Made with a sweet and savory brown sugar ham glaze, this recipe for Baked Ham makes an easy, yet impressive entree fit for the holidays.
This Glazed Baked Ham makes the most spectacular holiday meal when served with Scalloped Potatoes, Green Beans Almondine, and a Strawberry Spinach Salad.
For a quick family meal or a smaller holiday gathering, I typically make Instant Pot Ham. However, when I am entertaining a larger crowd or desiring leftovers, this is my go-to recipe for Baked Ham and the results are phenomenal!
why you'll love this glazed ham recipe
- Incredibly Easy Recipe. There is no basting, no broiling, and no babysitting required with this recipe!
- Impressive Flavor. The ham is baked low and slow with an easy sweet and savory glaze that gives this baked ham the most incredible, mouth-watering good flavor.
- Moist and Tender. Because the glazed ham is wrapped in foil and cooked low and slow, you don't need to worry about your ham drying out.
Notes on Ingredients
There are two main components to this recipe; the ham and the glaze for the ham. The glaze on this ham is OUT OF THIS WORLD! While it has a few unique ingredients, it creates an easy glaze that is the perfect balance between sweet and savory.
- Ham: This recipe is designed for a cured, precooked ham, also referred to as a city ham. Do not purchase uncooked ham or cured, uncooked ham which is referred to as country ham. You can purchase a whole or sliced ham, boneless or bone-in. I prefer a spiral-sliced ham with a bone. Not only is it easier to serve and I love that the glaze can drip in between the slices, but the bone can also be used to make a delicious Ham and Bean Soup.
- Brown Sugar Ham Glaze:
- Pineapple Juice: Pineapple juice naturally sweetens the glaze and the acidic sweetness pairs perfectly with the salty ham.
- Apricot Preserves: This may sound like an odd ingredient, but the apricot sweetens the ham and adds so much flavor to this glaze. I use All Fruit Apricot Preserves, to cut down on added sugars, but you can use any brand you like. If you can't find apricot preserves, feel free to use honey in place of the preserves.
- Dijon Mustard: The Dijon adds a sharp note to the glaze.
- Horseradish: Trust me on this, the tiny bit of horseradish opens up your palate to really taste the flavors in this ham. It does not overpower the flavor of the glaze.
- Brown Sugar: Just a tad to add to the sweetness in this glaze. Plus the brown sugar gives notes of rich molasses flavor.
- Spices: I use a tiny bit of nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. These are traditional spices found in a ham glaze and add classic notes that are common in holiday ham recipes.
How to Make Glazed Baked Ham
- Prepare the glaze by combining the pineapple juice, apricot preserves, brown sugar, spices, mustard, and horseradish together in a small saucepan.
- Heat the glaze over medium heat, whisking often, until the ingredients are well combined and the sugar has dissolved.
- Remove the ham from the package and place it on a large sheet of aluminum foil.
- Gently pull apart the slices of the ham and pour the glaze over the ham, drizzling in between the slices. That will ensure every bite of ham is well seasoned.
- Wrap the foil up around the ham and place the ham on a roasting pan fitted with a rack.
- Pour water into the bottom of the roasting pan--this will help to create the moist heat for the ham to cook in.
- Bake the ham until it reaches 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Remove the ham from the foil and place the ham on a serving platter and serve.
∗ Tips for the Best Baked Ham ∗
- The key to a really great ham is to NOT overcook it. We have all had our share of dried-out ham and that is not pleasant! We want to be sure to just warm the ham, as it is already cooked.
- Another way to ensure your ham remains juicy is to cook the ham in a moist environment. That is why when I am preparing a small ham, I use my recipe for Instant Pot Ham as the pressure cooker creates a moist environment. But for a large ham, we can easily create an environment in the oven that will keep this ham moist and juicy--and deliver fabulous results! To create moist heat in the oven, I use a roasting pan fitted with a rack and bake the ham over water. The water will create steam as the ham bakes, which will help to evenly and slowly cook the ham without drying it out.
- And finally, my number one tip for a really juicy baked ham is to wrap the ham in foil. As the ham bakes, it stays moist, thanks to the foil, and the glaze seeps into the ham, flavoring the entire ham--not just the outer layer. Plus this makes the process of clean-up super simple!
FAQs about Baked Ham
When baking ham at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, you should plan on 15 minutes per pound for bone-in ham and 20 minutes per pound for boneless ham.
Because the ham is precooked, we are essentially just reheating. Therefore, we do not want to overcook the ham. According to the USDA, ham is safe to eat after being reheated to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The best way to determine how long to bake is to insert a digital thermometer into the thickest part of the ham and set an alarm for 140 degrees F.
As for how much ham you need, you should plan on ½ of a pound of ham per person for bone-in-hams and ⅓ of a pound of ham per person if using a boneless ham.
If you want the crispy, caramelized edges on the exterior of the ham, you can opt to broil the ham. To do this, remove the ham from the foil and place the ham back on the roasting pan. Broil the ham under high heat, keeping a close eye on it so it does not burn, and broil for a couple of minutes. Please keep in mind, that this tends to dry the ham out VERY quickly and really isn't necessary. The glazed ham is perfect simply baked.
Leftover Ham Recipes
If you happen to have leftover glazed ham, transform it into a new and delicious creation with one of the following recipes for leftover ham.
- Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets
- Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup
- Cheesy Ham and Scalloped Potatoes
- Ham Stromboli
- Ham and Egg Breakfast Casserole
If you enjoyed this recipe for Baked Ham, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Glazed Baked Ham
Ingredients
- 7-10 pound ham see notes about type of ham
Ham Glaze
- â…“ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup apricot preserves
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon prepared Horseradish
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- â…› teaspoon ground cloves
- â…› teaspoon grated nutmeg
- â…› teaspoon ground allspice
Instructions
- Remove ham from the refrigerator for 1 hour before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 325℉. Pour 2 cups of water into the bottom of a large roasting pan that is fitted with a rack and set aside.
- Prepare the ham glaze by combining pineapple juice, apricot preserves, Dijon, horseradish, brown sugar, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice together in a heavy-bottomed small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking often, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is well combined. Remove the glaze from the heat.
- Unwrap the ham and discard the packaging and any plastic caps or inserts that are sometimes found in a bone-in ham. Place the ham on heavy-duty foil, folding up the sides to form a "bowl" around the ham. If your ham is sliced, gently loosen the slices apart to allow the glaze to drip down in between the slices. Pour the glaze evenly over the ham. Insert oven-safe digital thermometer if using and then tightly wrap the foil around the ham to cover. Place the wrapped ham on the prepared roasting pan.
- Bake ham until an internal temperature of 140℉ is reached, or for 15 minutes per pound for bone-in ham and 20 minutes per pound for boneless ham.
- Remove the ham from the oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Carefully unwrap the foil, slice, and serve.
Dalia Kaplan
Forgive my asking i am not from the state, would you be kind and tell me what part of meat should i ask my Bucher...thank you, Dalia Kaplan.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Dalia! Ham is the cured leg of pork. You just want to be sure it is cured not raw for this recipe to work.
katerina
This was perfect for Easter!
Peggy
I used your baked ham recipe, but used peach preserves in the glaze and it turned out fabulous! My whole family loved it, especially my 5 year old grandson who asked for 3 extra slices!
I also used the scalloped potato recipe and it was also a huge hit. I definitely have these both marked for repeat dinners.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes.
Agnes
Delicious! I love using the leftover ham to make ham & cheese sliders on sweet rolls. Two meals in one!
Kristen Chidsey
What a great use of leftovers Agnes! So happy to hear you enjoyed.
Jessica
We celebrated Easter early and I made this ham and everyone absolutely LOVED it! Thank you so much for making me the hero! 🙂
Jeanne
Sounds really good can this be cooked in a roaster oven 18 quart
Kristen Chidsey
Yes, Jeanne. I would add pineapple juice or water to the bottom or the roaster oven. Then use the same cook time/temperature as oven.
Claudia Lamascolo
I love the ease of this recipe and sweet apricot jam and that ham looks fabulous I have one in the freezer can't wait to make this!
Nellie Tracy
YUM! Perfect for Easter Sunday!
Heather
This is a great ham for the holiday because it's easy to make and always turns out perfect!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed it Heather! Happy Easter!
Erin
I can't believe Easter is almost here this is the recipe I will be using that glaze is great.