The holiday ham was the star of the table, and now there is a mountain of it in the fridge. Good news: leftover ham is one of the most useful ingredients you can have on hand. It is already cooked, already seasoned and works in everything from breakfast egg cups to sliders to a pot of soup.
These 25+ leftover ham recipes come from Fork To Spoon and lean on the air fryer and Instant Pot, so most are on the table in 20 minutes or less. You will find quick breakfasts, hot sandwiches and sliders, hearty dinners and soups, and a few party-ready appetizers, plus tips for storing, freezing and reheating ham so it stays juicy.
Whether you are working through an Easter, Christmas or Thanksgiving ham, you will not run out of ideas before you run out of ham.
Breakfast and Brunch Leftover Ham Recipes
1. Air Fryer Ham and Cheese Egg Cups
Diced ham, eggs and cheese baked in silicone cups for a protein-packed grab-and-go breakfast. Make a batch on Sunday and reheat all week.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Ham and Cheese Egg Cups
2. Air Fryer Ham and Egg Cups (Keto)
A slice of ham lines each cup to hold a whole egg, no carbs required. Crispy edges, runny yolk, ready in about 10 minutes.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Ham and Egg Cups
3. Air Fryer Ham and Cheese Omelette
A fluffy omelette with no flipping. Pour the eggs, ham and cheese into a small pan and the air fryer does the rest in 12 minutes.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Ham and Cheese Omelette
4. Air Fryer Breakfast Frittata
Eggs, cheese and vegetables baked into a sliceable frittata. Fold in diced leftover ham for a full brunch dish that feeds four.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Breakfast Frittata
5. Air Fryer Quiche Lorraine
A crispy crust and creamy custard filling. Swap the bacon for chopped ham and you have a classic ham and cheese quiche for brunch or a light dinner.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Quiche Lorraine
6. Air Fryer Meat Lover’s Quiche
Ham, sausage and bacon in one hearty quiche. Use up the last of the holiday meats in a single dish.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Meat Lover’s Quiche
7. Air Fryer Ham and Cheese Biscuit Sandwiches
Flaky biscuits stuffed with ham and melted cheese. A five-minute breakfast sandwich that also packs well for lunch.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Ham and Cheese Biscuit Sandwiches
8. Starbucks Copycat Ham and Swiss Croissant
Buttery croissants layered with ham and Swiss and warmed until the cheese melts. Better than the coffee shop version and a fraction of the price.
Get the recipe: Starbucks Copycat Ham and Swiss Croissant
9. Air Fryer Breakfast Pinwheels
Puff pastry pinwheels with cheese and a sweet-savory brown sugar glaze. Swap the bacon for chopped ham.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Breakfast Pinwheels
Sandwiches, Sliders and Handhelds
10. Air Fryer Ham and Cheese Sliders
Ham and Swiss on Hawaiian rolls, brushed with garlic butter and air fried until toasty and gooey. The number-one way to use a pound of leftover ham in ten minutes.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Ham and Cheese Sliders
11. Ham and Cheese Sandwich in the Air Fryer
The classic hot ham and cheese, crisped on the outside and melted inside. Sliced leftover ham works even better than deli ham here.
Get the recipe: Ham and Cheese Sandwich in the Air Fryer
12. Air Fryer Hardee’s Big Hot Ham ‘N Cheese (Copycat)
Piles of ham and melted cheese on a toasted bun, just like the fast-food favorite. A quick lunch that uses a generous portion of ham.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Hardee’s Big Hot Ham ‘N Cheese
13. Air Fryer Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls
Crescent dough wrapped around ham and cheddar and air fried in about 10 minutes. A kid-approved lunch or after-school snack.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls
14. Air Fryer Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets
Homemade hot pockets with ham and Swiss sealed in crescent dough. Make a batch, freeze, and reheat in the air fryer for lunches all month.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets
15. Air Fryer Ranch Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
Puff pastry layered with ranch, ham and cheddar, rolled, sliced and air fried until golden. Great for lunchboxes or a party tray.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Ranch Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
16. Air Fryer Cuban Pinwheels
All the flavors of a Cuban sandwich, ham, Swiss, pickles and mustard, rolled into tortillas, sliced and crisped in the air fryer.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Cuban Pinwheels
Dinners, Casseroles and Soups
17. Air Fryer Ham Casserole
Diced ham, potatoes and cheese baked in one pan. A comfort-food dinner that uses up two or three cups of leftover ham at once.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Ham Casserole
18. Air Fryer Glazed Ham Steaks
Thick slices of leftover ham brushed with an easy apricot glaze and air fried until caramelized at the edges. Dinner in 10 minutes.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Glazed Ham Steaks
19. Easy Instant Pot Fried Rice
A fast fried rice base for the pressure cooker. Stir in diced ham at the end for a classic ham fried rice that beats takeout.
Get the recipe: Easy Instant Pot Fried Rice
20. Instant Pot Pork Fried Rice
The pork version, which swaps perfectly for chopped ham. Ready in under 20 minutes with day-old rice.
Get the recipe: Instant Pot Pork Fried Rice
21. Air Fryer Honey Glazed Baked Ham
Not a leftover recipe, but the one that starts it all. If you are cooking a ham for the holiday, this air fryer method gives you a sticky honey glaze and plenty of leftovers for the recipes above.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Honey Glazed Baked Ham
More leftover ham dinners
Fork To Spoon’s 35+ Easy Leftover Ham Recipes for Dinner rounds up Instant Pot ham and potato soup, ham and split pea soup, ham and corn chowder, ham and pea carbonara, ham and cheese stromboli, ham and pineapple pizza, ham and cheese pasta bake and more. And if you need a glaze or dipping sauce, see 15+ Best Sauces for Ham.
Appetizers and Snacks
22. Air Fryer Ham and Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
Mozzarella sticks wrapped in a slice of ham and air fried until the cheese is gooey and the ham crisps. A low-carb snack with a serious cheese pull.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Ham and Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
23. Air Fryer Ham and Cheese Sliders (Party Size)
The same sliders from above, made by the pan for a crowd. Cover with foil for the first few minutes so the tops do not brown before the cheese melts.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Ham and Cheese Sliders
24. Air Fryer Frozen Quiche
For the days you want a quiche and do not want to make one. Top a store-bought quiche with diced ham before air frying to dress it up.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Frozen Quiche
25. Air Fryer Hot Pockets
The shortcut method for frozen ham and cheese Hot Pockets: crispy crust, no soggy microwave middle.
Get the recipe: Hot Pockets in the Air Fryer
26. Air Fryer Ham and Cheese Pinwheel Platter
Make a double batch of the ranch ham and cheese pinwheels and the Cuban pinwheels, arrange on one tray with mustard and ranch for dipping, and you have a party appetizer that clears out the ham drawer.
How to Store, Freeze and Reheat Leftover Ham
Refrigerate within two hours. Slice or cube the ham off the bone, wrap tightly or store in an airtight container, and use within 3 to 5 days.
Portion before freezing. Freeze ham in one- or two-cup portions in freezer bags with the air pressed out. It keeps for up to 2 months and thaws overnight in the fridge, ready for egg cups, sliders or soup.
Save the bone. A ham bone makes the best split pea, bean or potato soup. Freeze it in a bag until soup night.
Reheat in the air fryer, not the microwave. Slices and cubes reheat at 325°F for 3 to 5 minutes and stay juicy, with crisp edges instead of rubbery ones. The full method is in How to Reheat Leftover Ham in the Air Fryer.
Add a little moisture. A spoonful of broth, pineapple juice or the leftover glaze keeps reheated ham from drying out.
Dice once, use all week. Spend ten minutes dicing the whole leftover ham into cubes and slices on day one. Every recipe above goes faster when the ham is prepped and waiting.
Leftover Ham FAQs
How long does leftover ham last in the fridge? Three to five days in an airtight container. If it smells sour or feels slimy, toss it.
Can you freeze leftover ham? Yes. Wrapped well, it freezes for up to 2 months. Diced ham freezes and thaws better than large chunks.
What is the best way to reheat ham without drying it out? The air fryer at a low temperature (300°F to 325°F) for a few minutes, with a splash of broth or glaze. Avoid the microwave, which overcooks the edges.
What can I make with a lot of leftover ham? Start with the recipes that use the most ham per batch: ham casserole, ham and cheese sliders by the pan, fried rice, and a pot of ham and potato or split pea soup.
Can I use leftover ham in place of deli ham? Absolutely. Thinly slice it for sandwiches and croissants, or dice it for egg cups, pinwheels and quiche. It has more flavor than deli ham.
What goes with leftover ham for dinner? Scalloped or roasted potatoes, green beans, mac and cheese, and a sweet-tangy sauce. Fork To Spoon’s 15+ Best Sauces for Ham has glazes and dips for every meal
