11 Packaged Deli Ham Brands, Ranked

When it's time to make a sandwich, a wrap recipe, or just a quick and easy protein-filled snack, it helps to have some packaged deli ham on hand. You can just grab a package of it the next time you're at the grocery store, and you won't even have to wait in the deli line for the butcher to slice it up for you. But which brands offer the best-tasting ham? I've sought out 11 different brands — in some cases trying multiple products from each brand — and tasted and ranked all of them from worst to best. Specifically, I looked at overall flavor, texture, meat quality, and flavor boldness to determine which brand lands where on the list.

Of course, not everyone is looking for the same thing in a packaged deli ham brand, but by reading the description of my tasting experiences, you can hopefully choose one that matches the flavor profile and texture you prefer. That way, the next time you need to snag yourself some packaged deli ham at the grocery store, you'll know exactly which brands to seek out.

The last thing you want to find when you open a package of packaged deli ham is slimy meat. It's generally an indication that the product is starting to spoil, or already has. Unfortunately, that's exactly what I found when I opened up a package of Land O'Frost's Black Forest Ham: an unfortunately slimy texture that immediately made me concerned that I was getting a product that had been on the shelf for too long. But that wasn't the first sign that something was off. I noticed that the color of the meat was strange and slightly grayish in some places, and it didn't exactly smell fresh.

For the sake of this ranking, I did risk a taste, and I wasn't very pleased with the results. While I don't think the meat actually tasted spoiled, it didn't have much flavor at all beyond an overwhelming saltiness. I certainly didn't taste anything that would prompt me to buy this stuff again.

Perhaps I just got unlucky with a bad package of meat. However, I've had some of Land O'Frost's products before and have never been exceptionally pleased with the quality. This is one packaged deli ham brand I'll be avoiding from now on.

The thing that sticks out to me about Buddig the most is the ridiculously small amount of meat you get in a package of its Honey Ham. It's literally just a single serving. Actually, though, I wouldn't even call it that. At just 90 calories in the whole package, it seems like a useless amount. After all, you could easily put twice the amount of meat on a pretty standard sandwich. The slices are incredibly thin, which can create a somewhat nice texture when stacked on top of each other but is pretty difficult to work with.

The quality of this meat doesn't feel particularly high. It doesn't have a natural texture but rather feels squishy and processed. There's a time and a place for that texture, but it's what I look for in bologna or Spam — not deli ham slices. The flavor of the ham is okay, but it mostly just tastes blandly savory with lots of salt. Honestly, I couldn't taste a honeyed note at all, so you'll probably be disappointed if you're looking for a true honey ham flavor in this product. I can't think of a context in which I'd ever consider buying this brand of ham again.

I ranked seven different deli meats from Deli Fresh by Oscar Mayer, and the brand's Honey Ham came in the fourth slot on the list. It only ranked that high because many of this brand's other deli meats aren't particularly delicious either. Although this isn't a terrible product, it's not one that I'd seek out on purpose. The slices are quite thin and can tear easily, which makes them finicky to deal with if you want them to stay intact. Plus, when you first open the package, the meat doesn't smell very good, with a sort of bitter odor that takes a minute to dissipate.

This meat isn't flavorless, but it doesn't have as strong a flavor as some of the other hams that appear on this list. There's also a hint of honey there, although it's not super pronounced — if you're looking for some sweetness, you're probably going to be disappointed with this stuff. It's easily overpowered by the saltiness of the meat. This deli ham isn't terrible, but there are much better varieties out there, at least according to my own sense of taste.

I grew up eating Hillshire Farm deli meats, so it's a brand I feel myself naturally drawn to because of the familiarity alone. Unfortunately, though, my experiences with the brand haven't been that good in the last couple of years. The same holds true with its two varieties of ham I tried for this ranking. The first, Black Forest Ham, is about as basic a sliced ham as you can find. It's rather bland and salty, with a flimsiness that makes it hard to work with, especially when you consider how the slices are arranged in the container. The Brown Sugar Ham, on the other hand, packed a bit more flavor, with a sweetness that isn't my favorite but could actually be pretty nice for those who enjoy sweet meat.

This packaged deli ham is passable and would probably taste fine on a ham sandwich. But on its own, it's just not anything to get excited about. It doesn't feel like you're getting a super high level of quality or anything — it's what I would expect from a more budget-focused product. Ultimately, it's fine if this deli ham is all that you can find at your local grocery store, but I would look for other brands first.

Applegate Naturals' Slow Cooked Uncured Ham definitely represents a step up in terms of texture, in my opinion. Instead of getting more of that squishy, uniform texture, this ham has a more varied texture, making it seem a bit more natural than some of its grocery store counterparts. You still get some variance there even though the slices are so thin, which overall makes for a better and firmer bite. Although I just tasted a single slice on its own, I think this stuff would taste especially good stacked in layers on a sandwich or in a wrap. However, that doesn't mean that I like everything about this brand of deli ham.

When I took this meat out of the package, it looked sort of grey and discolored in some areas, which made it seem less fresh than I wanted it to be. Flavor-wise, this meat is plenty salty enough, but it doesn't have a ton of flavor otherwise. If you're mostly just looking for a nice, savory note in your dish, it isn't bad. Still, though, I like the hams many of the other brands have to offer much better.

This was perhaps the hardest packaged deli ham brand to rank on this entire list. That's because the two ham varieties I tried — Smoked Ham and Honey Ham — differed wildly in terms of freshness and quality. The Honey Ham was actually one of the very best hams I tried in this entire lineup. It was quite fresh, with a pronounced flavor of both honey and the ham itself. There's a solid amount of sweetness there, but it melds well with the saltiness of the meat as well. That combination of savory and sweet notes makes this a delicious honey ham, even for those who don't tend to like sweet meat (like me).

On the other hand, Prime Fresh's Smoked Ham might have been the worst product of the entire lineup. I ended up not even tasting it because it was so incredibly slimy when I opened the package. It had a faintly unpleasant aroma to it, so I decided to spare my digestive system and skip it. Of course, this might be a fluke — it's not unheard of to accidentally buy food that's already gone bad from the grocery store. However, I want to feel confident I'm getting fresh meat when I choose a specific brand, so I might hesitate the next time I consider buying a Prime Fresh product, even if the Honey Ham was excellent.

If you live near a Stop and Shop, you should be able to find the store brand's Black Forest and Honey Smoked Uncured Hams. These sliced hams are about as basic as they come, but that's pretty much exactly what I would expect from a store brand. These slices feel more processed than many of the others on this list, but their flavors are solid. The Black Forest variety is salty and savory with a nice umami edge, while the Honey Smoked is even nicer. The smokiness is pretty intense, which I love, while the honey note fades to the background in a way that's nice and balanced. I think it would pair well with a bold Dijon mustard.

These slices are thin but not too thin, and their texture is firm but still not especially premium-feeling. These sliced hams aren't anything to get too excited about, but they're solid options when you're just looking for some basic deli meat to throw onto a sandwich.

Now, at first glance, Signature Select's Sliced Cooked Ham may not look like a standout product on this list. However, it was one that I really enjoyed. However, I realize that this may not be the case for everyone. The ham is moist and shiny, with the kind of wetness that makes your bread soggy in the tastiest of ways. It's saltier than most of the other ham varieties on this list, but you can still taste the umami flavor of the meat, even though it's mild overall.

What I really like about this stuff, though, is the texture of the ham. It has a specific bouncy texture to it that I find exceptionally delicious. Surprisingly to me, the slices are very thin, but I still get a toothsome, firm bite even when I try just a single slice. This ham would make for an excellent, basic sandwich, but because it's so solid, you could also slice it up and use it as a topper for salads. If you're looking for a more natural texture, this is not the ham brand for you, but if you also like that aforementioned bounciness, this store brand is worth checking out.

Things only get better on the flavor front as we move to Hormel Natural Choice Honey Deli Ham. This is a brand that has some of the bounciness (albeit not quite as much) as the Signature Select variety. However, the texture feels a lot more natural, with varying textures throughout the slice of meat. This makes me feel like I'm getting a higher-quality product, although it also provides that specific, firm deli meat bite that creates such a nice contrast with the bread in a sandwich. The appearance of the meat also looks great — it has a natural-looking pink color to it that's healthier-looking than many of the other ham varieties on this list.

Although I think there are a few better-tasting ham brands in the lineup, the flavor here is still solid. You get a nice, salty slice, with a pronounced smokiness that adds some complexity to the meat. I could taste a perceptible honey note, although it's not overpowering. The sweetness is restrained in a way that pairs with the saltiness well, without either taking precedence over the other.

True Story isn't a brand I was familiar with before this ranking, but I have to admit that its Uncured Applewood Smoked Ham is now one of my favorite deli meats out there. First of all, I appreciate that these slices are thicker than most of the others I tried. They're not "thick thick," per se, but they have enough body to them that you're getting a more satisfying bite. Plus, you don't have to layer on as many of them to get the flavor you're going for in your sandwich. The texture is varied and natural-feeling, without the uniformity that you might find in cheaper slices.

Although this isn't the saltiest of the deli ham slices I tried for this ranking, this stuff is definitely on the saltier end of the spectrum, which I love. The taste of the meat is fresh and more deeply savory than most. Yes, I think True Story ham would be good on a sandwich, but this brand could easily be enjoyed all on its own as well. It doesn't have the blandness that can make some other brands of deli ham taste boring after a few solo bites.

When I ranked Trader Joe's deli meats from worst to best, one of the top performers I tried was Trader Joe's Sliced Rosemary Uncured Ham, and it's also the best of the hams I tried for this lineup. The flavor is unexpected and unmatched. You can really taste the rosemary in the recipe, although it's much more prominent on the exterior of the slice than it is on the interior. In addition to that lovely floral note, there's also a hint of lemon there as well. This makes the meat taste brighter and more complex, with a lightness that you probably wouldn't expect from ham, which can generally taste heavy and fatty. I think it would also make an excellent addition to a grazing board.

But it's not just this rosemary-flavored ham that earns Trader Joe's the top spot in this ranking. I also tried the chain grocer's Sliced Applewood Smoked Uncured Ham, with a natural texture that still has some of that perfect deli meat bounce. Overall, both varieties feel really high quality, which isn't uncommon for Trader Joe's deli meats in general, in my experience. If you have a Trader Joe's near you, you may want to make it your go-to spot for packaged deli ham shopping.

I found as many packaged deli ham brands as I could find from several local grocery stores for this ranking. When possible, I selected multiple products from each brand. I taste-tested all of these meats at the same time while they were still chilled from the refrigerator. To rank them, I paid attention to a few different factors.

First of all, I considered the overall quality of the meat, with fresher and higher-quality varieties rising to the top. I also thought about the ham's flavor, preferring more complex varieties with a nice balance between sweet, salty, and smoked elements. Texturally, I was on the lookout for interesting, varied textures, instead of the more processed-feeling varieties. The highest-ranked of the bunch feature more of these qualities than the lower-ranked brands.