Pineapple Ham
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This succulent pineapple ham is a show-stopping centerpiece. Warm and juicy, our spiral ham features sweet roasted pineapple, maraschino cherries, and a sticky brown sugar glaze. Impressive enough for a holiday meal like Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s also easy enough for Sunday supper.
🧑🏼🍳 Why This Recipe’s a Keeper
Like brown sugar glazed ham, this American classic boasts the combo of sweet/savory flavors we look forward to in a holiday ham. Because it’s spiral cut, the glaze seeps in between the slices making the meat even more juicy and flavorful. And because it’s pre-sliced it’s ready to go, easy to serve.
Even if your family is small, you can still make a large ham and save the rest for later without any food waste. In addition to deli-style ham sandwiches, here are more easy ideas for using the pork bone and leftover ham.
- Red Beans and Rice: Use the leftover pork bone for this easy recipe.
- Loaded Baked Potato Salad: Add ham instead of crispy bacon.
- Southern Baked Mac and Cheese: Cut up leftover ham into cubes. Pan fry the meat and add it to this delicious recipe.
- Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes: Instead of bacon, use cubes of ham.
- Denver Scramble: Dice up some ham. Mix it into the eggs with cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack, bell peppers and onion.
🛒 Ingredients
- Spiral Ham: A bone-in spiral cut ham is ideal for this recipe. Most hams will come with a glaze packet. But just discard it or save it for another time. Because we’re making our own pineapple glaze.
- Canned Pineapple Rings: The sweet fruitiness of pineapple pairs deliciously with ham. Make sure to save the all juices – don’t discard them. This sweet liquid is the base of our brown sugar glaze.
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds more sweetness and depth of flavor. It also helps create a delicious, sweet/savory crust on the pineapple ham.
- Grainy Mustard: Enhances the meaty saltiness of the ham.
- Garlic Powder: Adds just a hint of rustic earthy flavor.
- Ground Cloves: Cloves are a classic addition for pineapple ham. But let’s be honest – pulling whole cloves out of a ham is exhausting. In this recipe we’re saving time by mixing ground cloves into the glaze.
- Maraschino Cherries: Add brilliant color and sweetness. They pair well with pineapple. Make sure to drain off the liquid.
📖 Recipe Steps
RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking pan with aluminum foil. It’ll make clean-up a breeze.
- Prep the pineapple ham glaze. Drain juices from the can of pineapple into a small bowl. (Set the pineapple rings aside for later.) To the bowl with juices, add the brown sugar, mustard, garlic powder, and cloves. Whisk to combine.
- Place the ham in the prepared baking dish. Pour the glaze all over the ham. Make sure to coat it well. Tent the ham (loosely cover it) with aluminum foil. Bake it for 1 1/2 hours.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and discard the foil. Baste the ham with pan juices. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of a pineapple ring, and secure the cherry to the ham with a toothpick. Repeat until the ham is fully covered with pineapples and cherries.
- Return the ham to the oven (without foil). Bake for another 30 to 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the ham reaches 140°F. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature.
- Baste the meat with pan juices again. This will help make it shiny and beautiful – a perfect centerpiece for your holiday meal. Transfer the pineapple ham a large platter. Serve immediately.
🧑🏼🍳 Recipe FAQ
These are the most commonly-asked questions for the BEST pineapple ham and the most helpful answers for recipe success.
It’s a bone-in ham that’s pre-sliced but retains it’s beautiful shape. It has neat even slices that were carved with a spiral-slicing machine. The thin slices are still attached at one end to the bone in the middle. Spiral hams have a gorgeous presentation and are easy to serve.
This largely depends on the number of side dishes available, and if there will be other main dishes as well. But for a spiral ham, estimate 3/4 to 1 pound per person – to account for the weight of the bone. Once served, each person may eat about 1/2 pound of ham.
A spiral ham has a heavy bone in the middle. So we’re keeping this in mind when estimating the size of ham to buy. To feed 6 people, buy a 5- to 6-pound spiral ham. To feed 12 people, buy a 10- to 12-pound ham.
Although a spiral ham is pre-cooked, we glaze and reheat it to enhance the flavor profile. Most everyone agrees, a succulent ham with savory flavors creates a memorable dining experience.
Transfer ham and any juices to a zip-top bag or airtight container and store it in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
👩🏻🍳 Tasty Sides for Pineapple Ham
Complete your holiday dinner with these delicious sides that will make your evening more festive and special. Each traditional recipe is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Print your favorites and add them to your recipe box.
- Easter Bunny Bread Rolls
- Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Green Beans Almondine
- Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
- Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
- Homemade Gravy
Rate This Recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Flavor testers rated this the BEST pineapple ham recipe. It boasts a savory brown sugar ham glaze sweetened with pineapple juice. Adorned with pineapple rings and maraschino cherries, it has a stunning presentation.
If you agree this is a fantastic holiday meal or Sunday supper, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero. Share it with friends on Facebook. 📌 Pin it to Pinterest.
Pineapple Ham
- Total Time: 2 Hours 25 Minutes
- Yield: 9 Servings 1x
Description
This stunning pineapple ham is deeply delicious. It features a sweet and savory brown-sugar-pineapple glaze. A perfect centerpiece for holiday dinners and Sunday suppers. Prep in 10 minutes then bake.
Ingredients
- 1 (bone-in) spiral ham, about 9 pounds
- 1 can (20-ounces) pineapple rings in syrup
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup maraschino cherries, drained
Instructions
RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Drain the juice from the can of pineapple rings into a small bowl. (Set the pineapple rings aside for later.) To the bowl of juices, add brown sugar, mustard, garlic powder, and cloves. Whisk to combine.
- Place the ham in a large, rimmed baking dish. Pour the glaze all over the ham. Tent the ham (loosely cover it) with aluminum foil. Bake the ham for 1 1/2 hours.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and discard the foil. Baste the ham with the pan juices. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of a pineapple ring, and secure the cherry to the ham with a toothpick. Repeat this process until the ham is fully covered with pineapples and cherries.
- Return the ham to the oven (without foil). Bake for another 30 to 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the ham reaches 140°F. (Check the temperature with a meat thermometer.)
- Baste the meat with pan juices again. This will help it look shiny and gorgeous. Transfer the pineapple ham to a large platter. Serve immediately.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
How much ham per person? It largely depends on the number of side dishes available, and if there are other main dishes as well. But for a spiral ham, estimate 3/4 to 1 pound per person – to account for the weight of the bone. Once served, each person may eat about 1/2 pound of ham.
How to store leftover ham: Transfer ham and pan juices to a zip-top bag or airtight container and store it in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 2 Hours 15 Minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Pineapple Ham 👉🏻 Join the Conversation
Are you excited about this easy pineapple ham? Do you have special holiday memories where a spiral-cut ham was a centerpiece on the serving table? Share your thoughts on this recipe in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.
