Brown Sugar-Citrus Glazed Ham (An Easy Holiday Showstopper!)

Are you searching for the ultimate, stress-free holiday showstopper? A magnificent, jaw-dropping centerpiece for your Christmas or Easter table that is as impressive to behold as it is unbelievably delicious and easy to make? This incredible, from-scratch-tasting Classic Brown Sugar-Citrus Glazed Ham is that perfect recipe. We’re talking an impossibly juicy and tender ham, with a beautiful, glossy, and sticky glaze of orange marmalade, dark brown sugar, and fresh orange juice that gets into every single nook and cranny of the pre-cut slices.

This isn’t just another holiday ham recipe; it’s your definitive guide to creating a truly unforgettable feast with minimal effort. We’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to mastering this iconic centerpiece, from a flawless, no-cook glaze to the perfect internal temperature for the juiciest ham of your life. This is a satisfying, soulful, and deeply impressive meal that is destined to become your new family tradition.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Festive & Easy Holiday Main

What makes this Glazed Ham so spectacularly delicious is its incredible depth of flavor and its brilliantly simple preparation, thanks to the convenience of a spiral-cut ham. This recipe is a masterpiece of classic, festive cooking with a bright, modern twist. The star of the show is a magnificent, fully-cooked, bone-in, spiral-cut ham. The real magic happens with the luscious, from-scratch brown sugar-citrus glaze. This bright, zesty, no-cook glaze is made from sweet orange marmalade, rich dark brown sugar, and fresh orange juice. The ham is then gently slow-roasted in a “steam bath” to keep it moist, and then lacquered in multiple stages with this beautiful glaze until it’s sticky, caramelized, and completely irresistible.

Metric	Time / Level
Total Time	4 hours (includes 1-hour rest)
Active Prep Time	20 minutes
Difficulty Level	Easy
Servings	12-16

The Holiday Pantry: The Essential Ingredients

This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality, classic ingredients to create its signature rich and savory-sweet flavor.

• The Ham (The Shortcut Superstar!):
  • Fully-Cooked, Bone-in, Spiral-Cut Ham: For the easiest preparation and serving, it is essential to use a fully-cooked, spiral-cut ham. The pre-cut slices are a brilliant shortcut that not only makes carving a breeze but also creates dozens of surfaces for your delicious glaze to seep into, seasoning the meat from the inside out.
• The Glaze (The Flavor Powerhouse!):
  • Dark Brown Sugar & Orange Marmalade: This combination provides a beautiful, complex sweetness and helps the glaze to caramelize into a gorgeous, glossy finish. The dark brown sugar, in particular, adds a deep, rich, molasses-like flavor, while the marmalade adds a bright, zesty, and slightly bitter citrus note.
  • Fresh Orange Juice: Using fresh orange juice is the key that provides a vibrant, authentic citrus flavor to the glaze and also creates the “steam bath” in the bottom of the pan.

The Glazing Masterclass: The Secret to a Perfect, Non-Dry Ham

This recipe uses two simple but brilliant professional techniques that guarantee a flawless, impressive result.

1. The “Steam-Bake” (Covered): The number one secret to a perfectly moist, reheated ham is to not dry it out. This recipe’s method of adding orange juice to the pan and covering the ham tightly with foil is the foolproof key. This creates a “steam bath” inside the pan that gently and evenly heats the ham, ensuring it stays incredibly juicy and tender.
2. The Multi-Stage Glaze (at 350°F): The second secret is to glaze in multiple, thin layers. By brushing the glaze on in three separate stages during the final, uncovered roasting time, you are allowing each layer to caramelize and set. This is the key that builds up that beautiful, thick, glossy, and deeply flavorful, lacquered crust without any risk of it burning.
3. Rest, Rest, Rest!: You must let your finished ham rest for at least 15-20 minutes before you slice into it. This crucial, patient step allows the hot, delicious juices to relax and redistribute throughout the entire roast.

Step-by-Step to the Perfect Brown Sugar-Citrus Glazed Ham

This elegant, festive meal is a joy to prepare.

Part 1: Prepare the Glaze and the Ham

Step 1: First, let your 8- to 9-pound ham stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Preheat your oven to 350°F ($175^{\circ}C$). Line a large roasting pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil and top it with an ovenproof rack.

Step 2: To make your no-cook glaze, simply stir together the 1 1/2 cups of packed dark brown sugar, the 3/4 cup of orange marmalade, the 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, the 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and 1/2 cup of your fresh orange juice in a small bowl.

Part 2: The “Steam-Bake” and Final Glaze

Step 1: Place your ham sideways on the rack in the roasting pan. Brush it with 1/4 cup of your prepared glaze, using your hands or a brush to gently push the glaze in between the slices. Turn the ham over and repeat this process with another 1/4 cup of the glaze.

Step 2: Turn the ham so it is cut-side down in the pan. Pour the remaining 1/2 cup of fresh orange juice into the bottom of the pan. Cover the ham and the pan tightly with aluminum foil.

Step 3: Bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Step 4 (The Best Part!): Remove the ham from the oven and remove the foil. Brush the ham evenly with 1/3 cup of the glaze. Return it to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 15 minutes.

Step 5: Brush the ham with another 1/3 cup of the glaze. Bake for another 15 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the ham (avoiding the bone) registers $140^{\circ}F$.

Step 6: Remove the ham from the oven. Brush it with the remaining glaze and baste it with the delicious pan drippings.

Step 7 (The Most Important Step!): Transfer the ham to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes before you carve it.

Garnish your beautiful ham with fresh thyme sprigs and assorted citrus, if desired.

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Storage and Leftover Ideas

• Storage: Store any leftover ham, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• The Best Leftovers: Leftover glazed ham is a true holiday treasure! It makes the absolute best sandwiches, is fantastic diced up in an omelet or a frittata, and you can use the ham bone to make an incredible, flavorful split pea or a bean soup.

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Frequently Asked questions (FAQs)