Holiday Ham - with a smoky-sweet glaze made of whole-grain mustard, brown sugar, apple cider and warm spices like allspice, cumin, and coriander, this holiday ham is the perfect addition to any menu.
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Whether you're looking for a succulent ham for Christmas, Easter or any other special occasion, you're going to love this amazing recipe.
While honey or maple syrup are common in many ham recipes, we're using brown sugar instead. I love the pairing of the brown sugar with the mustard especially, but the secret here are the ground spices.
Cumin, coriander and allspice all add so much depth of flavor and I'm pretty sure that this is the best ham recipe I've ever eaten.
🧂 Ingredients
Here is what you will need to make this recipe:
- smoked boneless ham
- light brown sugar
- apple cider (or apple juice)
- whole-grain dijon mustard
- cornstarch
- ground cumin and ground coriander
- ground allspice
- salt and pepper
- whole cloves (optional)
This is meant to be a brief overview of the glazed ham recipe. For step-by-step instructions and a full printable recipe card with ingredients, please scroll down to the teal box below.
🔪Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. (Alternatively, you can use a large roasting pan.)
- Place ham on the baking sheet, flat-side-down.
- Using a sharp knife, score the ham with cuts one inch apart and ¼-inch deep. Rotate the ham and repeat so that you have a grid or diamond pattern over the entire surface of the ham.
- In a medium bowl, mix all the brown sugar, apple cider, mustard and seasonings for the ham glaze.
- After that, rub half of the glaze over the surface of the ham and bake uncovered for 45 minutes.
- Remove the whole ham from the oven. Rub the remaining glaze over the ham.
- Then, place it back in the oven for another 45-75 minutes, or until the exterior is caramelized. It should look dark and crusty and the ham should be warmed through.
- Transfer to a cutting board to slice ham, then to a serving platter.
⭐ Tips
✔️Actual cooking time will vary depending on the weight of your ham.
✔️To check the temperature of your ham to be sure it is warm in the center, use a meat thermometer to test the interior temperature. It is recommended by FoodSafety.gov that pork should cook to an internal temperature of 130-degrees F to warm, or 145-degrees F for uncooked pork.
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions (and answers!) readers often ask about this easy ham recipe.
When cooking a smoked ham, 15 minutes per pound is recommended for best flavor and texture.
Honey mustard or Dijon are both delicious substitutions for whole-grain mustard.
If ham is your main dish, plan on about ⅓ pound per person for a boneless ham. If you have a bone-in ham, figure on about ½ pound per person.
However, if you are serving ham as part of a brunch or with other main dishes, figure on about ¼ pound per person.
📖 Variations
We recommend that you try our simple recipe for the first time just as it is written for the best results, because that is how the recipe has been tested.
However, the next time you make it, you might consider one of these different ways of making this great recipe.
- For an Easter ham, you might like to substitute the apple cider with pineapple juice. My grandmother always served her ham with pineapple rings.
- Add a ground clove to each of the points on the diamond pattern on the ham before baking.
- For a honey ham, omit the brown sugar and use honey instead.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Make sure your ham will fit into your crock pot before you begin.
- Add the ham and all the glaze to the slow cooker.
- Set the temperature to LOW and cook for 4-5 hours until the ham is heated through.
What to do with Leftovers
- This Ham Pot Pie Recipe is one of our all-time most popular dishes, and it's a great way to use both leftover vegetables and delicious ham.
- Chop up your leftover ham and use it to make this Scalloped Potatoes and Ham - a Southern classic.
- Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Frittata is a great way to use up your leftover ham and broccoli, too.
- Ham and Pasta Salad is a great way to use up leftover ham and also any fresh herbs you might have leftover from your holiday meal.
What to serve with your ham for Brunch:
- This Blueberry and Peach Easy Monkey Bread can be made ahead of time so it's a great addition to your brunch menu.
- When it comes to crowd-pleasing recipes, this Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole Recipe never fails. Trust me!
- Springtime calls for lemons, so try your hand at this zesty Glazed Lemon Bread.
More Delicious Side Dishes
For a Thanksgiving or Christmas ham dinner, consider serving one of these amazing side dishes:
- Garlic Green Beans - your taste buds will fall in love with these - it's actually a green vegetable your kids will eat!
- Buttery Dinner Rolls - the best Christmas dinner wouldn't be completely without some delicious rolls, and this semi-homemade recipe is quick, delicious and easy!
- Pan Sauteed Asparagus - with cranberries, parmesan cheese, toasted nut and orange zest, this asparagus impressive side dish for any holiday table.
- Side Dishes to Go With Baked Ham - round out your holiday dinner or Sunday supper with these tasty, easy side dishes that go with ham — you'll find mashed potatoes, garlic green beans, creamy Brussels sprouts, and other yummy favorites.
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📋 Easy Holiday Ham
You will love this sweet and smokey holiday ham recipe. Remember, it can also easily be made in your favorite slow cooker so your oven will be free for all of the delicious sides you have planned. It's a warm, delicious main course that can't be missed!
Baked Holiday Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 8-10 pounds smoked ham
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup apple cider
- 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Place the ham on the baking sheet, flat-side-down.
- Using a sharp knife, score the ham with cuts one inch apart and ¼-inch deep. Rotate the ham and repeat so that you have a grid pattern over the entire surface of the ham.
- In a medium bowl, mix all the brown sugar, apple cider, mustard and seasonings for the glaze.
- After that, rub half the glaze over the surface of the ham and bake uncovered for 45 minutes.
- Remove the ham from the oven. Rub the remaining glaze over the ham and place it back in the oven for another 45-75 minutes, or until the exterior is caramelized. It should look dark and crusty and the ham should be warmed through.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Make sure your ham will fit into your slow cooker before you begin.
- Add the ham and all the glaze to the slow cooker.
- Set the temperature to LOW and cook for 4-5 hours until the ham is heated through.
For best results, be sure to check our Tips and FAQs above with important tips and questions that can help your delicious recipe come out perfectly.
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