Top Grocery Chains for Spiral Ham: Customers Reveal Their Favorites

However, not all spiral hams deliver the same experience. Choosing a tough, dry, or overly fatty option can lead to disappointment, especially considering the investment of time and money. To guide your choices, we sought to discover which grocery stores offer the highest-quality spiral hams.

Consistency matters in food quality; therefore, we explored customer reviews to identify grocery chains that regularly receive acclaim for their spiral hams. Alongside chain ratings, we delved into social media to find customer recommendations, focusing on aspects like taste, freshness, quality, and affordability. Here’s a rundown of the top stores to consider for your next spiral ham purchase.

Costco fans already appreciate its myriad benefits, from free samples to significant savings on gas. Now, their delicious spiral hams, particularly the Kirkland Signature Spiral Sliced Ham, also receives plenty of love from loyal customers. Many report that this red foil-wrapped ham has become a holiday staple, known not just for the ham itself but also for its delightful glaze.

A poorly crafted glaze can ruin a meal, underscoring the importance of flavor in this dish. Even those who generally aren’t fans of ham appreciate this Costco offering, with multiple tips available for elevating the ham, like cooking it on a rack to avoid a salty bottom. While you’re at Costco, don’t forget to grab some Hawaiian rolls from the bakery — perfect for leftover ham sandwiches. That’s a win in itself.

Some customers buy this ham multiple times a year, emphasizing how versatile the glaze can be. Variations such as adding pineapple, orange marmalade, or even rum take it to new heights. Many also report they portion and freeze meal-sized pieces, maximizing convenience. Overall, it’s a solid choice, as expected from Costco.

Aldi shines as an affordable grocery option, renowned for delivering high-quality products at low prices. Their Appleton Farms Spiral Sliced Ham stands out as a popular choice for many customers. Even those who don’t typically enjoy ham recognize Aldi’s reliability when it comes to spiral hams.

Customer feedback highlights the desirable texture of Aldi hams — and in the realm of ham, texture indeed plays a critical role. Some shoppers seize the opportunity to buy several during sales, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas, and find portioning them into manageable sizes particularly helpful. This not only prevents waste but ensures plenty of leftovers to enjoy throughout the year.

While some reviewers express dissatisfaction with Aldi’s glaze packets, noting that although the ham is fantastic, they prefer to use alternate glazes. Fortunately, crafting a homemade glaze is quick and simple. If you seek inspiration, consider trying a honey-glazed recipe for spiral-sliced ham.

Trader Joe’s has an intriguing history tied to Aldi and offers some impressive spiral hams. They source their ham from hormone-free, humanely-raised pigs and steer clear of added nitrates and nitrites. Their glaze is a straightforward mix of spices, sugar, and oil, ensuring a simple yet satisfying flavor profile.

Customers rave about the delectable taste of Trader Joe’s hams, along with the variety of sizes available, making it easy to find one suitable for smaller gatherings. Some loyal customers even liken it to Honey Baked ham, a benchmark in the world of ham.

If you prefer a less salty alternative, Trader Joe’s remains uncured yet fully cooked, taking merely 12 to 15 minutes per pound in the oven. This is a time-saver, allowing you to free up the oven for your favorite pie recipes, complementing ham dinner beautifully.

For optimal freshness, morning is the best time to shop at Walmart for spiral-sliced hams. Walmart also excels in offering a variety of options, including favorites like brown sugar and honey-cured hams, along with intriguing flavors such as salted caramel, bourbon, and maple butter. They also provide both bone-in and boneless varieties depending on your preference (and if you’re not a fan of bones, the ham bone is prime for making ham split pea soup).

Customer reviews reflect high satisfaction with all Walmart’s options. The bone-in brown sugar variety currently enjoys over 9,500 ratings, with five-star reviewers complimenting its tenderness, juiciness, and flavor — perfect for dinner or sandwiches alike.

Other shoppers appreciate Walmart’s combination of taste and value. Many customers have it on their monthly shopping list due to the reasonable price and high quality, making it a go-to for holidays and casual meals, too. Additionally, the salted caramel flavor receives special accolades for being unexpectedly delightful and less sweet than anticipated.

Target may not be the first place you’d think of for spiral-sliced ham, which is why its customer reviews are fewer than those of other stores. The available reviews, however, are largely positive. Customers often express initial hesitation at the low price but soon find them to be a reliable staple, both for Market Pantry and Good & Gather lines.

Target hams are recognized for their delicious taste and tenderness — ideal for novices, complete with easy instructions to make cooking simple.

It’s also worth noting that Target occasionally offers online discounts, with half-price promotions on spiral-sliced hams typically available in the week following Easter. This can significantly lower costs while stocking your freezer.

The ongoing debate over Sam’s Club versus Costco dials up the competition in the meat department. However, many loyal fans lean toward Sam’s Club and its Member’s Mark spiral-sliced hams. The brown sugar double-glazed ham receives near-universal praise for its convenience and ease of slicing for freezing. Customers applaud its juiciness and flavor, which avoids excessive saltiness. The boneless option also makes serving straightforward.

Numerous reviews highlight how enjoyable these hams are, with many customers purchasing multiple for the affordable price and versatility of meals. Some find them flavorful enough to enjoy without the glaze, although the included spice packet and glaze remain well-received for those who want an extra touch.

The standard fully cooked, double-glazed option consistently earns glowing reviews, making it a star at gatherings and proving superior to typical deli meats for sandwiches. When you sauté glazed leftovers, they become perfectly caramelized, adding even more flavor to your post-holiday meals.

We emphasized those hams noted for being flavorful and juicy, as well as those often purchased in multiples. Value for money and versatility were crucial factors, alongside a texture that guarantees an enjoyable dinner experience.