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If you want a Christmas dinner centerpiece that feeds a crowd without much work, a spiral ham is the answer. It comes fully cooked and already sliced, so your job is simply to warm it gently and give it a glossy, sticky glaze. This brown sugar glaze with honey, orange juice, and a little Dijon is sweet, tangy, and lightly spiced, and it soaks right down between the slices.
Christmas is Friday, December 25 this year. Pick up your ham a few days early, keep it in the fridge, and make the glaze ahead so Christmas Day is just bake, brush, and carve.
Why You’ll Love This Glazed Ham
- Almost no prep: a fully cooked spiral ham only needs warming and glazing.
- Feeds a crowd: an 8-pound half ham serves about 16 people, with leftovers.
- Better than the packet: a quick homemade glaze tastes brighter and caramelizes beautifully.
- Leftovers for days: sandwiches, omelets, and soup with the ham bone.
Ingredients Overview
- Fully cooked spiral-sliced ham: a bone-in half ham, 7 to 9 pounds. Bone-in stays juicier, and the bone flavors soup later. Check the label: this recipe is for a ham marked fully cooked.
- Light brown sugar: the base of the glaze. Dark brown sugar gives a deeper molasses flavor.
- Honey: adds shine and helps the glaze cling.
- Orange juice: a little acidity to balance the sweetness. Pineapple juice works too.
- Butter and Dijon mustard: butter makes the glaze glossy, and Dijon adds a gentle tang.
- Cinnamon and cloves: just a pinch of each for a warm, holiday flavor.
- Water or juice for the pan: keeps the ham moist under the foil.
Equipment You’ll Need
- A roasting pan with rack: large enough to hold the ham with a little room around it.
- Heavy-duty aluminum foil: covering the ham keeps the slices from drying out while it warms.
- A small saucepan for simmering the glaze.
- A silicone basting brush for brushing on the glaze.
- An instant-read thermometer or a leave-in probe thermometer: the only reliable way to know when the ham is hot enough.
- A large cutting board with juice groove and a sharp chef’s knife for carving.
How to Make Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
1. Let the ham sit out briefly
Take the ham out of the refrigerator about an hour before baking so it warms more evenly. Heat the oven to 325°F and set a rack in the lower third so the ham sits in the center of the oven.
2. Wrap and warm it low and slow
Throw away the glaze packet if there is one. Set the ham cut side down in the roasting pan, pour water or juice into the bottom of the pan, and cover the ham and pan tightly with heavy-duty foil. Bake about 10 to 12 minutes per pound, roughly 1¼ to 1½ hours for an 8-pound ham, until the thickest part reads about 120°F.
Tip: Cutting the ham side down protects the slices, and a tight foil cover keeps the steam in. Those are the two keys to a juicy spiral ham.
3. Simmer the glaze
While the ham warms, stir the brown sugar, honey, orange juice, butter, Dijon, cinnamon, and cloves together in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the glaze thickens slightly. It will thicken more as it cools.
4. Glaze and caramelize
Uncover the ham and brush it generously with about half the glaze, nudging some between the slices. Return it to the oven uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, brushing with more glaze halfway through, until the glaze bubbles and caramelizes. The ham is ready when an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part, not touching bone, reads 140°F.
5. Rest and carve
Let the ham rest for 15 minutes. Spoon the remaining glaze and pan juices over the top, then run your knife along the bone to release the spiral slices.
Ham Food Safety: What Temperature?
- Fully cooked ham (like this one): USDA says a fully cooked ham packaged in a federally inspected plant only needs to be reheated to 140°F.
- Leftover or repackaged cooked ham: reheat to 165°F.
- Fresh or cook-before-eating ham: this recipe isn’t for that. Those hams must be cooked to 145°F, followed by a 3-minute rest.
- Time out of the fridge: refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of serving.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Leftovers
- Make-ahead: make the glaze up to 3 days ahead, refrigerate, and rewarm before brushing.
- Storage: refrigerate leftover ham in airtight containers and use within 3 to 5 days.
- Freezing: freeze sliced ham for 1 to 2 months for the best quality.
- The bone: freeze it for split pea, bean, or potato soup.
Photos in this post come from fellow food bloggers’ glazed ham recipes. Tap a photo credit to see each version.
Glazed Ham FAQ
How big a ham do I need?
Plan on about ½ pound of bone-in ham per person, or a bit more if you want leftovers. An 8-pound half ham serves about 16.
Should I use the glaze packet?
You can, but a homemade glaze takes 5 minutes and tastes far better. This one has fresh orange juice, Dijon, and real butter instead of a powdered mix.
Why did my spiral ham dry out?
Usually from high heat or skipping the foil. Warm it covered at 325°F, glaze only at the end, and pull it at 140°F.
You might also like: leftover ham recipes, Yorkshire puddings, Christmas salads, and Thanksgiving side dishes.
Tools You Need
- Roasting pan with rack
- Heavy-duty aluminum foil
- Small saucepan
- Silicone basting brush
- Instant-read thermometer
- Carving board and sharp knife
Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Take the ham out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before baking. Heat the oven to 325°F and set a rack in the lower third.
- Discard any glaze packet. Place the ham cut side down in a roasting pan, pour the water or juice into the pan, and cover the ham and pan tightly with heavy-duty foil.
- Bake covered for about 1¼ to 1½ hours for an 8-pound ham (roughly 10 to 12 minutes per pound), until a thermometer in the thickest part, not touching bone, reads about 120°F.
- While the ham bakes, combine the brown sugar, honey, orange juice, butter, Dijon, cinnamon, and cloves in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the glaze thickens slightly.
- Uncover the ham and brush it generously with about half of the glaze, letting some run between the slices.
- Return the ham to the oven uncovered and bake 20 to 30 minutes more, brushing with more glaze halfway through, until the glaze is bubbly and caramelized and the center reaches 140°F.
- Rest the ham for 15 minutes. Spoon any remaining glaze and pan juices over the slices, then carve along the bone and serve.
Notes
- A fully cooked ham packaged in a USDA-inspected plant only needs to be reheated to 140°F. Leftover or repackaged ham should be reheated to 165°F.
- Cook times vary with the size and shape of the ham, so go by temperature and start checking early.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use within 3 to 5 days, or freeze for 1 to 2 months.
- Make the glaze up to 3 days ahead and rewarm it before brushing.
