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Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
A honey-glazed ham delivers the perfect mix of flavors: The salty, brined ham and sweet glaze are precisely what you want in a traditional holiday ham. While the orange marmalade is certainly sweet, it's not cloyingly sweet, and a lift of brightness comes in from the rice vinegar and fresh ginger.
The final result is as enticing as you'd expect. The citrus peels in the marmalade crisp and brown as the ham bakes, yielding delicious, over-caramelized sticky bits that are oddly delicious. The thyme is the final note you'll taste, and it's very light but adds a complimentary herbal note to the background of the whole ham dish.
We tested this recipe with classic brined hams, which were all delicious. You can use either honey-cured ham or smoked ham. We tested with both and couldn't tell the difference.
Learn how to make this honey-glazed ham, and you'll have a holiday centerpiece worthy of your best platters.
Honey-Glazed Ham Ingredients
This fantastic honey-glazed ham recipe calls for just eight ingredients:
- Ham: This recipe calls for one 9- to 10-pound fully-cooked bone-in spiral-cut ham. If your ham is larger or smaller, adjust the ingredients and cook time accordingly.
- Orange marmalade: This spread has some sweetness, but marmalade is really contributing a lot of tart, citrus-forward tang to the honey glaze.
- Honey: We love the floral flavor of orange blossom honey, but you can use whatever honey you have.
- Rice vinegar: A bit of tartness from the vinegar balances the honey and marmalade so this isn't a sticky-sweet final dish.
- Fresh thyme: Mild, tender floral notes come from the fresh thyme.
- Grated fresh ginger: This adds incredible bite and kick to the glaze without being spicy or overwhelming.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: For seasoning.
- Citrus fruits: Sliced oranges, halved tangerines, and kumquats can be used to garnish the serving platter.
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Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
How To Make Honey-Glazed Ham
You'll find the full recipe for honey-glazed ham below. Here's a brief outline of the process before you get started:
- Step 1. Make the glaze: Cover a roasting pan with aluminum foil, and place a roasting rack inside the pan. Mix together the glaze ingredients.
- Step 2. Glaze and bake: Brush the glaze all over the ham, then flip the ham upside down in the roasting pan. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the ham from the oven, and take off the foil. Baste the ham with the pan drippings and more of the honey glaze. Put the ham back in the oven, and bake another 30 to 40 minutes or until the ham registers 140°F. While it's in this final bake, baste the ham with pan drippings and more glaze every 10 minutes.
- Step 3. Garnish and serve: Move the ham to a serving platter. Arrange the fresh thyme sprigs and citrus fruits around the ham, and serve.
Test Kitchen Tip
We use a roasting secret in this recipe that you're going to want to use again: Most recipes call for baking hams with the cut side facing down, but in terms of getting the glaze to stick to the meat, positioning the ham so that the slices stand up is a game changer.
What To Serve With Honey-Glazed Ham
Ham can be a weeknight dinner or a holiday showstopper, which is why it can accompany any number of favorite ham sides, like Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes or Our Best Homemade Macaroni and Cheese. Round out the plate with something vibrant, such as Spring Vegetable Sauté or Broccoli Salad.
How To Store Honey-Glazed Ham
Store leftover ham in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 10 days. Ham is often eaten cold, but you can reheat leftovers in the microwave or oven if you want.
Use the ham bone to make ham broth, and then use the broth to season your collard greens.
Can You Freeze Honey-Glazed Ham?
Ham can be frozen easily. Wrap individual portions in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze up to 2 months. Move the amount of ham you need to the fridge, and let it thaw overnight. You can serve it cold or warm it up in the oven.
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Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Ingredients
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1 (9- to 10-lb.) fully cooked bone-in spiral-cut half ham
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1 cup orange marmalade
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2/3 cup orange blossom honey
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1/4 cup rice vinegar
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1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme, plus sprigs for garnish
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2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
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1 tsp. kosher salt
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1/2 tsp. black pepper
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Oranges, tangerines, and kumquats (optional)
Directions
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Prepare oven and roasting pan:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Let ham stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil; top with an ovenproof rack.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Make glaze:
For glaze, stir together marmalade, honey, vinegar, thyme, ginger, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Add glaze to ham:
Place ham on rack in prepared pan; brush 2/3 cup of the glaze over ham and in between slices.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Bake ham:
Turn ham fat side down, with bone running parallel to bottom of pan, and pour 3 cups water into pan. Cover tightly with foil. Bake in preheated oven 1 1/2 hours.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Baste ham:
Remove from oven; remove and discard foil. Baste with pan drippings; brush 1/3 cup of the glaze over ham and in between slices.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Continue to bake and baste ham:
Return to oven, and bake at 350°F until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of ham registers 140°F, 30 to 40 minutes, basting ham with pan drippings and brushing with 1/3 cup of the glaze about every 10 minutes.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Garnish and serve:
Remove ham from oven. Carefully transfer it to a serving platter. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs, sliced oranges, halved tangerines, and kumquats, if desired.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox