Baked Ham is my kids’ all time favorite meal! They’d pass up a turkey dinner any day of the week (or any holiday) for ham.
This easy baked ham is moist, tender and delicious inside while the outside is brushed with a brown sugar glaze and caramelized for a hint of sweetness. We serve this baked ham for special occasions (like Easter and Christmas) but it’s simple enough to make any time of year!
I’m not going to lie, I love turkey dinner (mostly I just love stuffing) but I’m kind of outnumbered around here because everyone else votes ham. While I make Crock Pot Ham quite frequently since it’s so easy, I have to admit I truly love the roasted flavor that comes from making a deliciously glazed baked ham!
Baking a ham is not hard, you just need to watch the temperature to make sure it heats through without over cooking. Adding a brown sugar glaze to baked ham takes it to the next level without being overly sweet.
How to Bake a Ham
Most of the time when you purchase ham, it’s been smoked which means it’s cooked. Be sure to check the package of your ham to see if it says fully cooked (and it should let you know the temperature to cook your ham to).
A fully cooked ham needs to be cooked to 140°F (basically just to heat it) where as a “cook before eating” ham needs to be cooked to 160°F.
When cooking ham, you’ll want to preheat your oven and place the ham cut side down.
Cover the ham in foil and crimp the foil around your roasting pan (I use a 9×13 pan) to seal it. Brush with the brown sugar ham glaze before it finishes baking.
How long to Cook a Ham
This recipe uses a bone in ham since bone-in ham produces the best flavor and very tender meat (plus we like to have a leftover ham bone to make our favorite Crock Pot Ham and Bean Soup).
For this recipe a bone-in fully cooked ham cooks for about 12-14 minutes per pound (a 9lb ham will take about 2 1/4 hours).
It is easy to overcook ham so to really make a perfect baked ham, I suggest using a thermometer like this one.
I have one and I simply leave in the ham while it cooks and monitor the temperature for perfect results. (I use if for everything from steaks to perfectly cooked Pork Tenderloin). They cost less than $20 and I think it’s truly a small investment to be able to produce perfect results when cooking (and to never have overcooked meat again)! You should also see a cooking guide on the package of the ham you buy for cooking times but a thermometer is most accurate.
How to make Brown Sugar Glaze for Ham
In this recipe I add my favorite Brown Sugar Glaze for ham using, of course, brown sugar and a bit of pineapple juice (orange juice works great too). The glaze is flavorful without being too sweet and adding a delicious sticky coating to the outside of the ham.
I take the extra step (about 4 minutes of extra time) to thicken the glaze slightly because this makes it adhere to the ham much better. You can use dark or light brown sugar in this recipe but dark brown sugar has a bit more flavor.
As with anything that is high in sugars, the brown sugar glaze can burn if left too long in the oven so it is just added for the last 15 minutes.
Once the brown sugar glaze is thickened and cooled, the ham is removed from the oven and the heat is cranked up high. Brush the glaze over the ham and pop it back into the oven. The high heat will make the most gorgeous golden glaze in just a few minutes!
Before carving your baked ham, let it rest 15 minutes to help keep it perfectly juicy.
How much ham per person
If you’re using a bone in ham, you’ll want about 3/4 pound of ham per person and a bit more if you want leftovers (for Ham and Corn Chowder or Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole). An 8lb ham should feed about 9 people.
What to Serve With Glazed Ham
This beautiful brown sugar ham is most often served at Christmas dinner or Easter dinner at our house! We serve it with our favorite sides for the perfect meal!
- Homemade Mac and Cheese Casserole
- Copy Cat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole Recipe
- The BEST Mashed Potatoes
- Fresh Green Bean Casserole
- Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
- Classic Deviled Eggs Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 spiral ham approx 7-9 pounds
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup pineapple juice or orange juice
Brown Sugar Glaze
- ½ cup pineapple juice or orange juice
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Combine dijon mustard and pineapple juice. Brush over ham.
- If your ham has a plastic disk on the bone, this should be removed and discarded. Place the ham, flat side down in a roasting pan, and cover tightly with foil. Roast 12-15 minutes per pound (or according to package directions).
- Meanwhile, combine glaze ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer 2-3 minutes. Cool.
- 15 minutes before ham is done, remove from the oven and turn the oven up to 425°F.
- Brush with glaze and return to the oven until the glaze is caramelized and the ham has reached the safe cook temperature.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
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Absolutely perfect recipe! We always fry turkey for Thanksgiving & Christmas but serve ham alongside the turkey. I used pineapple juice instead of orange & only had plain mustard. I did have to bake it at 350 instead of 325. However, the ham was tender, juicy, & so delicious.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Do I return to the oven with the glaze covered in tin foil or without tinfoil the last 15 minutes?
This is cooked uncovered for the last 15 minutes.
just started but if they taste as good as they look I am going to be a very happy person. I do a lot of cooking with the NuWave Bravo XL oven, the new wave oven (the round one), and the new wave pressure cooker 6 quart. We almost entirely do our ribs in the pressure cooker and they are absolutely perfect.
Would it be acceptable to use a bone-in butt cut ham instead of one that has been spiral sliced? I would like to use this recipe for Christmas since it sounds really good!
I am a bit confused about the glaze, too. In the instructions it says to brush the ham with pineapple juice and the Dijon mustard before placing in the oven. Then to brush it with the glaze, which has been cooked and cooled, 15 minutes before it finishes baking. Would the pineapple juice and Dijon not burn?
Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Gloria
Absolutely! I would recommend scoring the ham so the glaze can get into the little crevices and caramelize.
The pineapple juice and Dijon mustard alone don’t burn. The addition of brown sugar in the glaze will burn if added to early. Enjoy the recipe Gloria, let us know how it goes!
Will this recipe work for a 7 pound bone out fully cooked ham?
Yes, but it will likely need a longer cook time. A boneless ham would likely need about 18-20 minutes per pound. If should reach 140°F since it’s fully cooked you’re just heating it whereas a “cook before eating” ham needs to be cooked to 145°F. You’ll want to check it a little bit early to ensure it doesn’t overcook.
one of my go to bloggers for recipes! This one definitely didn’t disappoint! Cooked exactly the way directed, added cherries and fresh pineapple for the final 20 minutes, turned out great!