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If you’re looking for that perfect ham for holidays, weeknight meals or just because this Brown Sugar Glazed Baked Ham Recipe is just what you need. Simple, flavorful and easy!

Finished Honey Baked Ham on platter with oranges

This Baked Ham Recipe is a recipe that I have been making for many years now, it took me awhile to perfect my favorite ham, but this one stuck and everyone has really enjoyed it.

I love ham, always have. It is one of my favorite dishes at any holiday feast or just a regular meal. It’s something a lot of people grew up on and have come to enjoy.

It is a simple and easy ham recipe that doesn’t take many ingredients or special techniques to do, just a normal recipe for normal cooks like me who love to serve delicious dishes.

Now if you didn’t know, I went to culinary school and I did learn a lot from there especially what flavors play nice together. Alone with other various things that would maybe intrigue or bore you.

But when I come up with a recipe, I make sure that the flavors are on point and enjoyable and with this Honey Baked Ham that is exactly what they are.

Some may seem untraditional, but trust me, I do it for a purpose and once you taste this moist delicious meal you will be so happy that you did.

This Brown Sugar Glazed Baked Ham Recipe will stick in your memory for years to come. Let’s get into it!

Some of our other favorite HAM RECIPES we have on our site include: Ham and Cheese Savory Bread Pudding, Creamy Green Pea Salad with Ham (Best & Easy Recipe), and Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese with Ham.

Sliced Honey Baked Ham on plate with mashed potatoes and green beans

Jump to:

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
HOW TO MAKE BROWN SUGAR GLAZED BAKED HAM RECIPE:
FAQ: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
WHAT KIND OF HAM SHOULD I USE?
WHAT SHOULD I SERVE WITH HAM?
ANY ADDITIONS?
ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?
HOW TO STORE:
DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
Honey Baked Ham

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

Minimal easy to find ingredients help this dish come together in no time.
This served a lot of people, if you have a larger ham, just make more sauce for it.
It is a classic dish with a slight twist that is bound to perk the taste buds of whomever eats it!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):

Ham
Beer
Apple juice
Honey
Mustard
Brown sugar
Apple cider vinegar
Cloves

Ingredients needed to make Honey Baked Ham

HOW TO MAKE BROWN SUGAR GLAZED BAKED HAM RECIPE:

Place the oven rack to the bottom position. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place a roasting rack in the bottom of a roasting pan. If you do not have a roasting rack you can make one by taking a large piece of foil, condensing it down into a long rope, then securing the ends together to form a circle. Place the ham cut side down onto the rack.
If desired, cut the skin off of the ham.
Gently score through the fat in a diamond shape all over the ham with a pairing knife, do not cut too deep into the meat. Pour the beer into the bottom of the roasting pan and 1/2 cup of the apple juice. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, add the remaining apple juice, honey, grainy mustard, dijon, brown sugar, vinegar, and ground cloves. Whisk the ingredients together and bring it to a simmer until smooth, whisking constantly for about 3-5 minutes. Brush half the glaze all over the ham.
Cover the ham with foil, you may need to overlap two pieces of foil to fit, and bake at 325ºF for an hour and a half to two hours or until the internal temp reaches 110°F.
Remove the foil, turn the oven up to 375°F, and brush with half of the remaining glaze. Return the ham to the oven and continue to bake for another 20-30 minutes, until an internal temperature reaches 130°F.
Turn the broiler on low. Brush with the remaining glaze, place into the oven until bubbly, golden brown with a slight char. Keep an eye on it the whole time as it can burn quickly.
Transfer the ham to a cutting board and rest for 20 minutes before carving.

FAQ: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:

WHAT KIND OF HAM SHOULD I USE?

For this Honey Baked Ham Recipe we used a Shank End Smoked Ham. That means that this ham is bone in. We do not like to use the spiral cut ham for this recipe.

There is no rhyme or reason behind it, but we find that the flavor really sticks in to the scores of this type of ham compared to a spiral ham instead so this is what we have always used.

According to taste of home the definition of a Shank end ham is as follows “The shank end (or leg portion) sports that classic ham profile, so it’s a good choice for a picture-perfect table. The meat tends to be leaner and it has one long bone, which makes carving easier. The butt end (the top half of the ham) has more tender, fattier meat, lending a richer flavor.”

This is the main reason that we love this ham for our Honey Baked Ham Recipe and have never turned back in all these years!

Just look at those perfect slices! They are absolutely delicious! Now the second thing that you need to think of when making ham is what is great to serve with it!

WHAT SHOULD I SERVE WITH HAM?

There is so much that you can serve with ham that it is crazy to pick just a few things but I’ll share some of my favorite recipes that we make.

There are so many things that you can serve with this Honey Baked Ham, that the possibilities are endless, just make what you love to make. These are just some of the things that we make often.

ANY ADDITIONS?

You know it. I’ve always got a few ideas up my sleeve.

Pineapple rings or pineapple slices: Adds a sweet and tangy twist, especially great for your Easter dinner or Christmas dinner table
Whole cloves: Stud them into the diamond pattern on the outside of the ham for a classic touch
Maple syrup: A great added bonus to the brown sugar ham glaze
Orange juice or pineapple juice: Mix into the glaze ingredients for fruity depth
Pan drippings: Use for ham stock, gravy, or a flavorful base for bean soup
Serving platter garnish: Add fresh herbs or roasted veggies for presentation
Crushed red pepper: For a sweet heat contrast
Apple wedges or sliced onions: Place in the bottom of the large roasting pan for added flavor
Extra brown sugar: Sprinkle on top before broiling to caramelize the outer layer
Fresh rosemary or thyme: Boosts aroma and holiday appeal

ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?

Next time you try a ham, maybe you wanna change it up a bit. Here you go!

Beer: Swap with apple juice, pineapple juice, orange juice, chicken stock, lemon-lime soda, or white wine
Brown sugar: Use maple syrup or honey in the glaze for a rich variation
Dijon mustard: Replace with spicy brown mustard, yellow mustard, or stone-ground mustard
Grainy mustard: Sub with more dijon or any whole-grain mustard
Apple cider vinegar: Use white vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or lemon juice
Bone-in ham: Try spiral-cut ham, boneless ham, butt portion, full ham, or even a precooked ham or cured ham from the grocery store
Ground cloves: Use whole cloves for more intense flavor and classic presentation
Aluminum foil: Use any heavy-duty foil or a roasting pan lid to cover during cooking

Overhead of finished Honey Baked Ham on oranges

HOW TO STORE:

To store ham the best way to do so is to cut if all off the bone and place it in an airtight container and in the refrigerator it will keep for up to 3-4 days, you can reheat in the microwave.

This can also be frozen, do the same as above but place in a freezer safe container or freezer bag and it should keep up to 3-4 months frozen. To reheat let thaw in refrigerator overnight and then microwave.

DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:

I love to save the cooking liquid and I serve it along with the ham as a thin gravy. It is so flavorful and I don’t want to waste it.
After your large event (or Tuesday night dinner) and you want to heat the ham up again for another time to serve, I suggest carving the ham off the bone. Placing the cooking liquid in a large pot or skillet on the stove and adding the ham slices right into the cooking liquid to heat up. This prevents the ham from drying out. So do not throw out those drippings!! You can also use it as a base for soup.
The ham is tender and juicy with a fantastic sweet glaze. This is a fantastic ham!! This glaze will also work on spiral hams, I suggest when brushing the glaze on the ham to try and get some of the glaze between the slices.
If you don’t want to use a beer, you can use more apple juice in its place. Other options are hard apple cider, wine, chicken stock, or a lemon-lime soda.
This can be frozen, see my tips above.

Overhead of carved ham and sliced ham on plate

If you want a juicy and flavorful ham recipe then you need to look no further than my Brown Sugar Glazed Baked Ham Recipe, this will be one you’ll want to keep in your recipe book!

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Rate this Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Honey Baked Ham

Author Dana DeVolk

Prep: 15

Cook: 3

Total: 3 15

If you're looking for that perfect ham for holidays, weeknight meals or just because this Honey Baked Ham is just what you need. Simple, flavorful and easy!

Ingredients

Instructions

Place the oven rack to the bottom position. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place a roasting rack in the bottom of a roasting pan. If you do not have a roasting rack you can make one by taking a large piece of foil, condensing it down into a long rope, then securing the ends together to form a circle. Place the ham cut side down onto the rack.
If desired, cut the skin off of the ham.
Gently score through the fat in a diamond shape all over the ham, do not cut too deep into the meat. Pour the beer into the bottom of the roasting pan and 1/2 cup of the apple juice. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, add the remaining apple juice, honey, grainy mustard, dijon, brown sugar, vinegar, and ground cloves. Whisk the ingredients together and bring it to a simmer until smooth, whisking constantly for about 3-5 minutes. Brush half the glaze all over the ham.
Cover the ham with foil, you may need to overlap two pieces of foil to fit, and bake at 325ºF for an hour and a half to two hours or until the internal temp reaches 110°F.
Remove the foil, turn the oven up to 375°F, and brush with half of the remaining glaze. Return the ham to the oven and continue to bake for another 20-30 minutes, until an internal temperature reaches 130°F.
Turn the broiler on low. Brush with the remaining glaze, place the oven until bubbly, golden brown with a slight char. Keep an eye on it the whole time as it can burn quickly.
Transfer the ham to a cutting board and rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Notes

I love to save the cooking liquid and I serve it along with the ham as a thin gravy. It is so flavorful and I don’t want to waste it.
After your large event (or Tuesday night dinner) and you want to heat the ham up again for another time to serve, I suggest carving the ham off the bone. Placing the cooking liquid in a large pot or skillet on the stove and adding the ham slices right into the cooking liquid to heat up. This prevents the ham from drying out. So do not throw out those drippings!! You can also use it as a base for soup.
The ham is tender and juicy with a fantastic sweet glaze. This is a fantastic ham!! This glaze will also work on spiral hams, I suggest when brushing the glaze on the ham to try and get some of the glaze between the slices.
If you don’t want to use a beer, you can use more apple juice in its place. Other options are hard apple cider, wine, chicken stock, or a lemon-lime soda.
This can be frozen, see my tips above.