Honey Mustard Glazed Ham (Gluten-Free)

Spiral Ham With Honey Mustard Ham Glaze – This easy ham glaze recipe is made with honey, Dijon mustard, and brown sugar. It’s sweet, tangy, and delicious! (Naturally gluten-free!)

I’m not the biggest turkey fan at the holidays, so sometimes it’s great to have a ham recipe or another great main dish to put on the table. And today’s is my family’s favorite!

This gorgeously glazed ham is a stunner worthy of Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or holiday meals of any kind. Our homemade gluten-free ham glaze recipe is sweet and tangy, which balances nicely with the smoky, salty flavors of the ham.

I prefer my ham glaze without spices, since I find cinnamon, cloves, or ginger to compete with the flavors I’m looking for in a ham. (Plus, they can interfere more when I’m using leftovers.)

Speaking of which, not only is it amazing for your big meal, you can use leftover ham to make an epic sandwich, breakfast bakes, cozy soups, and so much more.

Here’s what you need to make our easy honey mustard ham glaze recipe…

Here’s What You need To Make A Glazed Spiral Ham:

• Spiral-Cut Ham. This naturally gluten-free glazed ham recipe and technique works with a fully-cooked, bone-in, spiral cut ham. Bone-in hams tend to be more juicy and have better texture, since they haven’t been re-shaped or compacted like boneless ham. Spiral slicing also makes it easier to cut into the ham and separate the ham from the bone later.
• A Little Water. Adding a bit of water to the pan helps keep the ham juicy and moist as it cooks and helps prevent burning on the bottom. It also helps create delicious saucy juices to spoon over the ham at the end.
• Butter. Some butter locks in the ham juices and helps create that glossy glazed look.
• Brown Sugar. Then, some brown sugar adds sweetness and helps the glaze caramelize on the outer layer of the spiral ham.
• Honey. Using honey adds another layer of flavor and cuts down on the amount of brown sugar we need. There’s just nothing like a ham glaze with honey! (Pure maple syrup also works)
• Dijon Mustard. I prefer Dijon mustard that is NOT grainy. My favorite is Annie’s Dijon mustard, which has a MUCH more mild flavor, but still provides that brightness and tang we’re going for.
• Black Pepper. To help balance the flavors. We don’t want it too sweet!

How To Make Glazed Spiral Ham, Step By Step:

1. Set The Ham Out Early. Remove the ham from the refrigerator about 1 hour in advance (no more than 2 hours), to allow it to come closer to room temperature. This helps the ham heat evenly in the oven.
2. Preheat The Oven. Start by moving the oven rack to the lower third of the oven (so the center of the ham will be in the center of the oven), and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
3. Place Ham In The Pan. Remove any packaging or wrapping on the ham. Add the ham cut-side down to a large roasting pan or a 9×13 pan (if it fits!). Pour the water into the bottom of the pan, and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. (I usually use two sheets of foil that I overlap in the center to make one larger piece.)
4. Start At 325 F degrees. Bake the ham for 10-12 Minutes Per Pound until you have about 30 minutes left. (For an 8lb. ham = 50 minutes, For a 9lb. ham = 1 hour, For a 10 lb. ham = 1 hour 10 minutes)
5. While The Ham Bakes, Mix Up The Glaze. After putting the ham in the oven to bake, mix up your ham glaze. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar, honey, mustard, and pepper and stir JUST until the sugar is fully dissolved. Don’t simmer or boil, or you risk the glaze hardening. Set the glaze aside or keep on a very low warm setting.
6. When There’s 30 Minutes Left, Brush With Glaze. When there’s about 30 minutes left of the bake time, carefully remove the foil and use a pastry brush to brush the ham with about 1/3 of the honey mustard glaze, trying to also get some in between the spiral cuts if you can. Cover the ham again with the foil and return to the oven for another 30 minutes.
7. Check The Ham. After another 30 minutes, check to see if the ham is heated through. The internal temperature at the center should register 145 degrees F. (Be careful not to hit the bone with the thermometer, which can throw off your reading). If the ham isn’t quite done, cover again with the foil and cook in 10-15 minute increments until the ham has heated through.
8. Brush Again & Caramelize The Glaze At 425 degrees F. If the ham is ready, remove the ham from the oven and brush generously with 1/3 of the glaze, trying to tuck some glaze into the spiral cuts. Turn the oven heat up to 425 degrees and cook just 5-10 minutes more to allow the glaze to caramelize.
9. Slice & Enjoy. Use your brush to scoop up some of the liquid and pan juices at the bottom of the pan, and stir them into the remaining glaze. If desired, brush the sides one more time or serve the remaining glaze on the side, thinned out with some of the pan juices. Let the ham rest for about 5 minutes to redistribute the juices inside, then slice with a sharp knife and serve warm.

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Glazed Ham:

How Much Ham Should I Plan Per Person?

Since you need to account for the weight of the bone in a bone-in, spiral ham, a general rule of thumb is 1/2-3/4 pound (8-12 oz.) of bone-in ham per person.

• 8 pound bone-in ham will feed 15-20 people
• 9 pound bone-in ham will feed at least 18 people
• 10 pound bone-in ham will feed 15-20 people

How Long Does Spiral Ham Take To Cook?

A pre-cooked or fully-cooked ham, (spiral sliced ham) will take about 10-12 minutes per pound to heat to 140 degrees. (Remember that spiral-cut, fully-cooked ham is already safe to eat at any temperature, we’re just heating it through.)

• An 8 pound ham would take 80-96 minutes (1 hour 20 minutes – 1 hour 36 minutes)
• A 9 pound ham would take 90-108 minutes (1 hour 30 minutes – 1 hour 48 minutes)
• A 10 pound ham would take 100-140 minutes (1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours)

*Also keep in mind that if you have other dishes in the oven (like casseroles or veggies), it will impact the air circulation and heat distribution in the oven. Plan to increase the time needed to 12-15 minutes per pound if you have other dishes in the oven, too.

Do You Glaze Ham Before Or After Cooking?

Most glazed ham recipes have you apply the glaze near the end of cooking. This prevents the glaze from burning and adds big flavor right before serving.

How Long Does Leftover Spiral Ham Last?

According to the USDA, leftover spiral ham will stay fresh in the fridge 3-5 days, or can be frozen 1-2 months.

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