There’s nothing better than a baked ham smothered in sweet glaze to kick off the holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter. Pair your ham with a variety of delicious side dishes, such as loaded mashed potato casserole and candied carrots, for the perfect meal.
Baked Ham Ingredients
To make this baked ham you will need a spiral ham, butter, brown sugar, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg. I love than when I bake a ham I usually have delicious leftovers. Making this ham gives me a great reason to make my favorite leftover ham recipes like ham and beans, ham bone soup, ham and potato soup and scalloped potatoes and ham.
How Do You Make Baked Ham?
This baked ham recipe starts with a homemade glaze. Place butter, brown sugar, orange juice, orange zest and spices in a pan and simmer them together. Place your ham in a roasting pan. Pour half the glaze over your ham, then cover it with foil. Bake the ham until it warms through. Remove the foil, then brush the rest of the glaze over the ham. Increase the oven temperature, then bake the ham uncovered until it has caramelized and a meat thermometer shows that it has reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Slice and serve immediately.
Tips For The Perfect Ham
I prefer to make this recipe with a bone-in spiral cut ham. You can also use a bone-in half shank. Just score the top with a sharp knife in a diamond pattern to let the glaze soak in. Another option is a boneless ham. However, boneless ham is more likely to dry out which is why I typically choose bone-in ham. I recommend preparing the glaze just before you plan to use it. The glaze will harden in the fridge if you try to make it in advance. If your glaze thickens up more than you’d like, microwave it for about 30 seconds to loosen it back up again. This ham pairs well with traditional Christmas recipes like mashed red potatoes, candied yams, broccoli casserole and creamed spinach. However, sometimes I like to offer something a little lighter such as a fresh fennel salad, Christmas salad or pomegranate brussels sprouts.
Flavor Variations
I typically make this recipe as written, but sometimes I use other ingredients depending on what I have on hand.
Liquid: Instead of orange juice, try using 1/2 cup of apple cider, pineapple juice, cranberry juice, honey or maple syrup. Spices: Skip the cinnamon and nutmeg, and try pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon with a pinch of ginger, or even a bit of ground cardamom. Flavorings: Try adding other flavors to the mix such as cayenne pepper, Dijon mustard, fresh minced rosemary or a bit of garlic powder.
This baked ham is the absolute best for feeding a large crowd. The sweet and savory flavors just can’t be beat!
Baked Ham Video
