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 Honey-Glazed Spiral-Cut Ham is that perfect recipe. We’re talking an impossibly juicy and tender ham, with a beautiful, glossy, and sticky glaze of orange marmalade, honey, and fresh ginger 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 orange-ginger glaze. This bright, zesty, no-cook glaze is made from sweet orange marmalade, honey, tangy rice vinegar, and a warm, zesty kick from freshly grated ginger. 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 | 3 hours 30 minutes (includes resting) |
| 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!):
- Orange Marmalade & Honey: This combination provides a beautiful, complex sweetness and helps the glaze to caramelize into a gorgeous, glossy finish.
- Rice Vinegar: This is a brilliant secret ingredient! Its mild, clean tang is the key that cuts through the richness of the ham and the sweetness of the honey and marmalade, creating a perfectly balanced glaze.
- Fresh Ginger & Thyme: It is absolutely essential to use fresh ginger and fresh thyme. Their vibrant, zesty, and aromatic flavors are a world away from their dried counterparts and are the secret to this glaze’s sophisticated, from-scratch taste.
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.
- 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 water to the pan and covering the ham tightly with foil for the first 1 1/2 hours 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.
- The Multi-Stage Glaze: 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 it ever burning.
- Rest, Rest, Rest!: You must let your finished ham rest for at least 15-30 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 Honey-Glazed Spiral Ham
This elegant, festive meal is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: Prepare the Glaze and the Ham
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 350°F ($175^{\circ}C$). Let your 9- to 10-pound ham stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Line a large roasting pan with foil and top it with an ovenproof rack.
Step 2: To make your no-cook glaze, simply stir together the 1 cup of orange marmalade, 2/3 cup of honey, 1/4 cup of rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme, 2 teaspoons of grated fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper in a small bowl.
Part 2: The “Steam-Bake” and Final Glaze
Step 1: Place your ham on the rack in the roasting pan. Brush 2/3 cup of your prepared glaze all over the ham, making sure to get it in between the slices.
Step 2: Turn the ham fat-side down. Pour 3 cups of water into the bottom of the pan. Cover the ham and the pan tightly with foil.
Step 3: Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
Step 4 (The Best Part!): Remove the ham from the oven. Remove and discard the foil. Baste the ham with the pan drippings. Brush another 1/3 cup of the glaze over the ham and in between the slices.
Step 5: Return the ham to the oven, uncovered, and continue to bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Be sure to baste the ham with the pan drippings and brush it with the remaining 1/3 cup of glaze every 10 minutes.
Step 6: You will know the ham is perfectly done when the glaze is shiny and caramelized and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the ham (avoiding the bone) registers $140^{\circ}F$.
Step 7 (The Most Important Step!): Transfer the ham to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before you carve it.
Garnish your beautiful ham with fresh thyme sprigs and citrus slices, if desired.
PrintHoney-Glazed Spiral Ham (An Easy Holiday Showstopper!)
A classic and elegant recipe for a Honey-Glazed Ham, perfect as the centerpiece for a holiday meal. This dish features a fully-cooked, spiral-cut ham that is slow-roasted under foil and then repeatedly basted with a sweet and tangy glaze made from orange marmalade, honey, fresh ginger, and thyme. The process creates a beautifully caramelized, sweet, and savory crust while keeping the ham moist.
Ingredients
- 1 (9- to 10-lb.) fully cooked bone-in spiral-cut half ham
- 1 cup orange marmalade
- 2/3 cup orange blossom honey
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme, plus sprigs for garnish
- 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 3 cups water
- Oranges, tangerines, and kumquats (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Let the ham stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil and top with an ovenproof rack.
- Make the glaze: In a small bowl, stir together the marmalade, honey, vinegar, chopped thyme, ginger, salt, and pepper.
- Place the ham on the rack in the prepared pan. Brush 2/3 cup of the glaze over the ham, making sure to get in between the slices.
- Turn the ham fat-side down and pour 3 cups of water into the pan. Cover the pan tightly with foil.
- Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Remove the ham from the oven; remove and discard the foil. Baste the ham with the pan drippings. Brush 1/3 cup of the glaze over the ham and between the slices.
- Return the ham to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 30 to 40 more minutes. Baste with pan drippings and brush with the remaining 1/3 cup of glaze every 10 minutes. The ham is done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 140°F.
- Remove the ham from the oven and carefully transfer it to a serving platter. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs and citrus fruit, if desired, before carving and serving.
Notes
- This is a showstopper main course, perfect for holidays like Christmas or Easter.
- Letting the ham come to room temperature for 30 minutes helps it to cook more evenly.
- The two-stage cooking process—covered first, then uncovered—is a key technique that gently heats the ham through while the final basting creates a thick, caramelized, and flavorful crust.
- Resting the ham before carving is a crucial step to ensure the meat remains juicy.
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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.
Frequently Asked questions (FAQs)
Q1: Why is my ham baked fat-side down?
This is a great question, as most recipes call for fat-side up! In this specific recipe, the “fat-side down” method, combined with the 3 cups of water and the tight foil tent, is part of the “steam-bake” technique. This method focuses on gently reheating the ham in a very moist environment to keep it from drying out. The fat and skin on the bottom are protected from the direct heat, and the final, uncovered glazing stage is when all the browning and caramelization happens.
Q2: Can I make the glaze ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely! The no-cook glaze can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Q3: Can I use a different kind of vinegar?
Yes! If you can’t find rice vinegar, a classic apple cider vinegar or a white wine vinegar would be a fantastic substitute.
Q4: Can I use a boneless ham?
You can, but a bone-in ham is highly recommended for the best, most flavorful and juicy result. If you do use a boneless ham, you will need to significantly reduce the roasting time. Always rely on your meat thermometer to tell you when it has reached 140°F.
Q5: Why did my glaze burn?
A sugary glaze can burn if the oven is too hot or if it’s applied too early in the cooking process. This recipe’s method of applying the glaze only during the final, uncovered 30-40 minutes of cooking is the key that prevents the sugars from burning over the long initial bake.