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Perfect Brown Sugar Glazed Ham for Easy Friendsgiving Dinner

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A stress-free, showstopping brown sugar glazed ham that’s perfect for Friendsgiving. With a sticky, salty-sweet caramelized crust and simple pantry ingredients, this recipe is forgiving, impressive, and makes your entire home smell like a holiday candle.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 fully cooked bone-in spiral-cut ham (8–10 pounds)
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • Optional: whole cloves for studding

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Position the rack in the lower third of the oven.
  2. Remove the ham from its packaging and pat it completely dry with paper towels. Discard any plastic disk or cap covering the bone.
  3. Score the ham in a diamond pattern. Using a sharp knife, make shallow cuts about 1/4 inch deep in a crosshatch pattern across the entire surface, spacing cuts about 1 inch apart.
  4. Place the ham cut-side down on the rack in your roasting pan. Add about 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the pan.
  5. Cover the ham tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
  6. While the ham bakes, make the glaze. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, honey, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, ground cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the melted butter.
  7. After 1 hour and 15 minutes, remove the ham from the oven and carefully take off the foil. Brush a generous layer of glaze all over the ham, making sure to get it into the scored lines. Use about half the glaze.
  8. Return the ham to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 30 minutes. Then brush on another layer of glaze. Repeat this process every 20-30 minutes until you’ve used all the glaze. Total baking time after the initial covered period should be about 1 to 1.5 hours.
  9. Check the internal temperature. Insert your meat thermometer into the thickest part of the ham, avoiding the bone. You’re looking for 140°F (60°C). If it’s not there yet, keep basting and checking every 10 minutes.
  10. Once it hits 140°F, remove the ham from the oven and tent it loosely with foil. Let it rest for at least 15-20 minutes.
  11. Transfer the ham to a carving board and slice along the pre-cut lines. Arrange on a platter and spoon any remaining pan juices over the top. Serve warm.

Notes

Don’t skip scoring the ham—it creates texture and flavor pockets for the glaze. Low and slow (325°F) is key; higher heat burns the glaze before the ham warms through. Let the ham rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing to keep it juicy. The glaze will look dark and slightly burnt in spots—that’s exactly what you want. Make extra glaze for dipping leftovers. If drippings start to burn, add a splash of water or apple juice to the pan.

Nutrition

Keywords: brown sugar glazed ham, Friendsgiving ham, holiday ham, glazed ham recipe, easy ham recipe, spiral ham, baked ham

Find it online: https://ovenmila.com/perfect-brown-sugar-glazed-ham-for-easy-friendsgiving-dinner/