This is the only ham recipe you need for every Easter, Christmas, and special event you host! Maple brown sugar glazed ham is the perfect balance between sweet and savory. It is super easy to make, uses simple ingredients, and best of all, comes out fork tender and perfectly caramelized every time.
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Table of Contents
- Best Entrees for Holidays and Special Occasions
- Why You'll Love Brown Sugar Maple Glazed Ham
- Ingredients
- Equipment Needed
- How to Cook a Spiral Ham in the Oven
- How to Make Maple Brown Sugar Ham Glaze
- How to Glaze Spiral Ham
- Alternate Cooking Method - Crock Pot Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
- Recipe Variations
- What to Serve with Maple Glazed Ham
- How to Use Leftover Ham
- How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat Leftover Spiral Ham
- More Recipes with Ham
Best Entrees for Holidays and Special Occasions
Ham is a traditional meat for special occasions like Easter and Christmas. When you glaze the ham with both brown sugar and maple syrup, you'll infuse caramelized and sweet flavors into every bite. It's sweet without being overwhelmingly so - basically, it's perfect.
Looking for more easy but delicious dinners for your next special occasion? For those that love pork try this Bacon-wrapped Pork Tenderloin, for beef, this beautiful Eye of Round Roast, and for the poultry lover, there's a golden Honey Roasted Turkey Breast.
Why You'll Love Brown Sugar Maple Glazed Ham
Not only does this brown sugar glazed ham with maple syrup show off beautifully, it tastes incredible too! Ham is already a salty-sweet meat so when you add two different types of sugar on top, it enhances everything and makes it taste incredible!
This is a perfect recipe for beginning or distracted cooks. There are just a handful of ingredients, and a few simple steps and the ham is easily roasted to perfection.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make maple brown sugar ham glaze:
- Light brown sugar
- Maple syrup
- Orange
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground ginger
- Ground cloves
For the ham:
- Spiral sliced ham, either bone-in or boneless
Note: Be sure to get a plain ham, one that isn't already glazed or coated.
How much ham per person?
You'll need about ¾ pound of a bone-in spiral ham per person. A 10-pound ham would feed about 13 people.
For a boneless spiral ham, figure on ½ pound per person. A 10-pound ham would make 20 servings.
Equipment Needed
How to Cook a Spiral Ham in the Oven
Set the ham out on the counter for 2 hours prior to cooking it to bring it to room temperature.
- Line a roasting pan with foil (for easy cleanup).
- Remove the packaging from the ham and wrap it tightly with aluminum foil. Place the ham cut side down in the pan. Place in the oven and bake the ham at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes per pound or until done (internal temperature is145°F).
How to Make Maple Brown Sugar Ham Glaze
- Place brown sugar and maple syrup in a medium saucepan. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
- Pour orange juice and add orange zest to saucepan and stir to combine.
- Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer the glaze for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
How to Glaze Spiral Ham
- Once the ham has finished baking in the oven, open up the foil but do not remove the ham from the foil. Pour the glaze over the ham then bake at 275°F for 20 to 30 more minutes.
- Remove from oven and pull the foil back from the ham. Allow the ham to cool for 15 minutes then lift to a platter, carve and serve.
Alternate Cooking Method - Crock Pot Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
You can cook this brown sugar-glazed ham with maple syrup in a crock pot or slow cooker. Here's how:
- Make the glaze.
- Place the ham in the crock pot or slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, basting the ham with the glaze after each hour of cooking time.
Recipe Variations
It's easy to change up the glaze to make this glazed ham with different flavors. Here are some ideas:
- Maple Bourbon Glazed Ham - Add ¼ cup of bourbon to the glaze.
- Brown Sugar and Honey Glazed Ham - Substitute the maple syrup with honey.
- Maple Sugar Glaze for Ham - Use ⅓ cup of maple sugar instead of ½ cup of brown sugar.
- Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham - Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard.
- Pineapple Brown Sugar Glazed Ham - Use ¼ to ⅓ cups of pineapple juice instead of the juice from the orange.
What to Serve with Maple Glazed Ham
Make a complete meal:
- Buttermilk Biscuits - And they also make great ham breakfast sandwiches.
- Homemade French Bread and use the slices for sandwiches.
- Cheesy Orzo with Broccoli
- Four Cheese Mac and Cheese
- Hasselback Potatoes (air fryer)
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Lime Jello Salad
- Red Skin Potato Salad
How to Use Leftover Ham
Here are a few great ideas for using ham leftovers for a tasty breakfast or lunch:
Take a look at even more leftover Easter ham recipes.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat Leftover Spiral Ham
Note that leftover ham should not sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Storing leftover spiral ham:
- Once your ham has been cooked, allow it to cool down to room temperature.
- Slice the ham into small portions for easy storage.
- Place the sliced ham into an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- Store the container or wrapped ham in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing leftover spiral ham:
- If you're not planning to consume the leftover spiral ham within a few days, you can freeze it for extended storage.
- Slice the ham into small portions.
- Wrap the ham portions tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, making sure there are no air pockets.
- Place the wrapped ham into a freezer-safe container or freezer bag, and label it with the date.
- Store the container or bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thaw it in the fridge overnight.
Reheating leftover spiral ham:
- Preheat your oven to 325°F.
- Place the sliced ham in an oven-safe dish and cover it with foil.
- Bake the ham for approximately 10 to 15 minutes per pound or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
- Alternatively, you can reheat the ham in a microwave by placing it in a microwave-safe dish, covering it with a damp paper towel, and heating it on medium power in 30-second intervals until it reaches the desired temperature.
More Recipes with Ham
- Air Fryer Monte Cristo
- Ham and Cheese Quiche
- Gnocchi Gratin with Ham
- Hawaiian Roll Breakfast Sliders
- Scalloped Potatoes with Ham
Find lots of easy recipes for dinner right here on 2CM!
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Maple Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
Ingredients
- 8-11 lb spiral ham bone-in, fully cooked
Glaze
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- 1 orange zested and juiced
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Let ham come to room temperature for at least 2 hours prior to cooking.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
- Prepare a roasting pan by lining the pan with foil for easier cleanup.
- Unwrap the ham, removing all wrap as well as the plastic bone insert. Wrap tightly with aluminum foil nd place in the prepared pan, cut side down
- Bake for 12-15 minutes per pound or until ham reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
- While ham is baking, place all the ingredients for the glaze into a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium high heat, whisking frequently. Lower the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring a few times.
- When the ham is finished cooking, remove from the oven and turn the foil back, leaving it around the bottom.
- Spoon or pour the glaze over the ham, making sure to get it in between the slices.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees and return the ham to the oven, uncovered. Continue cooking 20-30 more minutes.
- Remove from oven and unwrap the foil and place ham on a large serving plate. Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Once your ham has been cooked, allow it to cool down to room temperature.
- Slice the ham into small portions for easy storage.
- Place the sliced ham into an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- Store the container or wrapped ham in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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