Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham Recipe (2024)

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Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Hamis theperfect juicy centrepiece for your Christmas dinner table! You will love this GLAZE!

The most perfect sticky glaze is slathered all over this juicy, tender, baked Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham, with crisp edges and an incredible flavour.

Don’t even be intimidated by a ham this season with all of the tips and tricks you need right here!

Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham Recipe (1)

BAKED HAM

More often than not, most times we as a people try baking a ham for Christmas, they end up dried out on the inside without any flavour and a cause for major anxiety before guests arrive. This would have to be the WORST kind of ham.

Take out all the guess work out and find out how to bake a juicy ham with charred crispy edges and a beautiful sticky glaze… right here!

HAM GLAZE

The best glaze for a baked ham contain either honey, brown sugar or maple syrup. The saltiness from the ham and the sweetness for the glaze complement each other so well, that either of those ingredients make for a pretty special glaze.

The glaze I went for is a combination of butter, brown sugar, honey, Dijon mustard (adding a nice tang to the ham) and crushed garlic cloves.

From here you can add in spices like the traditional ground cinnamon and ground cloves, or leave them out. Most recipes call for decorating the ham with whole cloves between each cut. Personally, I didn’t appreciate chewing on the cloves that were wedged in and hidden from sight. However, you can add them if you wish!

Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham Recipe (2)

HOW TO COOK A HAM

You only need 3 steps to make the perfect, heavenly ham recipe!

  • Remove rind –- so easy, you can peel it off!
  • Baste ham with a super easy Brown Sugar Ham Glaze
  • Bake, basting every 15 minutes!

WHAT IS THE BEST HAM TO BUY?

For ultimate flavour and a juicy result, aim for a fully cooked bone-in ham. The best ham we baked during testing is the half leg pictured (shank end of the leg).

The other type of ‘half leg’ which is the butt end (shaped like a dome) contains part of the hip bone and is harder to carve. It has less meat, although it’s verytender and flavourful.

If you want value for your money, go for the type I have pictured here.

Spiral cut hams seem to be gaining in popularity over in the United States, but unfortunately I can’t comment on them since we don’t have them.

TAKE THE RIND ON OR OFF?

For some reason, this is the most controversial step — taking the rind off. In testing with the rind still on, I found the rind became chewy and gummy as the ham cooled and tough to eat.

Also, the flavours of the glaze stopped at the rind with no flavours seeping into the fleshy part of the ham.

For this reason, I suggest trimming the rind off. Fully cooked ham rind DOES NOT crisp. We tried broiling, baking at high heat and deep frying.

Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham Recipe (3)

HOW TO REMOVE HAM RIND

When you buy your ham, you’ll notice right underneath the rind there is a gorgeous layer off fat. DON’T trim this away. This fat turns into a beautiful crispy and sticky coating for your glaze and is DIVINE.

To show you, I’ve put together the following EASY steps OR CHECK OUT THE VIDEO BELOW:

  1. Cut a line through the skin all around the shank end.
  2. Insert a sharp knife between the rind and fat and run it along to detach both layers.
  3. Using your fingers, gently separate the rind from the fat. You can insert your hand deeper into the ham to keep detaching it so it’s easier to peel the rind off in Step 4.
  4. Peel off and discard the rind.
  5. Run knife cutting into the fat layer about 1/4-inch deep to lightly score diamond pattern all over the surface.

Once your ham is in the oven, get started on your glaze.

TIPS FOR THE BEST HAM GLAZE

My biggest piece of advice is not to simmer the glaze for too long, as you will end up with a hard caramel once it begins to cool, and it’s extremely difficult to slather onto the outside of the ham when glazing. You want to bring it to a gentle simmer and take it off the heat quickly.

I added the pan juices from the ham into the glaze once there were pan juices to use, and WOW! Amazing flavours! My ham wasn’t salty though, so make sure you do some taste testing before adding the juices and add the amount you need to alter the flavour even more.

Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham Recipe (4)

BASTE

Glaze and baste and baste and glaze and GO NUTS with it. The more the merrier, and ’tis the season, right?

I wish there was smell-ernet happening right about now, because juicy, tender Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham smells just as good as it looks.

Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham Recipe (5)

The BEST part is slicing through it like butter, and seeing the juices burst out and run down behind each slice. NO DRY HAM OVER HERE!

Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham Recipe (6)

Happy Holidays everyone!

Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham Recipe (7)

What side dishes go with ham?

Whether you’re making this for dinner yourself or bringing it to a Holiday gathering, these side dishes will make your crowd even happier!

Garlic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes
Honey Dijon Apple Bacon Cranberry Salad
Easy Soft Dinner Rolls

Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham Recipe Video

Try our Honey Baked Ham or our Maple Glazed Ham!

Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham Recipe (8)

The most perfect sticky glaze is slathered all over this juicy, tender Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham, with crisp edges and an incredible flavour. Don't even be intimidated by a ham this season, with all the tips and tricks you need right here!

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Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Serves: 25 - 30 people

Ingredients

  • 8-10 pound (4-5 kg) bone-in fully cooked ham,
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, reduce fat or full fat
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 300°F | 150°C and arrange a rack in the lower third. Remove any plastic packaging or netting from the ham. Trim away the rind and discard. Set the ham aside to rest at room temperature for 1-2 hours.

  • Line a baking tray or dish with several sheets of aluminium foil or parchment paper if you prefer (it will make cleanup a lot easier).

  • Remove the rind or skin of the ham (refer to steps in post), ensuring you leave the fat on. Using a sharp knife score a 1-inch-wide diamond pattern (don’t cut more than 1/4 inch deep) over the entire ham. Place the ham in the baking tray; pour 1/3 cup of water into the base of the pan and cover the ham with two pieces of foil or parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes.

  • Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small pot or saucepan over medium heat until golden browned. Add in the brown sugar, honey, mustard, cinnamon and cloves, stirring to mix together well until the brown sugar has completely dissolved, (about 2 minutes).

  • Reduce heat to low and add in the garlic. Allow it to become fragrant, cooking for a further minute or two until the glaze just begins to simmer, then set it aside and let cool to lukewarm (the glaze should be the consistency of room-temperature honey).

  • After 30 minutes baking time, carefully remove the ham from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425°F | 220°C. Discard the foil or parchment paper and pour 1/3 of the glaze all over the ham, brushing in between the cuts to evenly cover. Return to the oven andbake uncovered for 15 minutes.

  • Remove from the oven, brush with another third of the glaze and some of the pan juices, and repeat again after 15 minutes more minutes of baking until a dark golden-brown crust has formed, (about 30 minutes total). For added depth of flavour, mix some of the ham pan juices together with the glaze in the pot which will help keep it runny enough for brushing. If your crust is still pink after there suggested baking time, turn on your broiler (or oven grill), and allow it to broil for 2-5 minutes, while keeping an eye on it so it doesn't burn from the sugar.

  • Let the ham rest 10-20 minutes before slicing.

Notes

If your glaze has been over simmered and begins to thicken between each baste, add some of the pan juices to it and heat it up over low heat until it warms through and is the consistency of warmed honey.

Nutrition

Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 1740mg | Potassium: 433mg | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1.4mg

Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you put the glaze on a ham before you cook it or after you cook it? ›

The glaze should not be applied until the final hour to 30 minutes, in order to avoid burning the sugars. What you're going to do with the glaze ingredients is just combine most of them into a paste, and then apply it to the ham. After that, the heat in your oven will take care of everything.

What is brown sugar glaze made of? ›

directions. Combine 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoons dry or prepared mustard, 1/8 tsp cinnamon and 3 tablespoons dry sherry (optional), 3 tablespoons vinegar and 3 tablespoons water.

What is the best way to cook a precooked ham? ›

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the ham on a rack in a large baking pan and add about 1/4- to 1/2 inch of water to the pan. If the ham is labeled "fully cooked" (does not require heating), heat it in the oven for about 10 minutes per pound, or to an internal temperature of 140 F.

How do you heat and glaze a fully cooked ham? ›

Add water to the bottom of the pan and cover the whole thing tightly with foil. Bake at 325F for 16-20 minutes per pound, until a meat thermometer registers 135F. Unwrap the ham and apply the glaze; increase the heat to 400F and bake for 15-20 minutes longer until the glaze is burnished.

Do you cook a ham face down or on its side? ›

Cook it cut-side down: Place the ham cut-side down in your pan to prevent it from drying out while baking. Cover it while cooking: Help the meat retain moisture by covering the ham or pan with aluminum foil before putting it in the oven.

Should I cover a glazed ham in the oven? ›

Not Covering Your Ham

If you don't cover your ham while cooking it will quickly dry out. Instead: Put some aluminum foil over your ham while it's cooking. It is recommended that the ham is covered for at least half of the cooking process and only removed during the last half when you glaze it.

What are the three basic ingredients in glaze? ›

A BASE GLAZE is a mixture of these three basic groups: SILICA, FLUX AND ALUMINA.

Why is my brown sugar glaze not thickening? ›

If you allow your glaze to cool off too much, you'll have a much harder time getting your thickening agents fully incorporated. When thickening glazes after the fact, low, steady heat is the key to achieving a smooth, consistent texture and unobtrusive flavor.

What do you put in brown sugar to keep it moist? ›

Add Apple Wedges to Brown Sugar

If you don't have any bread or marshmallows, apples work too. Toss a few wedges (or even the core) into your container of too-hard brown sugar.

Do you cook a ham at 325 or 350? ›

Heat oven to 325ºF. Remove all packaging materials and place ham on its side, fat side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan; cover loosely with aluminum foil. Heat approximately 15 to 20 minutes per pound until heated through. Remove ham from oven and let stand, covered, 20 minutes before serving.

Do you rinse a precooked ham before cooking? ›

Whether you are cooking a bone in or boneless ham, pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. Start by removing the packaging from the ham (and bone guard if you're cooking a bone in ham), and you can rinse the ham before cooking if desired.

How do you tell if a precooked ham is done? ›

For cooked hams that have been repackaged in any other location outside the plant or for leftover cooked ham, heat to 165 °F (73.9 °C). Cook all raw fresh ham and ready-to-eat ham to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F (62.8 °C) as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source.

Do you put glaze on ham before or after cooking? ›

About 20 minutes prior to the end of cooking time, begin glazing the ham but applying it with a silicon brush. Continue to glaze every 5 minutes until the ham is done. The ham is ready when a thermometer reads an internal temperature of 135-140f.

How do you use the glaze packet that comes with the ham? ›

Directions
  1. Heat oven to 350°F.
  2. In shallow roasting pan, place ham.
  3. In large saucepan, stir together glaze packet contents, 2 cups water and brown sugar. ...
  4. Meanwhile, in bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon water and cornstarch. ...
  5. Bake ham according to package directions, basting with glaze, every 15 minutes.

Can you glaze a cold cooked ham? ›

If glazing a pre-cooked ham it will need to be served cold, but still makes a great ham for carving. Using a small knife, remove the skin from the ham, leaving about 1cm of fat. Score the fat in a diamond pattern and it's ready to glaze.

Is glazed ham precooked? ›

The thing with glazed ham is that it doesn't actually need to be cooked because it's already cooked. It's just about getting that glaze just right! Cool for 2 – 3 hours on the counter until you can barely feel warmth when you hover your hand over the surface.

What is the best way to cook a ham without drying it out? ›

How do you bake a ham without drying it out? Spiral cut hams should be covered with aluminum foil to help retain moisture when re heating. You could also place a foil pan with water underneath the ham to create some steam inside the oven to keep everything moist.

What are the secrets to the best ham? ›

1. Cook it low and slow. This ensures that the meat doesn't dry out as your ham spends at least a couple hours in the oven. The ideal temperature to cook at is 325°, and for a bone-in half ham it will take 20 to 25 minutes per pound to cook at that low of a temperature.

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