Pineapple Honey Baked Ham

Pineapple Honey Baked Ham – unbelievably juicy, succulent, baked ham bursting with flavors from pineapple and spiced rum honey glaze. The smokey and salty flavor from the ham complements the sweet, warm, and sticky glaze well. Truly a showstopper holiday main dish! 

The festive season is officially here. And for most of us, this time of the year marks the start of gatherings here and there. If you’re tasked to host a Thanksgiving or Christmas party, then worry not. ‘Cause I got something here that will absolutely impress your family and guests.

Our Honey Glazed Ham Recipe for today first came out in 2016, and so I felt the need to update it with relevant additional content for a better cooking experience on your end.

Three years may have gone by, but this baked ham recipe had proven to be a consistent showstopper main dish during Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year (check this Recipes to Start the New Year HERE), Easter, or any other celebratory meals you have on your calendar. 

This is going to be the most flavorful baked ham you’ll ever have!

What Kind of Ham Should I Buy?

If you’ve never baked a ham before, then this recipe here is a perfect start. One thing that we could both agree on is that store-bought already glazed ham is quite pricey. This honey-baked ham, on the other hand, costs a fraction of the price you’d pay with the store-bought one. Plus, you don’t have to wait in line!

What you need to buy to prepare this ham recipe at home is a spiral, fully cooked, bone-in ham (the shank end part). Look for the label at the grocery store that says “Fully Cooked” and not the “Cook Before Eating“. Fully cooked hams have already been cured and either smoked, boiled, or baked before they are packaged which means they are safe to eat even without warming up.

Bone-in vs Boneless Ham

Although boneless hams are quite convenient for most of us as they won’t easily fall apart, I’d still prefer the bone-in ones. Bone-in hams boast better flavor and texture compared to boneless ones. That bone has connective tissues that when heated through, essentially melts and make the meat moist and even more flavorful!

What’s in a Honey Baked Ham?

My Honey Glazed Ham has a perfect well-balanced flavor from the smoky salty ham and the glaze. For this celebratory main dish, you’ll need:

• 8-10 pound cooked and smoked cured ham – A smoke-cured ham has been flavored with salt, sugar, and other flavorings. It’s these flavors that turn the flesh from the hindquarters of a pig into the tasty food we call ham.
• brown sugar – What I like about this ingredient is that it doesn’t dry out the meat too much. Brown sugar already has moisture so it only adds flavor and takes little to no moisture at all!
• pineapple juice – Aside from the fact that this gives out great flavor. What is great about added pineapple juice is that it also helps to tenderize the meat while it marinates.
• Dijon mustard – This ingredient helps a lot in flavor enhancement. Not to mention that it is also full of nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, fiber, protein, magnesium, iron, and calcium.
• orange juice – This juice adds an incredible citrus flavor that can’t be found in artificial flavorings.
• honey – Cornbread has always been where honey is great on, but note! There’s always more, it can do so much more in your kitchen.
• rum (optional, although highly recommended) – Rum gives flavor, and moisture you can only imagine!
• ground ginger – Sometimes labeled powdered ginger. This has a warm, spicy bite, is a little bit sweet, and is not as strongly flavored as fresh ginger.
• nutmeg – This also has a warm, spicy aroma and flavor that can be used in sweet and savory meat-based dishes.
• cloves – A very little nutmeg goes a long way in food for its strong, spicy flavor with a warm to hot taste.
• allspice – Mostly used in sweet and savory dishes. Allspice is used to season meat, soup, stew, vegetables, and baked goods as you would use ground nutmeg, cinnamon, or cloves.
• lemon juice – Besides helping in tenderizing meat, lemon juice also cuts greasiness and gives food a fresh and clean taste.
• pineapple rings and cherries for decorating – Aside from the wonderful taste it gives, putting the pineapple rings and cherries on top is a breeze!

Scroll further down below for a full printable recipe.

Ham Glaze Recipe

This Ham Glaze Recipe is a mixture of brown sugar, honey, pineapple and orange juice, mustard, allspice, nutmeg, cloves and a touch of rum. Yes Rum! If you cook it long enough all the alcohol evaporates; giving you an underlying rum flavor.

You might also be thinking, “what’s up with all the sugar?”. The honey, sugar, and pineapple in this recipe help to act as a foil to the salty ham (I don’t know why they salt it so much). Furthermore, it also aids in the beautiful caramelization process on the ham’s surface that makes it even more drool-worthy!

Then comes the much-needed acidity to balance out the sweetness. Yes, it’s not all sweet and salty. This explains the presence of Dijon mustard, lemon, and orange juice that meld beautifully with our other spices. If you skip on these ingredients, then you’re missing out. It’s all in there for certain reasons.

So if your ham comes with a glaze, replace it with your own glaze instead!!! Your taste buds will thank you. You are rewarded with some spicy-sweet goodness.

How Long to Bake a Ham?

This fully cooked spiraled ham is baked in a preheated 325 degrees F oven for about 10-12 minutes per pound (roughly 2 hours for a 10-pound ham), or until an instant-read thermometer registers 120°F when inserted into the thickest portion of ham. And during the last 30 minutes of cooking time, apply the honey glaze in every nook and cranny of the ham.

Storing Honey Baked Ham

Make sure to check the best before date on the ham package, but usually, leftover baked ham is good for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container. Beyond that, you’ll want to freeze them.

Can You Freeze Leftover Baked Ham?

Certainly! Leftover ham makes the best additions to soups, Scalloped Potatoes, and sandwiches. Not to mention the delicious homemade broth you can make from the ham bone. To freeze leftover ham, cube, or slice them up, transfer in an airtight freezer-friendly container and freeze up to 2-3 months.

(You can have this ham two ways: with or without pineapple rings. It’s easy both ways. Putting the pineapple rings and cherries on top is a breeze.)

What to Serve with Honey Glazed Ham?

This baked ham pairs beautifully with any of the following below:

• Wedge Salad
• Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Easy Dinner Rolls
• Easy Pasta Salad
• Green Beans and Bacon

And when you’re all done, you may finish your entire meal with this Ambrosia Salad and Sweet Potato Casserole.

More Ham Recipes You’ll Love

• Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
• Ham Salad
• Ham and Bean Soup

How To Bake a Ham

1. Prep: preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

1. Place the ham cut side down in a roasting pan cover. Sprinkle with about 1/2 cup brown sugar (optional).

1. Cover and roast: Then cover tightly with foil paper. Place in a preheated oven and roast for 10 to 12 minutes per pound.

1. Glaze the ham and bring to boil: During the last 30 minutes of cooking time, apply the glaze all over it. Add remaining brown sugar, mustard, orange, and pineapple juice, honey, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, rum, and lemon juice to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes or more until it’s syrupy.

1. Decorate: If using pineapple, place the pineapple rings around the ham in a decorative manner. Place a cherry in the middle, then use a toothpick to hold it in place. Repeat until you have used up enough pineapple to cover the surface.

1. Glaze it again and baste the ham every 15-20 minutes: Brush with additional pineapple honey glaze and bake for an additional 15- 20 minutes (basting ham every 10 minutes.) depending on the size of your ham or until an instant-read thermometer registers 120°F when inserted into the thickest portion of ham. Remove from the oven to a serving platter and let rest for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with a side of the glaze.

 

 

This post was first published in December 2016 and has been updated with the relevant write-up.