Honey Mustard Glazed Ham
I glazed my first ham way too early. The sugar sat on it for two hours at 325°F and came out bitter, almost black at the edges, which was kind of sad on a holiday table. Now the glaze waits until the last 40 minutes, and the ham spends the first stretch under foil with a cup of water in the pan, steaming gently so the spiral slices don’t dry out.
The other thing I do is push the brush down between the slices instead of just painting the outside. That’s where the glaze pools, and it’s why every slice tastes glazed, not only the crust. A short blast at 425°F at the very end gives you the sticky, darker edges. We had it with scalloped potatoes, creamy green beans and a wedge of soda bread.
A honey mustard glazed ham for Easter or Christmas, built on a store-bought spiral ham that's already cooked. Mostly hands-off. The mustard keeps the crust tangy rather than candied, and the pan juices turn into a spoonable sauce. One 8-pound ham feeds about 16 people, and leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Take the ham out of the fridge about 1 hour before baking and remove any plastic disc covering the bone. Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 325°F.8 lb fully cooked spiral-cut ham
- Set the ham cut side down in the roasting pan and pour the water around it. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 10 to 12 minutes per pound, about 1 hour 20 minutes for an 8-pound ham.1 cup water
- While the ham bakes, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the brown sugar, honey, Dijon and pepper until the sugar dissolves, then take it off the heat. Don't let it boil, or it thickens too much to brush.4 tbsp unsalted butter, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 cup honey, 3 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Uncover the ham and brush on about a third of the glaze, working the brush down between the slices. Cover again and bake for 30 minutes more, until the thickest part reads 140°F away from the bone.
- Raise the oven to 425°F. Brush the ham with another third of the glaze and bake it uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, until the glaze bubbles and the edges darken. Watch it closely after 6 minutes so the sugar doesn't scorch.
- Stir a few spoonfuls of the pan juices into the remaining glaze. Let the ham rest for 10 minutes, then cut the slices away from the bone and spoon the glaze over them before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
A boneless fully cooked ham works too: plan about 10 minutes per pound under foil and start checking the temperature early. Save the bone for split pea soup.
You might also like our Homemade Honey Mustard Sauce.
