Iowa Ham Balls are a beloved comfort food in the Midwest. Although their origins are a bit hazy, they have been a staple in Iowa households for generations. You can whip them up quickly in your Instant Pot!

If you are a fan of Iowa cooking, you must have tasted the delicious ham balls of Iowa. They are the best, like your favorite sweet meatball, but made with ham in the most delectable sweet sauce! Cooking Ham Balls in your Instant Pot or slow cooker is an easy, hands-off approach to making this Iowa Classic dinner using leftover ham.

As someone who has spent almost half my life in Iowa, I feel like I became a true Iowan when my family finally had its own Ham Ball recipe!

Iowa is known for several culinary classics. Every summer, we buy fresh, local sweet corn. We all love a gooey, sweet cinnamon roll with a piping hot bowl of chili. We also love pork tenderloin and loose meat sandwiches, and everyone loves the Hot Beef Sundae from the Iowa State Fair!

Ingredients

One pound of ground ham

One pound ground pork

Two large eggs

1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 crushed club butter crackers

1/4 cup minced onion

1/2 cup milk

Glaze

1/2 cup ketchup

One tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce 

1/3 cup of brown sugar

1/4 cup of white vinegar

One tablespoon of water

Equipment 

Food Processor

Pressure cooker or slow cooker

Trivet that comes with your Instant Pot

baking dish if you want to cook them in the oven before serving.

Large bowl

Meat grinder- optional

If you don’t have the exact ingredients above, don’t worry! Iowa Ham balls were developed because they were repurposing leftovers.

Instant Pot Instructions

Slow Cooker Instructions

1. Mix ground pork, ground ham, eggs, milk, crushed graham crackers, and onion in a large mixing bowl. Form 2-inch balls.

2. Place a single layer of  Ham balls in your slow cooker.

3. Mix the ingredients for your glaze: ketchup, water, brown sugar, Worcestershire, and vinegar. Whisk glaze together.

4. Pour glaze over the Ham balls.

5. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. You can choose to broil them in the oven right before serving.

5 from 2 votes

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Instant Pot Iowa Ham Balls

If you are a fan of Iowa cooking, then you must have tasted the delicious ham balls of Iowa. They are the best. Cooking Ham Balls in your Instant Pot is a straightforward hands-off approach to making this Iowa Classic dinner. I will provide you with an easy and delicious recipe for Iowa Ham Balls. 

Course dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword Dinner, Iowa, Ham, Midwest, Instant Pot

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 pound ground ham
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup crushed club cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup milk

Glaze

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp water

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix ground pork, ground ham, eggs, milk, crushed graham crackers, crushed crackers, and onion. Form 2-inch balls.

2. At the bottom of your Instant Pot, add ingredients for the glaze. Tomato soup, 1 cup of water, brown sugar, and vinegar. Whisk glaze together.

3. Set the trivet on top of the glaze. Add Ham Balls on the top of the trivet.

4. Secure and lock the Instant Pot lid. Set the pressure release valve to "sealing."

5. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Quick-Release the pressure.

6. Remove the ham balls and place them in a dish. Pour the sauce on top.

7. Broil the Ham balls in the oven for 3-4 minutes.

8. Serve

Slow Cooker Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix ground pork, ground ham, eggs, milk, crushed graham crackers, crushed crackers, and onion. Form 2-inch balls.

2. Place the Ham balls in your slow cooker.

3. Mix the ingredients for your glaze. ketchup, water, brown sugar, worchestshire and vinegar. Whisk glaze together.

4. Pour glaze over the Ham balls.

5. Cook on low for 4-6 hours

6. Serve

A typical Iowa ham ball recipe includes:

• Ground ham: The cornerstone of the dish, providing a savory base.
• Ground beef or pork: Often added to extend the meat and add richness.
• Breadcrumbs, crackers, or graham cracker crumbs: A binder to hold the mixture together.
• Eggs: To bind and add moisture.
• Milk or water: Milk is used for moisture and to help create a tender texture.
• Seasonings: Typically includes salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and sometimes mustard or ketchup, apple cider vinegar,  for added flavor. If you don’t have ketchup, condensed tomato soup has also been known to be an ingredient in ham balls.

A few recipe notes 

* Some Ham ball recipes call for ground beef as well. If you have some handy, you can add it to your ham ball mixture. If you add ground beef, do one part pork, one part ham, and one part beef.  

* Ham balls can also be made into a ham loaf. Form a loaf using the mixture and cook it just like you would a meatloaf  

* Many butcher shops in Iowa ( Fareway) sell cooked off-the-bone ham by the pound. You don’t need to purchase an entire ham to make ham balls!

Side Dish Ideas

Rice

Mac and cheese 

any roasted vegetable 

Risotto 

Mashed Potatoes 

Did you make this Iowa classic dish? I would love to know your first impression! Please comment below this post or tag me on social media and let me know how you liked it! You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterst.