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Brown sugar glaze being poured over the top of a spiral ham.

Brown Sugar Glazed Ham


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5 from 14 reviews

  • Author: Denay DeGuzman
  • Total Time: 2 Hours 10 Minutes
  • Yield: 10 Servings 1x

Description

Brown sugar glazed ham features delicious charred edges and a fabulous caramelized flavor. It’s a holiday tradition that’s easy to make. The secret to its savory taste and texture lies in the glaze. 


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 spiral cut ham (bone-in/fully-cooked), about 9 pounds
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon grated garlic
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (or whole grain mustard)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper

Instructions

RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 325ºF. Calculate your ham’s approximate cooking time by multiplying the weight of the ham by 15 minutes per pound. A 9-pound ham will need to cook for approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes.

  1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add in brown sugar, honey, garlic, and rosemary. Cook just until the mixture is bubbly and the sugar has dissolved. Immediately remove from heat. Stir in mustard, cloves, salt and pepper.
  2. Remove the spiral ham from its package. Place the meat cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush 1/3 of the brown sugar glaze over the ham. Cover it loosely with aluminum foil. Bake the ham for half of its total cook time. (For a 9-pounder this is 1 hour.)
  3. Carefully remove the foil from the ham. *Brush it with another 1/3 of the glaze. Return the ham to the oven – uncovered. Roast it for the remainder of its cook time, or until the internal temperature reaches 140ºF on an instant-read thermometer.
  4. Remove ham from the oven. Transfer it to a serving platter. Add any pan drippings to the saucepan with the last 1/3 of the glaze. Heat over medium-low heat until bubbly and hot, about 2 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a gravy boat to serve with the ham.

* RECIPE TIP: The glaze will thicken as it sits. To restore it’s pourable/brushable consistency, thin it out by setting the saucepan over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes. It will warm and melt.

Notes

Best spices for brown sugar glaze: Start with rosemary, ground cloves, kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper. If desired, you can also add a pinch or two of ground cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice), onion powder, ground sage, ground ginger (or ground nutmeg).

How to glaze a bone-in (fully-cooked) ham with rind: Remove the rind or skin of the ham (it’s easy to peel off), but leave the fat on! With a sharp knife, score the entire ham in a 1-inch diamond pattern, cutting no more than 1/4 inch deep. Place the ham on a baking sheet and brush with brown sugar glaze. Bake as directed.

  • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: About 2 Hours
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American