The best deli meat isn’t necessarily sliced fresh at the deli counter. Sometimes, it’s prepackaged and ready to grab, no human interaction necessary. At Sporked, we’ve tasted through enough deli meats to make most vegetarians very uncomfortable. But now we know the best deli meat brands. So it was all worth it. Here are all of the best deli meats we’ve tried in our taste tests.
- Danola Lower Sodium Premium Ham
The best deli meats are often packed with sodium. But not all of them. Danola makes a darn fine lower sodium ham. At 320 mg sodium per serving it still manages to be super savory and seasoned. You really won’t be able to tell the difference between this ham and other, non-lower sodium brands.
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- Primo Taglio London Broil
The best roast beef should be juicy, well seasoned, and almost a little bloody—we’re not talking rare, just that you should be able to detect some notes of iron in the meat. This London broil roast beef is all of those things, plus it has a nice layer of fat for extra richness. It’s the deli meat when you’re craving a steak sandwich but don’t have the energy to actually cook a steak.
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- True Story Uncured Wildflower Honey & Maple Ham
True Story is the best deli meat brand if you’re looking for something a little more artisanal from your grocery store. We love their prosciutto (it came in near the top of our best prosciutto taste test), but their honey ham is spectacular. It really tastes like thinly sliced spiral cut honey ham. It’s head and shoulders above the other honey ham brands we tried. It’s worth the extra scratch.
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- Boar’s Head Cooked Uncured Ham
Out of all the best deli meat brands we tasted, Boar’s Head comes up the most. It’s pretty darn reliable when it comes to getting the best deli meats for sandwiches, in particular. The brand’s uncured ham is beautifully marbled and a balanced mix of sweet, salty, and smoked. It even has a snappy rind. Pile this ham onto a sandwich or even enjoy it for breakfast with a fried egg and American cheese on an English muffin.
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- Foustman’s Hot Toscano Salami
If you like your meats to bring the heat, this salami is the best deli meat you can buy. It really tastes like Calabrian chiles—fruity and tangy and peppery—and it packs a spicy kick. It’s on the smaller end, so it’s better suited for snacking than piling onto a sandwich. But it would certainly be at home on a charcuterie board or even in a pasta salad.
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- Yves Veggie Salami
This veggie salami is the best faux deli meat we tried in our best vegan deli meat taste test. While the name might have you believing it’s made with broccoli and celery, it is not. It’s made with things like wheat gluten, texture wheat protein, and wheat starch. But wheat salami just doesn’t have quite the same ring. And, anyway, it tastes really good. It has a meaty texture and flavors of fennel and garlic and onion—just like real, meaty salami.
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- Dietz & Watson Sliced Black Forest Smoked Turkey Breast
Dietz & Watson is consistently one of the best deli meat brands in our taste tests, but D&W took the very top spot in our best turkey taste test. It tastes like it was actually smoked (not just pumped with liquid smoke). And it’s not wet. Why is deli turkey always so wet?? You’ll be sneaking to the fridge at midnight just to nibble on a few slices of this deli meat.
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- Battistoni Cup & Char Style Pepperoni
You won’t do better than this pepperoni. Yes, this is the best pepperoni for pizza (they cook up crispy, just like pepperoni should). But it’s also the best pepperoni for snacking. It’s spicy and meaty with just the right amount of fat. Go ahead and make yourself a pepperoni sandwich with Battistoni’s peps.
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- Appleton Dry Cured Ham Prosciutto
Save your money because this very rectangular prosciutto is practically as good as the fresh sliced stuff that’ll cost you a heck of a lot more. While some pre-sliced prosciutto can taste a little off, this one tastes fresh. It’s savory, meaty, and a little bit sweet in that porky kind of way. Pile it onto an Italian deli-style sandwich with fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato, and pesto.
Read the full ranking of the best prosciutto
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- Boar’s Head Original German Recipe Bologna
Boar’s Head makes the best bologna, hands down. Managing editor Gwynedd Stuart swears by it and insists you order it sliced very thin from the deli counter. (Yes, you do need to talk to an actual person to get this bologna, but we promise it’s worth it!) It’s like the bologna of your youth but with more flavor.
Read the full ranking of the best bologna
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Best Lower Sodium Ham
Best Roast Beef
Best Honey Ham
Best Deli Ham
Best Salami
Best Vegan Deli Meat
Best Deli Turkey
Best Pepperoni
Best Prosciutto
Best Bologna
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!