Easy Brown Sugar Ham Glaze for Spiral Ham
This ham glaze is brown sugar, honey, Dijon mustard and orange juice, simmered for a few minutes in a small saucepan. Brush it on a fully cooked spiral ham at the end of baking and it turns into a sticky, browned crust that runs down between the slices.
The ham itself only needs heating through, which takes the oven most of the afternoon but almost none of your time. The full recipe is in the card below.
Easy Brown Sugar Ham Glaze for Spiral Ham
Equipment
- Roasting pan or large baking dish
- Aluminum foil
- Small saucepan
- Pastry brush
- Instant-read meat thermometer
Ingredients
Ham
- 1 fully cooked bone-in spiral-cut ham 8 to 10 pounds
- ½ cup water
Brown sugar glaze
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Take the ham out of the refrigerator 1 hour before baking. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C) with a rack in the lower third. Unwrap the ham and throw away the glaze packet and the plastic disc on the end of the bone.
- Set the ham cut side down in a roasting pan and pour the water into the pan. Cover the pan tightly with foil.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes per pound, about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, until a thermometer in the thickest part, not touching bone, reads 140°F (60°C). That is the USDA reheating temperature for fully cooked ham packaged in a USDA-inspected plant; heat ham repackaged anywhere else to 165°F (74°C).
- While the ham bakes, combine the brown sugar, honey, orange juice, Dijon, butter, cloves and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring, and simmer for 3–5 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the glaze thickens slightly. Take it off the heat.
- Raise the oven to 425°F (220°C). Remove the foil and brush half of the glaze over the ham, working it between the slices.
- Bake uncovered for 10 minutes. Brush with half of the remaining glaze and bake 5–10 minutes more, until the glaze bubbles and browns at the edges. Watch it closely; the sugar burns fast.
- Rest the ham for 15 minutes. Spoon the last of the glaze and some pan juices over the slices and serve.
Notes
Why This Brown Sugar Ham Glaze Works
Brown sugar gives the glaze its body and its caramel flavor. Honey makes it shine and helps it cling. Dijon and orange juice cut the sweetness so the glaze tastes like more than sugar on salty ham, and a pinch of cloves adds a warm, spiced note.
Simmering the glaze for a few minutes dissolves the sugar and thickens it just enough to stay on the ham. Uncooked, it runs straight off into the pan. Cooked too long, it sets too thick to brush.
Choosing a Spiral Ham
Look for “fully cooked” on the label. Spiral-cut hams are usually sold that way, and that’s the kind this recipe is written for. A ham labeled “cook before eating” needs a different method.
Bone-in hams have more flavor and give you a bone for soup afterward. Boneless hams are easier to carve and heat through faster.
Throw away the glaze packet that comes with the ham. This glaze replaces it.
Tips for Glazing a Spiral Ham
Keep the ham covered tightly while it heats. Spiral slices go all the way to the bone, so an uncovered ham dries out at the edges long before the center is warm. The water in the pan adds a little steam under the foil.
Glaze only at the end. Sugar burns if it spends two hours in the oven, so the ham heats through first and the glaze goes on for the last 15 to 20 minutes in a hotter oven.
Use a pastry brush and push some glaze between the slices as well as over the top. Every slice then gets some of the flavor, not only the outer edge.
Ham Glaze Variations
- Pineapple: use pineapple juice instead of orange juice.
- Maple: use maple syrup instead of honey.
- Spicier: add a pinch of cayenne or use spicy brown mustard instead of Dijon.
- Less sweet: make the glaze as written but brush on only half, and skip the extra glaze at the table.
For a lighter plate, look for a ham labeled lower sodium, cut smaller slices, and fill the rest of the plate with vegetables.
What to Serve with Glazed Ham
Sweet and salty ham goes well with tart and creamy sides. Our sweet potato casserole with marshmallows and creamy garlic mashed potatoes both work, and a spoonful of easy homemade cranberry sauce cuts through the richness. For kids, add our easy crockpot mac and cheese recipe.
If prime rib is on the menu too, glaze the ham while our prime rib roast recipe rests out of the oven.
Storing Leftover Ham
Wrap leftover ham tightly and refrigerate it for 3 to 5 days, or freeze it for 1 to 2 months. Reheat leftover spiral ham to 165°F (74°C), covered, with a splash of water so the slices don’t dry out.
Leftovers go into breakfast eggs, grilled cheese, fried rice and split pea or bean soup. Freeze the bone for soup if you won’t use it within a few days.
Ham Glaze FAQ
Can I glaze a ham that isn’t spiral-cut? Yes. Score the fat in a shallow diamond pattern so the glaze has somewhere to sit, and go by the thermometer for timing.
Can I use this glaze on a boneless ham? Yes. Boneless hams heat through faster, so check the temperature earlier and add the glaze once the center is hot.
My glaze is too thick to brush. What do I do? Warm it over low heat and stir in orange juice or water a teaspoon at a time until it brushes on easily.
