Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Holiday Ham Recipe

A glazed ham is one of the easiest ways to feed a crowd during the holidays.

Unlike a whole turkey, most holiday hams are already fully cooked. That means your primary job is to warm the ham without drying it out while building a sweet, savory, caramelized glaze on the outside.

This brown sugar honey glazed ham combines brown sugar, honey, Dijon mustard, butter, and warm spices for a classic holiday flavor that works especially well for Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, or a large Sunday dinner.

And perhaps best of all: the leftovers make incredible sandwiches.

Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Ham

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: Approximately 1½–2½ hours
Resting Time: 15–20 minutes
Servings: Approximately 10–14

Exact cooking time depends on the size and type of ham you purchase.

Ingredients

For the Ham

• 1 fully cooked bone-in spiral ham, approximately 8–10 pounds
• ½ cup water, apple juice, or apple cider

For the Brown Sugar Honey Glaze

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup honey
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Optional:

• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• Zest of half an orange
• Small pinch of ground nutmeg

What Kind of Ham Should You Buy?

For this recipe, look for a fully cooked bone-in spiral-sliced ham.

Spiral hams are particularly convenient because they’re already sliced almost completely through.

That makes serving easier and allows some glaze to work its way between the slices.

The bone also provides additional flavor and leaves you with something useful after dinner.

Don’t throw it away.

A leftover ham bone makes an excellent starting point for bean soup, split pea soup, or stock.

Let the Ham Warm Slightly

Remove the ham from the refrigerator approximately 30–45 minutes before cooking.

You don’t need to bring it completely to room temperature.

You’re simply taking some of the refrigerator chill off while you prepare the glaze and oven.

Preheat the Oven

Preheat your oven to 325°F.

Place the ham cut-side down in a roasting pan.

Add approximately ½ cup of water, apple juice, or apple cider to the bottom of the pan.

Cover the ham loosely with aluminum foil.

Start Heating the Ham

Place the covered ham into the oven.

Because most spiral hams are already cooked, you’re primarily reheating rather than cooking the meat from raw.

Follow the package directions for the specific ham you’ve purchased, since recommended reheating times and temperatures can vary.

The biggest mistake here is overheating.

A fully cooked ham doesn’t become better because you leave it in the oven for another hour.

It becomes dry.

Make the Brown Sugar Honey Glaze

While the ham begins warming, combine:

• brown sugar
• honey
• Dijon mustard
• butter
• apple cider vinegar
• cinnamon
• cloves
• black pepper

Add the optional orange juice, zest, or nutmeg if desired.

Place everything in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.

Stir until the butter melts and the brown sugar dissolves.

Allow the mixture to simmer gently for several minutes until it begins to thicken.

Remove from heat.

As the glaze cools slightly, it will continue thickening.

Glaze the Ham

During the latter portion of reheating, remove the ham from the oven and uncover it.

Brush a generous layer of glaze over the exterior.

Try to get some glaze between the spiral slices without pulling the ham apart.

Return it to the oven uncovered.

After approximately 10–15 minutes, apply another layer.

Repeat once more if desired.

Multiple thin applications generally produce a better glazed surface than dumping everything onto the ham at once.

Caramelize the Outside

During the final few minutes, keep a close eye on the glaze.

Sugar can go from beautifully caramelized to burned surprisingly quickly.

You want the outside glossy, sticky, darkened, and caramelized—not black.

If necessary, increase the heat briefly at the end, but stay near the oven and watch it carefully.

What Temperature Should Ham Reach?

Check the package instructions for your specific ham because the appropriate reheating method depends on how the ham was processed and packaged.

For a typical fully cooked ham being reheated, use a food thermometer rather than judging doneness from appearance alone.

Insert the thermometer into a thick portion of the meat without touching the bone.

The USDA recommends reheating cooked hams packaged in USDA-inspected plants to 140°F, while other previously cooked hams should generally be reheated to 165°F.

Let the Ham Rest Before Cutting

Remove the ham from the oven and transfer it to a large cutting board.

Let it rest for approximately 15–20 minutes.

Resting gives the meat a chance to settle and makes handling the hot ham considerably easier.

Don’t immediately start pulling spiral slices apart.

Give it a few minutes.

How to Carve a Spiral Ham

One of the biggest advantages of buying spiral ham is that most of the slicing has already been done for you.

Place the ham securely on the cutting board.

Use a sharp knife to cut around the bone where necessary and release groups of slices.

Then separate individual portions.

A large cutting board gives you enough space to keep the ham stable while organizing slices before transferring them to a serving platter.

Why a Large Cutting Board Helps

A holiday ham doesn’t require quite as much carving as a turkey, but it still takes up substantial space.

A small board quickly becomes crowded with:

• the ham
• carving knife
• slices
• glaze
• juices

A larger board gives you room to work without pushing meat onto the countertop.

A juice groove can also help contain glaze and liquid.

Maple, Walnut or Cherry for Carving Ham?

All three can work extremely well.

Maple

Hard maple is durable and has the traditional light appearance associated with butcher blocks and working kitchen surfaces.

It’s a great choice if the board will see heavy everyday use after the holidays.

Walnut

Walnut provides a darker, premium appearance and a somewhat softer cutting surface than hard maple.

A large walnut board also makes an attractive serving surface.

Cherry

Cherry has warm reddish-brown tones and develops a richer patina with age.

It works particularly well when you want a board that transitions easily from food preparation to presentation.

You can compare all three in our Wood Types Guide.

What to Serve With Glazed Ham

Holiday ham pairs particularly well with:

• scalloped potatoes
• mashed potatoes
• sweet potatoes
• roasted carrots
• green beans
• macaroni and cheese
• dinner rolls
• Brussels sprouts
• glazed carrots
• roasted asparagus

The sweet glaze also works well against savory or slightly acidic side dishes.

What to Do With Leftover Ham

This is arguably one of the best reasons to cook a large ham.

Use leftovers for:

• ham sandwiches
• breakfast omelets
• scrambled eggs
• breakfast burritos
• ham and cheese sliders
• potato soup
• split pea soup
• bean soup
• casseroles
• grilled cheese
• pizza

Dice some of the leftovers on your cutting board before refrigerating them and you’ve already done part of tomorrow’s meal prep.

Don’t Throw Away the Ham Bone

If you’ve purchased a bone-in ham, save the bone.

Refrigerate or freeze it and use it to add flavor to:

• navy bean soup
• split pea soup
• lentil soup
• collard greens
• beans

One holiday meal can easily become several additional meals.

Choosing a Cutting Board for Holiday Cooking

Holiday cooking tends to expose one weakness in small cutting boards: you run out of room.

A larger hardwood board gives you space for carving meat, preparing vegetables, slicing bread, arranging appetizers, and handling all of the little jobs that accumulate when you’re cooking for a crowd.

If you’re trying to determine what dimensions make sense for your kitchen, read our Cutting Board Size Guide.

If you’re deciding between maple, walnut, and cherry, visit our Wood Types Guide.

Or explore Woods & Wax Cutting Boards to find a hardwood size and species that fits the way you cook.

An Easy Holiday Main Course

Holiday meals don’t have to require an entire day of complicated preparation.

Start with a good fully cooked ham.

Warm it gently.

Build the glaze in layers.

Don’t overcook it.

Let it rest.

Then carve it on a board large enough to give you some room to work.

The result is a simple holiday centerpiece with enough leftovers to make tomorrow’s lunch almost as good as dinner.