Cherry-Bourbon Glazed Ham

A classic wow-worthy centerpiece, a spiral ham is a must-have at your Easter dinner. This recipe not only perfects a moist, delicious ham, but comes complete with a tart, smoky, sweet glaze that adds a worthwhile twist to your traditional spiral ham. The tart cherries and bourbon work together to bring a slight sour and oaky tartness to the spiral ham, while the glaze has just enough cayenne pepper to bring a smoky subtle heat. Here's everything you need to know:

How to bake a ham:
First off, a spiral-cut, naturally smoked ham is ideal for this recipe. Since ham is technically already cooked during its curing process, most of the oven time is for heating the large cut all the way through. Covering with foil before baking helps to make sure the ham doesn't dry out on the outer layer before the center is warmed through. At the end of the cooking time, use a probe thermometer in the thickest part of the ham to make sure the center has reached at least 125°. The second cook is uncovered so that the glaze has a change to caramelize on the exterior of the ham and form a sticky crust. It's untraditional, but that caramelized crust is so worth it, you just might not make it any other way after you've tried it.

How long to bake:
Expect your ham to take about 20 to 25 minutes per pound at 325°. You can use that guide to help adjust your cook time if you buy a smaller or larger ham. Hams are often sold as a half ham, which average 7 pounds. You'll want to give a 7-pound ham at least 2 hours and 20 minutes to cook. If your ham is on the smaller side and only 4 or 5 pounds, you may need as little as 80 minutes to heat it through. We highly recommend using a probe thermometer to check on the ham—remove after the first bake when the center of the ham has reached at least 125°, and check again that it's reached an internal temperature of 145° after the second uncovered bake.

How to carve:
Spiral ham is perhaps the easiest ham to slice, but it can still trip you up if you've never seen it done before. On the side of the ham where you can see the bone, carefully insert a boning knife close to the bone, parallel to the countertop. Cut around the bone to release the ham slices from the center bone, then pile high on a serving platter and drizzle with any remaining pan juices. Still need help? Check out our how to carve a ham guide for all our best tips.

The glaze:
A 5-ingredient glaze is what really sets this recipe apart. Cherry preserves, bourbon, honey, cloves, and a pinch of cayenne combine to create our sweet and slightly sour glaze. You'll brush your ham twice with the glaze, getting between the slices to ensure it seeps into every bite.

Serving ideas:
This ham goes perfectly with a variety of sides (including all of our favorite Christmas dinner sides), but we especially love it with our cranberry bacon green beans, scalloped potatoes, garlic and feta mashed potatoes, and goat cheese-stuffed rolls.

Storage:
If you have any leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Good news! Leftover ham is basically refrigerator gold. Try making a croque madame for your next brunch, or use it to amp up a batch of crescent rolls with our ham and cheese pinwheels.

Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below!