This Honey Glazed Ham Recipe is a holiday must! I truly love this deliciously sweet, oven-baked ham for Christmas, Easter, or any other holiday feast. This copycat Honey Baked Ham recipe is such an easy way to make that spiral ham extra flavorful!
Why We Love Honey Glazed Ham Recipe
I have always loved a delicious and juicy Honey Baked Ham (Honey Baked Ham is trademarked by the company and this is our homemade version). This is a copycat recipe of the popular holiday ham. Turns out this homemade spin is my ultimate favorite! What I love most is that sugary crackle topping.
- Easy. A spiral ham is a pre-cooked and pre-sliced ham (with a spiral cut). This makes it really easy to cook, slice, and serve.
- Flavorful. This ham is covered in a delicious honey glaze, baked to perfection, and then caramelized to create that crunchy, sweet crust on the outside. It’s simple to make this copycat recipe at home!
- Beautiful. The crunchy, sweet crust on the outside makes for a show-stopping presentation.
Variations on Baked Honey Ham
You can change up the flavor of this ham slightly by using agave syrup or maple syrup in place of the honey and brown sugar in place of the granulated sugar. You could also try adding a splash of orange or pineapple juice for an extra citrusy kick!
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How to Store and Reheat
The easiest way to store leftovers is to fully carve the ham into slices. Place the slices in a resealable bag, or stack and wrap them tightly in aluminum foil. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Rehat ham in the oven at 325°F until fully heated through.
Use extras to make these recipes with leftover ham!
How to Freeze
To freeze, carve the ham into slices. Wrap stacks of slices in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then place them in a freezer-safe resealable bag. You can freeze leftovers for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
This delicious honey glazed ham recipe goes so well with all your favorite side dishes! Add potatoes, veggies, and rolls to the table for the perfect holiday meal. Some of my favorites are Red Wine Glazed Carrots, Instant Pot Sweet Potato Casserole, Crockpot Twice Baked Potatoes, and Homemade Hawaiian Rolls.
If you have leftovers, you can eat slices of cold ham straight from the fridge. The flavor makes a great cold sandwich! Otherwise, you can reheat it and enjoy it warm for another round of dinner or lunch!
Honey Glazed Ham Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Ham and Honey Glaze
- 8 pounds spiral-cut ham fully cooked, unsmoked or smoked
- ¼ cup salted butter melted (½ stick)
- 4 tablespoons honey mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- 1½ cups apple cider — not apple cider vinegar!
For the Dry Rub
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg or ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
For the Ham and Honey Glaze
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position.
- Cover a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat the metal rack insert with cooking spray. Unwrap the ham and remove the plastic cap over the bone (if there is one). Place the ham, flat-side down, on the metal roasting rack. Set aside.8 pounds spiral-cut ham
- Make the honey glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, honey mustard, honey, and mustard.¼ cup salted butter, 4 tablespoons honey mustard, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- Rub the honey glaze over the entire ham and in between the slices.
- Pour the apple cider into the pan and cover the ham and pan tightly with foil.1½ cups apple cider
- Cook the ham for 2-3 hours (20 minutes per pound of ham) or until the internal temperature registers 140°F on an instant-read food thermometer. (The ham is fully cooked but this will ensure the ham is properly heated throughout.)
- Remove the ham from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes.
For the Dry Rub
- While the ham cools, prepare the dry rub. Whisk all of the dry rub ingredients together in a medium bowl. Pour half of the dry rub into a small saucepan (to be used for the serving glaze) and use the remaining half for the ham.½ teaspoon table salt, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, ½ teaspoon sweet paprika, 2 cups granulated sugar
- After the ham has cooled for 15 minutes, uncover it and brush with the pan juices. Press the remaining dry rub all around the ham one handful at a time. Use all of the remaining dry rub. The sugar will eventually form a crust around the ham.
- Once fully coated with dry rub, use a kitchen torch or broil in the oven to achieve the crunchy, crusty ham coating. If using the broiler, adjust the oven rack to the lowest position and watch the ham very closely, turning it often so it doesn’t burn. If using a kitchen torch, keep the torch flame about 1 inch away from the ham. Continuously move the flame in small circles until the surface becomes bubbly, then move the torch to the adjoining area until the entire ham has been caramelized. Before you know it, the entire ham will have a gorgeous, sugary, crispy coat.
- Cover the ham very loosely with foil; set aside until ready to serve.
- Make the serving glaze. Add the remaining pan juices to the dry rub mixture in the saucepan. Bring the glaze to a boil over medium heat, stirring often, and reduce the temperature to medium-low. Boil the mixture for 4-6 minutes or until it has reduced to a thin, syrupy consistency. Remove from the heat and serve alongside the ham. If the glaze begins to harden, just warm slightly over very low heat.
- When ready to serve, divide the ham slices and drizzle the glaze on top.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Even though the spiral ham is pre-cooked, it should be fully heated through to an internal temperature of 140°F.
- The ham should be baked in the oven flat-side down.
- Be sure to rub the honey glaze all over the outside of the ham, and between slices, for best flavor.
- Cover the ham with foil while baking. This will keep it from drying out, so it stays juicy and moist.
- I like using a kitchen torch to create the caramelized coating on the ham. But if you don’t have one, you can just broil it in the oven for a similar effect.
Nutrition Information
How to Make Honey Glazed Ham Step by Step
Prepare the Ham: Preheat the oven to 325°F and adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position. Cover a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat the metal rack insert with cooking spray. Unwrap an 8-pound spiral-cut ham and remove the plastic cap over the bone (if there is one). Place the ham, flat-side down, on the metal roasting rack. Set aside.
Make the Honey Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup of salted butter, 4 tablespoons of honey mustard, 2 tablespoons of honey, and 2 teaspoons of whole grain mustard.
Cook the Ham: Rub the honey glaze all over the entire ham and between the slices. Pour 1½ cups of apple cider into the roasting pan and cover the ham and pan tightly with aluminum foil. Cook for 2-3 hours (about 20 minutes per pound of ham), or until the internal temperature reaches 140°F. Remove the ham from the oven and let it cool while you prepare the dry rub.
Make the Dry Rub: Whisk ½ teaspoon of table salt, 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of ground cloves, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon of ground ginger, ½ teaspoon of ground allspice, ½ teaspoon of sweet paprika, and 2 cups of granulated sugar together in a medium bowl. Pour half of the dry rub into a small saucepan (to be used for the serving glaze) and use the remaining half for the ham.
Broil the Ham: After the ham has cooled for 15 minutes, uncover it and brush it all over with the pan juices. Press half of the dry rub mixture all around the ham, one handful at a time. Use a kitchen torch or broil in the oven to achieve the crunchy, crusty ham coating. If using the broiler, adjust the oven rack to the lowest position and watch the ham very closely, turning it often so it doesn’t burn. If using a kitchen torch, keep the torch flame about 1 inch away from the ham. Continuously move the flame in small circles until the surface becomes bubbly, then move the torch to the adjoining area until the entire ham has been caramelized. Cover the ham very loosely with foil and set aside until ready to serve.
Make the Serving Glaze: Add the remaining pan juices to half of the dry rub mixture in a saucepan. Bring the glaze to a boil over medium heat, stirring often, and reduce the temperature to medium-low. Boil the mixture for 4-6 minutes or until it has reduced to a thin, syrupy consistency. Remove from the heat and serve alongside the ham. If the glaze begins to harden, just warm slightly over very low heat.
Serve the Ham: Divide the ham slices and drizzle the glaze on top.
Use a pre-cooked spiral ham for this honey-baked ham recipe. We’re just adding lots of delicious flavor and warming through to serve.
A dry rub is a mixture of dry spices and seasonings that is rubbed into meat to add more flavor. We’re using a mix of sugar, cinnamon, paprika, and more to add a caramelized coating of flavor to the skin of this oven-baked ham.
With a boneless ham, you should estimate about ⅓ pound of ham per person (up to ½ pound if you want to be on the safe side). An 8-pound ham will be plenty for most holiday gatherings!
I made this for Christmas dinner. It was very good, but the honey-baked ham I am trying to make. So far I have not been able to find a copycat recipe that makes a homemade ham taste like the honey-baked ham you can buy for a zillion dollars. Close but no cigar. So I will still be on the hunt for the ham that tastes like the honey-baked ham I want. Wish me Luck!
I’m sorry it wasn’t the taste you were looking for!
Thank you for recipe mine didn’t look as good as yours but it was so delicious! Terri Neice
That looks mouth-watering, Terri!