Honey Mustard-Glazed Ham Recipe

Ham is one of those special occasion holiday meals because it, like turkey, tends to come in rather large sizes and makes enough to feed quite a few people at one time. Recipe developer Julianne De Witt describes baked ham as "so simple and perfect for entertaining," and here, she's glazing it with a honey mustard-brown sugar preparation that, she tells us, "complements the saltiness of the ham." The ham itself is both baked and steamed for the first few hours, while a high heat blast at the end helps to caramelize the sugary coating. This, De Witt assures us, "ensures that the meat is moist, tender, and full of flavor."

De Witt's preference is to serve this ham with cooked root vegetables and mashed potatoes (try adding watercress for a flavorful bite) along with a green salad. Other typical sides for sweet baked ham include black-eyed peas, cornbread, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, and sweet potatoes, but you could also give it the turkey treatment with stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Gather the ingredients for the honey mustard-glazed ham

The recipe starts with a bone-in ham. For the glaze, you'll need honey, butter, two types of mustard (Dijon and whole grain), and brown sugar. You'll also be dressing up the ham with a bunch of whole cloves.

Step 1: Turn on the oven

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Step 2: Remove the ham rind

Place the ham fat side up on the cutting board. Remove the rind from the ham by making a cut lengthwise into the rind. Peel the rind back by hand or by using a knife when needed, being careful not to tear the fat layer.

Step 3: Trim it to make it look pretty

Trim any uneven areas.

Step 4: Cut hatch marks into the ham

Score the ham diagonally, with a sharp knife, ½ inch deep in one direction, then repeat the opposite direction to create a cross-hatch pattern.

Step 5: Coat the ham with mustard

Brush 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard over the entire ham.

Step 6: Cover the ham with cloves

Stick cloves, evenly spaced, into the ham.

Step 7: Put the ham in a pan

Place the ham fat side up in a roasting pan. Add water to cover the bottom of the pan.

Step 8: Cook the ham

Cover the ham with tin foil and place it in the oven. Bake for 2 hours.

Step 9: Make the glaze

Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by adding honey, butter, remaining Dijon, whole grain mustard, and brown sugar to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine.

Step 10: Cook the glaze

Cook the glaze for 2-3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.

Step 11: Take the ham out of the oven and turn up the temperature

Remove the ham from the oven at the 2-hour mark. Turn up the heat to 375 F.

Step 12: Glaze the ham

Brush ½ of the glaze on the ham. Bake for 20 minutes.

Step 13: Re-glaze the ham

Remove the ham from the oven again, rotate it, and brush on the remaining glaze. Cook for an additional 15 minutes or until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140 F.

Step 14: Rest the ham

Allow the ham to rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving.

Can I use a boneless ham in this honey mustard-glazed ham recipe?

The ham used in this recipe is a bone-in one, which De Witt says she prefers because she "like[s] the visual presentation." She also notes, "I find the ham is more flavorful." The bone, too, can be put to use in stock or broth if you enjoy making homemade soups.

De Witt does say, however, that "a boneless ham can be used instead," so you may certainly choose this option if you prefer or if there's a particularly good sale at the supermarket. De Witt admits that boneless hams have their upside, as well, telling us, "They are a little easier to carve without the bone." She does caution, however, that "the cooking time will vary slightly." Either type of ham you use in this recipe should already be pre-cooked (as are most hams you buy in the store), so what you're doing here, she says, is essentially reheating it to 140 F.

What can I do with leftover honey mustard-glazed ham?

One thing about baking a ham is that, unless you have a really large family or a whole lot of dinner guests, you're going to have a heaping helping of leftovers. De Witt tells us that the ham in this recipe should be enough to feed 10 people and still leave some on the platter if you're assuming a 12-ounce portion per person. The leftovers should be refrigerated right away, of course, and may be kept for up to 5 days or frozen for longer storage.

As to what to do with leftover ham, De Witt feels that the "possibilities are endless." Some of the many things you could do with it include frying up a few slices with eggs for a classic pairing; boiling it with beans, or using it in a soup. You might also make ham and cheese sandwiches (hot or cold ones), cook it into a casserole, chop it up for a chef salad, or repurpose it as a pizza topping.

Honey Mustard-Glazed Ham Recipe

5 (31 ratings)

This honey mustard baked ham is simple and perfect for entertaining, with a honey mustard-brown sugar preparation that complements the saltiness of the ham.

Prep Time
5
minutes
Cook Time
2.83
hours
servings
10
Servings
sliced cooked ham
Total time: 2 hours, 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 (9 pound) fully cooked, bone-in ham
  • ¼ cup Dijon mustard, divided
  • 1-2 tablespoons whole cloves
  • ¾ cup honey
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
  • ½ cup brown sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
  2. Place the ham fat side up on cutting board. Remove the rind from the ham by making a cut lengthwise into the rind. Peel the rind back by hand or by using a knife when needed, being careful not to tear the fat layer.
  3. Trim any uneven areas.
  4. Score the ham diagonally, with a sharp knife, ½ inch deep one direction, then repeat the opposite direction to create a cross hatch pattern.
  5. Brush 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard over the entire ham.
  6. Stick cloves, evenly spaced, into the ham.
  7. Place the ham fat side up in roasting pan. Add water to cover bottom of the pan.
  8. Cover the ham with tin foil and place in oven. Bake for 2 hours.
  9. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by adding honey, butter, remaining Dijon, whole grain mustard, and brown sugar to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine.
  10. Cook the glaze for 2-3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.
  11. Remove the ham from oven at the 2-hour mark. Turn up heat to 375 F.
  12. Brush ½ of the glaze on the ham. Bake for 20 minutes.
  13. Remove ham from oven again, rotate ham and brush on the remaining glaze. Cook for an additional 15 minutes or until ham reaches an internal temperature of 140 F.
  14. Allow the ham to rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving.
Nutrition
Calories per Serving 1,056
Total Fat 73.2 g
Saturated Fat 27.8 g
Trans Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 253.1 mg
Total Carbohydrates 29.2 g
Dietary Fiber 0.8 g
Total Sugars 48.4 g
Sodium 4,967.1 mg
Protein 67.9 g
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Rate this recipe

Recommended