Maple Glazed Baked Ham

This Maple Glazed Ham is the perfect roast for the holidays! It’s the perfect balance of salty and sweet, is made using just a handful of simple ingredients, and contains no refined sugars. Bonus: it takes just 5 minutes to prep!

Amazing Baked Ham Recipe

This is the first whole roasted ham appearing here on LCK and, if I do say so myself, it was totally worth the wait. This Maple Glazed Ham is fall-off-the-bone tender and slathered in a sweet, tangy, and salty maple glaze.

Not only is does baked ham recipe result in a centerpiece-worthy cut of meat that’s perfect for the holiday season, but it’s also unbelievably easy to make and requires just 5 minutes of hands-on time.

Looking for more entrees for the holiday season? Check out our whole roasted turkey, orange cranberry roasted chicken, or a spatchcock chicken!

Ingredients Needed

• Ham: I use a 10 pound naturally-cured, spiral-sliced, bone-in ham. Keep in mind if you’re using a different size, the cooking time will change.
• Maple Syrup and Coconut Sugar: provide a sweet, caramel-y base for the maple glaze. Be sure to use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup!
• Dijon Mustard: thickens the glaze and adds a spicy tang.
• Seasonings: I use a simple sweet and spicy blend of cinnamon, cayenne pepper, ginger, and cloves. 

How to Buy a Ham

In this recipe, we’re talking about a fully cooked ham, usually marked as “ready-to-eat.” We usually find good quality ham either at Whole Foods or Butcherbox. 

First and foremost, we recommend purchasing a ham that is free of antibiotics and nitrates. After that, you can choose between bone-in, semi-boneless, or boneless. We used a bone-in spiral-sliced ham, first of all because we wanted to be able to use the ham bone in other recipes but also because spiral-cut ham is easy to serve since it’s already halfway cut!

How to Make Maple Glazed Ham

Since the ham is already fully cooked, the only thing you’re doing is making the glaze and “warming” it up! 

• Cook the ham: Bring the ham to room temperature for an hour, then place it on an oven-safe wire rack inside a roasting pan. Score it with a knife then cover it with foil and roast at 325ºF for 2½ hours.
• Make the glaze: In a small pot, mix together maple syrup, coconut sugar, dijon, and spices. Bring to a boil, then set aside.
• Glaze the ham: Remove the ham from the oven and remove the foil from the ham. Brush with glaze, then cook in the oven for another 30 minutes.

How Long to Cook a Ham

The rule of thumb for cooking bone-in ham is to plan on 18-20 minutes per pound of meat. If you’re using boneless ham, plan for closer to 10-15 minutes per pound.

If you’re using a 10-pound ham like I did, you’ll roast it for a total of 3 hours. I roast mine for an initial 2½ hours covered with foil without the glaze to allow it time to cook and get nice and tender. After that, I remove the foil, brush it with the maple glaze, and cook it for another 30 minutes!

Keep in mind that if you’re using a different-sized ham, the cooking time will change. As always, the best way to check that meat is done cooking is to check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer or Thermapen MK4. After the initial cooking time, the temperature should be 120ºF. Once you add the glaze and finish cooking the internal temperature of the ham should be at least 140ºF. Once it’s reached 140ºF, it’s good to go!

Should You Bake Ham Covered or Uncovered?

You’ll bake it covered for the first 2½ hours, then uncover it and cook it for another 30 minutes!

Covering it during the majority of the cooking time helps keep it moist while cooking it uncovered for the last 30 minutes allows the skin to get that golden-brown finish!

Tips

• Score the ham. Slicing open the surface of the ham allows more opportunity for the glaze to really soak into the meat. 
• Cook fat-side up. With the fat on top, the dripping will run down the ham as it cooks and baste the meat.
• Cover with foil. This keeps the moisture in while the ham cooks for an extra tender texture. If you don’t cover it, the ham will dry out before it’s cooked all the way through.
• Check the internal temp. This is the best way to check that the ham is done cooking. The minimum internal temperature should be 140ºF!
• Let it sit. After it’s cooked, let the ham sit for 20 minutes before you slice into it so the moisture can settle and redistribute. 

Side Dishes to Pair with Maple Glazed Ham

• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
• Garlicky Blistered Green Beans
• Honey Glazed Carrots
• Perfect Oven Roasted Veggies
• Gluten-Free Stuffing
• Collard Greens
• Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
• Healthy Creamed Spinach (Made Without Cream!)

Tools we used in this recipe:

• Roasting Pan
• Thermapen MK4
• Pastry Brush
• Essentials: bowl, whisk, knife

How to Store

Leftover baked ham will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen then warm in the oven at 300ºF with a splash of chicken or beef broth to prevent it from drying out. 

Leftover Ham Recipes

Looking for ways to use up your leftovers? Check out these delicious recipes:

• Ham and Potato Hash
• Ham and Cheese Waffles
• Split Pea and Ham Soup

Watch The Video:

Maple Glazed Ham

5 from 5 votes

This Maple Glazed Ham is the perfect roast for the holidays! It’s the perfect balance of salty and sweet, is made using just a handful of simple ingredients, and contains no refined sugars. Bonus: it takes just 5 minutes to prep!

Servings 12 -16

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 Naturally Cured Spiral Sliced Bone-In Ham about 10 pounds (see note)
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tablespoon grainy dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne optional
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions

• Let ham sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before starting.
• Pre-heat oven to 325ºF and place an oven-safe rack inside a roasting pan. Place enough water to come up about ¼” in roasting pan.
• Place the ham fat side up on the rack. Score the ham diagonally with a sharp knife, and cover tightly with foil. Place in oven and bake for 2-½ hours, or until the ham registers an internal temperature of about 120ºF.
• Meanwhile make glaze: Add maple syrup, coconut sugar, dijon mustard and spices in a pot and bring to a boil. Set aside.
• Remove ham from oven and remove foil. Brush the top of the ham liberally with maple glaze and return to the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the ham has reached an internal temperature of at least 140ºF.
• When ham has reached the correct temperature remove from oven, and glaze the ham one more time. Let sit for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

• Buy a good quality ham!
• If you have a different sized ham, simply change the cooking time. You want to be cooking the ham about 18-20 minutes per pound.

Nutrition

Serving: 16gCalories: 345kcalCarbohydrates: 12.8gProtein: 53.4gFat: 7.4gSaturated Fat: 1.9gCholesterol: 128mgSodium: 3013mgSugar: 9.9g

Author: Lexi

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