Not Hormel, Not Hillshire Farm: The Hands-Down Best Packaged Deli Ham Is From A Beloved Grocery Store

Packaged deli ham is a solid sandwich staple, but not every brand delivers a true deli experience. We've all had some slices that were overly salty, others that were bland, and some that were just straight-up too processed to even eat straight from the package. But according to our recent ranking of packaged deli ham brands, one grocery store brand stood out above the rest: Trader Joe's. Its Sliced Rosemary Uncured Ham and Sliced Applewood Smoked Uncured Ham both stood out for their distinctive flavors and high-quality texture. Rather than tasting like another generic sandwich meat, these options had a lot more personality at reasonable prices.

The rosemary variety was particularly impressive because of its aromatic, herbaceous flavor and subtle hint of lemony brightness in each bite. That citrusy note kept the ham from tasting too heavy or fatty, and gave it a more complex flavor than the mild sweetness or saltiness often associated with packaged deli meat. Meanwhile, the applewood smoked variety also earned praise for its natural-feeling texture, having that satisfying bounce associated with good deli meat, rather than an overly soft or mushy consistency. A word about the "uncured" label on meat, though: It doesn't mean the ham is necessarily free of curing agents, but rather that they used natural sources of nitrites and nitrates. In this case, Trader Joe's used sea salt and cultured celery juice powder. 

Compared to Hormel and Hillshire Farm, Trader Joe's stands out because both its options offered the more familiar salty, smoky, sweet notes of conventional deli ham. Hormel Natural Choice Honey Deli Ham, which ranked third in our test, did impress us with its natural-looking texture, balanced saltiness, restrained honey flavor, and pronounced smokiness. It's a worthwhile substitute if you're not lucky enough to have a TJ's near you. Hillshire Farm, meanwhile, landed in eighth place. Its Black Forest Ham was bland and salty, while the Brown Sugar Ham leaned heavily on the sweet side. 

Trader Joe's shoppers have also been singing the praises of the rosemary ham. On Reddit, one fan wrote: "This is my favorite ham. Love that it is not smoked and the rosemary gives it a nice depth of flavor," while another added, "The rosemary flavor is subtle, but there. I also appreciate the fact that it isn't super salty and processed tasting." Shoppers wrote it was fantastic in a panini, but also excellent with provolone and roasted red peppers, wrapped up in Trader Joe's ciabatta rolls. Other creative pairings people have posted on Reddit include adding fig butter, apricot preserves, or sour cherry ham to the ham, while another suggested pairing it with TJ's Kettle Cooked Rosemary & Sea Salt Potato Chips, one of our picks for best new products to buy at Trader Joe's this September. However you like your ham, there's plenty to peruse the next time you go shopping.