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Ham is the iconic holiday meal, and I have the perfect recipe to help you make a flawless Christmas ham. I promise it’s easier than you think. I created this recipe to be totally beginner-friendly, so you can feel confident in the kitchen while still serving something that looks impressive on your Christmas table. You will love how simple the steps are, and your guests will think you spent hours making it!
The Best Christmas Ham Recipe
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.
Got leftovers? Add my Ham Tetrazzini and Leftover Ham Casserole to your menu!
So, What Is Spiral Ham Anyway?
Before we talk about how to cook spiral ham, let’s go back to the absolute basics. We’re talking Ham 101 here!
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 the recipe: The Perfect Spiral Ham Recipe
Start With a Tasty Glaze
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.
Go to the recipe here: How to Cook a Spiral Ham
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. Click here for full instructions.
How Long Should You Cook Spiral Ham in the Oven?
First, 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!
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.
Serve and Enjoy
Spiral hams are pre-cut around the bone in the center of the ham. They are made with one continuous cut that goes from one end of the bone to the other. You can easily pull the slices of ham off the bone using a fork, a serving knife, or even your hands.
Serve the cooked spiral ham and spoon a little extra glaze onto the plate. You can never have enough sweet glaze to go with the salty ham!
Serving Suggestions
Spiral ham recipes pair well with so many side dishes:
