Here’s a classic Christmas ham recipe—sweet, savory, and perfectly glazed for the holiday table. 🎄🍖
Baked Christmas Ham (Serves 8–10)
Ingredients
- 1 fully cooked bone-in ham (7–10 lbs)
- Whole cloves (optional, for studding)
Glaze
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard or yellow mustard
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or orange juice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)
Instructions
1. Prep the ham
- Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
- Remove ham from packaging; pat dry.
- If desired, score the surface in a diamond pattern and stud with cloves.
2. Make the glaze
- In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, honey, mustard, vinegar, and spices. Heat until sugar dissolves, then remove from heat.
3. Bake the ham
- Place ham in a roasting pan, flat side down.
- Cover loosely with foil and bake 15–18 minutes per pound, basting every 20–30 minutes with glaze.
- In the last 20–30 minutes, remove foil and brush generously with glaze to caramelize the surface.
4. Rest & serve
- Let ham rest 10–15 minutes before slicing.
- Serve with extra glaze on the side.
Tips
- Fully cooked ham: You’re reheating and glazing, so avoid overbaking to keep it moist.
- Glaze variations: Pineapple juice, brown sugar & mustard, or maple & Dijon.
- Leftovers: Make ham sandwiches, soups, or hash.
Variations
- Honey-glazed spiral ham: Use the same glaze, brush on a spiral-cut ham.
- Brown sugar & pineapple: Top with pineapple slices and brown sugar before baking.
- Maple mustard: Maple syrup + whole-grain mustard for a sweet-spicy glaze.
If you want, I can give a super-easy 2-ingredient Christmas ham glaze that’s ready in 5 minutes and comes out perfectly sticky.
Do you want me to give that version?
