Nothing stirs nostalgic Christmas dinner memories more than a brown sugar-glazed ham at the center of a holiday table. While it is a tempting shortcut to buy a pre-made spiral cut ham for your next holiday feast, making a delectable, delicious one at home is easier than you think and always more satisfying!
Brown Sugar Glaze for Ham
From the easy prep to the fantastic aromas wafting from the oven, homemade brown sugar glazed ham is a dream recipe I look forward to making every year. A whole ham – roasted and covered in the sweetest, tangiest glaze ever – makes the juicy, tender, and perfect ham my family craves.
Why You’ll Love this Brown Sugar Ham Glaze Recipe:
- BEAUTIFUL CENTERPIECE: The diamond pattern and thick brown sugar glaze make for an impressive presentation on your Christmas table!
- GREAT RECIPE: I love all ham glazes, but the one in this recipe with the honey and Dijon mustard may be my all-time favorite!
- LEFTOVER HAM: With any ham leftovers (if you are lucky!), you can make yummy sandwiches the next day.
How to Make Brown Sugar Glaze for Ham
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- After preheating the oven, prepare the ham with diamond pattern cuts.
- Roast the ham with water in a pan covered in foil.
- Prepare the glaze.
- After removing the ham from the oven, spread it with a third of the glaze.
- Return the ham to oven and continue to cook uncovered.
- Remove ham again, add more glaze, and finish roasting.
- After removing the fully cooked ham, cover with the remaining glaze.
- Let the ham rest before carving and serving!
If you are planning on serving a ham during the holidays, it’s well worth the small effort to glaze it. Glazing adds color, texture, and flavor to the meat, and it’s as simple as heating all of the ingredients on the stovetop. It’s so impressive to serve to the table, and it’s one of the most traditional of festive foods.
For the juiciest ham, you’ll want to look for a bone-in ham. Leaving the bone in will help keep the meat moist and flavorful throughout the cooking process. I recommend looking for a solid piece of ham rather than a spiral-cut one.
If you’re using a bone-in ham, you’ll want about ¾-pound per person. So, a 15-pound ham will serve about 20 people.
I recommend using a basting approach for this ham. After the first hour of cooking, baste the ham with ⅓ of the glaze, then let it cook for another hour and baste again. You should do this three times total over the course of cooking, then let the ham continue to cook all the way through. At the end of cooking, spread the remaining glaze over top.
Fully-cooked ham needs to reach 140°F, which will take about 10-14 minutes per pound. For a 15-pound ham, that will take 2½-3½ hours.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover brown sugar glazed ham in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy cold, at room temperature, or reheated in a 325°F oven until warmed through.
Freezing Instructions
Freeze brown sugar glazed ham in individual portions in Ziplock bags for up to 3 months. Leet thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Tips for the Best Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
- To avoid overcooking the ham, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part without touching the bone. It should read 140°F.
- If using a spiral ham, take extra care not to let it dry out.
- Don’t simmer the glaze for too long; otherwise, it will turn into a hard caramel once cooled.
- Tent the baked ham with foil to keep it warm and moist.
Brown sugar glazed ham is a special recipe for special occasions. After you make it once, it will quickly become an annual Christmas tradition in your house too!
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy!
Recipe
Brown Sugar Glazed Ham Recipe
Cook: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total: 2 hours 30 minutes
A whole ham, baked and brushed with the sweetest, tangiest glaze, makes the juicy, tender, and delicious ham your family craves at Christmas!
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Place the ham on a cutting board. Score the ham by using a sharp knife to cut parallel lines about ½-inch deep and 1 inch apart across the entire ham. Turn the ham, and then repeat this process, cutting lines across the previous lines to create small diamond shapes.
14-16 pound bone-in ham
Place the ham, flat side down, in a roasting pan. Pour 3 cups of water into the pan. Cover with foil. The ham should cook for about 12 minutes per pound.
3 cups water
After 1 hour, prepare the glaze. Add the brown sugar, honey, dijon mustard, butter, apple cider vinegar, garlic, cinnamon, and ginger to a saucepan over medium heat. Once it starts bubbling, turn down the heat to low and continue cooking for a couple more minutes. The glaze may seem runny at first, but that’s okay. It will thicken up as it sits.
1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup honey, ⅓ cup Dijon mustard, ¼ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 3 cloves garlic, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Remove the ham from the oven and spread ⅓ of the glaze over the ham and return to the oven without the foil. Continue cooking for another hour.
Remove the ham from the oven again, and spread another ⅓ of the glaze over the ham. Cook for the remaining time based the weight of your ham.
Remove the ham from the oven and spread the remaining glaze over the ham.
Let the ham rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.
Becky’s tips
- To avoid overcooking the ham, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part without touching the bone. It should read 140°F.
- If using a spiral ham, take extra care not to let it dry out.
- Don’t simmer the glaze for too long; otherwise, it will turn into a hard caramel once cooled.
- Tent the baked ham with foil to keep it warm and moist.
Storage: Store brown sugar glazed ham in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 0.75pounds Calories: 565kcal (28%) Carbohydrates: 18g (6%) Protein: 60g (120%) Fat: 27g (42%) Saturated Fat: 7g (44%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Monounsaturated Fat: 10g Trans Fat: 0.1g Cholesterol: 238mg (79%) Sodium: 3719mg (162%) Potassium: 923mg (26%) Fiber: 0.2g (1%) Sugar: 18g (20%) Vitamin A: 74IU (1%) Vitamin C: 74mg (90%) Calcium: 34mg (3%) Iron: 3mg (17%)
