Brown Sugar Glazed Ham: Time per Pound and When to Add the Glaze
Most store hams are already cooked, so the job is to warm the ham without drying it and glaze it without burning the sugar. USDA times by type of ham, a brown sugar mustard glaze, and what to do with the leftovers.
A fully cooked spiral ham needs about 10 to 18 minutes per pound in a 325°F (165°C) oven, tightly covered, until it reaches 140°F (60°C) in the thickest part. Brush on the glaze only for the last 20 to 30 minutes and uncover it, because sugar burns long before a big ham is warm in the middle.
Serves: 14 to 16 from an 8 pound (3.6 kg) bone-in ham Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: about 2 hours Contains: no common allergens in the glaze. Read the ham's label, since some cures and glaze packets contain soy, dairy or gluten.
Check which ham you bought
The label decides the target temperature. These are the USDA's numbers.
| Ham | Internal temperature |
|---|---|
| Fully cooked, in its original packaging from a USDA-inspected plant | 140°F (60°C) |
| Fully cooked, leftover or repackaged, including leftover spiral ham | 165°F (74°C) |
| Labeled "cook before eating" or fresh (raw) | 145°F (63°C), then rest at least 3 minutes |
Most hams sold in supermarkets at the holidays are fully cooked. If the label does not say so clearly, treat the ham as needing to be cooked, and take it to 145°F (63°C).
Ham cooking time per pound
USDA times, in an oven set to 325°F (165°C):
| Type | Weight | Minutes per pound |
|---|---|---|
| Fully cooked, spiral cut, whole or half | 7 to 9 lb (3.2 to 4.1 kg) | 10 to 18 |
| Fully cooked, bone in, half | 5 to 7 lb (2.3 to 3.2 kg) | 18 to 24 |
| Fully cooked, bone in, whole | 10 to 14 lb (4.5 to 6.4 kg) | 15 to 18 |
| Cook before eating, bone in, half | 5 to 7 lb (2.3 to 3.2 kg) | about 20 |
| Cook before eating, bone in, whole | 10 to 14 lb (4.5 to 6.4 kg) | 18 to 20 |
| Fresh, bone in, whole leg | 12 to 16 lb (5.4 to 7.3 kg) | 22 to 26 |
The range is wide because the shape of the ham, the temperature it started at and your oven all change the time. Start checking well before the low end, pushing a thermometer into the thickest part without touching the bone.
Ingredients
- 1 fully cooked bone-in spiral ham, 8 pounds (3.6 kg)
- 1 cup (240 ml) water, for the pan
For the glaze:
- 1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (60 g) Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup (60 ml) orange juice
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Steps
- Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C) with a rack in the lower third. Throw away any glaze packet if you prefer this one.
- Set the ham cut side down in a roasting pan and pour the water around it. Cover the pan tightly with heavy foil, sealing the edges. Spiral slices have a lot of cut surface, and trapped steam is what keeps them from drying out.
- Bake for 10 minutes per pound as a first estimate, so about 1 hour 20 minutes for 8 pounds (3.6 kg). Then check the temperature.
- While it bakes, simmer the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring, until it coats a spoon. It thickens as it cools, so warm it again if needed.
- When the ham reads about 120°F (49°C), take it out and turn the oven up to 400°F (200°C). Take off the foil and brush on half of the glaze, letting some run between the slices.
- Return it, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Brush with the rest of the glaze and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, until the top is dark and bubbling and the thickest part reads 140°F (60°C). If the edges darken too fast, cover those spots with small pieces of foil.
- Rest for 15 minutes. Cut along the bone to release the slices, then spoon the pan juices over them.
Why the glaze goes on last
Brown sugar starts to scorch at the temperatures a roasting pan reaches over a couple of hours, and the sugary surface turns bitter. Added at the end, it has time to caramelize and little time to burn. The mustard and vinegar keep it from being only sweet against already salty meat. The sticky brown spots you get here are the same browning you look for in a simple roast chicken, helped along by the sugar.
How much ham to buy
The USDA suggests ⅓ to ½ pound (150 to 225 g) per serving of bone-in ham, and ¼ to ⅓ pound (115 to 150 g) of boneless. Round up if you want leftovers. For the rest of a holiday meal, our prime rib chart covers the other big roast of the season.
Swaps
- Without mustard: use 2 extra tablespoons (30 ml) of orange juice and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of Worcestershire sauce. Check the label, as some contain fish or gluten.
- Honey glaze: replace half of the sugar with ½ cup (170 g) honey. Honey browns faster, so watch the last few minutes closely.
Storage and reheating
Get leftovers into the fridge within 2 hours of the ham leaving the oven. Cooked ham keeps for 3 to 5 days in the fridge, or 1 to 2 months in the freezer for best quality. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C), including leftover spiral ham.
Save the bone. It gives a pot of beans or split pea soup a smoky backbone, and can be frozen for 1 to 2 months.
