Baked Ham with an Apricot Honey Glaze is a show-stopping roast that is simple to prepare, tender and so juicy. Watch the video tutorial and make this baked ham recipe for your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter dinner.

We love serving beautiful roasts for the holidays that make people’s eyes light up such as Prime Rib, juicy Roast Turkey, our top-rated Beef Tenderloin, and of course this glazed baked ham. Here is everything you need to know about buying and baking an impressive ham (It’s easier than you think).

Glazed baked ham on a platter spiral sliced and ready to serve with apricot honey glaze

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Baked Ham Recipe:

The glaze makes this ham! The glaze is simple and the flavors just work with apricot preserves, honey, brown sugar, dijon mustard, and butter. It comes together fast and creates a beautifully caramelized exterior. It also makes the pan drippings taste incredible which we pour over the ham slices when serving.

Ingredients for baked ham recipe with the best glaze

How to Buy a Ham:

The ham we purchased was an 11 1/2 lb, bone-in, cut from the shank end, spiral-cut ham. When shopping for a ham, consider the following questions:

Bone-In or Boneless? Bone-in will give you better flavor and nicer texture. Boneless can be a little spongy because it’s reshaped after the bone is removed to keep it from falling apart and look more appealing.

Shank end or Butt End? Ham is the back leg of pork. A full ham sliced in half will result in the shank end and the butt end. The butt end is the upper part of the ham and tends to be more tender and flavorful, but the bone also includes the hip bone, making it difficult to carve around. The shank end is the lower part of the ham and has a straight bone, making it much easier to carve.

Smoked, Cured or Fresh Ham? Most hams will come fully cooked and just require reheating and an added glaze. Smoked versus cured is based on personal preference.

  • Smoked ham is cured and then smoked and will have a smoky flavor.
  • Cured ham is fully cooked without smoking.
  • Fresh ham (raw/ uncooked) is difficult to find, needs to be special ordered, and requires a longer baking time and higher internal temperature. This tutorial is written for a fully cooked ham.

Whole or Spiral Cut? This is based on personal preference and your ham source. Our local source only sells them as a spiral cut which makes it much easier to serve, but un-sliced ham can be juicier.

How Much Ham Per Person? As a general rule of thumb, if the ham is the primary meat in your dinner, plan on 3/4 lb of ham per person from a bone-in ham or 1/2 lb per person from a boneless ham. The 11 1/2 lb bone-in baked ham shown here will serve 15-20 people.

What kind of ham to buy showing two hams side by side

Where to Buy a Ham?

We have not had good success buying ham in big-box grocery stores. They tend to be overly salty with added water and you generally get what you pay. Our advice: buy the best you can afford. It’s absolutely worthwhile for the holidays and special occasions.

Locally, we purchased one at the Boise Bistro Market and paid about $9.50 per pound. If you don’t have a great local source for ham, look to the national chains such as Honey Baked Ham and they will even ship it to you if you don’t have a pickup nearby.

Pro Tip: Order your ham in advance to reserve one and ensure you’ll have the best ham for your holiday dinner. If you wait until the last minute, you run the risk of your ham supplier running out, especially during the busy Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter holidays.

The perfect baked ham spiral sliced on a platter

How Long to Bake a Ham?

If baking a fully cooked ham (whole or spiral cut) it just needs to be reheated. The USDA recommends heating to 140˚F after a 3-minute rest.

A ham that is “partially cooked” or labeled “cook before eating” needs to be cooked to a safe 160°F to ensure that it is fully cooked through. If you aren’t sure, always ask the butcher or deli department where you are purchasing your ham for specific heating instructions.

Pro Tip: Most hams are sold fully precooked and can easily be overcooked. Since not all ovens or hams are created equal, we highly recommend using an oven-safe meat thermometer.

Oven baked ham with glaze sliced

How to Reheat Ham in a Slow Cooker:

We love to reheat ham in the slow cooker and leftover ham (or a smaller 5-6 lb ham) will easily fit the width and length of a larger crockpot while still being able to fully close the lid. To reheat ham in the slow cooker, place cut-side down and pour over all of your glaze or pan drippings. Place on low heat for about 30 minutes per pound of ham (about 3 hours for a 6 lb ham) or until the internal temperature reaches 140˚F.

Baked Ham Menu:

Baked ham pairs really well with these holiday-worthy sides for a truly memorable feast. We love pouring the pan drippings over the ham so it really doesn’t need gravy.

Watch How to Bake a Ham:

Watch Natasha’s video tutorial for how to bake a ham and you’ll see how easy this is. Make sure you use an oven-safe meat thermometer for perfect results every time.

If you enjoyed this Glazed Baked Ham Video tutorial, be sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel and click the bell icon so you can be the first to know when we share a new video tutorial. THANK YOU for subscribing!

Baked Ham Cooking Chart:

Here’s a quick summary to reference for this glazed baked ham.

  1. Glaze and Bake at 325˚F for 10-11 min per pound (2 hrs for 11.5 lb ham), until internal temp is 110˚F
  2. Glaze and Bake at 425˚F for 10 min
  3. Glaze and Bake at 425˚F for 10 min or until internal temp is 130-135˚F.
  4. Transfer, tent with foil and rest (should get to 140˚F after resting 3 min).
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Baked Ham with the Best Glaze

4.97 from 125 votes
Baked Ham with apricot brown sugar honey glaze on platter
Baked Ham with an Apricot Honey Glaze is a show-stopping roast that is simple to prepare, tender and so juicy. Watch the video tutorial and make this baked ham recipe for your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter dinner.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 20 people

Instructions

  • Let ham sit covered at room temperature 2 hours (or 1 hr for a 6-7 lb ham) before roasting, then remove packaging.
  • While ham is coming to room temperature, make the sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine apricot preserves, honey, brown sugar, dijon, and butter. Bring to a simmer and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly then remove from heat. The sauce should be the consistency of loose honey.
  • Heat oven to 325˚F with the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Line your roasting pan with foil for easier cleanup. Place ham in a roasting pan cut-side down. Brush on 1/3 of the glaze and cover tightly with foil. Bake at 325 for 10-11 minutes per pound (about 2 hours for an 11.5 lb ham). Keep in mind ham is already cooked, and you just want to heat it up to about 110˚F. Use an oven-safe, internal temperature probe to test for doneness.
  • Increase oven to 425˚F. Remove ham from the oven and brush with 1/3 of glaze. Return to oven and bake uncovered 10 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and brush with remaining 1/3 glaze and roast uncovered another 10 minutes until a brown crust has formed and the internal temperature reaches 130-135˚F. Keep in mind once the ham is removed from the oven, the temperature will rise another 5-10 degrees to bring it to the recommended 140˚F.
  • Transfer ham to a serving dish and rest ham 15-20 minutes before serving. Strain pan juices through a sieve, skim off the fat that floats to the top. Spoon pan juices over ham slices when serving.

Nutrition Per Serving

430kcal Calories7g Carbs49g Protein22g Fat6g Saturated Fat195mg Cholesterol3049mg Sodium743mg Potassium1g Fiber6g Sugar52IU Vitamin A61mg Vitamin C20mg Calcium2mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Baked Ham with the Best Glaze
Amount per Serving
Calories
430
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
22
g
34
%
Saturated Fat
 
6
g
38
%
Cholesterol
 
195
mg
65
%
Sodium
 
3049
mg
133
%
Potassium
 
743
mg
21
%
Carbohydrates
 
7
g
2
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
6
g
7
%
Protein
 
49
g
98
%
Vitamin A
 
52
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
 
61
mg
74
%
Calcium
 
20
mg
2
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked ham
Skill Level: Easy/Medium
Cost to Make: $$$
Calories: 430

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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Comments

  • Shelley
    March 28, 2024

    This was the best ham glaze ever, I’ve cooked Easter dinner for 40 years tried many glazes but this by far was the best. Thank you so much, I’m keeping this forever.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 28, 2024

      That’s wonderful to hear, Shelley!

      Reply

  • Sharon L Pena
    March 27, 2024

    Hello,
    Can you recommend an alternate to the apricot jam? Not a big fan of apricot. Thank you!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 27, 2024

      Hi Sharon! You can use any other fruit presence/jam of your choice. I think plum, cranberry, or orange would be yummy- maybe even apple. Let us know what you try.

      Reply

  • Denise
    March 25, 2024

    Have you ever made it a day ahead of time then sliced and warmed in crock pot?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 25, 2024

      Hi Denise! See my note in the blog above, “How to reheat ham in slow cooker.”

      Reply

  • Mary Ellen
    March 23, 2024

    I will be making this ham for Easter and the glaze looks so yummy. Can you tell me the name brand of the pan you are using in the video? It looks like it would be a work horse in the kitchen.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 23, 2024

      Hi Mary Ellen! If you look in the video description on YouTube I have all the products used in the video linked there. I try to do that with all my videos. You can also select “shop” from the menu at the top of the page for my Amazon affiliate shop where I’ve linked my favorites. It’s a Staub 15-inch x 10-inch Roasting Pan that I used here.

      Reply

  • Brittany Chin
    December 29, 2023

    Made this ham for the first time for Christmas Eve dinner, and my entire family loved it! Even my oldest daughter who doesn’t eat much meat devoured it for two days afterwards. The glaze was great, but I did add a little more brown sugar and basically the whole jar of preserves to get a thicker texture. I also added pineapple rings and juice like my mom does. So pretty and delicious! The cooking instructions were spot on. Thanks for sharing this fun, easy and delicious holiday recipe!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      December 29, 2023

      That’s great to hear, Brittany! Thank you for sharing.

      Reply

  • Lisa
    December 16, 2023

    Natasha strikes again. My family was raving about this recipe and I just had to say, “it’s Natasha. She’s the best!” They know exactly who I mean by now. Most of the great dishes are from here. This ham came out juicy and exploding with flavour yet not too intense as some commercial glazes tend to be. It was different and so delicious!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      December 16, 2023

      Aw, thank you so much!

      Reply

  • A
    December 15, 2023

    Would it be ok to sub Raspberry preserves instead of the Apricot?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      December 15, 2023

      Hi A! You can use any flavor preserve in this. I haven’t tried it with raspberry, but sounds great.

      Reply

  • Laura
    April 6, 2023

    Hello, I am using a ham that is not already bake. I live in Italy and it is not easy to find ham! Do you recommend that I cook it the day before then follow this recipe??

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      April 6, 2023

      Hi Laura! Raw/uncooked ham will require a longer baking time and higher internal temperature. I don’t have instructions for that since this tutorial is written for a fully-cooked ham but if you do fully cook it and need to heat it up the day you serve it, you can follow these instructions.

      Reply

  • Jessica
    April 4, 2023

    question: I like to buy the ham at Costco that is not spiral. How would you adjust the recipe for that? I think it is fully cooked as well.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      April 4, 2023

      Hi Jessica! It it’s fully cooked then you can follow the same instructions.

      Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      April 4, 2023

      Hi Jessica! If it’s fully cooked then you can follow the same instructions.

      Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      April 4, 2023

      Hi Jessica! If it’s fully cooked, you can follow the same instructions.

      Reply

  • Earlene Petrey
    March 26, 2023

    Hi! I hope you see this… I’m a few years late on this recipe! You mention Honey Baked Ham as a possible place to get the ham… What do you do with the glaze already on it? Hope you see this🤞. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      March 27, 2023

      Hi, I just add to it. The one I get can technically be served without an extra glaze – it’s pretty tasty but adding the glaze does elevate it and not every ham comes glazed.

      Reply

  • Kristine DeLeasa
    March 26, 2023

    Hi! Hoping to cook my boneless ham in my slow cooker this year since I have alot of “sides”.
    Do you have a recipe for that?
    TYIA!
    Kristine

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 27, 2023

      Hi Kristine, I do not at this time, but I have this note in the recipe, “Bone-In or Boneless? Bone-in will give you better flavor and nicer texture. Boneless can be a little spongy because it’s reshaped after the bone is removed to keep it from falling apart and look more appealing.”

      Reply

  • Heather Carignan
    December 24, 2022

    Natasha- looking for your advice on how to make this at least partially ahead of time. I am cooking a Turkey also and can’t put the ham and Turkey in the oven at the same time. To what point in the recipe would you cook the ham, so that it can be finished after the turkey is done? Or should heat/finish the ham first and if so how long would I heat it for after? I need a second oven ha ha!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 26, 2022

      Hi Heather, I wish I had a better or more helpful suggestion for you, but I have been using two ovens to help solve that.

      Reply

    • Charlie
      November 14, 2023

      If you have an outdoor grill, heat the ham up on that. It works well.

      Reply

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