It’s surprising how simple it is to make a homemade honey baked ham. It’s an easy holiday centerpiece as long as you can control the temperature, timing, and this really delicious spiced honey glaze!
THE BEST COPYCAT HONEY BAKED HAM FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Admittedly, I have purchased a good amount of The Honey Baked Ham in times when I was in need of a surefire delicious main dish for the holidays. But I was long overdue for a handmade ham dish, especially after looking back at my recipes for prime rib, beef tenderloin, and Thanksgiving turkey. As usual, I was surprised to find that the procedure was far simpler than I had anticipated.
This imitation honey baked ham is cooked to perfection, slices beautifully, and has a sticky, sweet coating that tastes much like a “chef’s kiss.” In order to ensure that you have a great impression for Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, I will teach you the ins and outs of cooking ham.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE HONEY GLAZE!
Prior to delving into the ham, let us to discuss this honey glaze. Since this is ultimately what will make or break your ham, let’s be honest. But fear not—this mixture contains precisely the proper amount of sticky sweetness, a gorgeous combination of spices, and even a touch of citrus. This is what you’ll require.
- Honey: To cover the ham evenly, you’ll need to use a fair amount of honey. You are welcome to substitute it with maple syrup if that is how you are thinking about doing it. The ham would no longer be roasted with honey, would it?
- Sugar: You may use regular granulated sugar or coconut sugar in this recipe. Because coconut sugar is unrefined and has a hint of caramel flavor—that is, it tastes extra good—I adore it.
- Orange Juice: Using freshly squeezed juice rather than the packaged variety is crucial in this situation. This will contribute to the glaze’s bright citrus flavor!
- Dijon Mustard: A little of Dijon mustard offers a hint of spiciness without tasting mustardy, and it goes really well with the other components.
- I have four spices: ground ginger, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and cinnamon. Spices that will give your kitchen a wonderful, festive scent!
THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN BUYING HAM
Usually, you’ll purchase your ham not frozen, but ready to eat. However, if you occurred to purchase it in advance, put it in the freezer! Then, one to two days before you intend to cook it, let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
When purchasing a ham, keep an eye out for the following additional terms on the box labels or ask the butcher.
- Ready-to-eat (fully cooked) Cured Ham: I’m all about efficiency when it comes to cooking, especially around the holidays. I’m using a precooked ham because of this. Furthermore, you can probably get this variety in the grocery store anyhow!
- Cut Spiral Ham: Building on my earlier discussion about efficiency, choosing a spiral-cut ham is essential. Serving with absolutely equal slices is made so much easier by the fact that it has already been sliced. Additionally, to allow the meat to absorb all of that sticky, sweet deliciousness, you may fan out the slices and apply the glaze in between.
- Bone-In Ham: Bone-in hams, like many other meat varieties, have a generally superior texture and flavor. This is because, when the meat cooks in the oven, the collagen that surrounds the bone gradually seeps into the meat. Additionally, you may preserve the bone to produce stock!
SO, HOW MUCH HAM DO I NEED?
When preparing a holiday dinner, the first thing that always crosses your mind is this. Additionally, as I often say, having too much is preferable to having too little! To give you an approximate estimate, each person will require roughly ½ of a pound of ham.
I’m using a about 8 to 10 pound bone-in ham for this recipe. Thus, this should easily feed 12 people, plus there will be plenty of leftovers. And leftovers—you know I adore them!
LET’S MAKE THE BEST HONEY BAKED HAM
Fortunately, the ham is fully cooked; all that’s left to do is reheat it while brushing it with honey glaze. However, there are a few of more steps that must be taken in order for the ham to caramelize on the edges and absorb the taste of the glaze.
First, if your ham is frozen, let’s defrost it. It should be thawed in the refrigerator over the course of one or two days. Then, two hours before cooking, let it come to room temperature on the counter.
- Get the roasting pan ready. Set the oven rack to the lowest position and preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Next, add two cups of water to the roasting pan so that it will have more moisture during cooking.
- Blend in the honey glaze. Mix the orange juice, mustard, sugar, honey, and spices together.
- After brushing the ham with glaze, bake it. After putting the ham on the baking dish, brush the top with ¼ of the honey glaze, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes for each pound of ham. Every thirty minutes over the next one and a half hours, you will re-glaze.
- Make the glaze caramel. When that time has passed, turn up the oven to 425°F (220°C), take off the aluminum foil, and cover the entire ham with the leftover glaze. Next, bake it uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it begins to caramelize a little.
- Cut up the ham. After a few minutes of resting, gently cut the ham into slices with a knife and serve. The spiral ham’s beauty!
MORE RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
INGREDIENTS
- 8 to 10 pound bone-in ham, fully cooked
- 4 cups water
- 2 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1.33 cup honey
- 0.67 cup fresh orange juice (from about one orange)
- 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 0.5 teaspoon ground cloves
- 0.5 teaspoon ground ginger
INSTRUCTIONS
- Defrost the ham. If the ham is frozen, let it a day or two in the refrigerator to defrost. After that, take the ham out of the refrigerator and let it to come to room temperature on the counter for two hours before cooking.
- Get the roasting pan ready. Turn the oven on to 300°F, or 150°C. Set the oven rack to the lowest setting. Fill the roasting pan’s bottom with two cups of water.
- Blend in the honey glaze. Combine the sugar, honey, orange juice, mustard, and spices in a medium-sized bowl.
- After brushing the ham with glaze, bake it. After putting the ham on the baking pan and brushing it with half of the honey glaze, cover it with aluminum foil and bake it for 10 to 12 minutes per pound, or approximately 1 and a half hours, for a 9-pound ham. You will re-glaze every 30 minutes for the next one and a half hours.
- Make the glaze caramel. After one and a half hours, turn up the oven to 425°F (220°C), throw away the aluminum foil, and cover the ham with the last ¼ of the glaze. Place the ham back in the oven and bake it uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it becomes glossy, caramelized, and glazed.
- Cut up the ham. Before slicing, take the spiral slices from the flat, larger end of the ham and let it rest for a few minutes.