Glazed Ham for the Holidays

Name: Glazed Ham for the Holidays
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 190 min
Ingredients: 8 lb bone in spiral cut ham; 1/2 cup butter; 1 cup brown sugar; 1/4 cup honey; 1/4 cup apple cider; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; pinch of nutmeg; cooking spray; cranberries and herbs for garnish (optional)

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This glazed ham is coated in a sweet brown sugar and honey glaze, then baked until golden brown and caramelized. The ultimate holiday ham that’s super easy to make and always gets rave reviews.

You can never go wrong with ham for the holidays and this glazed version is both beautiful and delicious. Serve your ham with loaded mashed potatoes and bacon wrapped green beans for a festive meal that your family and friends will love.

A glazed ham on a platter with herbs and cranberries.

Ham is a classic main course around the holidays, and the nice thing about buying a ham is that most of the work is already done for you. Hams come pre-smoked, fully cooked and spiral cut, all you have to do is add some flavorings and you’re ready to go. This glazed ham has a rich and delicious glaze that gets perfectly caramelized in the oven. Best of all, it’s super easy to make!

Glazed Ham Ingredients

Bowls of ingredients including butter, sugar and seasonings.

This is a simple recipe that features a smoked ham coated in a glaze made with common ingredients including butter, brown sugar, honey, apple cider and spices.

How do you make ham glaze?

Place the glaze ingredients in a pan and simmer until a thick, syrupy mixture forms. Brush half of the glaze over the ham while it heats up. The rest of the glaze gets added at the end of the baking time and the oven temperature is increased to ensure a browned and crispy exterior.

Process shots showing how to make glaze and pour it over a ham.

Tips for the perfect dish

You’ll need to reserve half of the glaze to use after your ham is mostly cooked through. You can store the glaze at room temperature or in the fridge. The glaze may start to harden as it sits – simply microwave the glaze in 30 second increments until it’s liquid when you’re ready to use it.
Leftover ham will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for 2 months.
While I prefer to use a spiral cut ham for this recipe, you can also use an uncut ham and score it in a cross hatch pattern before you glaze it.

Recipe FAQs

How long do you cook a glazed ham?

A ham needs to cook for about 20 minutes per pound in the oven at 325 degrees F. This is for a standard half ham around 7-8 pounds. If you choose to cook your ham in a slow cooker, it will take about 3-4 hours on low heat.

How much ham per person?

You can plan on serving about 3/4 pound of ham per person for a standard bone-in half 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.

How do you know when ham is done?

The overwhelming majority of hams are already cooked, all you’re actually doing is warming your ham through to the proper food safe temperature. A ham is ready to eat when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the ham reads at least 145 degrees F.

What do you do with leftover ham?

Got leftover ham? That’s a great situation to be in because there are so many different things you can make with leftover ham. I have compiled a whole list of 18 Leftover Ham Recipes for your perusal.

How do you cook a glazed ham?

There are two common ways to cook a ham. You can bake a ham in the oven, or cook it in a crock pot. You can actually heat your ham through either way for this recipe, but if you choose to use a crock pot, you’ll have to transfer your ham to the oven for the final step of the recipe.

Sliced glazed ham on a serving plate with a garnish of berries and herbs.

Glazed Ham Variations

I typically make this recipe as written, but sometimes I use other ingredients depending on what I have on hand.

Juice: Instead of apple cider, try using pineapple juice, cranberry juice or orange juice.
Spices: Skip the cinnamon and nutmeg, and try pumpkin pie spice, allspice with a pinch of cloves, cinnamon with a pinch of ginger, or even a bit of cardamom.
Sweetener: Feel free to use maple syrup instead of honey. If you don’t have a liquid sweetener on hand, use an extra 1/4 cup of brown sugar instead.

What to serve with ham

I recommend serving a variety of side dishes with your ham, including a potato dish, a green vegetable, and an additional starch like stuffing. Here are some of my favorite side dish options.

Slow cooker glazed ham

This ham is a great candidate for the slow cooker. Place the ham in a slow cooker and pour half the glaze over the top. Cook for 3-4 hours on low heat. Transfer the ham to a pan and pour the remaining glaze over the top. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes until browned.

This glazed ham is sure to become a favorite with your family as it has been with mine!

Glazed Ham Video

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