Homemade SPAM

Name: Homemade SPAM
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 210 min
Total time: 225 min
Ingredients: 5 lbs pork shoulder (ground); 1 lb ham (ground); 2 TBS + 1 tsp Morton Tender Quick curing salt; 3 TBSP sugar; 3 TBSP cornstarch; 1 TBSP kosher salt; 1 tsp white pepper (ground); 1 tsp paprika; 1 cup cold water

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Homemade SPAM from scratch with pork shoulder, ham, and simple seasonings. Discover the rich history of SPAM in Hawaii, why prices have skyrocketed to $4.14 a can, and how making it yourself saves 44% while tasting so much better.

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Hand holding up a thick slice of homemade SPAM showing the pink cured interior texture, with additional slices on a wood cutting board below

Why You’ll Love Making Your Own SPAM

You know exactly what goes into it: real pork, real ham, and seasonings you can actually pronounce
No synthetic preservatives for long-term shelf life, just food meant to be eaten
You make roughly 8 cans’ worth for the price of 4.5 store-bought cans at $4.14 each
The flavor is on a completely different level, especially if you go the Traeger route
Once you have the base down, you can make it your own: more pepper, garlic, ginger, whatever calls to you
Perfect for spam musubi, saimin, breakfast, and everything in between

Overhead view of a bowl of saimin topped with crispy seared homemade SPAM strips, scrambled egg, and green onion, with chopsticks lifting noodles

A Brief History of SPAM

It all started on July 5, 1937, in Austin, Minnesota. Hormel Foods introduced a product they called SPAM, and the name itself has a great story behind it. Jay Hormel threw a New Year’s Eve party and offered a $100 prize to whoever could come up with the best product name. A man named Ken Daigneau won with “SPAM,” a word he had been sitting on for a while without anything to attach it to yet.

The original recipe was simple: pork with added ham, salt, water, sugar, and sodium nitrite. Five ingredients. Nobody expected it to become a global icon.

Then World War II happened.

During the war, SPAM became a military necessity. Fresh meat was scarce, refrigeration was unreliable, and feeding millions of soldiers across the globe required something shelf-stable, calorie-dense, and affordable. SPAM checked every box.

After the war, SPAM found its way into the pantries of working-class American families everywhere. It was filling, it was affordable, and it did not require much kitchen know-how to turn into a meal.

For decades, SPAM carried the reputation of a “poor man’s food.” Something you ate not because you wanted to, but because you had to. That reputation stuck for a long time.

And then something changed.

How SPAM Found Its True Home in Hawaii

While the mainland slowly moved on from SPAM after the war, the Hawaiian Islands were falling deeper in love with it. And that love never left.

Hawaii’s relationship with SPAM goes back to those same wartime years. During World War II, the islands were under martial law and fresh meat was heavily rationed for civilians. SPAM was one of the few protein sources reliably available. Local families, Japanese, Filipino, Chinese, Korean, and Native Hawaiian, began incorporating it into their traditional cooking. They seasoned it the way they knew. They paired it with the ingredients they had. And slowly, SPAM became something uniquely local to Hawaii.

Today, Hawaii consumes more SPAM per capita than any other state in the U.S., over 7 million cans per year, or roughly five cans per person annually. That is not a typo.

Walk into any convenience store, grocery store, or plate lunch spot on the islands and SPAM is front and center. Not as a cheap filler. It is celebrated.

Recipes that Use SPAM

What makes SPAM’s place in Hawaii so special is how completely it got absorbed into Local food culture. It did not stay in the can. It transformed:

From Struggle Meal to Delicacy: The Great SPAM Price Creep

Here is where things get a little frustrating.

SPAM was designed to be affordable. It was born from the need to feed people cheaply and reliably. For most of the 20th century, it delivered on that promise. A can of SPAM was exactly what you reached for when money was tight.

But something shifted over the past decade. SPAM became cool. Celebrity chefs started featuring it on their menus. Food writers started talking about it with the same reverence they use for Wagyu beef. Hawaii’s food became trendy nationally. And with that trendiness came something Hawaii’s working families did not ask for: higher prices.

A can of SPAM Classic that used to cost under $2 now runs $4.14 at Walmart. That is more than double what it cost just a decade ago. In Hawaii, where everything costs more because of shipping and geography, it runs even higher.

For the communities that relied on SPAM because it was budget-friendly, this is not just inconvenient. It is a real problem. The affordable option is not so affordable anymore.

The Case for Homemade SPAM: Let’s Talk Real Numbers

This is exactly why I started developing this recipe. My goal was simple: make SPAM affordable again. And it worked.

Here is what it costs to make my homemade SPAM recipe compared to buying the equivalent in store-bought cans:

Ingredient Cost Breakdown

Ingredient	Amount Used	Estimated Cost
Pork Shoulder (ground)	5 lbs	$12.50
Ham (ground)	1 lb	$5.00
Morton Tender Quick	2 TBS + 1 tsp	$0.35
Sugar	3 TBS	$0.07
Cornstarch	3 TBS	$0.12
Kosher Salt	1 TBS	$0.05
White Pepper	1 tsp	$0.30
Paprika	1 tsp	$0.20
Cold Water	1 cup	$0.00
Total Recipe Cost		~$18.59

Close-up of homemade SPAM in a blue silicone mold showing the natural clear gelatin layer on the bottom of the cooked loaf

Homemade vs. Store-Bought

	Homemade	Store-Bought (Walmart)
Total yield	~6.25 lbs / ~100 oz
Equivalent 12oz cans	~8 cans	8 cans
Total cost	~$18.59	$33.12
Cost per can	~$2.32	$4.14
Your savings	$14.53 (44% less)

You are making roughly 8 cans’ worth of SPAM for the price of 4.5 cans. That is real money back in your pocket, and that is at regular grocery store prices, not even buying pork shoulder in bulk or on sale.

How to Make Homemade SPAM, Step by Step

1
Mix the Cure and Seasoning

In a bowl, whisk together the Tender Quick, sugar, cornstarch, kosher salt, white pepper, and paprika. Pour in the cold water and whisk until fully dissolved. No lumps. The cure needs to be completely liquid before it touches the meat.
2
Combine with the Meat

Add the ground pork shoulder and ham to a large bowl. Pour the cure mixture over the top and knead by hand for 1 to 2 full minutes until the mixture turns tacky and pulls together as one mass. Do not rush this. That tackiness is what holds the loaf together when you slice it.
3
Pack the Pans

Divide evenly between two 9×5 loaf pans or for that authentic spam-can shape I use this heat-resistant silicone mold, which fits almost exactly like the real thing. Press firmly as you go, working out any air pockets from the edges in toward the center. Pack it tight. Cover each pan snugly with aluminum foil.
4
Cook Low and Slow to 155°F

Oven: Place foil-covered pans in a larger roasting pan with hot water halfway up the sides. Bake at 250°F for 3 to 3.5 hours until internal temp hits 155°F.

Traeger: Preheat to 225°F with apple or pecan pellets. Place foil-covered pans on the grates and smoke 3 to 4 hours until 155°F. Remove foil the last 30 to 45 minutes for a deeper smoke.
5
Press While Hot, Refrigerate Overnight

The moment the pans come out, press each loaf firmly with something heavy and flat (a cast iron skillet works perfectly). This compresses the meat and gives you that tight, sliceable texture. Cool 20 minutes, then refrigerate overnight with the weight still on.
6
Slice, Sear, and Serve

Remove loaves from pans cold. This deli meat slicer is what I reach for — you get perfectly even cuts every time, especially when you’re making musubi and every piece needs to look the same. Get a cast iron pan screaming hot and sear each slice until golden and crispy on both sides. Serve with rice and eggs, layer into musubi, drop into saimin, or eat it straight off the pan.

Pro Tip

When the mixture starts sticking to itself and pulling away from the bowl as one mass, it is ready. That tackiness is the proteins binding, the same science behind every great sausage. Rush this step and your loaf will crumble when you slice it. Two full minutes minimum, using your hands.

Tips and FAQs

Is homemade SPAM safe to eat?

Yes, as long as you use the correct amount of curing salt (Morton Tender Quick) and cook the meat to an internal temperature of 155 degrees F. The curing salt is what makes it safe to eat cold after cooking, just like store-bought.

Why use Tender Quick instead of regular salt?

Morton Tender Quick is a curing salt blend that contains sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate. These are the compounds that cure the meat, give it that characteristic pink color, and prevent bacterial growth. Regular salt alone cannot do this safely. Do not skip it or substitute it.

Can I use a different cut of pork?

Pork shoulder is the right cut here because of its fat content. That fat is what gives SPAM its rich, moist texture. Leaner cuts like pork loin will give you a drier, less authentic result.

How long does homemade SPAM last?

Up to 1 week in the refrigerator, or up to 3 months in the freezer. I like to slice it before freezing so I can grab individual portions whenever I need them.

Can I make this without a smoker?

Absolutely. The oven method with a water bath makes a beautifully moist loaf. The Traeger just takes it somewhere extra special, but it is not required.

Can I use this to make spam musubi?

100 percent yes. I use a deli meat slicer to get perfectly even, uniform slices; that makes a big difference when you’re layering musubi and want every piece to look clean. Slice it thick, sear it hot, hit it with a little soy sauce and sugar, and press onto seasoned rice with nori. It is so good.

Storage Tips

Keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week. For longer storage, slice it first and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Pull out individual slices as you need them and sear straight from frozen or thawed overnight in the fridge.

Multiple thick slices of homemade smoked SPAM fanned out on a wood cutting board showing the clean pink interior and natural marbling

SPAM has a story most people have never heard. It is a story of wartime survival, of plantation-era communities making do and making something beautiful, and of a small group of islands that took a humble canned meat and made it entirely their own. Hawaii did not just accept SPAM. Hawaii claimed it.

And now, as the price tag keeps climbing on something that was always meant to be accessible, I think it is time to reclaim it differently. In our own kitchens. With ingredients we can name. For a fraction of the cost.

This recipe is for every local family that stretched a can of SPAM across three meals and still made it feel like a feast. It is for anyone who grew up with that little blue can as a comfort food and felt a sting the last time they checked the price.

SPAM should be affordable again. And now it is.

With aloha,
Tani

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Tools I use for this recipe: heat-resistant silicone spam mold for shaping | deli meat slicer for even cuts

Make your own SPAM at home with pork shoulder, ham, and simple seasonings. Better flavor, no weird additives, and costs about half the price of store-bought.

Tani Nakamitsu

4.80 from 5 votes

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Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Local, Local Hawaii

Keyword: ground pork, ham, homemade, pork, spam

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 3 30

Total Time: 3 45

Servings: loaves

Video

Equipment

silicone mold
loaf pan

Ingredients

5 lbs pork shoulder ground
1 lb ham ground
2 TBS + 1 tsp Morton Tender Quick curing salt
3 TBSP sugar
3 TBSP cornstarch
1 TBSP kosher salt
1 tsp white pepper ground
1 tsp paprika
1 cup cold water

Instructions

In a bowl, whisk together the Tender Quick, sugar, cornstarch, kosher salt, white pepper, and paprika. Pour in the cold water and whisk until everything is fully dissolved. The cure needs to be completely liquid before it touches the meat.
Add the ground pork shoulder and ham to a large bowl. Pour the seasoning mixture over the meat and knead by hand until fully incorporated and the mixture turns tacky. About 1-2 minutes of kneading. The tackiness is what holds everything together and gives you that firm, sliceable texture.
Divide the mixture evenly between two 9×5 loaf pans or for that authentic spam-can shape I use this heat-resistant silicone mold, which fits almost exactly like the real thing. Pressing firmly as you go to remove any air pockets. Pack it tight. Cover each pan tightly with aluminum foil.
OVEN METHOD: Place both foil-covered pans into a larger roasting pan and add hot water to come halfway up the sides of the loaf pans (water bath). Bake at 250°F for 3 to 3.5 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 155°F.
TRAEGER METHOD: Preheat your Traeger to 225°F using apple or pecan pellets. Place the foil-covered pans directly on the grill grates. Smoke for 3 to 4 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 155°F. For more smoke flavor, remove the foil for the last 30 to 45 minutes.
As soon as the pans come out of the oven or smoker, press each loaf firmly with a heavy flat object (cast iron skillet or dutch oven pot works great). This compresses the meat and removes any remaining air gaps. Let cool at room temperature for 20 minutes, then refrigerate overnight with a weight on top.
Remove from the pans, slice to your desired thickness, and sear in a hot cast iron pan until crispy on both sides before serving.

Notes

The Morton Tender Quick is essential — do not substitute regular salt. It contains the sodium nitrite that cures the meat safely and gives it that signature pink color and firm texture.

Why white pepper? It keeps the meat looking clean and delivers a sharper, more immediate heat than black pepper.

Storage: refrigerator up to 1 week, freezer up to 3 months. Slice before freezing for easy single-serving portions.