Amazing Baked Ham

This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Perfectly Baked Ham slathered with a homemade Brown Sugar Glaze is a tasty and easy dish you can make for any special occasion or holiday. It’s always a crowd-pleaser and makes Easter or Christmas dinner extra special with no muss or fuss.

All About Ham

Cured, smoked, and baked are all indicators that the ham you’re about to buy has been pre-cooked. In fact, most ham you buy at the grocery store is already safe to eat and you just have to reheat it. Plus around Easter or Christmas, they tend to go on sale.

I always buy a cooked, bone-in spiral ham because most of the work is already done for me. But taking a few extra steps while baking your ham can bring it from good to great. I love the Kirkland Signature hams from Costco because the flavor and price can’t be beaten.

What Else Do I Need?

• A meat thermometer is pretty essential when cooking big cuts like this one. Invest in a good one like this and you’ll be set for a long time.
• The last thing you’ll need for this recipe is this Brown Sugar Ham Glaze. It’s such a simple addition but it really takes this ham to new heights. Of course, any glaze is fine, but I love this glaze recipe because it’s the best pairing of savory and sweet, matching garlic with maple syrup, brown sugar, and mustard. All glazes should basically do the same thing: caramelize the outside and give more flavor.

How to Bake a Ham

For full details on how to bake a ham, see the printable recipe card down below 🙂

Preheat and Prep Ham

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. If you are baking a cooked, bone-in spiral ham, the great news is it’s already cooked and you’re just basically reheating. The bad news is if you overbake, you can dry it out easily. Since it’s already sliced, it really doesn’t take much to dry it out. To combat this, place ham face down into a baking dish or roasting pan and cover with foil. Keeping it covered with foil will keep that moisture in!

Bake and Baste Ham

Bake 12-15 minutes per pound (or cook according to specific package directions). Baste 1-2 times through cooking with ham juices that have accumulated in the bottom of the pan. Be sure to separate the slices as you baste. This ensures ham will stay moist.

I’ve seen lots of recipes baste with the glaze as the ham cooks, but I’ve found better results basting with ham juices to keep everything moist, and then finishing with the glaze.

How Long Does it Take to Bake a Ham?

Bake your ham at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. Again, you’re just heating it through so you can serve it with dinner. Generally, you will bake at 275 degrees for 12-15 minutes per pound. Most hams come with baking directions that you can follow, but most will fall within these guidelines. You’re going to want the internal temp to be 145 degrees F for pre-cooked ham and 160 degrees F if cooking from raw.

So for a 10 lb cooked, bone-in spiral ham that’s 2-2 1/2 hours or until 145 degrees F.

Make the Brown Sugar Glaze

Make the glaze while ham is baking.

In a small saucepan, measure out all the ingredients and stir over medium heat. Simmer glaze until sugar melts and becomes syrupy about 1-2 minutes.

Glaze, Broil and Rest

Once your ham is done cooking, add a glaze to caramelize and lock in some extra flavor. Instead of using the pre-made glaze that comes with the ham, I opt for my Brown Sugar Glaze Recipe. I like to separate the slices (since this is a spiral ham, after all) and brush the glaze onto as much of the ham as possible.

Bake glazed ham at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes or until sticky and set. Remove ham from oven and cover with foil to rest 10-15 minutes. Carve and serve.

How to Carve Bone-In Baked Ham

Baked ham with a bone running right through the center can be a real pain if you don’t know what you’re doing. The only way to get the meat off is to work with the bone and cut around it.

1. But first things first: let your ham rest 10-15 minutes after glazing, tented with foil.
2. Transfer ham to a carving board (or cutting board with a kitchen towel underneath).
3. Place ham bottom side up, locate the center bone and cut around it completely.
4. There are natural sections of meat, separated by fat all around the bone. Cut through these separations to get slices. Place onto a serving tray.

Leftovers

Have any leftovers? Store ham in a covered airtight container in the fridge for up to five days! Or if you don’t have enough to save, consider making a different dish from it (such as Ham Salad).

Side Dishes

And of course, you can’t have baked ham without:

• Scalloped Potatoes
• Classic Potato Salad
• Mom’s Potato Rolls
• Traditional Deviled Eggs
• Hot Cross Buns
• Colorful Carrot Salad
• Strawberry Salad
• Maple Glazed Carrots
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts

and maybe some Carrot Cake for dessert 😉

More Heavenly Main Dishes to Try!

• Amazing Brown Sugar Glaze
• Simple Sunday Meatloaf
• Pineapple Glazed Ham
• Crockpot Ham
• Perfect Roast Turkey
• Garlic Pork Loin Roast

Save this recipe for your holiday table 🙂 It’s available to pin, print or bookmark.

Print Pin It

Baked Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

Perfectly Baked Ham slathered with a homemade brown sugar glaze is a tasty and easy dish you can make for any special occasion or holiday. It's always a crowd-pleaser and makes Easter or Christmas dinner extra special with no muss or fuss.

servings 12 servings

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 2 hrs

Total Time 2 hrs 25 mins

Ingredients

• ▢ 10 lb bone-in spiral ham

Brown Sugar Glaze

• ▢ 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
• ▢ 1/4 cup real maple syrup or honey
• ▢ 2 tablespoons yellow mustard or dijon or whole grain
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Unwrap ham and place face down in roasting or baking dish. Cover well with foil.
• Bake 12-15 minutes per pound (or cook according to specific package directions). Baste 1-2 times through cooking with ham juices that have accumulated in the bottom of the pan. Be sure to separate the slices as you baste. This ensures ham will stay moist.
• Make the glaze while ham is baking.

For the Brown Sugar Glaze

• In a small saucepan, measure out all the ingredients and stir over medium heat.
• Simmer glaze until sugar melts and becomes syrupy about 1-2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and glaze hame generously, being sure to separate the slices of spiral ham to get the glaze into all of the nooks and crannies
• Bake glazed ham at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes or until sticky and set. Remove ham from oven and cover with foil to rest 10-15 minutes. Carve and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 974kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 82g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 30g | Cholesterol: 234mg | Sodium: 4518mg | Potassium: 1114mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 3mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baked ham, baked ham recipe, brown sugar glaze, Ham Glaze, how to bake a ham