Are you searching for the ultimate, stress-free holiday showstopper? A magnificent, jaw-dropping centerpiece for your Christmas or Thanksgiving table that is as impressive to behold as it is unbelievably delicious and easy to make? This incredible, from-scratch Apricot-Glazed Spiral-Cut Ham is that perfect recipe. We’re talking an impossibly juicy and tender ham, with a beautiful, glossy, and sticky glaze that gets into every nook and cranny of the pre-sliced meat, all served with a luscious, from-scratch pan sauce.
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, multi-layered glaze to a rich pan sauce made from the delicious drippings. 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. The star of the show is a magnificent, fully-cooked, spiral-cut ham. The real magic happens with the luscious, from-scratch apricot-mustard glaze, made from sweet apricot preserves, tangy mustard, rich molasses, and a hint of warm spices. The ham is gently heated through and then lacquered in multiple stages with this beautiful glaze until it’s sticky and caramelized. Finally, the flavorful pan drippings are transformed into a rich, savory gravy to serve alongside.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 8-10 |
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 (Spiral-Cut is KEY!):
- 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 Apricot-Mustard Glaze: A simple but perfect combination of sweet, tangy, and spiced flavors.
- Apricot Preserves: The sweet and fruity base of our glaze. A good-quality apricot preserve will provide a beautiful, glossy finish.
- Yellow Mustard & Molasses: A classic, tangy yellow mustard and a touch of rich, dark molasses provide a wonderful, savory depth that balances the sweetness of the preserves.
- The Pan Sauce: The number one secret to a truly deep, complex, and restaurant-quality gravy is to build it from your pan drippings! A simple paste of butter and flour (beurre manié) is the classic, foolproof trick to thicken the sauce into a luscious, glossy gravy.1
The Glazing Masterclass: The Secret to a Perfect, Lacquered Crust
This recipe uses a simple but brilliant “three-stage” glazing process. Here’s why each step is so important:
- The Low and Slow Roast: The initial, 30-minute bake while the ham is covered with foil is designed to gently begin heating your fully-cooked ham all the way through without drying it out.
- Uncover and Baste: After the initial bake, you will uncover the ham and begin the glazing process. By brushing the glaze on in multiple, thin layers during the final hour of cooking, you are allowing each layer to caramelize and set. This is the secret that builds up that beautiful, thick, glossy, and deeply flavorful, lacquered crust.
- Don’t Forget the Pan Sauce!: Don’t throw away those delicious pan drippings! By simply adding some broth and a simple butter-flour paste, you can transform them into an incredibly rich and savory gravy that is the perfect accompaniment to your sweet, glazed ham.
Step-by-Step to the Perfect Glazed Spiral-Cut 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°C). Line a large roasting pan with foil for easy cleanup.
Step 2: Place your ham, cut-side down, in the pan and scatter the quartered onion pieces around it. Cover the ham loosely with foil.
Step 3: To make the glaze, whisk together the 3/4 cup of apricot preserves, the 3 tablespoons of yellow mustard, the 2 teaspoons of molasses, the 1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, the 1/4 teaspoon of allspice, a pinch of ground cloves, the stripped thyme leaves, and 3 tablespoons of the cider vinegar in a small saucepan. Cook over a medium heat, whisking, for about 4 minutes, until the glaze is smooth.
Part 2: The Low and Slow Bake and the Final Glaze
Step 1: Bake your foil-covered ham for 30 minutes.
Step 2: After 30 minutes, remove the foil from the ham. Continue to bake the ham, carefully brushing it with your prepared glaze every 15 minutes, for about 1 more hour.
Step 3: You will know the ham is perfectly done when the glaze is shiny and the ham is heated through. The final internal temperature should register 140∘F.
Step 4 (The Most Important Step!): Transfer the ham to a serving platter, tent it with foil, and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before you serve it.
Part 3: The Bonus Pan Sauce
While your ham is resting, carefully pour all the pan juices into a medium skillet. Add your 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth and bring this to a boil over a high heat.
In a small bowl, mix your 1 tablespoon of room temperature butter and 1 tablespoon of flour together to form a paste. Whisk this paste into your pan juices and let the sauce simmer until it has thickened into a gravy. Finish with the remaining 1 tablespoon of vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
Serve your beautiful, glazed ham with this delicious sauce on the side.
Juicy Glazed Spiral-Cut Ham (An Easy Holiday Recipe!)
An easy and elegant recipe for a glazed spiral-cut ham, perfect for a holiday centerpiece. The pre-cooked ham is gently heated in the oven and then repeatedly brushed with a sweet and tangy glaze made from apricot preserves, Dijon mustard, molasses, and warm spices. After the ham is cooked, a simple, flavorful pan sauce is made from the pan drippings, thickened with a butter and flour paste, to serve alongside the sliced ham.
Ingredients
- One 4- to 5-pound spiral-cut ham
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 3/4 cup apricot preserves
- 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons molasses
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- Pinch of ground cloves
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped
- 4 tablespoons cider vinegar, divided
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet or a large roasting pan with foil.
- Place the ham cut-side down on the foil and scatter the onion pieces around it. Cover the ham loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Make the Glaze: While the ham is in the oven, whisk together the apricot preserves, mustard, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, allspice, cloves, thyme leaves, 3 tablespoons of the vinegar, and 1/4 cup of water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking, for about 4 minutes until the glaze is smooth.
- Glaze the Ham: After 30 minutes of baking, remove the foil from the ham. Continue to bake for about 1 hour more, brushing the ham with the prepared glaze every 15 minutes.
- Once the ham is nicely glazed and heated through, transfer it to a serving platter and tent it with foil to rest.
- Make the Pan Sauce: Pour the pan juices into a medium skillet. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat.
- In a small bowl, mash the butter and flour together to form a paste (a beurre manié). Whisk this paste into the pan juices and let the sauce simmer until it has thickened like gravy.
- Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of vinegar and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the ham warm with the pan sauce on the side.
Notes
- This recipe is a showstopper main course, perfect for holidays like Christmas or Easter.
- Using a pre-cooked spiral-cut ham is a major time-saving shortcut for a holiday meal.
- The multi-stage glazing process during the final hour of cooking builds up a thick, caramelized, and flavorful crust on the ham.
- Letting the ham rest before carving is an important step to ensure the meat remains juicy.
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)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a juicy, not dry, holiday ham?
The two most important secrets are to not overcook it and to let it rest. Since you are starting with a fully-cooked ham, you are essentially just reheating it. Using an instant-read thermometer to pull the ham from the oven just as it reaches the perfect temperature, and then letting it rest for at least 15 minutes, are the non-negotiable keys that will guarantee an incredibly juicy and tender result.
Q2: What kind of ham is best for this recipe?
A fully-cooked, bone-in, spiral-cut ham is the absolute best choice for the most flavor, a super juicy result, and the easiest carving.
Q3: Can I use a different kind of jam or preserves for the glaze?
Yes, absolutely! This recipe would also be fantastic with a sweet and tangy orange marmalade, a classic pineapple preserve, or a spicy-sweet pepper jelly.
Q4: Can I make the glaze ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely! The apricot glaze can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You may need to gently warm it on the stovetop to loosen it up before you glaze the ham.
Q5: What is a beurre manié?
A beurre manié is a classic French technique for thickening sauces.2 It is simply a paste made from equal parts softened butter and flour. Whisking this paste into a simmering sauce is a brilliant and foolproof way to create a smooth, glossy, and perfectly thickened gravy with no lumps.