How to Cook A Spiral Ham

cooked spiral ham on serving platter garnished with parsley and orange slices

5 from 35 votes

How to cook spiral ham that's juicy, tender, and never dry. Instructions include an easy orange glaze for this scrumptious holiday ham recipe.

Prep Time5

Cook Time2 15

Total Time2 20

Course: Holiday, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: servings

Calories: 548kcal

Author: Traci

Equipment

aluminum foil
roasting pan
2 quart saucepan
wire whisk
pastry brush

Ingredients

7 pound Unglazed Spiral Ham bone-in or boneless, any size
½ cup Brown Sugar
1 large Naval Orange zested and juiced (about ¼ cup juice)
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
½ teaspoon Paprika
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
¼ teaspoon Sea Salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and adjust oven racks to fit the ham.
Remove all packaging, including the plastic disc on the flat side of the ham. Place HAM in a foil-lined roasting pan, flat side facing down.
*see recipe notes about roasting rack and adding liquid to the pan
Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake 10-12 minutes per pound for boneless ham or 15 minutes per pound for bone-in ham.
While ham is baking, make the ham glaze by heating BROWN SUGAR, ORANGE JUICE, ORANGE ZEST, DIJON, APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, PAPRIKA, GARLIC POWDER, and SALT in saucepan over medium heat, whisking as needed.
Note: The glaze thickens as it cools, and can be used warm or at room temperature.
Remove ham from the oven and adjust oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Uncover the ham. Carefully ladle the ham juices out of the pan – it should be about 2 cups of juices.
Brush glaze over ham surface to coat.
Bake the glazed ham uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 140 degrees Fahrenheit on a quick-read thermometer.
Transfer ham to a serving dish, garnish with orange slices and fresh parsley, and let it rest about 10 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

I recommend buying unglazed ham if you plan to make the orange glaze for this recipe.

Do I need a roasting rack for spiral ham?

It's optional. A rack keeps the ham above its juices as it cooks. But, as you can see from my photos, it doesn't affect the outcome.

Should I add water to the roasting pan?

It's not necessary to add water because the ham naturally has enough fat and water to keep it moist. Covering the ham and not overcooking it is what keeps spiral ham from drying out.

Storage and reheat

To store, allow ham to cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight storage container up to 5 days or freeze up to 90 days (longer if vacuum sealed).

Cooked ham can be covered and reheated using the stove, oven, microwave, or air fryer using gentle-heat settings in short intervals to prevent drying out.

Nutrition