You know, Christmas dinner just isn’t complete until that big, beautiful roast hits the table. It’s the centerpiece, the star! And honestly, nothing beats walking into the house when that ham is glazing in the oven—the sweet, spicy smell is just pure holiday magic. Forget those complicated turkey smokes or standing over a stove all day. My absolute favorite thing to pull out of the oven is this Irresistible Christmas Ham Recipe For Festive Feasts.
What makes it my go-to year after year, even when I’m juggling a million other things? The glaze. It’s so deceptively simple, but that blend of brown sugar, mustard, and classic holiday spices—cloves and cinnamon—creates this incredible sweet and savory crust. It’s foolproof, I promise! It’s become such a highlight for my family that the moment the ham goes in, everyone knows the party is really starting!
Why This Irresistible Christmas Ham Recipe For Festive Feasts Shines
Honestly, this ham is my sanity saver during the chaos of Christmas Day. You don’t need to be a professional chef to nail this one. It’s designed to give you maximum flavor payoff for minimum effort, which is exactly what we all need in December!
- It’s shockingly easy. Mix the glaze, brush it on, bake it. Done!
- That sweet and savory flavor combination just hits every holiday note perfectly.
- It feeds a crowd without stressing you out—those big hams go a long way.
If you want to get a head start on your baking confidence before tackling the main course, I have some great tips over here that might help you out. But for this ham? Trust me, you’ve got this!
Gathering Ingredients for Your Irresistible Christmas Ham Recipe For Festive Feasts
Okay, let’s get our ingredients lined up! The beauty of this recipe is that you probably have half of the glaze stuff already sitting in your pantry. The star, of course, is the ham itself. You want a good anchor for the glaze to cling to, so size matters here.
Don’t panic about measuring everything perfectly for the glaze; it’s more about getting the right *ratio* of sweet to tangy. But here is exactly what I used when I made mine last weekend for testing!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
This recipe calls for a fully cooked ham, and that’s the secret to keeping the cook time down—we are really just heating it up and applying that amazing crust. If you ever find yourself with only fresh, uncooked ham, you’ll have to adjust your baking time drastically, so stick to fully cooked for the holidays unless you want to bake all day!
Also, if you don’t have pineapple juice—maybe you used the last can making a tropical drink earlier in the week—don’t fret! A splash of good orange juice works beautifully as a substitute to keep that necessary acidity needed to cut through the sugar. If you ever need help swapping out dairy like milk in other recipes, I’ve got some great resources on handling buttermilk substitutes that might be useful!
- The Ham: 1 (8-10 lb) bone-in, fully cooked ham (This size usually feeds 12 people easily!)
For the Sweet & Tangy Glaze:
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed tightly
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice (the liquid part from a can is fine!)
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard (not the yellow stuff, use the spicy kind if you can!)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Step-by-Step Instructions for the Irresistible Christmas Ham Recipe For Festive Feasts
Alright, now for the fun part! This is where that gorgeous crust comes together. Remember, since the ham is already cooked, our main job here is to gently heat it through and baste it in flavor until it’s shining beautifully. Don’t rush the glazing; that’s where the magic lives!
- First things first: crank that oven up to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. We need it nice and warm before the ham even thinks about going in.
- Pop that ham right into your roasting pan, always cut-side down. This helps keep all the nice, juicy meat moist while the top gets that lovely glaze bath.
- Time to mix the glaze! Grab a little bowl and just whisk everything together: brown sugar, that pineapple juice, the Dijon, vinegar, cloves, and cinnamon. It should look thick and slightly glossy—you’ll inhale that wonderful clove scent here!
- Take half that mixture—seriously, just half—and brush it all over the surface of the ham. Be generous, but save some for the finish!
- Slide it into the oven. You’re looking at about 1 hour and 30 minutes total baking time for an 8 to 10-pounder, which works out to roughly 15 minutes per pound.
- After that first hour and a half, pull that semi-glazed ham out carefully. Time for the second coat! Brush on that remaining glaze evenly.
- Back into the oven she goes for another 15 to 20 minutes. This is critical: you are aiming for an internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
- When it hits temp, pull it out, tent it lightly with foil—and this is crucial—let it rest for a good 15 minutes before you even think about slicing. It needs that break!
Expert Tips for the Perfect Irresistible Christmas Ham Recipe For Festive Feasts
A seasoned holiday cook always has a few tricks up her sleeve, even for a simple recipe like this glazed ham. These little additions elevate it from good to absolutely stellar for your festive dinner celebration.
First, if you want that amazing, thick, almost caramelized crust, try this: during the very last 10 minutes of cooking, bring your oven temperature up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Watch it like a hawk, though, because that high heat will crisp up that sugar fast!
My biggest piece of advice? You have to score the fat cap if your ham has one! Just use a sharp knife and lightly crisscross the surface—don’t cut into the meat, just the thick fatty layer. This lets the pineapple juice and spices really penetrate down into the meat for deeper flavor instead of just sitting on top. And please, please, use a meat thermometer! It’s the only way to guarantee you hit that sweet spot of 140°F without overcooking your lovely holiday roast.
Essential Equipment for Your Irresistible Christmas Ham Recipe For Festive Feasts
You don’t need a whole arsenal of fancy gadgets for this ham—it’s really straightforward! But having the right basic tools makes a huge difference between a successful bake and a messy disaster. Since we are dealing with a big piece of meat that’s going to be dripping glaze, preparation matters.
Here are the absolute must-haves you’ll want on your counter before you even think about preheating the oven:
- A Good Roasting Pan: You need something sturdy with sides high enough to catch all that delicious, sugary runoff. Don’t want that brown butter glaze burning onto your oven floor!
- A Small Mixing Bowl and Whisk: This is just for whipping up the glaze ingredients until they sing together. A simple whisk does the job faster and ensures the brown sugar dissolves nicely into the juice.
- A Reliable Meat Thermometer: Seriously, stop guessing! Since this is a fully cooked ham, we are only heating it up to 140°F internally. A good digital thermometer makes hitting that target temperature totally stress-free. You just stick it in the thickest part, away from the bone, and pull when it beeps.
- A Pastry Brush (or Silicone Basting Brush): You need something wide and soft to spread that glaze evenly. If you only have the stiff bristle kind, dust it off first! We want smooth coverage, not streaks.
See? That’s it! No special mixers or complicated tools needed for this fantastic holiday roast. Simplicity reigns supreme when the flavor is already this good.
Serving Suggestions for Your Festive Dinner
Okay, so the most important job is done—the ham is glorious, resting peacefully, and filling your house with that amazing smell. Now we have to figure out what to pile onto everyone’s plates to really make this Irresistible Christmas Ham Recipe For Festive Feasts shine!
Since the ham brings such a powerful sweet and savory flavor profile, you want your sides to be comforting, maybe a little earthy, or bright enough to cut through the richness of that brown sugar crust. I keep my sides traditional because they just work so well together without fighting the ham.
For starches, you simply can’t go wrong with a giant bowl of creamy mashed potatoes. Seriously, they are the perfect vehicle for soaking up those leftover glaze juices—don’t let any of that goodness go to waste!
But you always need some green, right? Steamed green beans are nice, but if you want something really special that still feels incredibly easy, you should try parsnips. I know, they sound fancy, but they roast up so beautifully, absorbing any butter and herbs you throw on them. You can find my favorite recipe for Garlic Butter Roasted Parsnips right here; I promise they’re not scary, just delicious!
And finally, you MUST have warm rolls. Soft, fluffy dinner rolls are non-negotiable for mopping up the plate. They anchor the whole meal. A big, simple green salad with a bright vinaigrette can also give people a fresh break before they dive back into seconds of that amazing holiday roast!
Storage and Reheating Instructions for Leftover Irresistible Christmas Ham Recipe For Festive Feasts
Oh, if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers from your spectacular holiday roast, you’ve just bought yourself a ticket to post-holiday sandwich heaven! But we need to treat that leftover glazed ham right so it doesn’t dry out when we reheat it. That sugary glaze can sometimes turn a bit sticky or odd if you just toss the slices in the microwave, and nobody wants sad, chewy ham!
First off, storage. You want that ham cooled down reasonably quickly after you’re done feasting. Once it’s room temperature, wrap the remaining chunks tightly in plastic wrap, or better yet, tuck them into an airtight storage container. Stored properly in the fridge, your wonderful Irresistible Christmas Ham Recipe For Festive Feasts leftovers should stay delicious and safe for about three to four days. Don’t leave it sitting out longer than two hours, though—we need to stick to safe food practices, even when we’re stuffed!
Now for the magic of reheating. If you are just warming up a few slices, you want to introduce some moisture back into the picture. Forget the microwave if you can! The best way I’ve found is to use a very low oven setting. Lay the ham slices in a small baking dish and pour just a tablespoon or two of liquid into the bottom—I use water, chicken broth, or even a little extra pineapple juice from the can if I have it.
Cover that dish tightly with foil. This traps all the steam inside, essentially steaming the ham back to life. Heat it at about 300 degrees Fahrenheit until it’s warmed through. This usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how thick your slices are. When it comes out, it will be juicy and tender, just begging to jump onto some good toasted bread!
And if you’re feeling really ambitious, freeze what you know you won’t eat within three days! Wrap those slices very tightly in plastic wrap, then maybe a layer of foil or put them in a freezer bag. Ham freezes beautifully for up to two months. Just thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating using that low-and-slow, foil-tent steaming method. Happy leftovers!
Frequently Asked Questions About This Irresistible Christmas Ham Recipe For Festive Feasts
It’s funny, even with what I thought was a super clear set of instructions, people always have questions when it comes to holiday centerpieces! Ham can be intimidating, especially when you want that perfect, sticky, irresistible glaze. Here are a few things I hear asked most often about turning out the best holiday roast.
If you happen to be making your own dough for dinner rolls or something like that, you can check out a fabulous recipe linked here for a Ham and Cheese Ring Bread Delight—just to get you in the ham mood!
Can I use a fresh, uncooked ham instead of a fully cooked one?
That’s a great question regarding ham types! This particular recipe is truly geared toward a pre-cooked ham because it cuts the time down to under two hours total. If you have a fresh, uncooked ham—which usually means it needs to reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit—you need to adjust your expectations! You’ll need to calculate about 18 to 20 minutes per pound at that lower 325°F temperature. You’ll still apply the glaze in stages, but you will be baking it for several hours, not just one or two!
How do I prevent the glaze on my Irresistible Christmas Ham Recipe from burning?
This is the #1 worry with any sugary glazed ham, isn’t it? That brown sugar is beautiful, but it burns faster than anything! The key here is managing the temperature zones, just like I mentioned in the expert tips. You want that initial slow cook at 325°F so the middle heats up gently. Then, if you want that beautiful crispiness, crank it to 400°F ONLY for the last 10 minutes. If you notice the top looking a little too dark before that last 10 minutes is up, just take a quick piece of aluminum foil, tent it loosely over the ham, and put it back in. That foil acts like a little umbrella shielding the crust while the inside finishes warming up.
What internal temperature should I look for in a fully cooked ham?
For maximum safety and the best texture with a ham that is already fully cooked when you buy it, you only need to heat it through to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature ensures it is hot enough to serve safely and pleasantly warm, but it avoids overcooking it and turning the meat dry and stringy. Trust the thermometer! Once it hits 140°F, pull that gorgeous holiday roast out immediately and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving. That rest time lets the juices redistribute themselves—it’s worth the wait, I promise!
Estimated Nutritional Information
So, here’s a breakdown of what you’re looking at when it comes to the nutrition info for this Irresistible Christmas Ham Recipe For Festive Feasts. I pulled these numbers based on a standard 4-ounce serving size of the cooked ham, assuming you use moderate amounts of the glaze ingredients during the bake.
Now, I have to give you the usual disclaimer that every cook gives: these numbers are just estimates! Your exact calorie count is going to change wildly depending on the cut of ham you bought (some hams are naturally much fattier than others), how much glaze you actually ended up eating alongside the meat, and even which brand of Dijon mustard you reach for. But this should give you a great ballpark figure for making your holiday menu plans!
- Serving Size: 4 oz cooked
- Calories: Around 350—which isn’t bad for a holiday centerpiece!
- Protein: Deliciously high at 28 grams to keep everyone satisfied.
- Total Fat: Roughly 15 grams.
- Carbohydrates: About 28 grams, mostly from that lovely brown sugar in the glaze.
- Sodium: This is where ham sits, around 1200mg, so you know it’s salty and flavorful!
- Cholesterol: About 80mg.
We’re keeping the trans fats at zero, which is definitely a win in my book! Remember, this is the taste of Christmas, so enjoy it, and don’t sweat those numbers too much on one special day!
Share Your Festive Dinner Success
And that’s it, my friends! We’ve reached the finish line for this Irresistible Christmas Ham Recipe For Festive Feasts. Hopefully, your kitchen smells incredible right now, and that gorgeous, sticky brown sugar crust is calling everyone to the table. I mean it when I say this recipe is my absolute pride and joy for any major holiday gathering.
Now that you’ve made it—and I hope it was as amazing for you as it is for my family—I really, truly want to hear about it! Don’t be shy; your feedback helps other cooks gain confidence trying out this spectacular holiday roast.
Did you use the crispy glaze trick? Did the pineapple juice cut through the richness in just the right way? Drop a star rating right down below the recipe card if you loved it! Five stars means you’re making this again next year, right?
Also, if you snapped any pictures of your beautiful, glazed centerpiece shining under the Christmas tree lights, please tag me on social media! I absolutely love seeing my recipes out in the real world, making memories. If you need to reach out directly with a question or a substitution idea—maybe you tried apricot preserves instead of pineapple juice—you can always send me a note through my contact page. Happy holidays, and enjoy every single bite of that amazing, unforgettable ham!
Print
Festive Christmas Glazed Ham
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 min
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Diet: Low Fat
Description
A simple recipe for a sweet and savory glazed ham perfect for holiday meals.
Ingredients
- 1 (8-10 lb) bone-in fully cooked ham
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the ham cut-side down in a roasting pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, pineapple juice, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, ground cloves, and cinnamon to make the glaze.
- Brush half of the glaze mixture evenly over the surface of the ham.
- Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or about 15 minutes per pound.
- Remove the ham from the oven and brush with the remaining glaze.
- Return the ham to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Let the ham rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- If you prefer a crispier glaze, increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness accurately.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 1 hour 50 min
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 oz cooked
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 25
- Sodium: 1200
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 28
- Cholesterol: 80
Keywords: Christmas ham, glazed ham, holiday roast, festive dinner, baked ham