The BEST Honey Glazed Ham Recipe (2024)

This tender, moist and perfectly sweet Honey Glazed Ham recipe is cooked in its own juices and glazed with a mixture of honey, pineapple juice and brown sugar. This honey baked ham is sweet and salty, buttery and sticky, and the star of any holiday table!! PLUS I HAVE SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS TOO!

I love Easter! Well, I love any holiday that calls for copious amounts of delicious food and almost too-many family members buzzing around to enjoy it.

Since I was a little girl, Easter Sunday was always special. My mother made it a point to buy me new clothes (Sunday best of course) and comb my hair a bit harder than usual.

After church service, I enjoyed the usual egg hunts and outdoor play until lunch was ready. The location of our meal rotated each year but the contents of the table stayed the same. There were Big Mama’s dinner rolls, candied sweet potatoes, collard greens, and best of all, Glazed Honey Ham.

This honey baked ham recipe makes a main course that will get rave reviews for holidays and special occasions. In addition to Easter, it’s perfect for Christmas and Thanksgiving too!

Today’s easy honey glazed ham recipe with brown sugar is an ode to the memories of my childhood. It’s sweet yet salty, always tender and sticky on the fingers. You might not be ready for this y’all!

What is Honey Baked Glazed Ham?

Each year, in the early Spring, Easter tables are set with pastel napkins and bunny-shaped shakers. Since the 1940’s, hams have served as the star of Easter meals in the U.S.

In the two weeks leading up to Easter, Americans buy an average of 8.5 million pounds of whole ham. Ham seems to go along with Easter festivities as much as baskets and egg hunts.

Brown sugar honey glazed ham is traditionally coated in a crispy, spiced sugar glaze then, slowly baked to perfection. The result is a tender, moist and sweet-salty ham served whole. After being sliced and served, this ham never lasts long!

Ingredients

With few ingredients and a lot of patience, you can create a delicious centerpiece for this year’s Easter lunch.

Let’s break down what you’ll need:

• Unsalted Butter: I highly recommend using unsalted butter since ham is already a bit salty. The butter aids in melting the sugar and adds a richer flavor to the ham glaze.
• Brown Sugar: The key to a classic Ham glazed with honey is a sweet, caramel-like glaze. Each bite should be coated in a sticky-sweet sauce made to balance out the saltiness of pork. Brown sugar is sweet, molasses-ey and when melted, exceptionally sticky. Perfect.
• Honey: What’s a ham without honey? Honey is floral, fruity and sometimes, buttery. Not only is the added sweetness welcome but, just like brown sugar, its texture sticks to the skin of the ham.
• Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard is a milky mixture of onion, garlic, salt, white wine, mustard powder and a touch of honey. It is less vinegary than typical mustard and therefore, less harsh. The addition of this mustard adds heat and brightness in all the best ways.
• Pineapple Juice: Pineapple juice adds in the necessary acidity that cuts through all the sugar. Tartness pairs wonderfully with any sweet-salty recipe. Decorating with whole slices of pineapple will also make for a gorgeous ham.
• Ham: Let’s not forget the ham. Choose a precooked, spiral-cut, bone-in ham. It’s important to make sure you get one that doesn’t already have a glaze on it.

WARNING: Pork is inherently a very salt-forward protein. Some store-bought hams will have also already been brined in salt water. As with any other recipe, salt and pepper your ham as needed. Use a light hand and be very careful!

How To Make Honey Glazed Ham

Anytime a recipe calls for a large, whole cut of meat, there is an assumption that it will be difficult to make. This ham does not fit that description. There are three crucial components to this recipe: a fresh ham, a well-balanced glaze and an oven timer.

Make the Honey Glaze Recipe

Making the best honey baked ham starts with the ham glaze recipe. It’s easy to make and can actually be made ahead of time if you want.

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in the brown sugar, honey, mustard, pineapple juice, garlic powder and paprika until combined.
2. Allow the mixture to cook for about 5-7 minutes or until it bubbles and somewhat thickens.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat. It will continue to thicken as it stands.

Prep the Ham

Once you’ve got the glaze prepared, grab your baking pan, preheat the oven, and get the the ham ready to cook.

1. Place the ham cut side down in the pan (or slow cooker). Score the ham by making shallow cuts along the top of the thicker skin. This allows the delicious honey glaze for ham to penetrate the skin of the ham.
2. Brush one-third of the glaze over the top of the ham.

Oven Baked Glazed Ham

1. Bake the ham for 1 ½ hours. Then turn the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Brush the ham again with half of the remaining glaze.
2. Bake for an 15 additional minutes, then finally brush ham with remaining glaze you have.
3. Place ham under broiler for 3-5 minutes to allow glaze to get sticky. The brown sugar glaze should be super seeped in and delicious.

Slow Cooker Glazed Ham

As if this recipe couldn’t get any easier, this baked ham recipe is a slow-cooker friendly.

Early Easter afternoon is a busy time; we’re all bustling around the kitchen with the oven cranked high and the apron tied tight. So, why not free up a little space in the oven and make use of your slow cooker?

The low, slow heat of the slow cooker gently braises the ham which makes for the best melt-in-the-mouth pork you’ve ever had.

TOP TIP: Use the Right Ham! You don’t wanna use a boneless ham in a slow-cooker. Instead, buy a spiral-cut ham that is fully cooked and has the bone in. Butt-end hams fit into slow-cooker a bit more easily. A 10-pound ham is as big as you can fit into a 6-quart slow-cooker. Make sure you spray it completely with non stick spray.

1. Place the ham in the slower cooker. Make sure you’ve already prepped it!
2. Once the ham is cozy in the slow-cooker, pour the glaze over the ham and try to cover as much ground as possible. Don’t worry if there are uncovered portions.
3. The key here is LOW AND SLOW. Set a timer for about 8 hours (it might take 5 depending on size of ham) and cook on the low setting. Do your best to baste the ham with glaze every hour or so. I would also suggest flipping the ham halfway through cooking.

How to Store

Leftover ham is rare because man, does it go quickly. But, if you find yourself with a few extra slices, it’s important to store it properly. Store the ham (in its juices) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

BONUS TIP: This ham makes for the best next-day ham sandwiches. Make sure you’ve got good bread and some extra mustard on hand. Dipping the sandwiches in the juices takes it to a new level.

What to Serve with Ham

Since this is a holiday recipe, I would suggest serving this ham alongside your favorite sides. From mashed potatoes and deviled eggs to sweet rolls and cornbread dressing, ham goes with just about anything.

If you need a few ideas, here are a few of Grandbaby Cakes’ BEST side dishes:

• Southern Collard Greens
• Candied Sweet Potatoes
• Southern Cornbread
• Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Honey Glazed Carrots
• Green Bean Casserole

Expert Tips and FAQs

• Slow Cooker Tips: Butt-end hams fit into slow-cooker a bit more easily. Above all, take into consideration the size of your slow-cooker. A 10-pound ham is as big as you can fit in
• Make ahead: The glaze can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
• Choose a spiral cut ham for the best pineapple honey glazed ham.
• Score the ham before adding the glaze so the flavors penetrate more of the meat.

More Holiday Recipes You’ll Love

• Fried Turkey Recipe
• Turkey Gravy
• Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
• Southern Pecan Pie
• Southern Caramel Cake

*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!

This post was originally published March 2020. It has been republished with new content.