Easy Brown Sugar Ham
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The most incredible brown sugar glaze there ever was. Perfectly sweet, tangy and savory! An absolute holiday classic.
Say hello to the easiest ham recipe for your holiday spread. And I truly mean, the easiest.
Not to mention, the sweet/savory/tangy brown sugar glaze that will knock your socks off. A glaze made of brown sugar, pineapple juice, honey, mustard, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon and cloves. All the good stuff here.
I opted for a non-spiral ham this time around, cutting some shallow scores in a diamond pattern to render the fat underneath and let that lovely glaze seep through those cracks, soaking up all that flavor. But a spiral ham will also work just fine here.
If you have any leftovers, there are plenty of ways to repurpose them. Sandwiches are always my go-to.
The most perfect ways to use up some leftover ham
- Ham and Swiss Sliders
- Ham and Cheese Scones
- Leftover Hambone Soup
- Baked Ham and Cheese Croissants
- Ham and Cheese Drop Biscuits
Easy Brown Sugar Ham
Ingredients
- 1 (8-lb) bone-in, fully cooked, smoked ham, at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Using paper towels, pat ham dry. Using a sharp knife, score the top side of the ham by making shallow cuts in a diamond pattern.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, pineapple juice, honey, mustard, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon, cloves and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Place ham, cut side down, onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush evenly with 1/2 cup brown sugar mixture.
- Place into oven, brushing with remaining brown sugar mixture every 30 minutes, until cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 140 degrees F, about 2 hours 30 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing.
- Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?
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Made this today for Easter. Best ham I’ve ever made. This will definitely be my go-to recipe from now on!
THis looks great, will make for Easter – have (2) 8 lb fully cooked spiral hams. Will the 140 temp be ok, stay tender, if its sitting out for a couple of hours, have to use oven for other items.
What do I do with a 20lb ham?
Hi, is there any brand of ham you recommend for the tastiest? Recipe looks amazing, as all your recipes are so good!
I was confused about this too. Please clarify. That said, I love your recipes. Thank you. Great recipes, great food always.
Step 4 says to “ Place ham, cut side down, onto the prepared baking sheet.” Is cut side down the scored side, the wide end cut, or the side opposite the scored side? The ham sounds and looks delicious. Will try it or Easter.
I think she means the wide end cut, that way the glaze can get into the scored edges and coat the outside of the ham.
Directions say to place it in the oven “cut side down”, and to leave it that way the entire time. Is this correct? It seems to get the browning on the top you would need to turn it cut side up at some point, as the picture in the recipe shows.