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Showstopper Holiday Bourbon Glazed Ham Recipe (That’s Easy)

This holiday ham recipe is a game changer. It’s coated with a sweet bourbon glaze, that’s baked until golden brown and caramelized. I’ve decided that this Bourbon Glazed Ham is the ultimate holiday ham recipe and can’t be beat. It’s easy to make and gets rave reviews every time I make it.

Traditionally, I serve ham at two different holidays – Christmas and Easter. Although, it’s a great Thanksgiving alternative to turkey as well. It’s such a festive meal that looks like a showstopper in the center of your dinner table.

Baked golden brown with a bourbon glaze, this is everyone's favorite holiday ham recipe! It's sweet and tender. #HamRecipe #ChristmasHamRecipe #HolidayHamRecipe #Ham #GlazedHam

Ham is a classic main course around the holidays, and our family’s favorite. The best part, when cooking a ham, is that the butcher does the hard part for you. Hams come pre-smoked, fully cooked and spiral cut, all you have to do is add some seasonings and you’re ready to go. This Bourbon Glazed Ham has a rich and delicious finish that gets perfectly caramelized in the oven. Best of all, it’s super easy to make!

How To Make A Bourbon Glazed Ham For The Holidays

A glaze is simply a thick syrupy mixture that forms. In this case, the Bourbon draws the majority of the flavor. You just add the sweet touch to the Bourbon and simmer to make the glaze. It brushes over the ham so beautifully and adds tons of flavor. You’ll end up with that brown and crispy exterior and moist inner meat.

Easy Bourbon Glazed Holiday Ham Recipe

What To Serve With Bourbon Glazed Ham

Ham is a traditional American holiday main course. I like to serve it alongside my Cranberry Sauce recipe, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Southern Squash Casserole recipe and Creamed Corn. I’m all about adding as much color to my holiday table. You can also make your own homemade sauce for the ham as well.

How To Cook A Glazed Ham

There are two common ways to cook a ham. You can bake a ham in the oven, or cook it in a slow cooker. You can prepare your ham either way for this recipe, but if you choose to use a slow cooker, you’ll have to transfer your ham to the oven for the final step of the recipe.

How Long Do You Cook A Glazed Ham?

You’ll bake this ham for two hours after applying the first round of glaze. Then you’ll prepare the 2nd round of the glaze and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer registers an internal temperature of 140 degrees.  You’ll definitely want to buy a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature – they cook differently according to weight. 

A ham needs to cook for about 20 minutes per pound in the oven at 325 degrees F. This is for a standard half ham around 7-8 pounds. If you choose to cook your ham in a slow cooker, it will take about 3-4 hours on low heat.

How Much Ham You Need To Serve For Each Guest

Plan on serving about 3/4 pound of ham per person for a standard bone-in half ham. Our family likes a lot of leftovers though. If you’d like a lot of leftovers at the end of your meal, you can increase this amount to 1 pound of ham per person. Do you need leftover ham recipes? I always make my One-Pot Ham & Asparagus Pasta or Grandma’s 7-Layer Salad recipe.

Brushing A Glaze Over A Ham

How To Use A Meat Thermometer With A Ham

Stick your meat thermometer in the thickest part of your holiday ham. You’re warming your ham to the appropriate temperature, if it’s already cooked. Food safety dictates that the proper temperature for a ham is 145 degrees F. That’s when you know it’s ready for consumption. 

Other Glazed Ham Variations

I make this recipe as is and it’s amazing. However, there are other ways to prepare a holiday ham. By just changing out a few ingredients, you can really get a different flavor palette.

  • Sweetener: Feel free to use maple syrup instead of molasses and brown sugar. Honey is another favorite sweetener that you could use.
  • Switch Alcohol Brands: You can keep using Bourbon, but change out to a seasonal bourbon flavor or a different brand.
  • Spices: You can add seasonal spices, like Pumpkin Spice, if you’re looking for a different holiday flavor.

What You’ll Need From The Grocery Store:

  • Fully Cooked, Bone-in Ham 
  • Brown Sugar
  • Molasses
  • Prepared Ground Mustard
  • Bourbon

Bourbon Glazed Ham Ingredients

How To Make This Bourbon Glazed Ham Recipe (Step By Step)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the ham on a rack in a roasting pan. Brush the ham with 2 tablespoons of bourbon. 

Bake the ham for 2 hours.

First Cooking Phase Of Your Baked Ham

Just before the timer expires, stir together the brown sugar, molasses, prepared ground mustard, and remaining bourbon.

Mixing Together The Ham Glaze

Carefully remove the ham from the oven and brush or spoon the glaze over the ham.

Applying the Bourbon Glaze To Half Baked Ham

Next, return the ham to the oven and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer registers an internal temperature of 140 degrees. Allow the ham to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Bourbon Glazed Ham Recipe, Whole Ham Recipe, Holiday Ham Recipe

Yield: 12 Servings

Holiday Bourbon Glazed Ham Recipe

Bourbon Glazed Ham Recipe, Whole Ham Recipe, Holiday Ham Recipe

Need a holiday ham recipe? This Bourbon Glazed Ham recipe has a delicious sweet glaze and it's quite the show stopper. It's made with bourbon, brown sugar, molasses and spices.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Additional Time 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours

Ingredients

  • 1 (8 to 10 pounds) Fully Cooked, Bone-in Ham
  • 1 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Molasses
  • 1 Tablespoon Prepared Ground Mustard
  • ¼ Cup Bourbon

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the ham on a rack in a roasting pan. Brush the ham with 2 tablespoons of bourbon. Bake the ham for 2 hours.
  2. Just before the timer expires, stir together the brown sugar, molasses, prepared ground mustard, and remaining bourbon.
  3. Carefully remove the ham from the oven and brush or spoon the glaze over the ham.
  4. Return the ham to the oven and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer registers an internal temperature of 140 degrees. Allow the ham to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

  • Place all leftovers in an air-tight container, if you're cutting off of the bone, and place in the refrigerator.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 89Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 114mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 0gSugar: 16gProtein: 3g

**Nutrition facts are calculated by a third party. Actual values may vary.

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