The BEST Ham Recipe (Video)
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The BEST Ham Recipe with variations for copycat Honey Baked Ham recipe or an easy cola glazed ham! Easy and delicious!
Looking for more easy holiday main dish recipes? I think you’ll love our prime rib recipe, beef tenderloin, and roast turkey!
Knowing how to bake a ham is easy and one of those recipes that you want to have in your repertoire. Once you know how to bake your own ham, you can customize it for your favorite flavor combinations!
My ham recipe is so simple yet absolutely scrumptious! It only requires 5 minutes to prepare for baking in the oven and always turns out juicy and delicious!
This makes a great ham for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Sunday suppers, or any other occasion when you are feeding a crowd. It is the ham recipe that my family requests time and time again!
The BEST Ham Recipe
How to Bake the Best Ham Every Time!
This method is fool-proof for baking a delicious ham. They always turn out tender, juicy, and delicious!
You can bake your ham without any seasonings or glazes or choose from the variations I’ve included below. If using a variation, pay attention to the specifics of that customization.
Equipment You’ll Need:
You will need the following equipment for this recipe.
- Roaster pan
- Foil
- Instant Read Thermometer
Ingredients for Baked Ham:
- Ham – I like to use an 8-pound, fully cooked, spiral-sliced ham.
Instructions for Baking Ham:
Prep. First, arrange the oven rack into the middle of the oven and preheat your oven to 325º F. Next, place your spiral-sliced ham into a roasting pan.
Bake. Cover your roasting pan well with foil. Bake for 10 to 18 minutes per pound until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140º F when checked with an instant-read thermometer. You will occasionally remove the foil to baste the ham with the drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan.
Rest. Allow the baked ham to rest for 5 to 10 minutes after removing it from the oven before you serve.
Bake as above or customize with the glaze variation of your choice! I’ve included my favorites!
Copycat Honey Baked Ham Recipe
A delicious Honey Baked Ham recipe that you can make at home! It is always a crowd and family favorite and so easy to make!
Ingredients Needed for Homemade Honey Baked Ham Recipe
- ham
- melted butter
- honey
- sugar
- seasonings: Stone House Seasoning, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, paprika
Instructions for Making Homemade Honey Baked Ham Recipe
- Prep. Arrange the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat your oven to 325º F. Next, place your spiral-sliced ham into a roasting pan. Combine the melted butter and honey and brush onto the ham.
- Bake. Cover your roasting pan well with foil. Bake for 10 to 18 minutes per pound until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140º F. You will occasionally remove the foil to baste the ham with the drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Make the Glaze. Mix together the sugar and all of the seasonings to make the glaze. With about 10 minutes left of baking time, add half of the seasoning to a small saucepan along with 3 tablespoons of water. Boil for a minute and then remove from the heat.
- Coat and Broil. During the last 5 minutes of baking, remove the ham from the oven and remove the foil. Pat the remaining sugar mixture onto the top of the ham. Turn the oven to broil. Broil for several minutes until the sugar mixture is bubbly. Remove from the oven.
- Glaze and Broil. Pour the glaze over the ham, return to the oven, and broil for another minute. Watch carefully so that it does not burn!
- Serve. Remove from the oven and allow to rest before serving.
Coca-Cola Glazed Ham
I’ve also included my Mama’s Cola Glazed Ham that she prepared for the holidays. It requires three ingredients. It is easy and so delicious.
Note: You’ll want to be sure to use a regular Coca-Cola made with real sugar and not use Diet Coke in this recipe.
Ingredients for Cola Glazed Ham Recipe
- Ham
- Brown sugar
- Coca-Cola (not Diet coke)
Instructions for Cola Glazed Ham
Prep. First, arrange the oven rack into the middle of the oven and preheat your oven to 325º F. Next, place your spiral-sliced ham into a roasting pan. Add your brown sugar to a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup. Slowly pour your Coca-Cola over the brown sugar and whisk to combine. Pour the cola glaze mixture over your ham.
Bake. Cover your roasting pan well with foil and bake for 10 to 18 minutes per pound until the internal temperature reaches 140º F. Occasionally remove the foil to baste the ham with the cola mixture from the bottom of the roasting pan. You’ll want to remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking time so that after the final glaze, the glaze is able to caramelize on the ham.
Serve. Remove from the oven and allow to rest before serving.
Additional Variations
Cranberry Orange Glazed Ham – Combine 1 (14-ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce, 1/4 cup orange juice, and 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar. Spread over the top of the ham and bake following the baked ham instructions.
How Much Ham Will You Need Per Person?
You will need to estimate the size of the ham needed based on the number of servings and the type of ham you are serving. The following is a guideline.
- 1/4 – 1/3 lb. per serving of boneless ham
- 1/3 – 1/2 lb. of meat per serving of bone-in ham
I always prefer to use bone-in hams as I believe they are more flavorful than boneless. I like to reserve the bone for soups, turnip greens, and to add to my black eyed peas while they are cooking.
When using bone-in hams, you’ll want to be sure to account for the weight of the bone in your weight measurement. As a rule of thumb for bone-in ham, I plan 1/2 pound per person.
- 6 people = 3 pounds
- 8 people = 4 pounds
- 10 people = 5 pounds
- 12 people = 6 pounds
- 14 people = 7 pounds
- 16 people = 8 pounds
This guideline should help you to plan so that everyone will be able to enjoy their meal, and you’ll hopefully have enough for a ham sandwich the next day! 🥰
Temperatures and Guidelines for Baking Ham
My recipe is based on the recommendations provided by the USDA for pre-cooked, spiral-sliced ham. I’ve also included the information for baking other types of ham so that you have this information as a reference.
Pre-Cooked and Spiral Sliced Ham
Cooking Temperature and Time: The ham should weigh between seven to nine pounds. Bake at a temperature of 325º F for 10 to 18 minutes per pound. The internal temperature should be 140º F.
Pre-Cooked and Boneless Ham
Cooking Temperature and Time: The ham should weigh between six and 12 pounds. Bake at a temperature of 325° F for 15 to 24 minutes per pound. The internal temperature should be 140°F.
Uncooked and Bone-In Ham
Cooking Temperature and Time:
- Half ham weighing five to eight pounds. Bake at 325º F for 35 to 40 minutes per pound.
- Whole bone-in hams weighing 12 to 16 pounds. Bake at 325º F for 22 to 26 minutes per pound. The internal temperature should be 145°F.
Source: USDA
How to Store and Freeze Baked Ham
To store: Cooked ham should be wrapped tightly and stored in the refrigerator as soon as possible after serving. Stored properly, cooked ham should keep for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.
To freeze: wrap the cooled ham tightly with freezer-safe wrap and store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
To serve, allow to thaw in the refrigerator and then reheat and serve or serve cold.
Favorite Side Dishes to Serve with Ham
Here’s my Fool Proof Easy Baked Ham Recipe. I sure hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Best Baked Ham Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (8-pound) fully cooked, spiral-sliced ham
Honey Baked Ham Recipe (Optional Glaze)
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Stone House Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
Cola Glazed Ham Recipe (Optional Glaze)
- 1 (12-ounce) can Coca-Cola, not Diet Coke
- 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 325º F. Place ham in a roasting pan.
- Bake. Cover your ham well with foil and bake for 10 to 18 minutes per pound until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140º F when checked with an instant-read thermometer. You will occasionally remove the foil to baste the ham with the drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan. (See the glaze variations below for custom instructions)
- Rest. Allow the baked ham to rest for 5 to 10 minutes after removing it from the oven. Remove the ham from the roasting pan and onto a platter for serving.
Honey Baked Ham Recipe
- Prep. Arrange the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat your oven to 325º F. Place your spiral-sliced ham into a roasting pan. Combine the melted butter and honey and brush onto the ham.
- Bake. Cover your ham well with foil and bake for 10 to 18 minutes per pound until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140º F when checked with an instant-read thermometer. You will occasionally remove the foil to baste the ham with the drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Make the Glaze. Mix together the sugar and all of the seasonings to make the glaze. With about 10 minutes left of baking time, add half of the seasoning to a small saucepan with 3 tablespoons of water. Boil for a minute and then remove from the heat.
- Coat and Broil. During the last 5 minutes of baking, remove the ham from the oven and remove the foil. Pat the remaining sugar mixture onto the top of the ham. Turn the oven to broil. Broil for several minutes until the sugar mixture is bubbly. Remove from the oven.
- Glaze and Broil. Pour the glaze over the ham and broil for another minute. Watch carefully so that it does not burn.
- Rest. Allow the baked ham to rest for 5 to 10 minutes after removing it from the oven. Remove the ham from the roasting pan and onto a platter for serving.
Cola Glazed Ham Recipe
- Prep. Preheat oven to 325º F. Place ham in a roasting pan.
- Bake. Combine Coca-Cola and brown sugar and pour over ham. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Every 30 minutes, uncover the ham and baste well with the pan juices and then recover the ham. Bake 10 to 18 minutes per pound, until the tam registers 140º F when checked with an instant-read thermometer. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking time so that after the final glaze, the glaze is able to caramelize on the ham
- Rest. Allow the baked ham to rest for 5 to 10 minutes after removing it from the oven. Remove the ham from the roasting pan and onto a platter for serving.
Notes
How Much Ham to Plan Per Person
¼ – ⅓ lb. per serving of boneless ham⅓ – ½ lb. of meat per serving of bone-in ham I personally plan 1/2 pound per person of bone-in, spiral-sliced ham.
How to Store and Freeze Baked Ham
To store: Cooked ham should be wrapped tightly and stored in the refrigerator as soon as possible after serving. Stored properly, cooked ham should keep for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. To freeze: wrap the cooled ham tightly with freezer-safe wrap and store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. To serve, allow to thaw in the refrigerator and then reheat and serve or serve cold. Nutrition information is calculated using ingredients for the Copycat Honey Baked Ham Recipe.Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
I have used coke & brown sugar before in a pork chop receipt . I add a bit of garlic and I thicken a bit with cornstarch & water.
If I cook im crockpot my little spiral ham would I wrap it in foil to keep it from drying out? Want to use it In crossiants for sandwhiches. And want to keep ham warm. How long would I cook in crockpot?
Lin, I would not wrap the ham if you are cooking in slow cooker. Just place the ham in the slow cooker, pour the Coca-Cola and brown sugar mixture over the ham, and cook on low for 8 hours. Hope you enjoy!
I bought my yearly brown sugar spiral sliced ham from Kroger’s. I have it in the refrigerator. I live alone so I normally pick away it it for a week or two then cut up what is left into servings and freeze them separately- into maybe 1 or 2 meals worth portions. Is it possible to change this recipe so I can bake just a couple slices and cook for maybe 20 minutes. What adjustments do you think I need to make?
I’m sorry, Doug, but I haven’t tried baking just a few slices with this recipe. I’m not sure what is spices, if any, or other ingredients are included in the brown sugar glaze already on your ham so I’m not sure how the flavors would meld.
Can you use a crock pot for this recipe?
You can cook this in a crock pot, Lin.
Forgive my ignorance, but, do you place the ham on a rack in the roasting or just place it in the roasting pan? Also, do you at any time flip the ham in the roasting pan?
You can place it on a rack if you wish, Cheryl. I did not flip the ham. Hope you enjoy!
My mom used a Coke to glaze a ham once I remember she sent me to the corner store to get a bottle of Coke. I thought she had lost her mind. We only had sodas for a special treat and I didn’t think she would ever waste one to cook a ham with. But, as always, it was delicious! I should have known she knew what she was doing. Thanks for the memory!
Wishes for tasty dishes,
Linda
Do you have a favorite brand of cooked spiral ham that you used in this recipe?
I like to use an organic spiral sliced ham. Thanks so much, Jackie!