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Baked ham coated in glaze, served on a platter with herbs and fruit.
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Baked Ham with Brown Sugar

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.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 488kcal
Author Sara Welch

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.

Video

Notes

  1. 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.
  2. It is best to use freshly squeezed orange juice for the glaze, as it has a lot more flavor than commercial orange juice.

Nutrition

Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 855mg | Potassium: 373mg | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1.2mg