This baked ham is coated in a homemade brown sugar glaze, then cooked until golden brown and caramelized. A super easy holiday ham recipe that is a show stopping main course fit for any special occasion.
There’s nothing better than a baked ham smothered in sweet glaze to kick off the holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter. Pair your ham with a variety of delicious side dishes, such as loaded mashed potato casserole and candied carrots, for the perfect meal.
Baked ham is a must-have for a celebratory dinner, and this version is the best I’ve ever had. The ham is baked until tender and juicy, then coated in a brown sugar glaze with hints of orange and spice. Best of all, it’s simple to make with minimal prep time.
I love than when I bake a ham I usually have delicious leftovers. Making this ham gives me a great reason to make my favorite leftover ham recipes like ham and beans, ham bone soup, ham and potato soup and scalloped potatoes and ham.
Baked Ham Ingredients
To make this baked ham you will need a spiral ham, butter, brown sugar, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg. See the recipe card below for amounts and details. You also may want fruit or herbs to decorate your serving platter.
- Spiral Cut Ham: Select a pre-cooked spiral cut bone in ham. For this recipe I use an 8 pound ham. You can find these hams at your local grocery store or warehouse store. If the ham comes with a seasoning packet, you can discard the packet.
- Butter: Butter is used in the brown sugar glaze to make it rich and flavorful. I recommend using real butter and not margarine.
- Brown Sugar: I use light brown sugar for this recipe. If you want a stronger molasses flavor, you can use dark brown sugar.
- Nutmeg: If you can use freshly grated nutmeg, it will give your glaze a great flavor. Simply buy a whole nutmeg and use a microplane or rasp grater to shave off a little nutmeg. In a pinch you can use a container of ground nutmeg from your grocery store.
How Do You Make Baked Ham?
This baked ham recipe starts with preheating your oven. Next, make a homemade glaze. Place butter, brown sugar, orange juice, orange zest and spices in a pan and simmer them together. Place your ham in a roasting pan. Pour half the glaze over your ham, then cover it with foil. Place the remaining glaze in the fridge. Bake the ham until it warms through.
Heat the reserved portion of the glaze until it is a liquid. Remove the foil from the ham, then brush the rest of the glaze over the ham. Increase the oven temperature, then bake the ham uncovered until the outside has caramelized and a meat thermometer shows that the ham has reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Slice and serve immediately.
Tips For The Perfect Ham
- I prefer to make this recipe with a bone-in spiral cut ham. You can also use a bone-in half shank. Just score the top with a sharp knife in a diamond pattern to let the glaze soak in. Another option is a boneless ham. However, boneless ham is more likely to dry out which is why I typically choose bone-in ham.
- I recommend preparing the glaze just before you plan to use it. The glaze will harden in the fridge if you try to make it in advance. If your glaze thickens up more than you’d like, microwave it for about 30 seconds to loosen it back up again.
- I always use fresh squeezed orange juice for this recipe. Try zesting the outside peel of your orange and then you can squeeze the juice out of it.
- This ham pairs well with traditional Christmas recipes like mashed red potatoes, candied yams, broccoli casserole and creamed spinach. However, sometimes I like to offer something a little lighter such as a fresh fennel salad, Christmas salad or pomegranate brussels sprouts.
Quick Tip
It is best to use freshly squeezed orange juice for the glaze. It has a lot more flavor than commercial orange juice.
Recipe FAQs
A ham needs to cook for about 15 minutes per pound in the oven at 350 degrees F. This is for a standard bone-in half ham around 7-8 pounds in size. A boneless ham will typically cook at the rate of 10 minutes per pound.
You can plan on serving about 3/4 pound of ham per person for a bone-in ham, or 1/2 pound of ham for a boneless ham. If you’d like a lot of leftovers at the end of your meal, you can increase this amount to 1 pound of ham per person you plan to serve.
The majority of hams are pre-cooked. All you’re actually doing is warming your ham through to the proper temperature for food safety purposes. A ham is ready to eat when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the ham reads at least 145 degrees F. Be sure that the thermometer does not touch the bone, as this will lead to a less accurate reading.
Keep a ham moist by using a bone-in ham, covering it with a glaze and cooking it for some of the time covered in aluminum foil to seal in moisture.
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Flavor Variations
I typically make this recipe as written, but sometimes I use other ingredients depending on what I have on hand.
- Liquid: Instead of orange juice, try using 1/2 cup of apple cider, pineapple juice, cranberry juice, honey or maple syrup.
- Spices: Skip the cinnamon and nutmeg, and try pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon with a pinch of ginger, a bit of ground cloves, or even a bit of ground cardamom.
- Flavorings: Try adding other flavors to the mix such as cayenne pepper, fresh minced rosemary, or a bit of garlic powder.
- Tangy: Try adding a teaspoon of Dijon mustard to your glaze.
This baked ham is the absolute best for feeding a large crowd. The sweet and savory flavors just can’t be beat!
What To Serve With Ham
Roasted Green Beans
30 mins
Honey Cornbread
30 mins
Cranberry Jello Salad
6 hrs 10 mins
Garlic Mushrooms in Butter Sauce
10 mins
Roasted Root Vegetables
55 mins
Baked Ham Video
Love This Recipe?
Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Baked Ham with Brown Sugar
Ingredients
- 8 lb bone in spiral cut ham
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup orange juice fresh squeezed
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg
- cooking spray
- fresh herbs and fruit for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a large baking pan with cooking spray.
- Add the butter, brown sugar, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg to a pan. Place the pan over medium heat.
- Bring the pan to a simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes or until glaze is syrupy.
- Place the ham in the pan and pour half of the glaze over the top. Cover the ham tightly with foil. Reserve the other half of the glaze for later use.
- Bake the ham for 2 hours. Uncover the ham.
- Brush the remaining glaze over the ham. If the glaze has started to harden, you can microwave it for 30-45 seconds to loosen it back up.
- Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
- Place the ham, uncovered, in the oven. Bake for another 15-20 minutes or until glaze is caramelized and browned.
- Transfer the ham to a serving platter and garnish with fresh herbs and fruit. Spoon pan drippings over the ham. Slice the ham, then serve.
Notes
- I prefer to make this recipe with a bone-in spiral cut ham. You can also use a bone-in half shank, and score the top with a sharp knife in a diamond pattern to let the glaze soak in. Another option is a boneless ham, but this cut is more likely to dry out which is why I typically choose bone-in varieties.
- It is best to use freshly squeezed orange juice for the glaze, as it has a lot more flavor than commercial orange juice.
I made this for our family Easter dinner and this was the best baked ham I’ve made! My family raved about it! I used a bone in butt ham and made the glaze with two fresh oranges. It was easy peasy to make and so sweet and tender. Yum!! This is definitely going into my Keeper Recipe Box!
Can I use pineapple juice instead of orange juice for glaze?
Yes that’s fine!
Hi there,
I wonder if you have ever made this in a roaster oven? thank you.
I have not, but I think it should work fine!
Seriously the best ham I’ve ever made. I am making it again for Thanksgiving!
This is a hit! Baked ham with brown sugar glaze is a must-try holiday recipe. It is so easy and flavorful, a crowd-favorite! I’ll surely add this to our holiday menu.
This is a fantastic holiday ham! I’ve made it for a couple years now and I’m already getting requests to make it again this year. So simple and succulent!
WOW! I made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it! Very easy to follow and super delicious! Thank you so much! Definitely saving this for the future to make again!
Also you could add cloves to the mix as well to give it that extra pop. Great recipe!
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try this one!
I am saving this recipe for Thanksgiving. I can not wait to make it, making me drool already. This is the perfect replacement for turkey because we aren’t huge fans.
The best tasting ham! Cooks up perfectly!
This is the perfect Holiday main dish option! I will be saving this one!
This would be a huge hit with my family during the holidays!! Looks amazing!
This is a must-make! Would love to give it a try!
This looks so delicious and yummy! My family and I love this! Can’t wait to make this again!
This baked ham looks absolutely delicious! Yummy!
Brown sugar and ham are my absolute favorite combination!