Rosemary Brown Sugar Glazed Spiral Ham

This easy Rosemary Brown Sugar Glazed Spiral Ham recipe is so juicy with crispy edges from the brown sugar glaze! This easy-to-make baked ham makes the perfect centerpiece for Easter or Christmas.

In my mind, there is nothing that is quite as tempting as a juicy and delicious spiral-cut ham on the holiday table. There better be leftovers for my kids so we always buy a bigger ham. This baked spiral ham goes so well with our No-Knead Dinner Rolls and our Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.

They have spiral cut hams available all year, so you could make it a special dinner any time of the year. We happened to enjoy this rosemary ham for an Easter dinner with friends.

Rosemary Brown Sugar Glazed Spiral Ham

Originally published April 22, 2019 and updated March 11, 2020

This spiral ham recipe is made with brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, mustard and spices is just dripping with flavor and only takes a few minutes of hands-on prep! An elegant and easy to make main dish that is perfect for Easter, Christmas and any big friend or family gathering.

If it’s your first time baking a spiral ham, fear not! I explain how to make the ham with step-by-step directions in the recipe card below…it’s truly very easy!

Spiral cut hams are usually between 8 and 11 pounds (and some are smaller, around 5 pounds) and already come fully cooked (check the package out that it says pre-cooked). You’re basically heating up the ham on a lower temperature to make sure the outside doesn’t dry out.

Lamb is the meat that is enjoyed on Easter all over Italy. But a baked spiral ham is what my father preferred for Christmas and even Easter. My sister-in-law just reminded me that we better make our baked ham for Thanksgiving! My dad would decorate his platter with fresh rosemary and slices of star fruit all from his garden. Dad would also add orange slices and it was a plate that looked very Sicilian. This rosemary ham  is something he would totally love! When I baked this ham, it brought me so many memories of dad’s special ham.

What’s Needed for This Spiral Ham Recipe? 

This baked spiral ham requires very few ingredients to achieve lots of flavor! Here’s what I used in for the rosemary ham: 

• Spiral ham (pre-cooked)
• Orange 
• Garlic cloves
• Fresh rosemary and thyme 

And to make the spiral ham glaze recipe, I used the following: 

• Brown sugar
• Balsamic vinegar 
• Orange juice
• Dijon mustard
• Mild paprika 

How Much Ham Per Person?

The way to calculate how many servings you’ll get is it’s about 6 ounces per person, so you could figure an 8-pound ham will give you about 20 servings. Impossible to eat just one slice, so maybe get a larger ham if you’re dreaming of those leftovers the next day! This spiral ham recipe also makes the best sandwiches!

What Are the Best Herbs for Spiral Ham? 

For this Rosemary Brown Sugar Glazed Spiral Ham, we used fresh rosemary, thyme, garlic and orange slices in our ham. You could use just rosemary or just thyme. We like the combo of the fresh rosemary and thyme. When you are serving the ham, you could remove the garlic slivers,  fresh herbs, and orange slices.

How to Bake a Spiral Ham

Since spiral hams come fully cooked, you’re really just heating it up before serving. You could make this brown sugar glazed spiral ham any time for a special occasion!

Here are the basic steps for cooking a spiral ham in the oven: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Whisk together the spiral ham glaze. 
3. Remove spiral ham from the package, but reserve the liquid. 
4. Place the spiral ham in a pan with a rack (you want the fat side UP).
5. Gently pry apart the sliced ham and stuff insert the thinly sliced orange, garlic clove slivers, and sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme.
6. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil around the bottom of the pan to avoid drying it out.
7. Cover the spiral ham tightly with foil (this makes sure no steam escapes).
8. Place the baking pan in the center of the oven and bake. 
9. For the last 20 minutes of the cooking, uncover the ham and spoon the brown sugar glaze on top. 

How Long to Bake a Spiral Ham

Your spiral ham’s cooking time will depend on its size. However, a good rule of thumb is to bake your spiral ham for 13-16 minutes per pound at 250°F uncovered. Use a meat thermometer and check that the glazed spiral ham registers 140°F before serving it. 

Keep the ham covered with foil to keep it warm until you’re ready to serve it. If you check the ham and remove it at around 135°F it shouldn’t be dry. 

How to Cut a Spiral Ham

Spiral hams are cut from one end to the other, which makes it very easy to carve and serve.  Spiral hams are wonderful served the next day warm or even cold.

How to Reheat Spiral Ham

You have a few options when it comes to reheating this glazed spiral ham. You can either cover the ham with foil and bake it at 325ºF for 10 minutes per pound OR you can reheat individual slices in the microwave or in a skillet. Your choice! 

Pin it to your EASTER, HOLIDAY, MEAT or DINNER Board to SAVE for later! Find me on Pinterest for more great recipes!  I am always pinning :)!

What to Serve with Spiral Ham

This spiral ham recipe pairs nicely with almost any side dish! A few of our favorite sides to enjoy alongside this glazed spiral ham include: 

• Sicilian Fennel and Orange Salad
• Honey Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Best Ever Italian Sausage Stuffing
• Sweet Corn Spoonbread
• No-Knead Dinner Rolls
• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Print Recipe

5 from 6 votes

Rosemary Brown Sugar Glazed Spiral Ham

This Rosemary Brown Sugar Glazed Spiral Ham is so juicy with crispy edges from the brown sugar glaze. The perfect centerpiece for Easter or Christmas!

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time2 hrs

Total Time2 hrs 5 mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: ham, holiday

Servings: 1 ham

Ingredients

HAM

• 1 spiral ham (8-10 lbs)
• 1/2 orange , thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves , slivered
• 6 sprigs fresh rosemary and thyme , cut up

GLAZE

• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon mild paprika

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 250°F.
• In a small bowl, combine the glaze ingredients and stir together well; set aside.
• Remove packaging and if your ham has a small plastic disk on the underside of the bone, remove and discard the disk.
• Place ham in a shallow roasting pan lined with foil (or a Silpat mat), cut side down.
• Between the slices all around the ham insert the thinly sliced orange, garlic clove slivers, and sprigs of fresh rosemary and/or thyme. Cover tightly with foil paper.
• Bake for 13-16 minutes per pound until ham reaches 140°F. The ham doesn't need any attention or checking until at least 1 1/2 hours have passed.
• For the last 20 minutes of the cooking, uncover and spoon the glaze over the ham.
• Transfer to a platter using two large, wide spatulas. Remove the ham from the oven and rest at least 15 minutes before cutting. Spoon any glaze from the pan over the ham before serving if desired.

Notes

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