Honey Glazed Ham Recipe

This honey glazed ham turns a fully cooked spiral-sliced ham into a glossy holiday centerpiece, brushed with a honey and brown sugar glaze and baked at 325°F until the center reaches a food-safe 140°F.

How much ham to buy per person

The USDA’s buying guidance depends on the bone. For boneless ham, allow 1/4 to 1/3 pound per serving; for bone-in ham, allow 1/3 to 1/2 pound per serving. Because this recipe uses a bone-in spiral-sliced ham, the larger bone-in figure applies.

Boneless vs bone-in serving sizes

Boneless ham carries no bone weight, so each pound yields more edible meat and the USDA pegs a serving at 1/4 to 1/3 pound. A bone-in ham includes the bone’s weight, so the USDA bumps the estimate to 1/3 to 1/2 pound per serving. For a fully cooked spiral-sliced ham, plan on the bone-in range.

Sizing a 10-pound ham for a crowd

The base recipe starts with a bone-in spiral-cut ham of about 10 pounds and publishes a yield of 24 servings. That lines up with the USDA’s bone-in estimate of 1/3 to 1/2 pound per serving, which covers a holiday table without overbuying. For a smaller table, a baked American main such as chicken pot pie scales to a family dinner instead of a full ham.

How to glaze and bake a honey glazed ham

Scoring the ham lets the glaze settle between the spiral slices. The USDA sets the oven no lower than 325°F for reheating a cooked ham, and the base recipe bakes at 325°F for a total of 1 hour 45 minutes.

Scoring and glazing the ham

Cut a diamond pattern into the surface about 1/8 inch deep so the sweet glaze reaches the meat between slices. The base glaze is stirred rather than cooked: honey, brown sugar, ground ginger, ground mustard, and cinnamon combined until smooth. A reduced glaze, such as the mustard-cider variation, is simmered until thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Oven temperature and time per pound

The USDA says to reheat a spiral-sliced ham in a conventional oven covered with heavy foil at 325°F for about 10 minutes per pound. Its cooking chart lists 10 to 18 minutes per pound for a spiral-cut whole or half ham, and 15 to 18 minutes per pound for a whole bone-in ham of 10 to 14 pounds. The base recipe bakes its 10-pound ham for 1 hour 45 minutes at 325°F.

Checking the internal temperature

A fully cooked, ready-to-eat ham is safe to eat cold and only needs reheating to an internal temperature of 140°F for warm serving. Insert a food thermometer into the thickest part of the ham, avoiding the bone, and pull it once the center reaches 140°F. Let the ham rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

Honey glaze variations

The honey and brown sugar glaze in the base card is one option. These published variations keep the honey-glazed character while changing the flavor profile or the cooking method.

Mustard-cider honey glaze

Ree Drummond’s version stirs 1 cup of honey with 1/4 cup of grainy brown mustard and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, then studs the scored ham with 2 tablespoons of whole cloves before baking at 325°F. It is written for a 5- to 7-pound fully cooked boneless ham and yields 4 to 6 servings.

Extra brown sugar glaze with a caramelizing finish

Butter Be Ready’s heavier glaze packs 2 cups of dark brown sugar and 1/4 cup of honey onto a 10- to 11-pound bone-in spiral-sliced ham, baking it low at 275°F until the thickest part reaches 120°F, then finishing at 425°F to caramelize the crust.

Slow cooker honey glazed ham

For a hands-off holiday, Together as Family glazes a 4- to 5-pound boneless, pre-cooked spiral-sliced ham with 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of honey, then cooks it on LOW for 5 to 6 hours. The recipe yields about 10 servings of two slices each.

Storing and reheating leftover ham

Storage time depends on the cut. A cooked whole store-wrapped ham keeps for 7 days in the refrigerator, while spiral-cut hams and consumer-cooked leftovers keep for 3 to 5 days.

How long glazed ham keeps

A cooked whole store-wrapped ham keeps 7 days refrigerated. Once the ham is spiral-cut or repackaged at home, treat it as leftovers: refrigerate for 3 to 5 days. Thin leftover slices also make the classic filling for a Croque Monsieur, so a generous ham never goes to waste.

Reheating without drying it out

Leftover or repackaged cooked ham is reheated to a higher internal temperature than the first warm serving: the USDA sets the leftover figure at 165°F, and FoodSafety.gov lists the same 165°F for reheating leftovers. To keep slices moist, Ree Drummond reheats a glazed ham covered with foil at 325°F for about 13 minutes per pound. Keep this distinct from the 140°F target for a fully cooked ham’s first warm serving.