This glazed Oven Baked Ham will be the crowning jewel of your holiday dinner table. Sweet and savory, always juicy, and cooked to caramelized perfection, it’s sure to impress your guests—but no one will know how easy it was to make!
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Oven-baked ham is the EASIEST holiday dinner.
I love a spiral ham. It comes already cooked and already sliced, so your only job is to glaze it and warm it up.
- This is not a Thanksgiving Turkey that requires you to break out the carving knife! Oven baked ham is simple.
- Ham is is also one of the most delicious meats—it’s deeply savory, juicy, and smoky, and the glaze (I use this easy Brown Sugar Ham Glaze) caramelizes on the outside to add depth and sweetness.
- Baked ham makes a lot, which means you’ll probably have leftovers to use up—and unlike some other types of leftovers (looking at you, sad wilted salad!), ham remains delicious even after a day or two in the fridge. Use it to make Ham Casserole, or just add slices to sandwiches.
5 Star Review
“Made this for a belated Friendsgiving, and it was absolutely delicious! So much easier than I thought it would be. Sent to my mom to try it for Christmas too!”
— Joey —
Spiral-Cut Baked Ham: A Primer
If you’re an old pro when it comes to cooking ham, feel free to skip through this section. New to making oven baked spiral ham? Read on!
- Supermarket hams usually come fully cooked, although some also come partially cooked. Most are also cured and smoked, hence their salty, smoky flavor.
- Spiral ham goes one step further—it’s also cut. The unique spiral cut means that it still holds its shape for that traditional presentation.
- This is convenient because: you don’t have to carve the ham! Just cut along the bone and the slices will fall off. It’s also great because spiral-cut ham is primed to absorb any glazes or marinades you add to it.
The downside of spiral ham is that because it’s pre-cooked and sliced, it’s prone to over-cooking and drying out. That’s why I don’t recommend it for Crockpot Ham. It’s a double-edged sword, friends.
How to Make Oven Baked Ham
Marinate (photo 1). Score the ham if desired, then place it in a large bowl or zip-top bag with the wine. Marinate for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
Prepare. Let the ham come to room temperature for an hour (photo 2), then transfer it to a roasting pan and cover the ham with foil (photo 3).
Cook (photo 4). Bake ham at 325 degrees F for 12 minutes per pound, minus 20 minutes.
Glaze (photo 5). Twenty minutes before the cooking time is done, glaze the ham and bake at 425 degrees F for 15 to 20 more minutes.
Finish (photo 6). Transfer the baked ham to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes (you can make Ham Gravy with the juices while you wait), then serve. ENJOY!
What to Serve with Baked Ham
- Potatoes. Whether it’s Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes, they all pair well with this oven baked ham recipe.
- Vegetable Sides. Smashed Brussels Sprouts and Sautéed Mushrooms are excellent with ham.
- Holiday Favorites. If this spiral-cut ham is the centerpiece of your holiday meal, serve it with classics like Pineapple Casserole, Green Bean Casserole, and Sweet Potato Souffle.
- Bread. Serve your baked ham with bread or rolls, then enjoy the leftovers as ham sandwiches the next day. (This is called strategic planning.) Try my Homemade Dinner Rolls.
- Brunch Dishes. Ham is a cross-over meat that works for brunch and dinner. Serve it alongside Overnight French Toast or Crockpot Breakfast Casserole.
Leftover Ideas
Baked ham leftovers can be used in so many ways, like Ham Salad! Or, use leftover baked ham to add protein to salads; I love it in this Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad and Pea Salad. It’s also a delicious addition to Crustless Quiche, and a key player in my Ham and Cheese Quiche, Ham Sweet Potato Frittata. and Scalloped Potatoes and Ham.
Oven Baked Ham
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Ingredients
- 1 spiral cut ham 9 to 12 pounds or half ham (5 to 7 pounds)
- 1 (750-ml) bottle dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon blanc
- 1 recipe Easy Brown Sugar Ham Glaze or glaze of choice
Instructions
- Check the ham for a plastic removal disk on the bone; if it has one, remove it now. Use a thin, sharp knife to score crosshatch cuts all over the top and sides. Place the ham in a large bowl or ziptop bag. Add the wine and cover the bowl or seal the bag. Let marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight, flipping the ham a few times so it marinates evenly. (If you want to reference the cooking times on the ham package, snap a picture before you toss it.)
- When ready to cook, let the ham stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Calculate how long to bake the ham at 12 minutes per pound (or according to package instructions), then subtract 20 minutes and make a note of the time (ex: a 10-pound ham at 12 minutes per pound is 120 minutes. Subtract 20 minutes and your time is 100 minutes—that’s 1 hour and 40 minutes).
- Remove the ham from the marinade and discard the marinade. Place in a large roasting pan, flat-side down and cover tightly with foil. Bake for the amount of time you calculated in the step above. While the ham bakes, prepare the glaze.
- Twenty minutes before the ham is done cooking, remove it from the oven. Increase the oven's temperature to 425°F. Uncover the ham and slather it all over with the glaze. Return to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the glaze looks nice and caramelized and the ham has reached 140°F on an instant read thermometer. It's already cooked, so you're just looking for it to be heated through—don't overcook or the ham will be dry; depending upon the shape of your ham, you may need a little more or less time. (I typically remove the ham at 135°F as its temperature will rise as it rests). Remove to a cutting board. Let rest 15 minutes, then serve. While the ham rests, use the juices to make Ham Gravy if you like.
Notes
- Nutritional information is calculated based on a 10-pound ham.
- TO STORE: Store leftover baked ham wrapped in foil or plastic wrap or in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
- TO REHEAT: Reheat ham in the microwave, or place it in a baking dish with a few tablespoons of water, broth, or stock; cover and reheat in a 325 degree F oven until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- TO FREEZE: You can freeze leftovers in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat according to the instructions above.
This was delicious. I am not a huge ham fan and I even liked it. The family loved it. I followed the recipe exactly, using apricot jam for the glaze. The glaze really is the star here. And while marinating in wine seemed odd for ham, I will definitely do this every time. This is a great recipe! Thanks, Erin!
Thank you for another amazing recipe. I used this recipe last night. I didn’t have a spiral ham, but it still came out great. I prepared just as the recipe said. The meat was extremely tender and practically fell off the bone. It was so flavorful and the outside was perfectly crisp from the glaze. I’m so happy I gave this recipe a try. I will definitely continue to use this recipe in the future!