Honey-Glazed Ham

A honey-glazed ham delivers the perfect mix of flavors: The salty, brined ham and sweet glaze are precisely what you want in a traditional holiday ham. While the orange marmalade is certainly sweet, it's not cloyingly sweet, and a lift of brightness comes in from the rice vinegar and fresh ginger.

The final result is as enticing as you'd expect. The citrus peels in the marmalade crisp and brown as the ham bakes, yielding delicious, over-caramelized sticky bits that are oddly delicious. The thyme is the final note you'll taste, and it's very light but adds a complimentary herbal note to the background of the whole ham dish.

We tested this recipe with classic brined hams, which were all delicious. You can use either honey-cured ham or smoked ham. We tested with both and couldn't tell the difference. 

Learn how to make this honey-glazed ham, and you'll have a holiday centerpiece worthy of your best platters.

Honey-Glazed Ham Ingredients

This fantastic honey-glazed ham recipe calls for just eight ingredients:

• Ham: This recipe calls for one 9- to 10-pound fully-cooked bone-in spiral-cut ham. If your ham is larger or smaller, adjust the ingredients and cook time accordingly.
• Orange marmalade: This spread has some sweetness, but marmalade is really contributing a lot of tart, citrus-forward tang to the honey glaze.
• Honey: We love the floral flavor of orange blossom honey, but you can use whatever honey you have.
• Rice vinegar: A bit of tartness from the vinegar balances the honey and marmalade so this isn't a sticky-sweet final dish.
• Fresh thyme: Mild, tender floral notes come from the fresh thyme.
• Grated fresh ginger: This adds incredible bite and kick to the glaze without being spicy or overwhelming.
• Kosher salt and black pepper: For seasoning.
• Citrus fruits: Sliced oranges, halved tangerines, and kumquats can be used to garnish the serving platter.

How To Make Honey-Glazed Ham

You'll find the full recipe for honey-glazed ham below. Here's a brief outline of the process before you get started:

• Step 1. Make the glaze: Cover a roasting pan with aluminum foil, and place a roasting rack inside the pan. Mix together the glaze ingredients.
• Step 2. Glaze and bake: Brush the glaze all over the ham, then flip the ham upside down in the roasting pan. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the ham from the oven, and take off the foil. Baste the ham with the pan drippings and more of the honey glaze. Put the ham back in the oven, and bake another 30 to 40 minutes or until the ham registers 140°F. While it's in this final bake, baste the ham with pan drippings and more glaze every 10 minutes.
• Step 3. Garnish and serve: Move the ham to a serving platter. Arrange the fresh thyme sprigs and citrus fruits around the ham, and serve.

What To Serve With Honey-Glazed Ham

Ham can be a weeknight dinner or a holiday showstopper, which is why it can accompany any number of favorite ham sides, like Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes or Our Best Homemade Macaroni and Cheese. Round out the plate with something vibrant, such as Spring Vegetable Sauté or Broccoli Salad.

How To Store Honey-Glazed Ham

Store leftover ham in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 10 days. Ham is often eaten cold, but you can reheat leftovers in the microwave or oven if you want.

Use the ham bone to make ham broth, and then use the broth to season your collard greens. 

Can You Freeze Honey-Glazed Ham?

Ham can be frozen easily. Wrap individual portions in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze up to 2 months. Move the amount of ham you need to the fridge, and let it thaw overnight. You can serve it cold or warm it up in the oven.