Ham Glaze

This holiday ham is juicy, tender, and beautifully caramelized with a sweet-savory ham glaze that shimmers like glass. It’s buttery, honey-kissed, and tangy

Course Sauce

Cuisine American

Keyword ham glaze recipes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2 30

Total Time 2 40

Servings -10 servings

Calories 190kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

Ham

1 bone-in spiral cut ham about 10–11 pounds
1/2 cup apple juice or water for the pan

Glaze

1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon coarse grain mustard
1 teaspoons fine salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon orange juice or ½ teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the Oven

Heat the oven to 325°F (163ëC).

Prepare the Ham

Place the ham face down in a large baking dish.
Pour 1/2 cup apple juice or water into the bottom of the dish to keep the ham moist. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 10–12 minutes per pound (spiral hams cook quickly).
For a 10–11 pound ham, this will be roughly 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.

Make the Glaze

About 30 minutes before the ham is done, combine all glaze ingredients in a small saucepan.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring, until glossy and slightly thickened. (This step ensures a lacquered, caramelized finish.)

Glaze the Ham

Remove foil and brush the ham generously with the glaze. Return to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 15 minutes.
Brush again with more glaze, then bake for final 10–15 minutes, or until the ham reaches 145°F (63ºC) in the thickest part away from the bone.

Optional (but beautiful): Broil

For caramelized edges, broil the ham for 1–2 minutes, watching very closely.

Notes

Simmering the glaze is the secret. Raw glaze tends to slide right off spiral slices. A quick simmer transforms it into a syrup that grabs on and caramelizes like a dream.
Add a splash of orange juice or zest. It’s optional, but it brings a sunny brightness that rounds out the sweetness. This tiny tweak makes your ham taste “holiday special” without effort.
Use the oven’s steam to your advantage. That little bit of apple juice in the pan keeps the spiral slices moist and glossy—not dried out and leathery.
Don’t be tempted to cook the ham too long. Spiral hams only need to heat gently. Overcooking is what causes dryness, so pull it as soon as it reaches 145°F.
A 1–2 minute broil is pure magic. Watch it closely—those caramelized, darkened edges are the best part.

Nutrition