Christmas Ham

By Laurel Perry

Published Nov 28, 2023

Christmas ham recipe easy holiday recipe. - 2

This Christmas Ham recipe is the perfect dish for your holiday feast! It’s covered with a deliciously sweet and savory glaze, made with brown sugar, oranges, garlic, and a range of herbs and spices. Just cook this spiral-cut ham in the oven for the best Christmas dinner!

sliced ham with blood oranges and rosemary on a white plate. - 5

Why We Love This Christmas Ham Recipe

Easy. Bone-in spiral-cut ham comes pre-cooked, so all you have to do is heat, brush with the glaze, and enjoy!
Flavorful. Dark brown sugar, blood oranges, mustard, apple cider vinegar, rosemary, spices , and garlic create a sweet and tangy glaze.
Beautiful. This ham has a gorgeous color and a crispy, shiny crust.

Boneless Ham for Christmas

You can easily swap out the bone-in ham for a boneless one. Simply cook the ham for 10 minutes per pound, or until it reaches 140°F internally. Plan for ½ pound of meat per person. For example, a 9-pound boneless ham will feed 18 people!

a roasted ham with blood oranges on a plate. - 6

How to Store and Reheat

The easiest way to store leftover Christmas ham is to fully carve the ham into slices. Place the slices in a resealable bag, or stack them and wrap them tightly in aluminum foil to store for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 325°F oven until warmed through.

How to Freeze

To freeze, carve Christmas ham into slices. Wrap stacks of slices in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then place them in a Ziplock bag to store for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Serving Suggestions

Kick off Christmas dinner with this glazed Christmas ham! It pairs so well with starches like crockpot mashed potatoes , twice baked potatoes , or candied sweet potatoes , and veggies like crockpot glazed carrots , creamed green beans , or asparagus almondine . Don’t forget the ham gravy !

Heat up leftovers and serve slices on dinner rolls or Hawaiian rolls to make sliders, or make any of these leftover ham recipes . These are great for lunches!

Personally, I prefer a bone-in ham, as it is much more flavorful than a boneless one. Opt for spiral cut if it’s available to both save you time and help the glaze penetrate the meat.

Plan to buy your ham a week before Christmas to ensure you get the perfect size and cut! A sealed spiral-cut ham will keep for about a week in the refrigerator!

Yes! The majority of hams you buy at the store have already been cooked and simply need to be reheated. We’re adding a glaze to amp up the flavor!

Because spiral ham is pre-cooked, we just need to heat it up! Plan for 15 minutes per pound at 325°F.

This ham can be served both ways! I love it fresh from the oven on Christmas Eve and cold on sandwiches for a Christmas Day lunch!

slices of glazed Christmas ham on a plate. - 7

More Holiday Ham Recipes To Try

Pineapple Ham
Marmalade Glazed Ham
Honey Baked Ham
Orange Honey Glazed Ham
Pecan Bourbon Glazed Ham
Apple Ginger Glazed Ham
Honey Mustard Maple Glazed Ham
Brown Sugar Glazed Ham

Ingredients1x2x3x

▢ 9 pound cooked bone-in spiral-cut ham
▢ 1 cup dark brown sugar
▢ 3 blood oranges zested and juiced
▢ ¼ cup coarse ground mustard
▢ 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
▢ 2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
▢ ½ teaspoon ground paprika
▢ ½ teaspoon chili powder
▢ 2 cloves garlic minced

Optional Garnishes

▢ Pomegranate arils
▢ Rosemary sprigs
▢ Blood orange wedges

Video

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F.
Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of a roasting pan.
Place the ham cut side down on the rack of the roasting pan. 9 pound cooked bone-in spiral-cut ham
In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, orange juice and zest, mustard, apple cider vinegar, rosemary, cinnamon, paprika, chili powder, and garlic. Simmer for 10 minutes. 1 cup dark brown sugar, 3 blood oranges, ¼ cup coarse ground mustard, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground paprika, ½ teaspoon chili powder, 2 cloves garlic
Brush half the glaze over the ham, getting it into the cuts as much as possible.
Cover loosely with foil and bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the ham reaches 140°F.
Remove the ham from the oven and increase the oven to 375°F.
Discard the foil and brush the ham with half of the remaining glaze.
Bake the ham for 15 minutes.
Brush the ham with the remaining glaze and bake for 15 minutes.
Garnish and serve. Pomegranate arils, Rosemary sprigs, Blood orange wedges

Equipment

Roasting Pan

Becky’s Tips

With a bone-in ham, plan for about ¾ pound per person. This will yield appox. ½ pound of meat per person.
If using a different-sized ham, cook for 15 minutes per pound.
Regular oranges can be used in place of the blood oranges.
You can use regular brown sugar in place of the dark brown sugar.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

How to Make Christmas Ham Step by Step

Prep the Ham: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of a roasting pan, and place a 9-pound cooked bone-in spiral-cut ham cut side down on the rack of the roasting pan.

a roasted turkey in a pan on a marble countertop. - 8

Make the Glaze: In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of dark brown sugar, 3 zested and juiced blood oranges, ¼ cup of coarse ground mustard, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons of finely chopped rosemary, ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of ground paprika, ½ teaspoon of chili powder, and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Bake the Ham: Brush half the glaze over the ham, getting it into the cuts as much as possible. Cover loosely with foil and bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the ham reaches 140°F.

a roasted turkey in a roasting pan on a marble countertop. - 10

Increase the Temperature: Remove the ham from the oven and increase the oven to 375°F. Discard the foil and brush the ham with half of the remaining glaze. Bake the ham for 15 minutes.

a roasted ham in a pan on a marble countertop. - 11

Garnish the Ham: Brush the ham with the remaining glaze and bake for 15 more minutes. Garnish with pomegranate arils, rosemary sprigs, and blood orange wedges if desired, and serve.

sliced ham with blood oranges and rosemary on a white plate. - 13

Christmas Ham Recipe

Equipment

Roasting Pan