Honey Glazed Ham

This is the BEST Honey Glazed Ham recipe ever for the Holidays made in the oven or crockpot! It is tender and juicy, with a caramelized sweet glaze made with honey, brown sugar, mustard, and warm spices.

What is Honey Baked Glazed Ham? 

It is a holiday ham perfect to celebrate Christmas and Easter!

A precooked bone-in spiral ham is coated with a brown sugar honey glaze and slowly heated in the oven until caramelized and crispy on top. The result is a  sweet-salty, tender, juicy, and moist ham.

Moreover, it is gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb (not keto), and high-protein!

Ingredients and Substitutions

To make this spiral-sliced bone-in ham with honey glaze you'll need:

• Bone-in spiral-cut ham, fully cooked (8-10 pound ham)
• Honey (or you may use 100% pure maple syrup instead)
• Packed brown sugar
• Allspice
• Ground ginger
• Onion powder (or garlic powder if you prefer)
• Ground mustard (Or use one 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard instead to provide acidity and balance sweetness)

This was by far the best ham I have ever tasted! Absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe. Will definitely make again! ❤️"
-- Debbie

How to Make Honey-Glazed Ham in the Oven

1. Let the ham sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours before baking. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Place the oven rack on the lowest level -so that the center of the ham will be level with the center of the oven while baking, ensuring even cooking/reheating.

2. Add 1 cup water to the roasting pan. Remove the disc from the ham. Place ham cut-side down so that all the juices can be basted all over. If you have a rack, place the ham on it, but if you don't, skip this step.

3. Tent ham with foil to secure moisture. Bake for about 2-½ hours (or 15 minutes per pound). About 30-45 minutes before fully reheating, take the ham out of the oven and baste it with pan drippings.

4. Make the simple brown sugar glaze for ham: Whisk honey, brown sugar, and spices in a microwave-safe bowl until combined. Then, microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir and cook again for 30 seconds more.

5. Brush half of the honey mixture all over the ham, including in between the slices, so that the honey ham glaze can reach the middle of the ham. Then, return the ham to the oven, uncovered, and bake for the remaining time left (30-45 minutes).

6. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the ham but not touching the bone. The ham is ready when it reads 135 F. Brush ham again with the remaining glaze and serve ham with pan drippings.

Crockpot Honey Glazed Ham

1. To make this crockpot honey ham, let the ham sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours before slow-cooking it. Spray a 6-qt slower cooker with nonstick spray and place the ham, facing side down. 

2. Pour the brown sugar glaze mixture over the ham and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours. TIP: Make sure to stir in ½ to ¾ cup of pineapple juice (or water) in the glaze to help cook the ham. It'll make a delicious pineapple honey glazed ham!

3. You can choose to reheat a fully cooked spiral ham in the oven or throw it in the crockpot and go on about your other tasks. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the ham but not touching the bone. It's ready when it reads 135 F.

Equipment

• Oven or slow cooker (It depends on the chosen cooking method though)
• Microwave-safe bowl
• Whisk
• Roasting pan
• Foil
• Pastry brush
• Instant read thermometer

Expert Tips for Making The Best Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Ham

• Let the ham sit at room temp for 1-2 hours before baking. This will help it cook/reheat more evenly.
• Preheat oven: Place the oven rack on the lowest level -- so that the center of the ham will be level with the center of the oven while baking, ensuring even cooking/reheating.
• Add a liquid to the roasting pan (water, broth, wine, or fruit juice such as orange or pineapple). The liquid steams around the ham, creating a moister ham.
• Position the ham face down so that the juices can baste the ham all over. If you have a rack, place the ham on it but if you don't, skip this step.
• Make sure to tent ham with foil to secure moisture.
• Bake ham at 275 for 15 minutes per pound or at 350 F for 10 minutes per pound though. 
• About 30-45 minutes before fully reheating, baste ham with the liquid/drippings from the bottom of the pan and then brush it with the honey glaze. In addition, use our honey ham glaze recipe to baste the ham after taking it out of the oven. 
• To make a 3-ingredient brown sugar ham glaze, use a blend of spices instead such as Chinese Five Spice. 
• Insert an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the honey-glazed spiral ham but not touching the bone. The ham is ready when it reads 135 F.
• Heating a precooked boneless ham in the oven: Most boneless ham comes precooked (smoked or cured). So you only need to heat it up to an internal temperature of 135F  to 140°F. For this, place the ham in a roasting pan with some water, covering it with foil or a lid, and bake it at 325°F for about 10 to 15 minutes per pound, basting it with a glaze in the last 15-20 minutes.
• Although possible, I don't recommend to heat it up a boneless ham in the slow cooker even on the low setting. It comes pre-cooked and tends to become tough or rubbish when heated in the crockpot. 
• If your ham fits in a roaster, apply the same instructions for an oven-baked ham to one that is cooked in a roaster. The ham is fully reheated when reaches a temp of 135 F.
• Removing the rind: Spiral hams come without a rind! If you buy fresh whole ham, you can remove the rind (not the fat underneath) to make the outside crispy. The fat is needed to baste the ham and keep it moist! If you buy a skin-on cured ham, remove the skin because the amount of sugar in the brine will make the skin burn and get bitter before achieving the proper crisp.
• Wondering how much ham to serve? Buy about ¾ pound per person for a bone-in ham, and ½ pound for boneless ham. That way if you intend to buy a bone-in ham and feed 12 people, e.g., you will need to buy a 9-pound ham.

What to Serve With

• Broccoli Gratin
• Mac and Cheese
• Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Low Carb Biscuits
• Oat Rolls with Honey Butter
• Keto Cranberry Sauce
• Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

FAQ's

How to Store

• Fridge: Store honey-glazed ham leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Thus, you can make this honey ham recipe several days ahead. 
• Freezer: Freeze it for up to 3-4 months. Thaw it in the fridge! 
• To reheat, place the slices of honey brown sugar glazed ham onto a microwave-safe plate, without overlapping. Then, cover it with a paper towel, and heat the ham for 30 seconds at a time, flipping each time though.

Other Ham Recipes

• Slow Cooker Ham Recipe
• Ham and Cheese Baked Rice
• Ham and Cabbage Soup
• Broccoli, Ham, and Cheese Pop Tarts
• Ham and Bean Soup
• Ham Dip
• Potato and Ham Breakfast Casserole

PIN AND ENJOY!

 

This post was first published on December 17, 2019.