Bourbon Glazed Baked Ham
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This Baked Ham is glazed with a bourbon, orange juice and brown sugar glaze and studded with cloves. It’s delicious and incredibly flavorful, the perfect sweet and savory holiday dinner!
The Absolute BEST Bourbon Glazed Baked Ham
Okay, so when I say this is the best glazed ham, I’m not joking! This glaze is unbelievably good and I make sure to baste the scored meat often and throughout the entire cooking process. Hams are so versatile, any leftovers can be used for a variety of meals. I’ve made everything from sandwiches to my favorite split pea soup.
If using bone-in, remember that simmering the bone will impart a lot of great tasting broth. For some ideas what to do with leftover ham, try my Leftover Ham and Bean Soup, Leftover Ham and Cheese Breakfast Muffins, or Leftover Ham and Cheese Penne.
For this recipe, I’ve studded this ham with a lot of cloves which is a phenomenal way to spread the flavor throughout the ham. Another flavor winner is the incorporation of the bourbon glaze. It packs a fantastic balance of both a sweet and savory flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Bourbon Glazed Ham
- DELICIOUS. Like I said, this recipe is fantastic, with this incredible bourbon, orange juice and brown sugar glaze that has lots of sweet, savoury, and pungent warm spice of cloves with an intense flavor and aroma.
- FAMILY FAVORITE. Any ham is a family favorite, and especially during this time of year, there is a great deal of this meat being cooked up. The secret here is getting your hands on the best recipe! It makes a great Christmas dinner with a lot of potential for leftovers.
- VERSATILE. The versatility of this meal is that leftovers will always be eaten. You can make so many things with leftover ham and that’s what I love about cooking this any time of the year.
- Ham – Use a fully cooked ham or gammon, either bone-in or boneless. I used a gammon ham which is still from the hind leg of pork. Gammon is cured ham, either by dry-salting or brining.
- Cloves – Lots of whole cloves are used, it takes approximately 40, give or take a few, and will flavor the meat throughout.
- Sugar – Packed brown sugar really adds the sweetness and caramelization to this sweet glaze.
- Bourbon – This really elevates the flavor in the ham glaze. It’s a little sweet and smoky. Any kind of whiskey will work.
- Vinegar – Apple cider vinegar will balance out the sweetness in the bourbon glaze.
- Mustard – I like to use a good Dijon mustard in this glaze. You can also use dry mustard. Use 1 teaspoon dry mustard for 1 tablespoon prepared mustard, and add the same amount of vinegar, to make up for the missing liquid
- Orange – Zest the entire orange and then squeeze out the juice from the rest of the orange.
- Thyme – I used fresh thyme but if it’s not available, use dried instead.
- Worcestershire sauce – Worcestershire Sauce has a powerful umami flavor. It’s sour from tamarind and vinegar, sweet from molasses and sugar, and spicy. A must in this glaze.
- Garlic – A little bit of garlic powder for lots of extra great flavor.
This Bourbon glazed baked ham is a relatively easy dish to make, as it requires only a few simple ingredients and can be prepared in advance. With its sweet and tangy flavor, this dish is sure to impress your guests without requiring much effort in the kitchen.
Before you begin, preheat the oven to 325°F(163°C). Line a roasting pan with foil. Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and remove the upper racks.
Next, you’ll want to remove the ham from its packaging and pat it dry with paper towels. Make sure to bring it to room temperature at least 2 hours before baking.
Using a sharp knife, score a diamond pattern in the fat, about ¼-½ inch deep or as deep as the fat is. Place the cloves in the center of the diamonds all around the ham. You can also place the cloves in the intersection points of the score, up to you. Place the ham in the prepared roasting pan, fat side up.
In a small saucepan, add the brown sugar, bourbon, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, orange zest and juice, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Bring to a low simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has fully dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze generously over the ham and in between the scored lines, but only use about a third of it.
Transfer the roasting pan to the oven. Bake for 2 hours or about 20 minutes per pound, brushing the ham with remaining glaze every 20 minutes. The ham is ready when the internal temperature of the ham registers at 140°F(60°C).
Take the ham out of the oven and baste it again with remaining glaze. Place the ham under the broiler for a few minutes to get some nice browning on top, if not browned enough.
Take the ham out of the oven again and baste it with remaining juices in the roasting pan. Cover it with aluminum foil and let the ham rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
How Long Does It Take To Bake A Ham?
A precooked ham should be cooked in the oven at 350°F(177°C) for 15-20 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F(63°C). If you’re reheating a ham that was repackaged or leftover, it needs to be cooked to 165°F.
Different Types Of Ham
Spiral cut hams with bone in are pre-cooked and can be found in almost every major grocery store or at your local butcher.
Butt-end hams tend to fit into your slow cooker more. I once bought a spiral-cut leg of pork that did not fit in my crockpot and my husband had to cut most of the bone out so we can fit it. So consider your slow cooker size when purchasing a ham.
There are 3 main types of ham that you’ll find:
Fresh Ham – This is uncured leg of pork and it is uncooked pork roast which must be cooked before serving. Note that it must have “fresh” as part of its name.
Cured Ham – This is a leg of pork which can be cured in one of two ways; brined or cured with a dry rub and hung to dry. These hams can be ready to eat or may require cooking. If they require cooking, they must be labeled with cooking instructions.
Cured and Smoked Ham – These hams are the same as cured hams except they have an extra step where they’re smoked.
What Side Dishes Go With Ham?
Many sides go extremely well with ham. Some ideas include mashed potatoes. scalloped potatoes, candied yams, green beans, roasted asparagus, sweet potatoes, garlic and herb carrots, or dinner rolls are a few.
Expert Tips
- Adding a little water to the roasting pan will help retain moisture in the meat.
- If you’re using a spiral cut ham, wrap the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil before placing in the oven, to avoid the ham from drying out while cooking.
- If during cooking, the ham looks like it browns too much, cover it with foil to avoid it getting looking burnt.
- A meat thermometer works the best to determine internal ham temperature.
Leftovers
Cooked ham will last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
To further extend the shelf life of cooked ham, freeze it for up to 4 months; freeze in covered airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, or wrap tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or freezer wrap.
How To Reheat Ham
The best way to reheat ham is to place it in a roasting pan and bake it at 350°F for 20 minutes or until heated through. If already cut into individual slices, you can also reheat it in the microwave oven.
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Bourbon Glazed Baked Ham
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Ingredients
- 6 pound ham (fully cooked)
- 40 cloves (give or take a few)
- 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
- ¼ cup bourbon (or other whiskey)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 medium orange (zested and juiced)
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Prepare ham: Remove ham from packaging and pat it dry with paper towels and bring to room temperature at least 2 hours before baking.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a roasting pan with foil. Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and remove the upper racks.
- Place and score ham: Using a sharp knife, score a diamond pattern in the fat , about ¼-½ inch deep or as deep as the fat is. Place the ham in the prepared roasting pan, fat side up.
- Place cloves in ham: Place the cloves in the center of the diamonds all around the ham. You can also place the cloves in the intersection points of the score, up to you.
- Make the glaze: In a small saucepan, add the brown sugar, bourbon, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, orange zest and juice, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Bring to a low simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has fully dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Glaze the ham: Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze generously over the ham and in between the scored lines, but only use about a third of it.
- Bake and glaze ham: Transfer the roasting pan in the oven. Bake for 2 hours or about 20 minutes per pound, brushing the ham with remaining glaze every 20 minutes. The ham is ready when the internal temperature of the ham registers at 145°F.
- Finish glazing: Take the ham out of the oven and baste it again with remaining glaze. Place the ham under the broiler for a few minutes to get some nice browning on top, if not browned enough.
- Finish and serve: Take the ham out of the oven again and baste it with remaining juices in the roasting pan. Cover it with aluminum foil and let the ham rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Adding a little water to the roasting pan will help retain moisture in the meat.
- If you’re using a spiral cut ham, wrap the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil before placing in the oven, to avoid the ham from drying out while cooking.
- If during cooking, the ham looks like it browns too much, cover it with foil to avoid it getting looking burnt.
- A meat thermometer works the best to determine internal ham temperature.
- Cooked ham will last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
This is the BEST ham recipe! I deleted all the recipes I had and will only be making this one. I’m an avid cook for over 30 years, and was happy to stumble upon this recipe. My ham was so tasty and sweet. I also researched on how to make the ham less salty. I submerged it the day before baking in a bowl of water and kept changing the water every few hours. This worked! Husband loved it also! I also made bourbon sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes with garlic n herb goat cheese, corn pudding, and roasted asparagus. We’re going to eat like royalty all week. Thanks again and look forward to trying your other recipes. Happy Easter!
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Happy Easter to you and your family as well!
Hello! Can this recipe, or any of your other ham recipes, work for a turkey ham? Would anything need to be done differently?
Yes, you can certainly adapt the bourbon glazed baked ham recipe for a turkey ham. The cooking time will vary depending on the size and type of turkey ham you’re using, so it’s a good idea to monitor the internal temperature to ensure it’s fully cooked. Additionally, since turkey ham tends to be leaner than traditional ham, you may want to baste it more frequently to prevent it from drying out. Other than that, you can follow the recipe as directed, adjusting seasoning and glaze according to your taste preferences.
I followed the recipe including time and temp, only ommiting cloves. Orange and thyme were the dominant flavors. We wanted to taste the bourbon and brown sugar. Every bite the bitterness of the thyme would hit, followed but sweetness of the orange. Couldn’t taste the bourbon at all. Super disappointed.
I’m sorry to hear the flavors didn’t balance as expected for you. For a stronger bourbon and brown sugar taste, you might try increasing the bourbon and reducing the thyme and orange next time. Each oven and ham can vary, so adjustments can be key.
can you make this glaze a couple of days beforehand?
Yes, you can definitely make the bourbon glaze a couple of days in advance. Just store it in the refrigerator and gently reheat it before glazing the ham.
Hi, can i also make this in the instant pot? I saw the instant pot recipe but i liked the glaze here? Also after making it in the instant pot, do you recommend i broil the ham on top shelf after its done to get that color?
You can definitely use this glaze with an Instant Pot ham. After cooking, a quick broil in the oven will give it that beautiful caramelized finish.
The
Bourbon Ham was excellent. Best recipe site I have come across yet.
So glad you liked it!
I made this for Easter supper – it was a hit with everyone! Thanks for the recipes
My pleasure, so glad you enjoyed it!
I am not a big fan of ham, but I made this for Christmas Eve dinner, and it was so good, I’m making it again for Easter! Jo never lets me down!
I have baked hams all my life, but this recipe is by far the best ham I have ever tasted! The bourbon glaze is incredible and is the star of the show.
So happy to hear you guys enjoyed the ham!
Can this be done in a slow cooker? It sounds delicious and am going to make it.
Absolutely! Check out this recipe for more specific instructions.
Do you remove the cloves after baking or do they just dissolve?
Yeah, I remove them simply because I don’t like to bite into them, but it’s up to you. 🙂
Delish! I was afraid it might be a little too sweet with all of the brown sugar but it was lovely. An absolute hit for our Easter Ham.
So glad you liked it!
Fantastic glaze. Deep flavours and easy to make. Just not sure when you add the 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. I just included it with the rest of the glaze ingredients.
You’re correct, it’s added with all the other ingredients. So glad you liked it!
Yummmm!
This looks delicious! I’ve been looking for a glaze recipe for the ham I’ll be having for Christmas, and now I have it. Thanks so much for sharing this. Happy holidays to you! 🎄
Happy holidays to you too!
Thank you, Jo. The ham was absolutely delicious. It will be my “go to” ham recipe from now on. I can still smell the wonderful aroma. Thanks again, and I hope you have enjoyed a very nice Christmas Day.
So glad you liked it! 🙂
When you mentioned other whiskey’s would that include spice rum? I purchased a pint for another recipe we are having and thought I might be able to use it in booth?
I suppose you can, don’t see why not. I guess it depends on what spices/flavors it includes?
Funny this is what I am planning to do well a pineapple infused rum. Basically using what I have on hand.