Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
This brown sugar-glazed ham is perfect for the Easter dinner menu. It’s so easy to prep and full of sweet and tangy flavor.
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Why You’ll Love This
This brown sugar glaze creates a crispy sweet coating on the outside with tender, juicy ham on the inside.
This is great for any time of the year, not just for special occasions! We make it year-round for sandwiches. It really is so much better than prepacked lunch meat.
Make some homemade sandwich bread, and you have the perfect leftover ham sandwich.
If you want to slice it thin like deli ham, let the ham cool completely, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it overnight. Then use a meat slicer to achieve thin deli style ham slices.
This brown sugar glazed ham recipe is perfect for Easter, Christmas, and Thanksgiving.
It’s easy to prepare and delicious to serve in any way you desire.
Sides dishes we love to serve with this glazed ham are Roasted Green Beans and Mushrooms, Whipped Potatoes, Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Carrot Souffle, Roasted Asparagus with Sour Cream Sauce, and Easy Sweet Potato Casserole.
Recipe Ingredients
What Type of Ham Should I Use
A fully cooked bone-in ham. We prefer a half-ham because spiral-cut ham tends to dry out much faster when reheating.
Most ham you find at the grocery store is already baked, smoked, or boiled which means they are fully cooked ham and ready to eat.
Be sure the package says “fully cooked” before purchasing.
To achieve a juicy, tender ham be sure to purchase a bone-in ham. Hams cooked with the bone are more moist and flavorful.
For the Glaze Recipe
You will need dark brown sugar (or light brown), whole grain mustard, and apple cider vinegar. That’s it, you probably already have these ingredients in your kitchen.
There is no need to warm the glaze. It’s much easier to spread when it’s slightly thick. The heat from the oven will melt the sugar into a nice crystalized crunchy glaze.
How to Score the Ham
Lay the ham flat side down in the roasting pan or on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife make diagonal cuts in the ham about 1/4-inch up to 1/2-inch deep. Then cut diagonal cuts in the opposite direction to make diamond shapes.
How to Bake Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
Preheat the oven to 325ºF degrees. Line a roasting pan with foil. Then place a roasting rack inside the pan.
Place the prepared ham flat side down on the rack.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil. This will help prevent the ham from drying out during cooking.
Bake for about 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes.
While cooking the ham prepare the glaze.
In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, whole grain mustard, and vinegar. There is no need to bring it to a boil.
Remove ham from the oven. Pour or brush the ham completely with the glaze and bake uncovered for another 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 140ºF.
Just look at that nice sweet and tangy crust on this brown sugar and mustard glazed ham!
Transfer the baked ham to a platter, loosely tent with aluminum foil, and let the ham rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. The resting time allows the meat juices to redistribute and reabsorb into the ham.
You can also use the same brown sugar mustard glaze on a spiral-cut ham.
Voila! Easy, right? This glazed ham recipe will be your go-to for Christmas dinner or any holiday occasion.
Tips and Variations
- If using a spiral-cut ham, cover tightly with foil during the first baking time. They tend to dry out faster. Add about 1 inch of water to the pan.
- If you don’t have a roasting pan, use a 9×13 baking pan, or you can use a baking sheet as long as it has high enough sides to catch the drippings.
- We prefer whole-grain mustard over honey mustard or dijon mustard. The whole grain seems to give it more kick. But you can use dijon mustard or honey mustard if desired.
- Allow 10-12 minutes per pound of meat cooking time. So if your ham is larger or smaller than about 10 pounds, adjust the cooking time accordingly. You don’t want to dry out the ham.
- To avoid overcooking the ham, use a probe meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat without touching the bone. The internal temperature should be 140 degrees F.
- Don’t forget to save the bone for stocks, stews, and soups!
FAQs
If you’re using a bone-in ham, plan on about 3/4 pounds per person. A 10 pound ham will feed about 13 people.
Let the ham cool completely, place it in an airtight container, and refrigerate it for up to 4 days. Serve it cold, room temperature, or rewarm it covered with aluminum foil in a 325 degree F oven.
Let it cool completely, place the ham in a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Leftover Ham Recipes
Brown Sugar Glazed Baked Ham Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 lb smoked cured ham
- 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup prepared whole grain mustard
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- Score top of the ham into a diamond pattern.10 lb smoked cured ham
- Place the ham on a rack in a roasting pan, cover the pan with aluminum foil, and bake for 1 hour.
- Remove the foil and continue to bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
- In a bowl combine the brown sugar, whole grain mustard, and vinegar.1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup prepared whole grain mustard, 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- Spread glaze evenly over ham. Bake uncovered for another 35 minutes.
- Transfer to a platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
Wow, this looks so yummy. Pinning for Easter.
Hugs,
Bev
Thank you, Beverly!
This looks delicious! Pinning for future use!
Thank you, Kim!
Looks and sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing at The Really Crafty Link Party! Pinned!
I love brown sugar glaze on ham, I think it makes it taste so much better than without it.
Thanks for sharing your recipe!!
I agree, Stephanie! Thank you for stopping by!
This looks delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Pinning to find it again!
Thank you, Debbie!
I use this game glaze for ham (and corned beef too!). It’s so yummy and I always gets lots of compliments. I love that it’s so easy to mix up.
Thank you so much for stopping by!
This looks delicious! Thanks for sharing at Your Inspired Design!
Thank you, Angela!
I’m not a big fan of mustard, but my other half loves it (has it on everything), he is also a big ham fan. I think I’ll have to make him some of this as I think it would be right up his street.
Sally @ Life Loving
#LifeLovingLinkie
What a gorgeous glaze for ham – love the contrast of the sharp, spicy mustard with the sweet brown sugar. Pinned. Thank you for sharing with us at the Hearth and Soul Hop.
Oh goodness, that ham looks mouthwatering! I’m a sucker for glazed hams. You did a great job in cooking it evenly! Thanks for linking up with Delicious Dishes Recipe Party!
Thank you, Cynthia!
Okay this looks absolutely amazing… ham is one of my favorite foods though! So I’m slightly partial! Thanks for linking up with us at Welcome Home Wednesdays! Can’t wait to see what you link up with us next week!
Thank you, Betsy!
I have a ham in the freezer right now, just waiting for the right occasion. I think the occasion will be this glaze! Do I really need any other excuse?
I love the way this glaze caramelizes on the outside of the ham, that’s my favorite part! And the flavors sound fantastic on top of the ham. Thanks for sharing your secrets this looks incredible.
Thank you, Nikki!
Yum! This looks delicious! I’m with you on the small appliances. Thanks so much for linking up at the You Link It, We Make It party and we hope you’ll link up your favorites with us again!
My mom always buys a ham for Christmas and she always gets the brown sugar ham, which is my favorite! If I could manage to make it without screwing it up that would be AMAZING! I have actually never made a ham before. I might have to X the mustard because I don’t like it, but my husband does. Thanks for linking up with us at Friday Funday and please come back again next week!
Thanks, Carrie!
Man that looks delicious! Thanks for linking up with Funtastic Friday!
Thank you, Sheri!
Oh this sounds absolutely delicious I love brown sugar and glazed ham together master piece. YUM Thanks for linking up to Share With me #sharewithme
I love a good ham but I have never ventured to cook it myself. You have inspired me to give it a try. BTW your ham pin is featured at #Pinbellish 32
Thank you so much, Stella!
Tried this today for Thanksgiving. It was an absolute hit! My family loved what the glaze did to the ham; sweet, crunchy glaze, amazing, moist texture. Yummy, yummy, yummy!
I’m so happy to hear you all loved this recipe! Thank you for coming by!
Dumb question – should I be using a bone-in or boneless ham? This looks terrific.
Hi Stephen, it’s not a dumb question at all! I use a bone in but you could certainly use boneless and maybe cut back on the cooking time. Thank you so much for coming by and have a blessed day.
Thanks so much, I will be making this for Christmas dinner this year.
I need to know asap whether or not I am suppos to cover ham with foil when t first place in oven and then uncover for glaze????
Hi, Trudy. Sorry, this reply is late but we were enjoying our holiday vacation with family. No, you do not cover it.