11 Sweet, Spicy, Shiny Ways to Glaze That Holiday Ham

Make holiday ham glisten with ingredients from citrus to Guinness.

honeybaked ham
Photo: Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Missie Crawford / Food Styling by Ali Ramee

Brushing a glaze on the outside of ham before and during cooking adds moisture and flavor to the crust. Whatever you choose to coat your ham caramelizes for sticky sweetness to complement the juicy meat inside. Our ham glaze recipes call for sugar, spices, and liquids, from chicken stock or cider to cola, Madeira, red wine, or stout. Brown sugar shines here as well as bourbon, honey, and mustard. Identify the ideal mixture to make your centerpiece worthy of a holiday or special occasion with these ham glaze recipes for inspiration.

01 of 11

Saba-and-Dijon-Glazed Ham

Saba-and-Dijon-Glazed Easter Ham
Eva Kolenko

Chef Sarah Grueneberg swaps sugar for saba, a sweet and slightly acidic syrup made from cooked-down grape must (similar to aged balsamic), in this glaze with Dijon and salt. 

02 of 11

Madeira-Glazed Ham

Ham with Madeira, Tangerines, and Bay on a Bed of Greens

Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

This holiday ham glistens in a spiced Madeira and honey glaze, served on a bed of greens and citrus.

03 of 11

Guinness-Glazed Ham

Guinness-Glazed Ham Recipe
Caitlin Bensel

A simple glaze of dark stout and brown sugar develops a malty, caramel-like bittersweetness in the oven. Irish ham is a bit less salty than American ham and has a thin layer of fat, which absorbs the flavors of the glaze.

04 of 11

Apple Cider Glazed Ham

honeybaked ham
Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Missie Crawford / Food Styling by Ali Ramee

Brown sugar, honey, mustard, and apple cider give spiral-cut ham a spectacular transformation.

05 of 11

Honey-Bourbon-Glazed Ham

Honey-Bourbon-Glazed Ham
© Petrina Tinslay

The sweet, sticky glaze for this juicy ham is subtly spiced with fennel, coriander, and star anise. 

06 of 11

Pomegranate-Jalapeño-Glazed Ham

Pomegranate-Jalapeño-Glazed Ham. Photo © Con Poulos

© Con Poulos

This sweet-and-spicy glaze for ham uses housemade pomegranate-jalapeño jelly, or you can add pomegranate juice to store-bought jalapeño jelly. 

07 of 11

Clove-and-Cider-Glazed Ham

Clove-and-Cider-Glazed Ham
© Con Poulos

Chef Carla Hall glazes a spiral-cut ham with apple cider, brown sugar, mustard, bourbon, and sweet spices.

08 of 11

Dr Pepper-Glazed Ham with Prunes

Dr Pepper-Glazed Ham with Prunes
© Keller & Keller

Meat expert Bruce Aidells glazes a pre-roasted ham with a mixture of Dr. Pepper, simmered prunes, mustard, brown sugar, and cider vinegar, which he combines with the pan drippings for a sauce to serve it with.

09 of 11

Lemon-and-Pickled-Pepper-Glazed Ham

Lemon-and-Pickled-Pepper-Glazed Ham
© James Baigrie

Former F&W editor Grace Parisi combines a lemon-lime marmalade with pickled peppers, mustard, lemon juice, and bourbon into a coarse puree for this glaze. 

10 of 11

Smoky Glazed Ham with Red Pepper Jelly

Smoky Glazed Ham with Red Pepper Jelly
© John Kernick

Chef Jonathon Sawyer boils chicken stock, water, cola, dry red wine, sugar, honey, vinegar, onion, ginger, carrot, and chiles to simmer with coriander, fennel seeds, and peppercorns, then strains for a glaze.

11 of 11

DIY Honey-Baked Ham

DIY Honey-Baked Ham
Abby Hocking / Food & Wine

Anna Painter's ham is glazed with a sweet-spicy mix of brown sugar, honey, honey mustard, black pepper, and cayenne. 

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