A simple buttery ham glaze made of honey, brown sugar, orange juice, some Dijon mustard, and just a hint of cinnamon and cloves. The spiral ham bakes until tender, then gets brushed again and again until the outside turns sticky and caramelized. Or, you can use the glaze to dress up a simple ham steak for a cozy meal any day of the week.
Why We Love This Recipe
- It's almost entirely hands-off. The oven does the work while you handle everything else on the menu.
- The flavor is sweet and tangy. Honey and brown sugar bring the sweetness, and Dijon keeps it from tasting like candy.
- Every bite gets glaze. The spiral slices let the glaze seep in between each one.
- Leftovers are a bonus. Sandwiches, breakfast skillets, and soup starters for days.
Ingredients for Honey Mustard Glazed Ham
- Ham - Buy a fully cooked bone-in spiral-sliced ham, 8 to 10 pounds. You're only reheating it, so skip the glaze packet and use this homemade glaze instead.
- Honey - Use your favorite brand of regular honey.
- Brown Sugar - You can use light or dark brown sugar here. The light brown sugar will be a bit sweeter and the dark brown with have a richer flavor and give you more caramelization.
- Orange Juice - Thins the glaze enough to brush on and cuts the richness. Bottled works just fine.
- Dijon Mustard - I have also used whole grain mustard with this recipe but I haven't tried yellow mustard.
- Butter - Since ham is salty, you may want to use unsalted butter here.
- Cinnamon and Cloves - Cloves are strong, so measure carefully.
How To Make Honey Glazed Ham
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Set the ham cut-side down in a roasting pan and cover it tightly with heavy-duty foil to trap steam. We usually let the ham set at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before heating.
While the ham heats, combine the honey, brown sugar, orange juice, Dijon, butter, cinnamon, and cloves in a small saucepan.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until smooth. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from the heat.
For the last 30 minutes, remove the foil and brush on the glaze, gently separating the slices so it gets deep inside.
Return the ham to the oven and brush on more glaze every 10 minutes.
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For a deeper finish, raise the oven to 400°F for the last 5 to 10 minutes. Stay close, because honey and sugar go from golden to burnt fast.
How To Make Honey Glazed Ham Steaks
Ham Steaks are perfect for a weeknight dinner, or to kick up a Sunday breakfast. I buy the package of 4 ham steaks from Costco, and one steak is plenty for 2 people.
I half the recipe for the glaze when I cook ham steaks. That gives us more than enough sauce to baste the ham while heating, and more to dip into or drizzle on our plate when serving. Unused glaze can be store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. It's great to have on hand in case we decide to cook another ham steak that week.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook the steak 2 minutes on one side.
- Flip and immediately brush glaze on top.
- After 2 minutes, flip again and brush the other side.
- Cook about 1 minute more, glaze side down.
- Cut into portions and drizzle with extra glaze.
Ham steaks are fully cooked, so you're just warming and glazing them, but check the directions on the package you have. Total time is about 8 minutes.
Store leftovers Airtight container or tightly wrapped in foil, 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a covered skillet with a splash of water or leftover glaze, just until warm.
Honey Mustard Glazed Ham FAQs
Yes. Refrigerate it in a covered container, then rewarm it gently on the stove before brushing.
This recipe was written for bone-in. A boneless ham may heat faster, so start checking for 140°F early.
If you are making a holiday meal you might want to also serve some green bean casserole made with fresh green beans or Au Gratin potatoes that are cooked in the slow cooker.
If you are fixing a ham steak, scramble or eggs over easy would be awesome, or maybe some twice baked mashed potatoes.
Mom Tip
Don't skip the rest. I know everyone is hungry and the whole house smells amazing, but those 10 to 15 minutes let the juices settle back into the meat.
Recipes To Use Leftover Ham
Ham is either called for or can be easily used in these recipes.
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Complete Recipe
Honey Glazed Spiral Ham
Equipment
- 1 Roasting Pan
- 1 Saucepan
- Aluminum Foil
Ingredients
- 8 pounds Bone-in Spiral-Sliced Ham fully cooked (8 to 10 pounds)
- 1 cup Honey
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup Orange Juice
- 2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cloves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Place the ham cut-side down in a roasting pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake the ham for about 10-12 minutes per pound, or until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140°F.
- While the ham is heating, make the honey mustard glaze. Add the honey, brown sugar, orange juice, Dijon mustard, butter, cinnamon, and cloves to a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat.
- During the last 30 minutes of baking, remove the foil and generously brush the ham with the honey glaze, making sure to get it between the slices.
- Return the uncovered honey glazed ham to the oven and brush with additional glaze every 10 minutes. For an extra caramelized finish, increase the oven temperature to 400°F for the final 5-10 minutes, watching carefully so the glaze doesn't burn.
- Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. Spoon any extra glaze from the pan over the slices.
Notes
- Skip the glaze packet that comes with the ham, this homemade glaze replaces it.
- Glaze can be made ahead and refrigerated; rewarm gently on the stove before brushing.
- Light or dark brown sugar can be used, however dark brown sugar may give you more caramelization.
- Let the ham set at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before putting into the oven.
- Ham too dry? It was likely heated too long or the foil wasn't sealed tightly. Moisten slices with a spoonful of pan glaze.
- A boneless ham may heat faster, so start checking for 140°F early.
- Store left over ham in the refrigerator, covered tightly, for 3 to 4 days.
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