do. You can usually trust it won't be overly salty, like ham can be, or have the potential of stringiness like with roast beef. It also doesn't necessarily have the potential to wow you like the other, riskier cuts can — and such is the case with the Publix Deli Oven Roasted Turkey Breast.

Like the lower sodium turkey, this suffered from a dry texture, though not to the same extent. The flavor was also more nuanced and intense here (probably courtesy of the extra salt). Basically, this tasted and felt better than the lower sodium turkey and the plain cooked ham, but still couldn't rise above a level of general mediocrity. In this case, skipping this safe bet will reward you with tastier options.

Yes, more ham. This time, Publix looks to offer a slice that really leans into the sweet flavor that can complement the savory richness of ham. The sweetness in question is nonspecific — not honey or maple, for example — but more like a neutral white sugar that's been mixed into the ham marinade. Either way, it's meant to lend some sweetness without taking away from or complicated the natural ham flavor.

Though we've waded through a sea of ham duds, we're finally getting to the kind of ham I actually enjoyed by itself. I think the secret to the success here is the general saltiness that rules the flavor profile of most ham takes a backseat. Instead, the sweetness leads. It walks a fine line, never tipping over into saccharine territory, but still present enough to earn that "sweet" claim in the title. I also found it to have the right level of moisture, making it a great addition to a sandwich, condiments or no. Even with these nice attributes, I still think it runs in the middle of the pack, lacking a certain level of excellence or originality to recommend it over the next six options.

Hard salami shares plenty of characteristics with Genoa salami, but it tends to work as a more flexible sandwich option flavor wise. The recipe relies less on excess spices and vinegar and it's often smoked after being cured. For Publix's take on the classic cured meat, a blend of pork and beef is punctuated by both smokiness and aromatic garlic.

I immediately appreciated that this variety of salami lacked the overly acidic flavor that the Genoa salami had. There was a nice balance of salt, garlic, and other mild spices, with only a hint of tang. The texture also offers a good mouthfeel, featuring just the right amount of fat to meat. In short, this is the kind of all-purpose salami that would please, though perhaps not amaze, the palate, so it ranks sixth. I wouldn't necessarily include this in a charcuterie platter, as I don't think it possesses a robust enough flavor to distinguish it in a sea of other cured meats. But for a homemade version of an Italian sub, it gets the job done very well.

If turkey isn't your type of white meat, Publix has a comparable smoked chicken breast option for you. Much like the turkey, this is a no-frills deli cut, lacking any adventurous seasoning, marinade, or spices. That can make this cut seem like a snooze fest, but it's got more going on than meets the eye.

I have to give Publix kudos on this surprisingly flavorful cut of chicken. I often ignore chicken as a deli meat because it tends to taste indistinguishable from turkey. But Publix has cracked the code: This chicken actually tastes like chicken. Less dry than the turkey and more aromatic, I found the chicken to be a more successful plain poultry deli option. Admittedly, this is still a dryer cut than any of the ham or salami choices, so it only ranks fifth. But I feel like the well-balanced savory chicken flavor more than compensates for it. If you want to go with a light white meat for your plain sandwich that's not turkey, this chicken is an excellent option.

Finally: We've reached the last of the Publix ham varieties. At first, I scoffed at the flavoring of this cold cut because it seemed to be pandering to the recent fad for hot honey. Every business seems to have a hot honey flavor on offer in 2026, from a hot honey-laced Hardee's breakfast sandwich to an equally sauced McDonald's Hot Honey McCrispy (and that doesn't even take into consideration the 16 hot honey brands you can grab at the store). While very few seem to actually deliver a truly nuanced flavor profile that honors the sweet and spicy pairing, Publix deserves credit for this one.

The cold cut combines the strengths of the Publix Deli Cooked Sweet Ham with the measured heat I wish the Hot Capicola had. I also have to give it points over the chicken and hard salami just for being a unique and surprising update to the humdrum sandwich meats I normally have on rotation. I would still argue it's not versatile enough to make it in the top three, but it's still the top Publix ham in my estimation.

Now we come to a cold cut with a fun ingredient twist that's not ham. This limited-edition Publix Deli Honey Maple Turkey Breast leans into two sweeteners for a complex boost in flavor. Right off the bat, I could visually tell this scallop-edged and slightly golden-hued turkey slice was packing something special. It's seldom that you get a turkey cut that beats ham at its own game, but this deli meat is one of those rare birds that pulls it off.

I thought that the dual hit of honey and maple wouldn't work well together, fighting rather than complementing one another, but both flavors came out in a perfectly balanced bite. But the true triumph of this cut was the improvement in texture. The sweeteners were a boon to the moisture level, making this imitate the tenderness of ham while maintaining that turkey flavor.

I think this slice works best in concert with other, more savory meat slices, but it can also work as a stand alone sandwich filler if you don't mind a more intensely sweet taste. This slightly less versatile profile is the only reason it takes home the bronze.

Roast beef is probably the hardest sliced meat a deli can produce. It can be saturated with salt or –perhaps the greater sin — chewy and tough with sinewy marbling. On top of that, it can also be one of the most expensive cuts to buy at the deli. For that reason, I tend to select the roast beef option from Boar's Head when ordering a sub at the deli counter; I trust the quality even if the price point is steep. Now, I can rely on Publix for a slightly cheaper, but no less delicious, option.

The flavor is a classic, true blue roast beef, deeply savory and with the right hit of saltiness. This may seem like only a slight victory, but a great roast beef taste that doesn't overdo the salt is a triumph. The texture is also excellent, easy to bite through in a sandwich and with minimal chewiness. My only small demerit against this is a hint of dryness, though it's still plenty tender with a light hit of mayonnaise.

As far as traditional cuts go, this is the best one you can find at Publix, and the second-best option I tried. But if you don't mind getting a little adventurous, one other option hits an even higher note.

The whole reason this unusual deli meat option exists is so that Publix can make a classic Cuban sub sandwich. Otherwise, you rarely see this thinly sliced pork loin-style deli meat on offer. For Publix's Spanish Pork Roast, you can expect a nice hit of herbs and seasoning plus an extra juicy dose of marinade. I've never had a cold cut like this, but now that I've gotten a taste? I'm never going back. 

Though the lean loin cut has a tendency to be dry, these deli slices were melt-in-your-mouth tender, probably thanks to the addition of 15% marinade. The delightful texture is only half the charm of this meat, though. The flavor is richly aromatic; with both a savory pork taste and a gourmet blend of herbs, it packs a punch that's anything but bland. Even with this bold flavor, it's still versatile enough to work in any kind of sandwich you would want to put it in.

Personally, I can see this cut in a leaner take on a simple bahn mi sandwich or my own version of a Cuban sandwich. No matter what direction you chose with it, though, this is one Publix deli meat that will always deliver stellar flavor, so it takes first place.

For this ranking, I bought every Publix brand deli meat available to me. I then tried each sandwich meat alone, as well as in a bare bones sandwich featuring regular white sandwich bread and a light swipe of mayonnaise.

I evaluated texture when tasting, and considered whether the meat was dry, stringy, overly chewy, or packing just the right level of moisture and tenderness. I also tried to consider how the deli meat's texture would affect a sandwich's need for excess condiments or make it difficult to take bites of.

When it came to flavor, I determined whether each deli item delivered on its title (i.e. was it sweet, hot, and so on) and if it would work well on its own or in a multi-component sandwich. Saltiness was a big consideration, particularly when it came to the ham options. I also noted if the deli meat seemed to lack originality or seemed genuinely inspired with its flavor profile.