Warming up a Honey-Baked Ham is not necessary since this ham comes fully cooked and ready to eat. If you prefer a ham that is more than just room temperature, there are several ways to achieve it getting warm without drying it out.
Oven Method
To heat a whole ham in the oven, follow these simple steps:
- Keep the Honey-Baked Ham in its original foil wrapper or remove the wrapper and wrap with your own foil to prevent drying out.
- Maintain the oven temperature at about 275 to 300 degrees.
- A general time guide is to heat for 10 minutes for every pound of ham.
If you prefer to heat by the slice, simply slice off just what you want to heat, wrap in foil or place in an ovenproof dish and cover with foil. Then, use the same temperature as above for no more than 15 minutes to heat the slice.
Microwave Method
It is not advised to use the microwave to heat a whole ham. Doing so will cause the outside to melt and the inside to be cold. If you want to heat up the ham by the slice, slice off what you need and heat the slice of ham in 10 to 20 second increments until ready.
You should serve the heated slice immediately after warming it in the microwave.
Skillet Method
Ham slices can also be heated in a skillet. Simply place a slice in a skillet on the stove top set to low and heat on each side until warm. Be careful not to overcook and dry out the slice because this method warms the ham quickly.
Warming Tips
There are several tips to keep in mind that will help you make sure that your ham is properly heated.
- Use a meat thermometer. Since the ham is already cooked, you only need it to be about 140 degrees in the center to be warm enough to eat.
- Avoid repeated heating. This dries out the ham.
- For additional moisture, try placing a shallow pan with water on the rack below the ham when heating.
To Cook or Not to Cook
The subtle flavors, crispy glaze, spiral cut and the perfect tenderness of an official Honey-Baked Ham make it a favorite among many. Unfortunately, many a fantastic dinner party has turned into a fiasco when well-intentioned cooks have tossed the fully cooked ham into the oven or microwave as usual. The oven dries it out and the microwave melts the glaze far before the center is fully heated. Disappointed guests and a much lighter wallet are often the results. This type of ham does not require full cooking, so keep that in mind when planning on serving it to your guests.
© 2022 LoveToKnow Media. All rights reserved.
Comments We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing. My family being what it is, a Sunday lunch means we have 17 people to feed (a very normal-sized
gathering when you’re the oldest of eight kids!). I often decide to fall back on ham, that oh-so-easy lunch dish. If you too are hosting a lunch, brunch, or holiday gathering with many mouths to feed in your near future, let me show you how to buy and bake a ham, and finish it with the most delectable honey-balsamic glaze. And even if you’re hosting a smaller gathering, it’s hard to beat leftover
ham. There’s so much you can do with it. When making a ham for lunch or dinner, the first (and in some ways most important) choice is what to buy. Here are a few tips and thoughts on buying a good ham. Buying a Ham
City Hams vs. Country Hams
This cooking lesson is just dealing with city hams. A country ham is a very different sort of thing, and it deserves its own separate tutorial.
Buying a City Ham
So you know you want to buy a ham. What to get?
- Look for a bone-in ham. The bone is a little more work to cut around, but it imparts more flavor to the ham, and I think it’s worth it.
- Look for a ham with no added water or juices. It should just be labeled “ham” — not Ham, water added or Ham with natural juices.
- Whole or spiral-cut? A ham that hasn’t been cut up at all has less chance of drying out in the oven, but the convenience of spiral-cut is enough to make me always opt for that. Spiral-cut means the ham is already in thin slices; you just have to slice them away from the bone.
Do You Glaze a Ham Before or After Baking?
The ham is already cooked, so really it’s just getting reheated in the oven. But you do want to be sure it’s heated through before adding the glaze. W
Once the ham reaches an internal temperature of 120°F, you can add the glaze. Use a pastry brush to liberally apply the glaze all over the skin of the ham. Then the ham will bake for about 10 minutes more.
This recipes uses a basic honey glaze, but there are many other options. A pineapple ham glaze will garner big points, and there are plenty of other ideas that call for just three ingredients.
What Is The Best Temperature to Bake a Ham?
We recommend baking the ham at a low temperature to keep it moist, and setting the oven to 275°F
How Long Does It Take to Bake Honey-Glazed Ham?
With the oven set to 275°F, honey-glazed ham will take 2 to 2 1/2 hours to cook. The ham is already cooked, but should be heated through until it reaches an internal temperature of 120°F.
But if you need it to be ready more quickly, you can also bake at a higher temperature of 350°F.
- 275°F – Bake for 20 minutes per pound (about 2 to 2 1/2 hours total)
- 350°F – Bake for 10 minutes per pound (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours total)
- The ham is ready when it has reached an internal temperature of about 120°F to 140°F.
large ham, ideally bone-in and spiral-cut, with no added water or juices honeyIngredients
unsalted butter
brown sugar
balsamic vinegar
Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
Heat the oven to 275°F and line the roasting rack with several long pieces of foil. These should be large enough to wrap up and around the ham.
Place the ham cut-side down in the pan. Take the ham out of its wrappings and place it in the pan.
Use a sharp knife to score the skin of the ham into a crosshatch pattern. Slice long lines into the skin (not into the meat itself) and then slice back the other way to form a crosshatch pattern. This makes the ham a little prettier, and it will also help your glaze permeate the skin later in the baking process.
Fold the foil up around the meat.
Fold the top of the foil together to seal as well as possible. This foil pouch is meant to keep the ham from drying out in the oven.
Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Put in the oven to bake, well-wrapped in foil, and go about your business. The ham doesn't need any attention or checking until at least 1 1/2 hours have passed.
Make the glaze: Combine the honey, butter, and sugar in a pan and stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted. Stir in the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Check the temperature of the ham. After about 1 1/2 hours, check the temperature of the ham in the thickest part of the meat, avoiding the bone. The ham is fully cooked already, so you are just checking to see if the inner part of the ham is warm yet. If the ham has reached an internal temperature of 120°F, move on to the next step. If not, seal it back up in the foil and put it back into the oven.
Glaze the ham. Once the ham hits 120°F internally, turn up the oven to 425°F. While the oven is heating, remove the ham from the oven and ease the foil away and out of the pan. Warm the glaze again if necessary to make it easy to spread. Use a pastry brush to liberally apply the glaze all over the skin of the ham.
Bake the ham for 10 minutes. Bake the ham for 10 minutes at the higher oven temperature, then remove it from the oven and turn the oven up to BROIL.
Brush with glaze one more time then broil. Brush the ham with the honey glaze one more time, then put back in the oven under the broiler for about 3 to 5 minutes (keep an eye on it though and remove if it begins to smoke). This will give a crisp edge to the skin.
Remove from the oven, slice, and serve. Remove the now-glazed ham from the oven. Cut the slices away from the bone, and serve.
Recipe Notes
You can also use an oven bag, instead of foil, to bake the ham and keep it moist.