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:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Whisk together the spiral ham glaze.
- Remove spiral ham from the package, but reserve the liquid.
- Place the spiral ham in a pan with a rack (you want the fat side UP).
- Gently pry apart the sliced ham and stuff insert the thinly sliced orange, garlic clove slivers, and sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme.
- Drizzle extra virgin olive oil around the bottom of the pan to avoid drying it out.
- Cover the spiral ham tightly with foil (this makes sure no steam escapes).
- Place the baking pan in the center of the oven and bake.
- 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
Rosemary Brown Sugar Glazed Spiral 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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Absolute perfection, that looks and sounds fabulous!
Thank you, Kimberly!! I’m happy we had some leftovers;)
WOW!! This ham looks and sounds absolutely amazing!!
Delicious recipe for a holiday ham! I will make this for Mother’s Day in a few weeks!
Thank you, Sara. Great idea for the special moms!!
Love this great looking ham! Great for holidays and a nice weeknight dinner with family; yum!
Thank you, Beth!
What a great way to enjoy Easter ham. I have this pinned to my Thanksgiving board, so I don’t miss out!
Thank you, Jackie! It would be great also for Thanksgiving!
What a great Easter ham recipe. I love that you have added rosemary. That is a great springtime herb.
It is! I add it to so many dishes. Thank you. 🙂
This couldn’t look any more perfect! I’m drooling this is everything I love!
Now I’m craving ham! This looks really lovely.
Normally we are not the ones to make Thanksgiving ham, but since we didn’t get together with family this was our first time making it. This recipe is now our favorite and will be our regular ham going forward. Delish!
Hi Leticia-awwww…I know, this year is so difficult to be apart from our families. This makes me so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for letting me know. Happy Holidays! XX