Brown Sugar Ham Glaze

Why this glaze recipe is perfect for holidays

As a home family cook, I hate recipes that are overcomplicated and contain many ingredients I do not have in-house.

With pantry-ready ingredients, this recipe is fantastic for spiral hams. will help bake the ham in the seasonal flavors you have come to expect with each bite.

Glazed Spiral-Sliced Ham Recipe

Ingredients:

• Boneless spiral-sliced ham (fully cooked)
• Butter
• Brown sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Herbs de Provence – This is the seasoning blend we keep in our pantry, but similar herb blends can also work adjusted to taste preference.
• Honey

How to make Brown Sugar Glazed Ham

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Place your ham in an oven-safe baking dish that can be used under a broiler. Set aside.

Prepare the glaze: In a small skillet, combine the butter, 1 cup of brown sugar, vanilla extract, herbs de Provence, and honey. Cook this mixture over medium-low heat, whisking almost constantly.

Once the glaze mixture starts to bubble and boil, continue whisking and let it cook for an additional 2 minutes. Once done, remove the skillet from heat.

Apply the glaze: Pour the glaze over the ham, ensuring you open up the spiral slices to allow the glaze to seep into each layer.

If needed, use a pastry brush to ensure an even coating over the entire ham.

Cover the ham with aluminum foil, tenting it so that it is tight around the edges of the pan but domed over the ham. This prevents the glaze from sticking to the foil.

Bake for approximately 1 to 1-3/4 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. You can check this with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the ham.

Broil for a caramelized finish: After baking, remove the ham from the oven and carefully lift off the foil.

Spoon the drippings from the bottom of the pan over the ham to baste it. Sprinkle the top with an additional 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar.

Place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, or until the sugar has melted and the top of the ham starts to brown and crisp up.

Remove from the oven, let rest briefly, and then slice to serve.

Storing Leftover Spiral-Sliced Ham

• Refrigerator: Since spiral-sliced ham is pre-cooked and pre-sliced, it dries out faster. I personally find that it should be eaten within 2 to 3 days of cooking.
• Keep it cool: Always store ham in the coldest part of your refrigerator.
• Airtight storage: Wrap your ham in airtight containers, tightly sealed plastic wrap, or aluminum foil. This helps to keep it moist and prevents it from absorbing other odors in the refrigerator.
• Reheat safely: When ready to eat, reheat cooked ham to an internal temperature of 140 degrees F to ensure it is safe to eat, especially if it has been stored in the freezer.

How long do you bake pre-cooked spiral ham?

The exact cooking time can vary depending on the size of your ham. Hams closer to 3 pounds might only need about 75 minutes, whereas larger ones near the 5-pound mark could require the full 1-3/4 hours.

Typically, most hams come with additional useful instructions specific to your ham. When unwrapping the ham, look for tags, stickers, or internal paper instructions to verify.

What side dishes go with Ham?

Ham complements many side dishes, making it great for Easter and Christmas. For a complete plate, we like homemade mashed potatoes, a from-scratch green bean casserole recipe, marshmallow-filled ambrosia salad, and a side of soft yeast rolls.

Other great dishes to serve are Watergate salad made with pistachio pudding, brown sugar stovetop sweet potatoes, our reader’s favorite sweet corn casserole, and, of course, our pea salad recipe, which everyone raves about.

Love ham or have ham leftovers? Try one of the recipes below!

Ham and Cheese Strata

Cheese Ball with Ham

Ninja Foodi Ham

Ham and Hash Brown Casserole