Brown sugar glazed spiral ham roasted until golden and caramelized

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Spiral Ham Recipe with Honey Brown Sugar Glaze

This spiral ham recipe stays juicy with regular basting, then gets finished with a sweet and savory honey brown sugar glaze.

Prep Time10

Cook Time3 30

Total Time3 40

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Servings:

Calories: 163kcal

Author: Davinah

Ingredients

For the Ham

8 lb Spiral Cut Ham fully cooked, 8–10 pounds
1 tbsp Butter unsalted, for greasing the roasting pan
1 cup Apple Juice or orange juice or pineapple juice
½ cup Water

Honey Brown Sugar Glaze

1 cup Brown Sugar light, packed
½ cup honey
½ cup Butter unsalted, 1 stick
¼ cup Bourbon
¼ cup Apple Juice or orange juice or pineapple juice
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tbsp Thyme fresh leaves
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Onion Powder
½ tsp Smoked Paprika
¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon
¼ tsp Black Pepper
⅛ tsp ground cloves

Instructions

Prepare the roasting pan and add the ham: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Prepare a large roasting pan by generously greasing it with butter all over the rack and inside. Pour the cup of apple juice and water into the pan. Place the ham cut side down on the rack.
Add the ham glaze ingredients to a saucepan: Place the brown sugar, honey, unsalted butter, bourbon, apple juice, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, thyme leaves, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cinnamon, cloves, pepper and salt into a small saucepan.
Simmer the glaze over low heat, until the butter is melted.
Divide the glaze into 3 parts. Use one portion to glaze the ham: Divide the glaze into thirds and use one portion of the glaze and brush generously over the ham. Go over it several times, getting into all the cracks and sliced areas.
Cover tightly and bake: Cover tightly with foil and place in the oven. The ham will need 15 minutes of roasting time for every pound. (So a ten pound ham will need 2 1/2 hours).
Every 25-30 minutes, baste the ham with the pan juices.
Glaze ham again in the final minutes: In the final 20-25 minutes, remove the foil completely. Use the second 1/3 portion of glaze and generously coat the ham, reserving some for a final brushing. Place the ham back in the oven and continue to cook until a thermometer reaches 135–140°F, when placed in the center.
Let the ham rest & glaze again: While the ham is resting, brush on an additional layer of glaze (the rest of portion from the previous step) and loosely cover for about 10-15 minutes.
Heat the final ⅓ portion of glaze to serve on the side of the ham.
Place the ham on a serving dish on its side, so the slices can be easily served. Add some sliced oranges, fresh parsley and thyme to create a beautiful presentation.

Notes

Ham: Use a fully cooked, bone-in spiral ham that weighs about 8–10 pounds.
Baste often: Spoon the pan juices over the ham every 25–30 minutes, or every 20–25 minutes for a larger ham.
Final glaze: Uncover around 125°F, then brush with more glaze and let the outside caramelize.
Doneness: Heat the center of the ham to 135–140°F.
Juice options: Apple, orange, or pineapple juice all work.
Bourbon: Use 2 tablespoons for a milder flavor or replace it with additional juice.
Extra glaze: Warm reserved glaze if it thickens before brushing or serving.

Nutrition