Ham Glaze

Amongst all the showstopping holiday centerpieces out there, you just can’t beat a baked ham. But even though it’s almost too easy to go right to Honey Baked ham (I don’t blame you one bit), this ham glaze will fully convince you to go whole hog (pun intended) at home. Not only does it take one of the simplest Easter dinner mains and brings it over the top, but the leftovers are unbeatable to boot. This tangy-sweet brown sugar glaze is so simple to pull together and makes all the difference in presenting the most flavorful ham possible—plus, it only requires four ingredients that you definitely already have on hand.

How To Make A Ham Glaze

INGREDIENTS

• Apple Cider: Apple cider is sort of the ultimate BOGO ingredient here, as it’ll give you two benefits for the price of one—ensure our ham stays moist as it cooks and add a touch of concentrated sweet apple flavor once it cooks down.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Cutting through the richness of a ham, apple cider vinegar adds plenty of zing to complement this spicy-sweet glaze.
• Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is the magic key to creating that caramelized crust on our baked ham (all thanks to molasses).
• Dijon Mustard: I personally love how Dijon mustard packs in a solid amount of nose-clearing spice, plus it’s made with white wine and different varieties of mustard seeds which brings an additional layer of flavor to this otherwise sweet-forward glaze. Whatever you do, resist the urge to swap in regular yellow mustard! It just won’t add the same complexity.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the apple cider, brown sugar, mustard, and vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and allow it to come to a simmer. Continue to cook the glaze, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced by about half, which will take between 10 to 15 minutes.

Recipe Tips

• What kind of ham is best for glazing? Purchase a pre-cooked ham, often called a “city ham.” You can choose a bone-in or boneless ham—the choice is yours.
• When should I glaze the ham? Most hams take 2 to 3 hours to warm in the oven, but you’ll want to wait until the last 30 minutes to start glazing. If you put it on any earlier, the sugars in the glaze might burn. When you’re ready to glaze, pull the ham out of the oven, remove the foil, and brush the warm glaze all over it. Return the ham to the oven and continue to cook for the remaining 30 minutes, brushing on more glaze every 10 minutes. The stickier and more caramelized the ham gets, the better, and this continual glazing will give you maximum glossy results.
  

Ham Glaze Variations

Once you’ve mastered this classic ham glaze, feel free to explore all our flavorful ways to go ham with your holiday ham, like our bourbon, apricot, and Dijon spiral ham, our copycat Honey Baked ham with its iconic crackly crust, our citrus and honey mustard Instant Pot ham, or our brown sugar pineapple ham if you need a bit more kick.

Storage

Your future self will be happy to know you absolutely can (and should) make this glaze ahead of time. After the glaze has reduced by half, let it cool, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to use it, you can rewarm the glaze over low heat on the stove or in the microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring in between.