Orange Maple Glazed Ham
A fully cooked spiral ham brushed with a glaze of orange marmalade, maple syrup, butter, lemon juice, and cinnamon. It bakes covered until it hits 140°F, then finishes uncovered so the edges caramelize. About 2 hours for an 8-pound ham, mostly hands-off.
Servings: 16 people
Calories: 400kcal
Equipment
- 1 Roasting rack depends on the size of your ham
- 1 thermometer
- Aluminum foil
- basting brush
Ingredients
- 8 lb spiral-cut ham fully cooked
- 1 cup orange marmalade
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 4 oz bourbon optional
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare the ham. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the fully cooked spiral ham cut-side down in a roasting pan and pat the surface dry.8 lb spiral-cut ham
- Make the glaze. In a small saucepan, combine the orange marmalade, maple syrup, butter, lemon juice, cinnamon, and bourbon, if using. Simmer over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring, until smooth and slightly thickened. Reserve about one-third of the glaze for the end.1 cup orange marmalade, ½ cup pure maple syrup, 4 oz bourbon, Juice of 1 lemon, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, 2 tablespoons butter
- Glaze the ham. Brush the ham generously with the glaze, working a little between the spiral slices. Pour ½ to 1 cup water or orange juice into the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Cover and bake. Loosely tent the ham with foil and bake for about 12 to 15 minutes per pound, basting with more glaze about every 30 minutes.
- Caramelize the glaze. During the last 20 minutes, remove the foil and brush the ham generously with the reserved glaze. Continue baking uncovered until the glaze is sticky and caramelized and the thickest part of the ham reaches 140°F.
- Rest and serve. Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Spoon extra glaze or pan juices over the slices, if desired.
Notes
- Use a fully cooked spiral ham. This recipe reheats the ham rather than cooking raw pork.
- Pat the ham dry before glazing. A dry surface helps the orange-maple glaze stick instead of sliding off.
- Reserve about one-third of the glaze. Save it for the final 20 minutes so you get a thick, sticky, caramelized coating.
- Keep the ham loosely covered for most of the bake. This helps prevent the exposed spiral slices from drying out.
- Add ½ to 1 cup water or orange juice to the roasting pan. It keeps the sugary drippings from scorching and adds moisture while the ham heats.
- Bake at 325°F for about 12 to 15 minutes per pound. Use this only as a guide and start checking the temperature early.
- Heat to 140°F. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the ham without touching the bone.
- Baste about every 30 minutes. Brush some glaze over the top and between the slices as the ham reheats.
- Uncover for the final 20 minutes. Brush generously with the reserved glaze and let it caramelize.
- Rest for about 10 minutes before serving. This also gives the glaze a few minutes to set.
- If the glaze gets too thick, warm it gently over low heat until it becomes brushable again.
- Watch the glaze closely near the end. Maple syrup and marmalade contain plenty of sugar and can go from caramelized to burnt quickly.
Nutrition
Calories: 400kcal
