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Ham is a favorite for the holidays, but if you’ve never cooked it before, it can be intimidating! This guide on how to cook a spiral ham has all the basics you need to know for a crowd-pleasing main dish. This method yields a juicy, flavorful, and holiday-ready ham, perfect for Easter, Christmas, or Sunday dinner.
My Perfect Spiral Ham
Go to my full instructions & recipe: How to Cook a Spiral Ham
The holidays are coming up and if your family is anything like mine, there’s no question about what the main dish will be: ham!
Whether it’s my maple glazed spiral ham or honey baked ham, we always know that a spiral ham is going to be the centerpiece of our meal, served alongside other classics like scalloped potatoes and green bean casserole.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Nearly foolproof: Spiral hams are pre-cooked, and this method keeps them moist and tender.
- Perfect for holidays: Feeds a crowd with minimal hands-on time.
- Beginner friendly: Simple steps with no guesswork.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully: Ideal for sandwiches and casseroles.
Go to my full instructions & recipe: How to Cook a Spiral Ham
What is a Spiral Ham?
A spiral ham is a bone-in ham that has been sliced around the bone in a spiral; this way, the meat stays on the bone, but it’s cut to make it easy to serve—and so that sticky-sweet glaze can seep between the slices, making it extra flavorful.
Nearly all spiral hams come pre-cooked. (Note that there are some exceptions that are only partially cooked, but the packaging should note this.) Because the ham is cooked, you only need to warm it up once you get it home.
Go to my full instructions & recipe: How to Cook a Spiral Ham
Start With a Tasty Glaze
Go to my full instructions & recipe: How to Cook a Spiral Ham
Although technically you just have to warm a spiral cut ham to eat it, adding a glaze makes it extra delicious and helps keep it moist and juicy. Many spiral hams come with a glaze packet, which makes glazing the ham super easy, but you’ll take it to the next level by making your own. Here’s my favorite glaze for spiral ham:
Pineapple Brown Sugar Glaze
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- ½ cup brown sugar (or maple syrup)
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
Whisk the glaze ingredients together, then use a pastry brush to evenly add half of the glaze to the top of the ham.
Brush the remaining glaze on the spiral ham in the last 20-30 minutes of cooking. Place the ham back in the oven or slow cooker and keep it uncovered. This will allow the glaze to soak into the layers of the spiral ham and also get a little crispy on top.
Cooking Option 1: Oven-Baked Spiral Ham
The classic way to cook a spiral bone-in ham is to use the oven and cook it until it’s heated through. The best way to do this is to roast the ham in a baking dish or roasting pan at a low temperature, heating it slowly so it stays moist.
Check the size of your ham by looking at the package. How long to cook a spiral ham will vary based on the weight of the ham, but generally speaking, you should cook spiral ham for 13-15 minutes per pound at 325ºF.
Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the ham and remove the ham from the oven when it reaches an internal temperature of 135ºF. The temperature will continue to rise to 140ºF during the resting period and then it will be ready to slice and serve!
Go to my full instructions & recipe: How to Cook a Spiral Ham
Cooking Option 2: Crockpot Spiral Ham
Spiral ham is also delicious when cooked in a slow cooker and it’s especially nice if you need the oven freed up for cooking sides! I have a fantastic crockpot ham recipe you can follow, but here’s a quick primer:
- Place the spiral ham in the slow cooker with the large, flat side down.
- Add a small amount of liquid to the slow cooker. I usually add about ½ cup of apple juice or water to the bowl. This helps keep the ham moist as it slowly cooks.
- Brush the ham with glaze, then cover the bowl of the crockpot and cook on the low setting.
- Cook the spiral ham in the crockpot for about 18 minutes per pound or until a meat thermometer reaches 135ºF. A 10-pound spiral ham will cook for about 3 hours in the slow cooker.
Go to my full instructions & recipe: How to Cook a Spiral Ham
More Ham Recipes
Looking for more ham ideas for the holidays? Here are a few of my favorites:
