Maple Bourbon Glazed Ham is a perfect main course for Easter, Christmas, or any special occasion. It is moist and smoky inside with a caramelized glaze on the outside for a bit of sweetness and a little pecan crunch to be just a little extra.
This baked ham is so easy to make – it is moist, tender, and delicious inside. Then, the outside is drizzled with a maple and bourbon glaze and caramelized for just the right amount of sweetness, bite, and crunch. This baked ham is the kind of ham that is impressive enough for special occasions — like Easter and Christmas — but it is easy enough to make that it can be served any time of year! (I like to buy a big ham when they are on sale and have a fancy dinner date with my husband, then use the leftovers to make White Beans and Ham or his favorite – Red Beans and Rice.)
Baking a ham is actually surprisingly easy, even though it seems a little daunting. You just need to be sure that it heats all the way through without overcooking — and if your oven is slightly possessed like mine is, use an oven thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature.
Table of Contents
🥘 Glaze Ingredients
- Maple Syrup or Honey
- Bourbon – I like to use Bulleit Bourbon, Woodford Reserve, or Wheel House.
- Brown Sugar
- Butter – I like to use salted butter.
- Pecans
🍽 Equipment Needed
- A Roasting Pan
- Measuring Cups/Spoons
- A Saucepan
- A Rubber Spatula or Spoon
- A Large Bowl
- Aluminum Foil
🥣 How to Make It
How Do You Bake a Ham?
Most of the time when you purchase ham, it has been smoked which means it’s actually already fully cooked. (Be sure to check the package of your ham to make sure that it does say fully cooked.)
An already cooked ham needs to be cooked to 140°F or 145°F – basically just to heat it up – but a ham that has not yet been cooked needs to reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
When cooking ham, you always want to cover the ham in foil and wrap it all away around the edges of your roasting pan. (A 9×13 pan works best.)
Remove the foil and pour the bourbon glaze over the ham as it finishes baking.
How Long Does a Ham Take to Cook?
I like to use a pre-smoked, bone-in ham because it will have the most flavor. (I also like having the bone leftover to make Slow Cooker White Beans and Ham and Red Beans and Rice – or Hoppin’ John for New Years Day!) These pre-sliced/pre-smoked hams average around 7 – 10 pounds each.
This recipe is time for about 15 minutes per pound, so an 8-pound ham will take about 2 hours.)
How Much Ham Do You Need Per Person?
If you want to use a bone-in, pre-sliced, pre-cooked ham (these are the easiest to find in the store – you should plan on a little less than a pound of ham per person, plus a little extra for leftovers. (I like to use leftover ham to make White Beans and Ham, a Ham & Gruyere Frittata, Hoppin’ John, or Red Beans and Rice.) An average-sized 8 – 10 pound ham should feed 9 – 10 people.
🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
A pre-cooked/spiral/smoked ham takes about 15 minutes per pound to cook.
If you want to use a bone-in, pre-sliced, pre-cooked ham (these are the easiest to find in the store – you should plan on a little less than a pound of ham per person, plus a little extra for leftovers. An average-sized 8 – 10 pound ham should feed 9 – 10 people.
Pre-cooked ham needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 140/145°F and a raw ham needs to reach 160°F.
🥫 Storage/Shelf Life/Reheating
Once cooled, store leftover ham in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Alternatively, you can freeze it. I like to remove the ham from the bone before freezing and freeze the bone separately, that way it is ready to throw in the broth for white beans, red beans, or black-eyed peas.
Leftover ham is perfect to add to your favorite breakfast recipe or use with sandwiches or soups.
It can be enjoyed cold, but if you want to serve ham warm bake slices of ham in the oven at 275°F for 10 – 15 minutes until it is warmed all the way through.
✏️ Helpful Tips
- When baking ham, cover it with foil to heat fully, then bake uncovered once coated in glaze.
- Always get a bigger ham than you think you need – just be sure it fits in your oven. Leftover ham is so versatile!
What Can you Serve With Glazed Ham?
A beautiful ham needs tasty sides to go with it. We love serving ham with:
Have You Tried This Recipe?
Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!
Maple Glazed Ham
Ingredients
- 1 spiral sliced smoked ham (7 – 10 pounds)
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
- 2 cups pecan halves chopped
- 2 cup maple syrup or honey
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons butter (I prefer salted butter)
Instructions
Bake the Ham
- Preheat oven to 275°F.
- Remove the ham from its wrapping and place it with the flat side down on a shallow roasting pan. Cover with foil.
- Place the ham in the oven and bake for about an hour and a half.
Prepare the Glaze When the Timer has 15 Minutes Left
- In a small pot on the stove over medium heat, combine butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, bourbon, and pecans and bring to a boil.
- Let the mixture boil gently for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring frequently so that the sugars do not burn.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for about 6 – 8 minutes, then remove from heat.
Pour Glaze over the Ham & Finish Baking
- When the timer goes off, remove ham from the oven.
- Pour the warm glaze evenly over the top of the ham.
- Return the ham to the oven for an additional 30 minutes to finish baking and to let the glaze soak in. (Ham is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.)
- Remove the ham from the oven and let cool for 5 – 10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
🥫 How to Store Leftover Ham
Once cooled, store leftover ham in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Alternatively, you can freeze it. I like to remove the ham from the bone before freezing and freeze the bone separately, that way it is ready to throw in the broth for white beans, red beans, or black-eyed peas.📋 Glazed Ham Tips
- When baking ham, cover it with foil to heat fully, then bake uncovered once coated in glaze.
- Always get a bigger ham than you think you need – just be sure it fits in your oven. Leftover ham is so versatile!
Special Equipment Needeed
- a roasting pan
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
