This Honey Glazed Spiral Ham recipe delivers the most incredible flavored ham. Studded with whole cloves then coated in a simple glaze made up of honey, brown sugar, orange juice, and garlic powder. So perfect for Easter, Christmas, or any occasion!
This spiral ham recipe is so easy, you can even make it anytime for an easy weeknight dinner and use up leftovers in soups and sandwiches throughout the week!
Easy Honey Glazed Ham Recipe
A spiral ham seems pretty synonymous with Christmas dinner and also Easter. And I’m on board with both. Several years ago I even started making a ham for Thanksgiving too, since nobody over here really loves turkey. Never once have I regretted that decision, especially since I have this honey glazed spiral ham recipe that everyone looks forward to.
This glazed baked ham is moist, sweet, and perfect for any holiday meal. With just six ingredients, it’s super easy to make, too. Because hams are typically pre-cooked, you’re really just warming it through, so it’s great for a novice cook who might be hosting dinner for the first time, but no less impressive if you’re an experienced cook.
One of my favorite things about making baked ham is having leftovers the next day for Eggs Benedict casserole, ham and bean soup, and hot ham and cheese sliders!
Ingredients Needed
This recipe calls for only 4 ingredients in the spiral ham glaze, plus cloves and the ham.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Ham – A fully cooked 7-8 pound, bone-in spiral cut ham. See notes below for more detail.
- Whole cloves – A pungent warm spice with an wonderful intense flavor and aroma.
- Honey – Use a good quality honey.
- Brown sugar – This provides sweetness and notes of molasses. Either light or dark brown sugar is fine.
- Orange juice – The tart orange juice helps to balance out the sweetness of the cake.
- Garlic powder – For flavor.
Choosing the Right Ham
Being at the grocery store and looking at all your ham options can feel overwhelming, so let’s break it down and make sure you pick the right ham for you.
- Unsliced or Spiral Cut. I always use a spiral cut ham. Since it’s pre-sliced, obviously that makes life easier and more importantly, the glaze is able to get in-between all the layers, so the ham absorbs even better flavor. If you buy a ham that is not pre-cut/spiraled, you can score the ham in a diamond pattern using a sharp knife, cutting off the hard rind and some of the fat first.
- Bone-in or Boneless. A bone-in ham has extra flavor and tends to be juicier than a boneless ham. The added bonus is that you can use the leftover ham bone in ham bean soup and split pea soup!
- Cured or Smoked. Both a cured and smoked ham have been “pre-cooked. A cured ham has been cooked through a brining method, whereas a smoked ham has been cured and also smoked. Both delicious depending on your taste.
How Much Ham Do I Need?
Allow for approximately 1/2 to 3/4 pound of bone-in ham per person. Some people will eat more, some will eat less. Also think about how much you’ll want for leftovers the next day.
- 3 to 4 pound bone-in ham will feed 5 to 6 people.
- 5 to 6 pound bone-in ham will feed 8 to 10 people.
- 7 to 9 pound bone-in ham will feed 12 to 14 people.
How to Cook A Spiral Ham
- Prep the ham. Place ham cut side down on a rack set in a shallow roasted pan that’s coated with nonstick spray. Place the cloves all around the ham in-between the spirals.
- Make the glaze. Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze and drizzle 1/3 of the mixture over the ham, spreading it evenly.
- Bake. Cover the ham with foil and bake at 325F until a thermometer reads 140F in the thickest part, drizzling the glaze 2 to 3 more times during the cooking process with the final drizzle during the last 20 minutes withOUT the foil.
- Serve. Let the ham rest for about 10 minutes then swerve with any reserved sauce or pan drippings.
How Long To Cook A Spiral Ham
Your spiral ham is done cooking when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 140F, which is warmed through. This can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours depending on how many pounds your ham is.
What to Serve with Ham
For a complete dinner, you’ll need some tasty side dishes for ham that compliment its sweet and savory flavors. You can’t go wrong with roasted carrots, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, or creamed corn. Dinner rolls, popovers, cornbread, or a side salad also help round out the meal.
Proper Storage
- Storing leftovers. Leftover baked ham should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and will keep for 3-4 days.
- To freeze. Wrap the baked cooled ham securely in plastic wrap and again in foil, then transfer to a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. Freeze for no longer than 3 months for best results. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Leftover Ham Recipes:
Nothing beats fantastic ham leftovers. Here are some of our best recipes for leftover ham.
- Ham Salad
- Eggs Benedict casserole
- Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup
- Ham and Potato Soup
- Split Pea Soup
- Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Hawaiian Pizza
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Honey Glazed Spiral Ham
Ingredients
- 8 pound fully cooked bone-in spiral ham (make sure it's not already glazed)
- 15 whole cloves
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F. Place a baking rack in a shallow pan. Coat with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place ham cut side down on the rack. Distribute the cloves all around the ham, in between the spirals.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, brown sugar, orange juice, and garlic powder; Drizzle 1/3 of the glaze over the ham, spreading evenly. Cover with foil.
- Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 140 (between 1 & 1/2 to 2 hours depending on how many pounds your ham is.)
- Drizzle the glaze 2-3 more times during the cooking process, spacing as evenly as you can, with the final drizzle during the last 20 minutes without the foil.
- Let ham rest for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy with any reserved sauce or pan drippings.NOTE: for more information about choosing the right ham and how much ham you should purchase, please refer to the article.
My best ham in 50 years. My husband is not a fan of cloves, so didn’t use them. Ham was perfectly warmed, not dried out, sweet to eat. Just loved it. Amy thanks for teaching me how to have a perfect ham for our clan.
My family loves ham – leftovers the next day are the best!
My family freaking loved this! So much better than those glaze packets the ham comes with!
This ham was incredible!!! My new go to!
I for one like having alternate main courses for Thanksgiving. I have had ham and prime rib on different occasions. I will not mention the Mexican Thanksgiving that my wife’s family once had. At least in public.
Truly delicious!