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3 Best Honey Glazed Ham Recipes to Pork up Your Holiday Menu

Nate Swanner
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The union of ham and honey is a loving one. Ham does the heavy lifting on the hearty, savory front while the honey keeps everything candied and mellow. What results is a timeless blend of flavors so delectably savory-sweet that it has become a quintessential holiday centerpiece. You can’t go wrong with the ol’ standby of a pineapple-glazed ham, but there are also a lot of other great ways to get your honey and ham better acquainted. To help you mix things up (or totally nail the classics), we called in the experts at the National Honey Board for three mouthwatering honey glazed ham recipes that pair well with good wine or cocktails.

Classic Honey Glazed Ham Recipe

Sliced Ham on Plate
The Recipe Critic

This classic recipe is simple to prepare and tastes great. One the benefits of ham is that, unlike turkey, you don’t have to worry about some of the meat being undercooked while other parts are dry. Simply heat up the ham and serve. This recipe comes from The Recipe Critic.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (5-pound) ham
  • 2 cup honey
  • 2/3 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup dark corn syrup
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • Whole cloves (optional) about ¼ cup

Method:

  1. Take ham out of the refrigerator and allow to rest at least 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Prepare the glaze by heating honey, butter, dark corn syrup, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan on medium-low heat.
  3. Line a 9×13 in pan with aluminum foil. If scoring the ham, lightly score the top into diamond shapes and place the ham in the pan. If using whole cloves, put them in between the lines you scored, but remove them before cutting and eating. Brush the glaze on top and create a foil tent over the ham. Bake the ham according to how many pounds you have. Usually 15 minutes per pound. Brush the glaze over the ham every 15 minutes.
  4. Once the ham is cooked, remove the foil tent and caramelize the top by turning the oven to broil and letting the ham get dark for about 3-5 minutes.
  5. Remove the ham from the oven and pour the remaining glaze over the top. Cut into thin slices and enjoy!

Pineapple-Honey-Glazed Ham Recipe

Honey glazed pineapple ham.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Pineapple and ham are a classic pairing. Even if you don’t love this combo on pizza, give it a shot. You might just be surprised. The Pineapple Honey Glazed Ham recipe from The Food Network is a good one.

Ingredients:

  • One 9- to 10-pound bone-in fully-cooked smoked ham (butt or shank half)
  • 1 tablespoon whole cloves, optional
  • Two 20-ounce cans sliced pineapple
  • 20 maraschino cherries
  • 2 cups honey
  • 2 cups light brown sugar

Method:

  1. Let the ham sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  3. Trim off any skin from the ham. Use a sharp paring knife to score through the fat in a diagonal crosshatch pattern without cutting through to the meat. Push the cloves into the ham, if using, placing them at the intersections of the cuts. Put the ham, flat-side down, on a rack in a roasting pan.
  4. Drain the pineapples, reserving the juice. Arrange the sliced pineapple all over the ham, securing with toothpicks. Add a maraschino cherry to the center of each pineapple slice and secure with a toothpick.
  5. Pour 1/4-inch water in the bottom of the pan and tent the ham with foil.
  6. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the ham (avoiding bone) registers 130 degrees F, about 2 hours 30 minutes (or about 15 minutes per pound).
  7. Meanwhile, combine the honey, brown sugar and reserved pineapple juice in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, syrupy and reduced to about 3 cups, 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside.
  8. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
  9. Uncover the pan and carefully brush a third of the glaze all over the ham. If the water in the roasting pan has evaporated, add more. Bake the ham for 15 minutes more. Brush with another third of the glaze and bake for 15 minutes more. Brush the remaining glaze over the ham and cook until the glaze is shiny and the skin is dark golden brown and crispy, about 15 minutes more.
  10. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Honey-Whiskey-Clove Glazed Ham Recipe

Honey-Whiskey-Clove Glazed Ham.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Cloves often strikes of holiday flavor, but this ham need not be enjoyed only around the holidays. Check out this Honey Whiskey Clove Ham Recipe from Food.com.

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Bourbon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 (5-pound) bone-in ham, fully cooked spiral sliced

Method:

  1. Combine honey, whiskey, and cloves in small bowl; mix until well blended.
  2. Place ham cut side down into roasting pan and brush with honey mixture.
  3. Cover with foil and bake at 275 degrees F for 1 hour, or until heated through. Remove foil and increase oven to 425 degrees. Brush with honey mixture and bake about 10 minutes, or until ham is golden brown.
  4. Remove from pan, place on serving platter and pour juices over ham.

Honey Balsamic Fig Glaze Recipe

Honey Balsamic Fig Glaze.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

(Yields: About two cups)

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 cup dried figs, chopped
  • 2/3 cup very hot water
  • 1/2 cup shallots diced
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary or marjoram, chopped (or 1 tsp dry)
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

  1. In a bowl, combine honey, hot water, vinegar, figs, and cloves. Let mixture stand for 15 minutes.
  2. In a saucepan, sauté shallots in oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally until softened.
  3. Add honey-fig mixture to a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
  4. Add the herbs and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
  5. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. If desired, purée in a blender or food processor until smooth.
  7. Brush warmed glaze over roast or ham during the last 30 to 40 minutes of roasting, basting every 10 minutes.
  8. Remaining glaze can be simmered until thickened and served as a side sauce.

This recipe also makes a great glaze for pot roasts.

Editors' Recommendations

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Nate Swanner
Nate Swanner
General Manager
Nate is General Manager for all not-Digital-Trends properties at DTMG, including The Manual, Digital Trends en Espanol…
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