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Honey Baked Ham is the showstopping centerpiece that makes any holiday feel special, and this copycat tastes just like the famous spiral sliced kind for a fraction of the price. I make it every Easter and Christmas so the whole family gathers around a glossy, sweet glazed ham while the leftovers feed us for days. If you love an easy holiday main, you will want it alongside our cast iron ham and Swiss sliders for the leftovers.
A smoked ham bakes low and slow under a sweet honey mustard glaze, then gets broiled to a sticky, caramelized, golden brown finish that rivals any store bought version.
Honey Baked Ham Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 3 hours
- ⏳ Total Time: 3 hours 35 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 14 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 366kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet, smoky, honey glazed holiday ham
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our ham and cheese sliders
Quick Answer
Score a fully cooked smoked ham in a diamond pattern and set it in a roasting pan with beer and apple juice. Simmer honey, grainy and dijon mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, and cloves into a glaze and brush it on. Bake covered at 325 degrees to 110 degrees, then uncovered at 375 degrees to 130 degrees, glazing in between. Broil until golden and sticky, then rest before carving.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Starting with a smoked shank ham. A fully cooked smoked ham just needs to be warmed and glazed, so all the flavor work goes into the sweet, sticky coating.
- Scoring the fat in a diamond pattern. Cutting shallow diamonds across the fat lets the glaze sink in and creates those classic caramelized edges.
- A honey mustard glaze with cloves. Honey, two mustards, brown sugar, vinegar, and cloves cook into a balanced sweet and tangy glaze that tastes just like the famous version.
- Beer and apple juice in the pan. Liquid in the bottom of the roasting pan keeps the ham moist and steamy so it never dries out during the long bake.
- Glazing in layers. Brushing on the glaze in stages, then broiling at the end, builds a thick, lacquered, golden crust instead of one thin coat.
- Resting before carving. A 20 minute rest lets the juices redistribute so every slice stays moist and tender.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It tastes just like the famous spiral honey baked ham for a fraction of the cost, and it feeds a whole crowd.
- The sweet, sticky honey mustard glaze caramelizes into a gorgeous golden crust that makes it the centerpiece of any holiday table.
- The leftovers are endless, perfect for sandwiches, breakfast, and our cast iron ham and Swiss sliders.
Key Ingredients
Here is what gives this copycat honey baked ham its sweet, sticky glaze. See the recipe card below for the exact amounts.
- Smoked ham: Start with a fully cooked shank end smoked ham, about 10 to 15 pounds. It just needs to be warmed through and glazed.
- Honey: Real honey is the base of the glaze and gives it that signature sweet, sticky shine.
- Two mustards: Grainy and dijon mustard add tang and depth that balance all the sweetness.
- Brown sugar and cloves: These bring warm, caramel holiday flavor, the same cozy notes in our savory mashed sweet potatoes.
- Beer and apple juice: Poured in the pan, they keep the ham moist and add subtle flavor as it bakes.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Here are a few easy ways to make this honey baked ham your own.
- Swap the beer for extra apple juice or ginger ale if you prefer to skip the alcohol.
- Use maple syrup in place of some of the honey for a deeper, woodsy sweetness.
- Add a pinch of cinnamon or allspice to the glaze for extra holiday warmth, like our butternut squash risotto.
- Turn the leftovers into ham and Swiss sliders or stir diced ham into soups and casseroles.
How to Make Honey Baked Ham
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees with the rack on the bottom. Set the ham cut side down on a rack in a roasting pan, trim the skin if desired, and score the fat in a shallow diamond pattern. Pour the beer and half the apple juice into the pan.
- In a saucepan, whisk the remaining apple juice, honey, grainy mustard, dijon, brown sugar, vinegar, and cloves and simmer until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Brush half the glaze all over the ham.
- Cover the ham with foil and bake for 1.5 to 2 hours, until it reaches 110 degrees. Uncover, brush with more glaze, turn the oven up to 375 degrees, and bake 20 to 30 minutes more to 130 degrees.
- Brush with the last of the glaze and broil on low until bubbly and golden brown, watching closely so it does not burn. Rest 20 minutes, then carve and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Buy a fully cooked smoked ham. This recipe warms and glazes a precooked ham, not a fresh one, so check the label.
- Score only the fat, not the meat, so the glaze sinks in without drying out the ham.
- Keep liquid in the pan the whole time so the ham stays moist and steamy under the foil.
- Glaze in layers and broil at the end for that thick, sticky, caramelized crust.
- Watch the broiler closely. The sugary glaze goes from golden to burnt in seconds.
- Use a meat thermometer. Pull the ham at 130 degrees, then rest it, just like we do with our beef short rib ragu.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This honey baked ham is the ultimate holiday centerpiece for Easter, Christmas, or any Sunday feast. Carve it into thin slices and serve it warm with all your favorite sides.
Round out the plate with creamy savory mashed sweet potatoes, a big bowl of creamy macaroni salad, and some crispy baked asparagus fries for a spread everyone will love.
Do not toss those leftovers. Pile the ham onto cast iron ham and Swiss sliders, fold it into omelets, or stir it into soups all week long.
Honey Baked Ham FAQs
Start with a fully cooked, bone in smoked shank ham, about 10 to 15 pounds. Since it is already cooked, this honey baked ham recipe simply warms it through and builds a sweet, sticky glaze.
Plan on about 1.5 to 2 hours covered at 325 degrees, then 20 to 30 minutes uncovered at 375 degrees, plus a few minutes under the broiler. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees, then rest before carving.
Yes. You can make the glaze a day or two ahead and store it in the fridge. The ham is best baked the day you serve it, but leftovers keep beautifully for sandwiches and meals all week.
Wrap leftover ham tightly or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze sliced ham in its juices for up to 2 months.
Dry ham usually means it baked too long or had no liquid in the pan. Keep beer and apple juice in the bottom, cook to 130 degrees and no higher, and let it rest so the juices stay in the meat.
Absolutely. This honey mustard glaze is classic, but you can swap in maple syrup, brown sugar and pineapple, or a cola glaze. Just keep the sweet and tangy balance for that signature flavor.
Planning the whole holiday menu? Pair this with our savory mashed sweet potatoes next, then come back and tell us how your honey baked ham turned out.
Serve these creamy garlic mashed potatoes alongside the ham for the perfect holiday plate.
Honey Baked Ham
Ingredients
- 1 shank end smoked ham 10-15 pounds
- 12 ounce beer
- 1 cup apple juice divided
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/3 cup grainy mustard
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard
- 1/4 brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
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.1 shank end smoked ham
- If desired, cut the skin off of the ham.1 shank end smoked 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.1 shank end smoked ham
- 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.1 shank end smoked 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.1 shank end smoked ham
- 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.1 shank end smoked ham
- 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.1 shank end smoked ham
- Transfer the ham to a cutting board and rest for 20 minutes before carving.1 shank end smoked ham
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.
Nutrition
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