All of your questions about How to Cook Smoked Ham are answered plus get the recipe for our holiday Smoked Ham with Maple Spice Glaze! Naturally gluten-free and refined sugar-free!
When it comes to cooking a whole smoked ham, there are a lot of options and questions. When I originally posted this maple spiced glazed smoked ham recipe a few years ago, I was just focused on how great it tasted and looked on the holiday table.
After hearing from so many of you with questions, I updated this post to include some of the most commonly asked questions about how to cook a bone-in smoked ham.
Bookmark this for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s or whenever you want to serve a whole ham.
Let’s get to it!
WHAT IS SMOKED HAM?
- A smoked ham is a section of the leg of pork that is cured in a brine and then hung in a smokehouse and smoked over low heat for a long time to add flavor.
- Both fresh ham and cooked ham can be smoked.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE A SMOKED HAM OR FRESH HAM?
- The USDA requires producers to label fresh hams with an instruction to “cook thoroughly” and cooked hams as “ready-to-eat” or “fully cooked”.
- This recipe is for a SMOKED BUT UNCOOKED FRESH HAM!
- If you are buying it at a supermarket, read the package. If you are buying from a butcher or farmer, ask them!
DO YOU HAVE TO COOK A SMOKED HAM?
- If it is a fresh smoked ham, YES. If it is a fully cooked smoked ham, NO, you just need to reheat it.
HOW TO COOK A FRESH SMOKED HAM:
- Preheat the oven to 325F.
- Prepare glaze.
- Use a paring knife to cut diamond marks on the fat cap and stud each diamond with a whole clove.
- Transfer to a roasting pan and roast for the allotted time.
- Baste with glaze and continue cooking until golden.
- Cool, slice and serve!
HOW LONG TO COOK A SMOKED HAM IN THE OVEN?
In this recipe, I used a 6.5-pound bone-in smoked ham and the total cooking time was 2 hours and 15 minutes. Your ham’s cooking time depends on how big the ham is and how your oven performs. Adding 20-25 minutes per additional pound is a good rule of thumb – you’re looking for an internal temperature of 145F.
BEST SIDE DISHES FOR HAM:
This is a mostly hands-off recipe that yields a beautiful and unbelievably tasty ham that is a show stopper for your holiday table! Here are some ideas for what to serve it with:
Holiday Salad with Thyme Balsamic Vinaigrette
Garlic Rubbed Roasted Cabbage Steaks
Cornbread Stuffing with Andouille Sausage
Vegetarian Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Shallots
WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER HAM:
Leftover Ham, Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Green Eggs and Ham (Scrambled Eggs with Ham and Kale) from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Ham and Bean Soup Recipe from Wonky Wonderful
Ham and Split Pea Soup from Culinary Ginger
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
All of your questions about How to Cook a Smoked Ham answered plus get the recipe for our holiday Smoked Ham with Maple Spice Glaze! Naturally gluten-free and refined sugar-free!
- 6 pound smoked, bone-in ham
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 Tablespoon coconut palm sugar
- handful whole cloves
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
-
Remove completely defrosted ham from fridge about 60 minutes prior to cooking.
Mix all ingredients except whole cloves and maple syrup in a dish and use your hands to evenly coat the ham with the spice mix.
-
Preheat oven to 325F. Line a large roasting pan with tin foil and set aside.
Place spice covered ham on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to make 1" diagonal slices (about 1/4" deep) into the layer of exposed fat. Repeat in the other direction to make a diamond pattern.
-
Place one whole clove in the middle of each diamond.
-
Move ham to roasting pan and place in the oven. Bake, undisturbed for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
-
Remove roasting pan and baste ham with 1/2 of the maple syrup. Return to oven and continue cooking for 15 minutes.
-
Remove and raise heat to 450F. Baste ham with remaining maple syrup and return to oven for an additional 15 minutes. If there are any very dark spots that you think may burn, fold a small piece of tin foil into a square and gently cover those spots.
The total cooking time for a 6.5-pound ham was 2 hours and 15 minutes. The first hour and 45 minutes undisturbed, 15 minutes basted at 325F and 15 minutes basted at 450F.
You may need to adjust this slightly based on the size of your ham or how your oven performs.
A good rule of thumb is 20 to 25 minutes per lb or an internal temperature of 145F.
Allow to rest for 15 to 20 minutes, slice and Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
This Smoked Ham recipe was originally published in April, 2014 and was last updated in March 2019.
Kayla says
Did you cover the ham or no ?
Alyssa Brantley says
I describe the steps in the Instructions of the recipe and you partially cover for some of the cooking in step 6. Hope you love it!
Kayla says
Thank you ! I have made this recipe three times already and every time I am amazed how good it is 🥰
Alyssa Brantley says
Yay!!! Love it Kayla! Thanks for taking the time to let me know. These types of comments make my day <3
Luis says
This is the first time I’ve tried a glaze and prep like this. I used all but coriander and wow…it looks great and tastes amazing!
Alyssa Brantley says
So happy you liked it Luis!
Laura says
I received a fully cooked Smoked Ham from the local butcher. Can I heat it and still use this spice and glaze? It is a 14 lb ham. Do you know how long to cook?
Alyssa Brantley says
Hi Laura! YES. You could use the spiced maple glaze and then reheat on a lower temp until warmed through. I would do 275F and 10 minutes per pound. Then, for the last 3 to 4 minutes, put it under the broiler to brown the glaze. Hope that helps and I highly recommend some type of gravy or Au Jus for pre-cooked hams as they can easily dry out! Happy Thanksgiving!
Laura says
Thank you Alyssa! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
jess says
Hi! wondering if I could do this with a boneless fresh smoked ham and in the crockpot? i understand it wont get crispy and Im ok with that, how long would you recommend in the slow cooker for a 3lb ham?
Alyssa Brantley says
Hi Jess!
I have never tried to cook a smoked ham in the slow cooker so unfortunately, I can’t be of much help there. Happy Thanksgiving and I hope you figure it out!
Linda kuhn says
So did the crock pot ham turn out? I’ll be short on oven space and am thinking of putting ham in the crock pot.
Gloria Colon says
hello my name is Gloria I bought a half of smoke ham shank portion yesterday, the ham weight is 9lbs..20 never in my life ever did a ham can u please help me out here…..
Alyssa Brantley says
Hi Gloria! Make sure to read the instructions in the how to cook a smoked ham post! If you still have questions, let me know what specifically you need to know?
HELEN HIRST says
Hi
I am cooking my smoked ham for a special occasion tomorrow. I just wanted to know did you remove the outer skin prior to inserting the cloves?
Thank you
Alyssa Brantley says
Hi Helen! I didn’t have to as mine came prepared for seasoning and baking from my farmer. Is this a ham you got at a grocery store or from a farmer?
Niki says
Can the rub be used with a skinless piece of ham?
Alyssa Brantley says
Absolutely Niki! Let me know how it comes out 🙂
Lisa says
How many ounces are you counting as a serving in your nutritional information?
Barbara Aguon says
I’m looking for the recipe for the glaze? It is not listed here on the site. All I read is 1/3 cup maple syrup to be basted,
Alyssa Brantley says
Hi Barbara, The recipe for the glaze is there in the recipe card and instructions. What browser are you using?
Emily says
Easy with great results! So easy to make a meal without having to attend so closely to this one. I’ve made it a few times with ham that we get from a friend’s farm and it is a crowd-pleaser.
Alyssa Brantley says
Love it Emily!! So happy to hear this feedback 🙂