When it comes to holiday centerpieces, a spiral ham is an absolute classic (for very good reason). It’s difficult to find a more impressive main for your
Christmas dinner than this recipe, complete with a homemade bourbon glaze that makes for the perfect tangy-sweet compliment to our moist ham. While this centerpiece may seem daunting, don’t worry—with our top tips, you’ll have a perfectly moist ham with caramelized edges ready to go in on time. Pair this with our favorite holiday sides for a complete, classic dinner everyone will remember.Baking a ham for the first time? Check out our top tips on perfecting this holiday centerpiece:
The spiral ham glaze:
Making your own glaze is super easy, and so much more delicious than a store-bought packet. Our recipe below only requires a handful of pantry ingredients and a mixing bowl. We think it’s the best, but if you’re not a fan of bourbon, feel free to omit it, or try this classic brown sugar glaze instead.
How long should I cook my spiral ham?
Since spiral hams are already cooked, you’re really just warming it through, infusing it with flavor and crisping the edges. You’re going to want to bake until it’s 140° in the center (this should take 10 to 12 minutes per pound).
Here are a few of our other top tips for cooking your spiral ham:
— Add water to your roasting pan. To avoid drying it out, add water to the bottom of your roasting pan, place the ham on a baking rack above the water, and cover it with foil.
— How to get caramelized edges. Uncover your ham in the last 30 minutes when you’re glazing it, so those edges get caramelized.
— Make it in the slow-cooker. Another option for an extra-moist ham is to cook it in a slow cooker. Simply cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours, basting with the marinade every 45 minutes.
How to cut a spiral ham:
It might sound tough to cut into a bone-in ham, but it’s actually very easy. Just turn the ham on its bottom and cut around the bone. The ham on the outside will fall away in slices. Check out our guide on how to carve a ham for step-by-step instructions!
Serving ideas:
If you’re serving this as the main to your holiday dinner, you can’t go wrong with a classic potato side, from creamy mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, or even mashed potato casserole. Paired with garlic-Parmesan roasted carrots, cranberry bacon green beans, and cheesy baked asparagus for the ultimate holiday spread.
Storage & leftover ideas:
Leftover ham is basically refrigerator gold. Try making a croque madame for your next brunch, use it to amp up a batch of crescent rolls with our ham and cheese pinwheels, or chop it up and throw it in your next batch of scalloped potatoes. Whatever you do, save that bone! It’s great for flavoring broths, soups, or a big pot of collard greens. Still hungry? Here’s our favorite leftover ham recipes.
Have you made this yet? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
When it comes to holiday centerpieces, a spiral ham is an absolute classic (for very good reason). It’s difficult to find a more impressive main for your
Christmas dinner than this recipe, complete with a homemade bourbon glaze that makes for the perfect tangy-sweet compliment to our moist ham. While this centerpiece may seem daunting, don’t worry—with our top tips, you’ll have a perfectly moist ham with caramelized edges ready to go in on time. Pair this with our favorite holiday sides for a complete, classic dinner everyone will remember.Baking a ham for the first time? Check out our top tips on perfecting this holiday centerpiece:
The spiral ham glaze:
Making your own glaze is super easy, and so much more delicious than a store-bought packet. Our recipe below only requires a handful of pantry ingredients and a mixing bowl. We think it’s the best, but if you’re not a fan of bourbon, feel free to omit it, or try this classic brown sugar glaze instead.
How long should I cook my spiral ham?
Since spiral hams are already cooked, you’re really just warming it through, infusing it with flavor and crisping the edges. You’re going to want to bake until it’s 140° in the center (this should take 10 to 12 minutes per pound).
Here are a few of our other top tips for cooking your spiral ham:
— Add water to your roasting pan. To avoid drying it out, add water to the bottom of your roasting pan, place the ham on a baking rack above the water, and cover it with foil.
— How to get caramelized edges. Uncover your ham in the last 30 minutes when you’re glazing it, so those edges get caramelized.
— Make it in the slow-cooker. Another option for an extra-moist ham is to cook it in a slow cooker. Simply cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours, basting with the marinade every 45 minutes.
How to cut a spiral ham:
It might sound tough to cut into a bone-in ham, but it’s actually very easy. Just turn the ham on its bottom and cut around the bone. The ham on the outside will fall away in slices. Check out our guide on how to carve a ham for step-by-step instructions!
Serving ideas:
If you’re serving this as the main to your holiday dinner, you can’t go wrong with a classic potato side, from creamy mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, or even mashed potato casserole. Paired with garlic-Parmesan roasted carrots, cranberry bacon green beans, and cheesy baked asparagus for the ultimate holiday spread.
Storage & leftover ideas:
Leftover ham is basically refrigerator gold. Try making a croque madame for your next brunch, use it to amp up a batch of crescent rolls with our ham and cheese pinwheels, or chop it up and throw it in your next batch of scalloped potatoes. Whatever you do, save that bone! It’s great for flavoring broths, soups, or a big pot of collard greens. Still hungry? Here’s our favorite leftover ham recipes.
Have you made this yet? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
Directions
-
- Step 1
Remove ham from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Step 2Preheat oven to 350°. Place a rack in a large roasting pan and cover the rack with foil. Pour 2 cups water in the bottom of roasting pan and place ham on the foil on the rack.
- Step 3In a small bowl, stir together jam, brown sugar, bourbon, Dijon, and red pepper flakes. Brush ham with some of the glaze and roast, basting with more glaze every 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 140°, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
- Step 4Let rest 15 minutes before carving.
- Step 1
