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Glazed ham is the ultimate holiday showstopper. Juicy, flavorful, and impossible to resist, it’s coated in a buttery maple glaze with a splash of pineapple juice and a hint of warm spice.
As it bakes, your home fills with mouthwatering aroma that pulls everyone into the kitchen. Every bite is rich, tender, and bursting with sweet and savory goodness that tastes like the holidays. It’s the kind of festive centerpiece that disappears fast and makes Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner feel extra special.
Why This Recipe Works
Making this glazed ham recipe can seem intimidating for many, but the truth is that it’s fairly easy! With ingredients that anyone would have at their home, you’ll soon be making this recipe for the upcoming holidays.
On top of all that, there are many advantages to making ham for the holidays. You can make it way ahead of time (as long as you store it properly), you can feed a lot of people (or eat the whole lot by yourself… we don’t judge!), and you can re-purpose it and use the ham in many other recipes (hello Creamy Ham Potato Soup and Hearty Ham And Bean Soup).
What Goes Into This Recipe
The best part about this glazed ham recipe? It’s way easier than it looks. Sure, the steps might seem a little fancy at first (don’t worry, we’ll walk you through it), but everything that goes into this glazed ham with pineapple is simple, delicious, and totally doable.
- Maple Syrup: gives this ham glaze a great base of flavour.
- Brown Sugar: caramelizes those edges.
- Dijon Mustard: adds a touch of tang to the glaze.
- Cinnamon and Cloves: are optional, but provide festive flavours.
- Pineapple Juice: adds more flavour into the pan juices while baking rather than using plain water.
Note: please see recipe card at the bottom for list of full ingredients and measurements
How to Remove Ham Rind
If it’s your first time working with ham, you might not know how to remove the ham rind. Here we have a detailed guide on doing so. You can skip this section if you already know how to and you want to get straight to cooking.
- Score the shank: Using a sharp knife, cut a line through the skin around the shank end of the ham to create a starting point for removing the rind.
- Separate rind from fat: Slide the knife between the rind and fat to loosen them, then gently peel the rind away with your fingers and discard it.
- Smooth the fat: Trim any uneven or rough spots from the fat layer using a knife to create a clean, even surface for scoring and glazing.
- Score the fat: Lightly cut a shallow diamond pattern across the fat, no deeper than 1/4 inch, to help the glaze stick and soak in during roasting.
How To Make Maple Glazed Ham (Step By Step)
- Prep the ham: Remove the packaging and netting. Trim and discard the rind, leaving the fat intact. Let the ham rest at room temperature for 1–2 hours. Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C) and position a rack in the lower third of the oven.
- Prepare the pan: Line a roasting pan with foil or parchment. Score a 1-inch diamond pattern into the fat, no deeper than 1/4 inch. Pour pineapple juice and water into the pan, place the ham fat-side up, and cover it with foil or parchment.
- Start baking: Place the covered pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. This helps the ham warm through gently while absorbing moisture from the pan liquids. It prevents drying and prepares the surface nicely for glazing and browning later on.
- Make the glaze: In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, maple syrup, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix until the sugar dissolves fully. Reduce the heat, add garlic, simmer briefly, then remove from heat and let it cool to lukewarm.
- Glaze and roast: Increase oven temperature to 425°F (220°C). Uncover the ham and brush on 1/3 of the glaze, pressing into the scored cuts. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Repeat glazing every 15 minutes, using the remaining glaze and pan juices.
- Finish and serve: If needed, broil the ham for 2–5 minutes to enhance the crust, watching closely to avoid burning. Remove from oven and let rest for 10–20 minutes to seal in juices. Slice against the grain and serve warm with your choice of sides.
While this glazed ham is a dish on its own, we found it best paired with Buttery Sautéed Green Bean Recipe, Cream of Asparagus Soup, or even Cheesy Roasted Green Beans. Basically, vegetable dishes are the best way to go with this savory glazed ham.
Or if you need a drink to pair it with, you can try my fruity and thirst-quenching Holiday Punch.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, this maple glazed ham with pineapple juice can be used in other recipes. However, the ham is going to taste sweet so make sure to use it in dishes where the sweet flavor would enhance the dish you’re making.
For the best flavor and texture, we’ve found the shank end (half leg) works best because it’s easier to carve and still really juicy. The butt end is a bit trickier since it has part of the hip bone and less meat, but it’s still tender and full of flavor if that’s what you have on hand.
Yes, you can decorate your ham with whole cloves between each cut, or use ground cloves in your glaze instead as we do here.
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Maple Glazed Ham
Ingredients
- 8-10 pound bone-in fully cooked ham
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 cloves garlic cloves smashed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F | 150°C and arrange a rack in the lower third. Remove any plastic packaging or netting from the ham. Trim away the rind and discard. Set the ham aside to rest at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
- Line a baking tray or dish with several sheets of aluminium foil or parchment paper if you prefer (it will make cleanup a lot easier).
- Remove the rind or skin of the ham (refer to steps in post), ensuring you leave the fat on. Using a sharp knife score a 1-inch-wide diamond pattern (don’t cut more than 1/4 inch deep) over the entire ham. Place the ham in the baking tray; pour pineapple juice and water into the base of the pan and cover the ham with two pieces of foil or parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small pot or saucepan over medium heat until golden browned. Add in the brown sugar, maple syrup, mustard, cinnamon and cloves, stirring to mix together well until the brown sugar has completely dissolved, (about 2 minutes).
- Reduce heat to low, add the garlic and bring to a simmer. Set it aside and let cool to lukewarm (the glaze should be the consistency of room-temperature honey).
- After 30 minutes baking time, carefully remove the ham from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425°F | 220°C. Discard the foil or parchment paper and pour 1/3 of the glaze all over the ham, brushing in between the cuts to evenly cover. Return to the oven and bake uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, brush with another third of the glaze and some of the pan juices, and repeat again after 15 minutes more minutes of baking until a dark golden-brown crust has formed, (about 30 minutes total). For added depth of flavour, mix some of the ham pan juices together with the glaze in the pot which will help keep it runny enough for brushing. If your crust is still pink after the suggested baking time, turn on your broiler (or oven grill), and allow it to broil for 2-5 minutes, while keeping an eye on it so it doesn't burn from the sugar.
- Let the ham rest 10-20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Exactly what I wanted for today
I used this recipe for our Easter ham and it was amazing. My brother-in-law said it was the best ham he’s ever had! After eating some of the leftovers over the next couple of days (more time to soak up the flavors!), I certainly agree. This is now my go-to! Thanks!
–I did have to substitute orange juice for the pineapple juice, and regular yellow mustard for the dijon just because I was unprepared Easter morning 🙂
I love this recipe! It’s delicious and easy. I make it every year and everyone loves it. Thank you for posting it!
This is the best ham glaze I ever made!! It was delicious!! Thank you for providing it to your followers!
I served Maple Glazed Ham for Easter Dinner. I followed this recipe exactly up to the point of pineapple juice. My local store did not have any pineapple juice so I substituted pineapple mango. I also did not use water in the pan, I used only juice The family declared it the best ham ever. Moist & so much flavor.
I finally found the ham recipe that I believe the Greeks ate with plump, juicy grapes and wine was always flowing. Seriously, I sat on my countertop halfway into slicing all because I sampled a piece. That piece of delectable pork was better than a mom’s night out!!!
Making sliders tomorrow and anything that I can put this ham on or in. The only worry I have is my son seeing me eating before Ive set the table..I can’t wait! Thank you for this awesome ham. It’s in my book of tops for life!
Love it! I didn’t have ground cloves on hand so I substituted with 5 spice and it worked just as well. The only ham I could find on Christmas Eve was a Boar’s Head boneless uncured 5 lb ham, and it took the same amount of time to cook as this recipe. Of the several recipes I had tried over the years I thought this recipe tasted the best and was the easiest to follow. Will make it again next year.
I am not a ham person, but my husband is, Made this for Christmas; out of this world—tender, juicy and flavorful, I thought removing the rind would be a problem; not so, came off very easily. The ham did not look like the picture, but it sure tasted good I made Cafe Delite’s recipe for savory mashed sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving. Again, really good; easy and delicious. I am a follower from now on. Don’t be afraid to try something new; you will never know what you are missing if you don’t.
Can you use a pre-sliced ham?
You can, but you will need to alter the cook temp and times to ensure it won’t dry out.