How To Cook A Ham
A holiday dinner isn’t complete without a spiral ham at the centerpiece, and we think this one is truly a winner all year-round. Get ready to plan a dinner party around this ham alone! It’s got a tart, smoky, sweet glaze going that gives a fun twist to the traditional pineapple glazed ham. The tart cherries and bourbon work together to bring a slight sour and oaky tartness to the spiral ham while the glaze has just enough cayenne pepper to bring a smoky subtle heat.
Never made a ham before? No stress! Follow our top tips and tricks for making this holiday classic:
How to bake a ham
A spiral cut, naturally smoked ham is perfect for this recipe. Since ham is technically already cooked during its curing process, most of the oven time is for heating the large cut all the way through. Covering with foil before baking helps to make sure the ham doesn’t dry out on the outer layer before the center is warmed through. At the end of the cooking time, use a probe thermometer in the thickest part of the ham to make sure the center has reached at least 125 degrees.
The second cook is uncovered so that the glaze has a change to caramelize on the exterior of the ham and form a sticky crust. It’s untraditional, but so delicious that you just might not make it any other way after you’ve tried it.
How long to bake a ham
Carving the ham
Serve it with some roasted potatoes and don’t forget to save that ham bone to make soup with later!
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
How Do You Bake A Ham And Not Dry It Out
Baking a ham is not as simple as it seems. You need to follow some basic steps in order to make sure the ham doesnt dry out.
First, youll need to choose the right oven temperature and bake the ham according to that temperature.
Next, youll need to mix together the wet ingredients and dry ingredients in a specific order.
Finally, youll need to place the ham in an oven and bake it until its cooked through.
Do You Leave The Plastic On The Ham
The answer is likely not, but its still a good idea to be aware of the dangers of leaving plastics on food. The recycling process can create a number of problems with plastics, including release of toxins that can cause health problems.
Its also important to remember that when plastic is used in products such as packaging, it needs to be disposed of properly.
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How Long Do You Cook A Smoked Ham At 350
Cooking a smoked ham at 350 degrees Fahrenheit can take anywhere from 2-3 hours, but its important to note that cook time will vary depending on the size and shape of the ham.
For example, a small ham will need less time than a larger one. Its also worth keeping in mind that smoking hams at350 degrees Fahrenheit for any length of time can cause them to develop an intense flavor, so be sure to check back often and give them plenty of time to reach their desired doneness.
How Long To Bake Ham

How long to cook a ham depends on the weight and type of ham. Use these guidelines for how long to bake ham for your special occasion:
Boneless cooked ham
- 1½ to 3 pounds bake ¾ to 1¼ hours until 140°F
- 3 to 5 pounds bake 1 to 1¾ hours until 140°F
- 6 to 8 pounds bake 1¾ to 2½ hours until 140°F
- 8 to 10 pounds* bake 2¼ to 2¾ hours until 140°F
Bone-in cooked ham
- 6 to 8 pounds bake 1½ to 2¼ hours until 140°F
- 14 to 16 pounds* bake 2¾ to 3¾ hours until 140°F
Bone-in ham
- 3 to 5 pounds bake 1¾ to 3 hours until 150°F
- 7 to 8 pounds bake 2½ to 3¼ hours until 150°F
- 14 to 16 pounds* bake 4 to 5¼ hours until 150°F
*Note: Hams weighing more than 8 pounds should be loosely covered with foil halfway through roasting.
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How Long To Cook A Ham In Oven
Answer
Cooking a ham in the oven can take anywhere from 30-60 minutes. It really depends on the size of the ham and how well it has been cooked before finishing in the oven.
The average time to cook a ham in an oven is about 25 minutes. However, there are a few things you can do to speed up the process.
How Long You Can Freeze Cooked Ham
You can freeze cooked ham for up to 2 months if you freeze it properly. It is recommended that you divide the ham into equal portions in freezer bags and freeze each portion separately. It is a good idea to remove as much air from the bags as possible and label them with the freezing date. This method simplifies the process of thawing and reheating the ham.
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How To Choose A Holiday Ham
You have a lot of different choices at the store for buying ham:
- Whole ham vs. half ham
- Bone-in vs. boneless
- Fully-cooked vs. partially cooked or uncooked
For this recipe, and for most holiday occasions, we prefer an un-sliced bone-in half ham, preferably from the shank end. A half a ham will comfortably feed at least a dozen people, and cooking it un-sliced means that it’s less likely to dry out. Bone-in hams are more flavorful, and you can use the ham bone to make soup.
Half hams are also either cut from the shank end or from the butt end. The butt end may have more meat, but because of the shape of the bone at that end, is more difficult to cut. The hams pictured here are both from the shank end.
Most hams you buy at the grocery store are already fully cooked. If your ham is a partially cooked ham or an uncooked ham, it will say so on the package. Follow the cooking directions on the package to cook. The directions in this recipe are for a regular, fully-cooked ham.
How Do You Keep A Ham Moist While Cooking
Cooking ham produces a number of moisture-producing factors, including the time of year and the type of cooking method used. To keep hams moist while cooking, follow these tips:
Avoid overcooking: When ham is cooked through, it will be dry and crumbly. Overcooking can produce tough or rubbery hams.
Use aircraving: For best results, use a kitchen knife to carve thin slices in the center of each ham slice and then place them on absorbent paper towels to prevent them from sticking to the pan. This method also helps to reduce cooking time and prevents charring on the outside of the ham.
Add butter or olive oil before serving: Butter or olive oil add flavor and moisture to hams when added during cooking.
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Should Ham Be Baked On The Bottom Rack
When it comes to cooking, some things are just better done on the bottom rack. This is because dirt and other food particles that may be on the upper rack will get caught in the ovens heating elements
and create a fire. Additionally, oven temperatures can be higher on the bottom rack, which makes for a more even baking experience.
How Long Does It Take To Cook A Frozen Ham
18 to 20 minutesone and a half hours
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How Do You Heat A Ham Without Drying It Out
Oven MethodThe goal is to reheat the ham without drying it out. The best way to do this is to place the ham on a rack in a roasting pan. Add water to the bottom of the pan and cover it tightly with foil. Bake at 325 F for 18 to 20 minutes per pound until a meat thermometer registers 140 F.22 Jan 2020
How Do You Cook A Boneless Ham

This is the really easy part. All you have to do is set the ham in a baking dish with some water and cover it. It steams and heats in the oven for about an hour, I usually do 15 minutes per pound.
Now, you can stop right there. The ham is pre-cooked, as Ive mentioned, and its totally safe to eat at this point. But, I prefer to add some flavor and texture with a glaze.
The glaze I use is very simple some butter, brown sugar, orange zest, and spices. It gets brushed all over the ham in several stages, and in between each brushing, it goes back into the oven to caramelize.
When the ham has finished baking, you must rest it for a minimum of 15 minutes before slicing so it stays juicy. But the beauty of it is that you can serve it hot or cold and it will be lovely. Perfect for leftover ham sandwiches!
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How Much Ham Per Person
I like to portion 0.75 pound of ham per person in a serving. This is for bone-in ham. For boneless ham, I will portion 0.5 pound of ham per person. My family find this portion quite filling, especially when I have 2 to 3 side dishes to go with the ham. But if Im preparing a feast for a large group, I would have an extra buffer of 1.5 pounds for every 10 people. Thats to say I would have 9 pounds of ham for 10 people. The reason for having a buffer is that chances that I would have someone with a large appetite for ham increases.
Can I Cook Ham As Bacon
Reduce the heat to medium and add the ham slices. The ham will initially release some liquid and appear soft and floppy, like bacon. Continue cooking on medium, turning occasionally , until both sides are golden and crispy and all fat has rendered, about 10 minutes total.
Should steak be pan-fried or baked?
Is steak better prepared on the stovetop or in the oven? Both! You wouldnt believe it would make such a significant difference, but it does. The pan-searing on the stove imparts the desired browned flavor, and the extremely hot oven finishes cooking the steak.
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What Happens If You Eat Raw Ham
You can develop trichinosis by eating undercooked meat infected with Trichinella roundworms. The recommended temperatures for cooking meat can help prevent infections. TB is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is spread through the air when someone with TB coughs, sneezes, or has a fever.
TB can also be spread from person to person through contact with infected body fluids, such as blood, urine, and feces. People with active TB should be tested for TB at least once every 6 months. If you are not sure if you have TB, ask your doctor or health care provider for a TB test.
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Brown Sugar Glaze For Ham
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Brown Sugar Glaze is the perfect addition to your holiday ham. A combination of brown sugar and honey are flavored with the addition of orange juice, dijon mustard and some warm spices.
Simply simmer the mixture until thick and brush the glaze over your ham at the end of cooking.
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One Recipe Two Glazes
For this recipe, my friend Suzanne and I baked two hams, one with Suzanne’s favorite sweet hot honey mustard glaze, and one with an intriguing honey thyme glaze from an old issue of Gourmet magazine.
We used regular non-spiral cut hams, scored them first in a diamond pattern, applied a glaze, cooked, basted with glaze, and finished browning in the broiler. Both hams turned out beautifully.
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Can You Freeze Pre
Yes, you can freeze a pre-cooked ham.
I suggest cutting your ham up into smaller portions and freezing it in airtight containers or freezer bags with aluminum foil that way it’s easier to get those smaller portions out and re-heat them.
When it’s time to re-heat, just make sure you have plenty of time for thawing, especially if you’re thawing a big, huge ham.
Keep in mind, according to the USDA, you can store a spiral-cut ham or ham leftovers in the fridge for about 3 to 5 days and you can freeze them for about 1 to 2 months.
Ham It Up This Holiday Season With Our Tutorial On Different Types Of Hams Plus How To Cook A Tender Juicy Ham In The Oven In A Slow Cooker Or On A Grill

A gorgeous baked ham is the best centerpiece we can think of for holiday meals. It looks impressive , but takes very little work to get on the table. Luckily, there are many ways to cook a ham. You can bake ham, grill it, or even cook it in a slow cooker! So even if your oven is full of holiday sides or pies, you’ve got other appliance options. We’ll tell you how to cook ham all those ways, plus offer tips on carving and how to choose a ham when you’re at the grocery store.
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How Do You Fry Raw Ham
How Long To Cook Boneless Ham In Oven
Ham is pretty easy to cook and easy to tailor to your taste with seasonings and glazes. And did you know that ham is easy to get in grocery stores all year round?
And no matter the time, it makes an impressive centerpiece.
Ham comes from the legs of a pig. Boneless ham is generally pieces of leg meat that are jelled together and then wrapped in a casing of a large piece of ham meat.
It is easy to cook and slice as it doesnt have bones for you to work around. Therefore, if its your first time hosting, opt for boneless ham its much less hassle.
So, how long do you cook a boneless ham in the oven? Well, it takes 20 minutes to cook a pound of boneless ham at 350 degrees F.
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How To Cook A Stuffed Spiral Ham
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line a shallow roasting pan with foil. Between the slices of one 8- to 10-pound spiral-sliced ham insert half a thinly sliced orange four garlic cloves, slivered and sprigs of fresh rosemary and/or thyme all the way around the ham. Transfer ham flat side down to the prepared pan. Cover with foil. Bake 2 to 2½ hours or until browned and heated through . For the last 45 minutes of cooking, uncover and spoon glaze over ham . Transfer to a platter using two large, wide spatulas.
How Long Do You Cook A Smithfield Fully Cooked Ham
Smithfield is a popular ham company that produces a wide variety of ham products. One of the most popular types of Smithfield ham is their fully cooked ham.
Fully cooked hams are a great choice for those who like their ham to be tender and juicy. Some people believe that cooking a Smithfield fully cooked ham can take some time, so it is important to keep track of how long it will take you.
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