If you’re wondering how to cook a spiral ham, here’s everything you need to know! Cooking a spiral ham, like copycat honey baked ham, is so easy that it practically cooks itself.
Spiral hams are popular at Easter and Christmas dinner alongside mashed potatoes or Scalloped Potatoes and turkey, but you can buy them year-round! Spiral ham comes fully cooked, all you have to do is heat and serve!
How Long to Cook a Spiral Ham
Spiral cut hams are typically between 8 and 11 pounds and already come fully cooked (make sure your package says pre-cooked). This means when you’re cooking a ham, you just want to heat it through. The best way to do this is to cook it on a low temperature so the outside doesn’t dry out before the inside is heated.
To cook a spiral ham without it drying out make sure you use a meat thermometer to reach 140°F and do not overcook it. I usually remove it around 135°F and keep an eye on the thermometer to ensure it reaches 140°F.
How long to cook a Spiral Ham will depend on the size but allot for 12-15 minutes per pound at 325°F. I have cooked this ham both with and without covering it with foil. Uncovered will give a slightly crisper exterior and need closer to the longer cooking time. Covered will need closer to the shorter cooking time.
If cooking covered with foil, remove the foil once the glaze is added for the last 20 minutes.
If your ham is done early, remove it from the oven and let it cool a little bit so it doesn’t keep cooking. Once slightly cooled, cover with foil and don’t cut until ready to serve.
The shape of your ham can affect cooking time, a larger rounder ham may need extra cooking time compared to a flatter shaped ham.
Glazing Spiral Ham
If you’re glazing your ham like when you’re making a copycat homemade honey baked ham the glaze should be added at the end so it doesn’t burn. I always toss out the glaze that comes with my ham and opt for an easy homemade glaze!
Simply brush it on during the last 20 minutes. I sometimes turn the oven up or give it a broil for a couple of minutes to make the glaze good and sticky.
Our Favorite Glaze Recipes:
- Brown Sugar Glaze for Ham
- Rosemary Balsamic Glazed Ham
- Apple Glazed Ham
- Simple Glaze:
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup juice (orange or pineapple are great)
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
How to Cook a Spiral Ham in the Crock Pot
Slow and steady wins this race! For a perfectly tender spiral ham recipe, you can also make Crock Pot Ham, brush with the glaze of your choice, add a little water or apple juice and cook on the lowest setting.
Remember, your spiral ham is already cooked, you are just reheating the meat and infusing it with the seasonings or the glaze.
How to Cut a Spiral Ham
Spiral hams are made by one continuous cut from one end to the other and come apart very easily whether they are served cold or warm. A typical serving is about 6 ounces per person, so an 8 lb ham will yield about 20 servings. But who can eat just one slice?
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Copycat Honey Baked Ham – so juicy
- Ham and Corn Chowder – perfect use for leftover ham
- Ham Bone Soup (Slow Cooker)– another great option for leftovers
- Baked Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze – classic holiday ham recipe
- Scalloped Potatoes and Ham – my favorite leftover dish
Why not pick up a spiral ham and pan fry slices for breakfast? Or put a slice (or two!) into a sandwich with a little mustard for lunch? A spiral cut ham is so easy to prepare and versatile to serve, you’ll wonder why you don’t serve them year-round!
How To Cook A Spiral Ham
Ingredients
- 1 spiral ham 8-10 pounds
- glaze of your choice optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Remove packaging and if your ham has a small plastic disk on the underside of the bone, remove and discard the disk.
- Place the ham in a shallow roasting pan, cut side down. Cover with foil*.
- Bake the covered ham for 12-15 minutes per pound or until the ham reaches 140°F*.
- If adding ham glaze, add it during the last 20 minutes of cooking. Brush the glaze on the ham and leave it uncovered to finish cooking.
- Remove the ham from the oven and rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting. Spoon juices over the ham before serving if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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Great ham. Perfect for Holidays…
looking forward to using some of these recipes
Ham measured 71 degrees f after 2 hours. It was a 9 lb ham. Totally throws off the entire dinner plans.
Hmm, sorry this recipe didn’t quite work out for you, Sam! Was the ham covered in foil while cooking?
Did you check the setting on your meat thermometer, Sam? I cooked some chicken breasts to absolute death one time because my thermometer was set to Celsius and not Fahrenheit. Of course, I could be the only bonehead that does stuff like this.