Homemade Spam Recipe - What, Why, and How (2024)

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Spam. Mystery meat. No thanks. Nasty. Who eats that stuff? I wanted nothing to do with Spam. I didn’t even know what Spam was – only that it was something to be avoided at all costs. I heard that it was popular in Hawaii and that there, people eat it on rice as Spam musubi. Really?? Then, Heidi Berger posted several times on my Facebook page about Spam cupcakes. “Trust me when I say Spam cupcakes are NOT gross ;-),” she insisted.

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I didn’t trust Heidi. I knew that Spam cupcakes would be gross because Spam is disgusting – meat in a can just isn’t right (I blindly thought, having never ingested it). Would homemade Spam be better? What gives Spam its flavor, and could I make a version myself that I would feel comfortable eating? Would my homemade version of Spam then make for a tasty cupcake flavor? I had to find out.

Table of Contentsshow

What Is Spam?

As many of you know, Spam stands for spiced ham. It’s made with pork shoulder and ham. The ingredient list is actually quite small and contains nothing too scary: Pork with Ham, Salt, Water, Modified Potato Starch, Sugar, Sodium Nitrite. Before I made my homemade Spam, I had to buy a can to see what it tasted like.

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I found that Spam tastes like salty ham – very, very salty ham. It wasn’t nearly as bad as legend had it. If I ever bought Spam again, I would definitely buy the low-sodium version [paid link].

Why Bother Making Homemade Spam?

The best reason for making homemade Spam or homemade anything is that when you make it yourself, you know exactly what is going into it. Homemade Spam is decidedly not mystery meat. It’s just plain old pork and ham.

How Does the Homemade Version Compare to the Canned Spam?

The end result tasted pretty close to Spam. It was just about the right color, the texture was similar (not quite as slimy as the original), and the taste was the same, although significantly less salty.

Ingredients

I made homemade Spam using pork shoulder,

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ham,

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two cloves of garlic, and Morton Tender Quick [paid link] (salt used for curing meat that also gives the homemade Spam its pink color).

How It’s Made

It was really hard to find a recipe for homemade Spam. The closest thing that I could find was a post on Morgans Menu which describes the general idea of how to make Spam, but it’s short on specifics. I used that post as a guideline, however I strayed from her suggestion of using duck and chicken in addition to the pork and ham; I wanted to stick with the classic mixture. I also got some assistance from local chef Chuck Friedhoff who pointed out that Spam is really just a pâté and encouraged me to look at pâté recipes. I never thought of that before, and I now wonder if a gourmet restaurant could get away with serving Spam if they just called it pork pâté.

Begin by preheating your oven to 300 F.

Grind the pork shoulder in a meat grinder (I used a tabletop meat grinder [paid link], but the KitchenAid meat grinder attachment [paid link] would probably have been easier), then set aside.

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Finely mince the ham with the garlic in a food processor (I used my mini Cuisinart [paid link]) or by hand.

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Dump the pork shoulder, ham/garlic, and Tender Quick into a large bowl and mix by hand until fully combined.

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Pack the meat mixture into a bread pan and cover with foil, then place the bread pan into a large baking dish filled 3/4 full with water.

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Place the baking dish into the oven and bake for three hours. You want the internal temperature of the Spam to reach 155 F.

Remove from the oven, uncover the bread pan and try not to be too grossed out by all of the fat that has emerged from the meat. Nonchalantly dump all of the fat into a jar or can to dispose of later.

Note: During my first attempt at making homemade Spam, I neglected to dump out the fat. When I later pulled the Spam out of the fridge, it had a layer of white creamy fat on top of it and a layer of natural Jello under that. I could barely stomach it.

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Next, cover the bread pan loosely with foil and place a heavy weight on top of the foil. I took bricks and put them in another bread pan and put that bread pan on the Spam. You may need to get creative, but I’m sure you can find something in your house that will work. The whole point of adding weight to the top is to compress the meat and help to extract melted fat and liquid.

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Once the Spam has cooled to room temperature, place it into the refrigerator and keep it there overnight.

In the morning, your Spam will be ready to use however you choose to use it.

Note: Since homemade Spam is not canned, it will not last forever. Keep it as long as you would keep ham.

Expert Tips and FAQs

Where can I find Morton Tender Quick?

You can buy it in many grocery stores in the United States or find it on Amazon [paid link]. If it’s not available near you, try an online retailer or consider using another curing mix containing salt, sugar, sodium nitrite, and sodium nitrate.

Why do you use curing salt in this recipe?

Tender Quick (which isn’t a tenderizer) gives the Spam a good mixture of salty and sweet and adds preservatives to keep it from spoiling quickly once refrigerated. The sodium nitrite in the cure also gives the finished product its proper pink color.

What can I do with homemade Spam?

Use it anywhere you’d normally use Spam. For some ideas, you could mix it with greens and black eyed peas for a rich and flavorful casserole (don’t add any extra salt to the mixture as there’s more than enough salt in the Spam), eat it on rice as Spam musubi (I’m still a little skeptical about that one, Hawaii), or save some for homemade Spam cupcakes.

How long will this last?

Homemade Spam is not canned, so it will not last forever. Store it in the refrigerator and keep it as long as you would keep ham.

  • Candied spam
  • Pork pot pie
  • Candied pineapple

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review!

Homemade Spam Recipe - What, Why, and How (11)

Print Pin

5 from 2 votes

Homemade Spam

This homemade spam tastes and looks just like the real thing!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutesminutes

Cook Time 3 hourshours

Cooling Time 8 hourshours

Total Time 11 hourshours15 minutesminutes

Servings 16

Calories 103kcal

Author Stefani

Equipment

  • Meat grinder

  • Meat thermometer

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2poundspork shouldercubed, refrigerated or frozen; choose a piece that's pretty fatty – fat is a good thing when making Spam
  • 3ouncesham
  • 2garlic cloveschopped
  • 3 1/2teaspoonsMorton Tender Quick [paid link]

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C).

  • Grind the pork shoulder in a meat grinder, then set aside.

  • Finely mince the ham with the garlic in a food processor.

  • Add the pork shoulder, ham/garlic, and Tender Quick into a large bowl and mix by hand until fully combined.

  • Pack the meat mixture into a bread pan and cover with foil.

  • Place the bread pan into a large baking dish filled 3/4 full with water.

  • Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for three hours. Make sure that the internal temperature of the Spam is 155 F (69 C).

  • Remove from the oven, uncover the bread pan, and drain the fat into a jar or can to dispose of later.

  • Cover the bread pan loosely with foil and place a heavy weight on top of the foil. (I put bricks in another bread pan and put that on top of the foiled Spam. You may need to get creative, but I'm sure you can find something in your house that will work.)

  • Allow to cool, then place the weighed down Spam into the refrigerator and keep it there overnight.

  • In the morning, your Spam will be ready to use however you choose to use it.

Notes

If you can’t find Morton Tender Quick where you are, look for a fast curing salt mix that contains salt, sugar, sodium nitrite, and sodium nitrate.

Homemade Spam is not canned, so it will not last forever. Keep it as long as you would keep ham.

Nutrition

Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 610mg | Potassium: 285mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg

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Homemade Spam Recipe - What, Why, and How (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in Spam? ›

In fact, SPAM only contains six ingredients! And the brand's website lists them all. They are: pork with ham meat added (that counts as one), salt, water, potato starch, sugar, and sodium nitrite. Most of those are as simple as simple gets!

How do you make good Spam? ›

Some people like it fried, others like it baked, and still others like it grilled. Spam can also be added to soups, stews, and stir-fries. Fried Spam: To fry Spam, simply cut it into slices or cubes and cook it in a hot pan with a little bit of oil until it is golden brown and crispy.

What makes Spam taste like Spam? ›

The meat mixture is combined with preservatives and flavoring agents, such as sugar, salt, potato starch and sodium nitrite, and then canned, closed and vacuum-sealed. The product originally gained traction during World War II as a cheap and convenient food to feed soldiers overseas.

Is Spam very unhealthy? ›

Spam is a type of processed meat, a category that also includes things like cured sausages, hams, and hot dogs. Processed meats like these have been linked to a higher risk of some health issues, including high blood pressure, something studies seem to indicate may be linked to their high sodium content.

What are the 3 different types of SPAM? ›

Computer spam, text spam, call spam: an unwanted, unsolicited digital communication sent out in bulk. Spam is annoying, but it's also a threat.

What is SPAM Why is it harmful? ›

Spam is any unsolicited communication sent in bulk. Usually sent via email, spam is also distributed through text messages (SMS), social media, or phone calls. Spam messages often come in the form of harmless (though annoying) promotional emails. But sometimes spam is a fraudulent or malicious scam.

Which is healthier Spam or bacon? ›

Bacon Contains More Fat Than Spam

One 2-ounce serving of the original Spam variety contains 180 calories and just a handful of micronutrients like zinc, potassium, iron, and copper. It also boasts 16 grams of fat. Bacon, on the other hand, has about 263 calories in a 2-ounce portion with an estimated 19.6 grams of fat.

What does Spam stand for? ›

Some say SPAM stands for Specially Processed American Meat, others believe it is a portmanteau for spiced ham, while others say it stands for Shoulder of Pork and Ham. As it relates to email, spam is not an acronym. What does the term spam refer to? Spam refers to unwanted, unsolicited junk emails.

Why does SPAM have a bad reputation? ›

Concerns about Spam's nutritional attributes have been raised due to the fact that it contains twice as much of the daily dietary recommendation of fat as it does of protein, and about the health effects of salt and preservatives.

When should you not eat SPAM? ›

Avoid damaged cans and funky smelling Spam

Most shelf-stable foods can last indefinitely, but a time frame for quality is usually indicated on the labels of manufactured goods like Spam. This is why FoodSafety.Gov recommends consuming shelf-stable canned meats within five years if left in the pantry.

Which SPAM is the healthiest? ›

Heavy on the flavor, light on the other stuff. This variety offers the scrumptiousness of SPAM® Classic with 33% less calories, 50% less fat, and 25% less sodium.

What state eats the most Spam? ›

Hawai'i residents eat 7 million cans of Spam per year, making it the state with the highest number of consumers per capita in the nation, according to Spam's numbers. That's five cans per person a year, but experts warn that overconsumption could have negative health consequences. Spam comes in all forms of delicacies.

How do Hawaiians eat Spam? ›

By the end of the war, SPAM® products were adopted into local culture, with Fried SPAM® Classic and rice becoming a popular meal. The unique flavor quickly found its way into other Hawaiian cuisine, from SPAM® Fried Wontons to SPAM® Musubi, and SPAM® products became a fixture for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Can you eat Spam every day? ›

Spam can definitely be consumed as part of a healthy diet, but seeing as it's significantly higher in both fat and calories than many other protein sources, if you consume too much of it too often, it's likely you'll see your weight increase as a result.

What parts of animals are in SPAM? ›

Spam's main ingredients are pork shoulder and ham, with salt, water, modified potato starch (as a binder), sugar, and sodium nitrite (as a preservative). Natural gelatin is formed during cooking in its tins on the production line.

What is SPAM made of and is it healthy? ›

Spam has six ingredients: pork, salt, water, potato starch, sugar and sodium nitrate. Studies have shown that processed meat containing nitrates may lead to certain cancers. Nitrates are chemicals put in canned foods to boost their shelf life.

What quality of meat is in SPAM? ›

What sets Spam apart from other products that are made from chopped meats that are cooked and pressed together (we're thinking about scrapple): Spam is made from pork shoulder and pork ham, with no other scraps from the hog. Pork shoulder is considered a high-quality cut of pork today, although in 1937, it was not.

Is SPAM healthier than bacon? ›

Bacon contains more fat than Spam

One 2-ounce serving of the original Spam variety contains 180 calories and just a handful of micronutrients like zinc, potassium, iron, and copper. It also boasts 16 grams of fat. Bacon, on the other hand, has about 263 calories in a 2-ounce portion with an estimated 19.6 grams of fat.

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