This glazed Baked Ham will be the crowning jewel of your holiday dinner table. Sweet and savory, always juicy, and cooked to caramelized perfection, it’s sure to impress your guests—but no one will know how easy it was to make!
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Why You’ll Love This Baked Spiral Ham Recipe
- An Easy Holiday Meal. I love a spiral ham. It comes already cooked and already sliced, so your only job is to glaze it and warm it up. This is not a Thanksgiving Turkey that requires you to break out the carving knife! Baked ham is simple.
- Savory, Sweet, and Succulent. Ham is is also one of the most delicious meats—it’s deeply savory, juicy, and smoky, and the traditional glaze (I use this easy Brown Sugar Ham Glaze) caramelizes on the outside to add depth and sweetness.
- Leftovers for Days. This baked ham recipe makes a lot, which means you’ll probably have leftovers to use up—and unlike some other types of leftovers (looking at you, sad wilted salad!), ham remains delicious even after a day or two in the fridge. Use it to make Ham Casserole, or just add slices to sandwiches.
5 Star Review
“Made this for a belated Friendsgiving, and it was absolutely delicious! So much easier than I thought it would be. Sent to my mom to try it for Christmas too!”
— Joey —
Spiral-Cut Baked Ham: A Primer
If you’re an old pro when it comes to cooking ham, feel free to skip through this section. New to making baked spiral ham? Read on!
- Supermarket hams usually come fully cooked, although some also come partially cooked. Most are also cured and smoked, hence their salty, smoky flavor.
- Spiral ham goes one step further—it’s also cut. The unique spiral cut means that it still holds its shape for that traditional presentation.
- This is convenient because: you don’t have to carve the ham! Just cut along the bone and the slices will fall off. It’s also great because spiral-cut ham is primed to absorb any glazes or marinades you add to it.
The downside of spiral ham is that because it’s pre-cooked and sliced, it’s prone to over-cooking and drying out. That’s why I don’t recommend it for Crockpot Ham. It’s a double-edged sword, friends.
How to Make Baked Ham
The Ingredients
- Spiral Cut Ham. You can use a half ham if you’re cooking for a smaller crowd. Have a bone-in ham that’s not spiral cut? You can still cook this recipe, just add to the baking time.
- Dry White Wine. Such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon blanc. This is to marinate the baked ham (my mom’s trick!).
- Glaze. I use my Easy Brown Sugar Ham Glaze, but you can use your glaze of choice. Your spiral ham may also come with a glaze packet; you can use that instead of making your own glaze but don’t use it in addition to homemade glaze.
The Directions
- Marinate. Score the ham if desired, then place it in a large bowl or zip-top bag with the wine. Marinate for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
- Prepare. Let the ham come to room temperature for an hour, then transfer it to a roasting pan and cover the ham with foil.
- Cook. Bake ham at 325 degrees F for 12 minutes per pound, minus 20 minutes.
- Glaze. Twenty minutes before the cooking time is done, glaze the ham and bake at 425 degrees F for 15 to 20 more minutes.
- Finish. Transfer the baked ham to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes (you can make Ham Gravy with the juices while you wait), then serve. ENJOY!
What to Serve with Baked Ham
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Tent, Then Un-Tent. By tenting the ham during most of the cooking time, you’re helping keep that moisture from baking off so your baked ham is juicy and tender. But during the last few minutes of cooking time, you want to uncover the ham so the glaze gets sticky and caramelized. If you’d like, you can even broil the ham for the last minute or two of the cooking time to get the top crispy.
- Don’t Skip the Rest. Even though spiral ham is pre-cut, you still need that rest to allow the juices to reincorporate.
- Use Bone-In Spiral Ham. Bone-in hams are more flavorful than boneless. Plus, you’ll end up with a ham bone to use for making your Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup or Instant Pot Split Pea Soup extra delicious!
- Temperature Is Key. As with Crockpot Turkey Breast and Air Fryer Whole Chicken, the timer will give you an idea of how long it takes to bake ham, but it’s the temperature that will tell you precisely when it’s done. Spiral ham should be cooked to 140 degrees F, but you can remove it from the oven at 135 degrees F because the temperature will continue to rise while it rests.
- Know How Much Ham to Make. Wondering how much ham to make per person? A typical amount for bone-in ham is 1/3 to 1/2 pound of ham per person, although some sources recommend 3/4 pound per person. If you’re serving more adults than kids, you may want to go with the bigger number!
This easy glazed baked ham recipe is sweet and savory, perfect for holidays, with a surprising ingredient that ensures it’s juicy and delish!
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- 1 spiral cut ham 9 to 12 pounds or half ham (5 to 7 pounds)
- 1 (750-ml) bottle dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon blanc
- 1 recipe Easy Brown Sugar Ham Glaze or glaze of choice
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Check the ham for a plastic removal disk on the bone; if it has one, remove it now. Use a thin, sharp knife to score crosshatch cuts all over the top and sides. Place the ham in a large bowl or ziptop bag. Add the wine and cover the bowl or seal the bag. Let marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight, flipping the ham a few times so it marinates evenly. (If you want to reference the cooking times on the ham package, snap a picture before you toss it.)
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When ready to cook, let the ham stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Calculate how long to bake the ham at 12 minutes per pound (or according to package instructions), then subtract 20 minutes and make a note of the time (ex: a 10-pound ham at 12 minutes per pound is 120 minutes. Subtract 20 minutes and your time is 100 minutes—that’s 1 hour and 40 minutes).
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Remove the ham from the marinade and discard the marinade. Place in a large roasting pan, flat-side down and cover tightly with foil. Bake for the amount of time you calculated in the step above. While the ham bakes, prepare the glaze.
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Twenty minutes before the ham is done cooking, remove it from the oven. Increase the oven’s temperature to 425°F. Uncover the ham and slather it all over with the glaze. Return to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the glaze looks nice and caramelized and the ham has reached 140°F on an instant read thermometer. It’s already cooked, so you’re just looking for it to be heated through—don’t overcook or the ham will be dry; depending upon the shape of your ham, you may need a little more or less time. (I typically remove the ham at 135°F as its temperature will rise as it rests). Remove to a cutting board. Let rest 15 minutes, then serve. While the ham rests, use the juices to make Ham Gravy if you like.
- Nutritional information is calculated based on a 10-pound ham.
- TO STORE: Store leftover baked ham wrapped in foil or plastic wrap or in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
- TO REHEAT: Reheat ham in the microwave, or place it in a baking dish with a few tablespoons of water, broth, or stock; cover and reheat in a 325 degree F oven until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- TO FREEZE: You can freeze leftovers in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat according to the instructions above.
Serving: 1(of 12)Calories: 620kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 71gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 276mgPotassium: 1109mgFiber: 0.02gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 0.1IUVitamin C: 88mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 3mg
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