Pineapple-Orange Glazed Ham is a traditional Holiday gathering entree your guests will love. While this main course is typically served for the holidays, it’s actually perfect anytime and leftovers are easily integrated into delicious weeknight meals that will satisfy your whole family.
Better late than never is quickly becoming my new mantra lately. I feel myself always running at least two steps behind myself. So when my best friend texted and said she couldn’t find my baked ham recipe on the blog, I felt like a complete heel. I totally thought I’d published a baked ham recipe years ago – but in that moment, neither of us could find it. Ugh.
So when my husband’s employer gave us a coupon for a free ham, I knew I had to make it for the blog. And I totally intended to do it, but just again never got around to it. Christmas came and went, Easter flew by before I knew it. Then the week before Mother’s day, I was shopping in my local grocery store and the perfect whole ham beckoned to me from its place in the cooler. Finally, my Pineapple-Orange Glazed Ham would make it onto the blog. Success.
Since hams come fully cooked, this recipe will work for any size ham, we simply calculate 20 minutes per pound for slowly warming the meat. Low and slow is the best way to keep from drying out the meat. I start by removing my ham from the packaging, removing any plastic discs or netting that may be covering the ham and the bone. I then give it a quick rinse and then pat it dry with a tea towel or paper towels.
Next, with a very sharp knife and a criss-cross pattern, I score the top of the meat to give it a diamond pattern. Inside each diamond, I place 1 whole clove. This for me is as much for flavor as it is for presentation. I just love the flavor of clove in my baked ham. My Mom always dotted our baked hams with cloves and I love carrying on that tradition. If you do not care for cloves, you may omit them completely.
I place the meat on the roasting rack inside a large roasting pan [paid link] and cover it with foil before placing it in the oven. I calculate 20-minutes per pound of meat. In this case, it’s a 14-pound ham so this baby will need 280 minutes to be fully warm in the center; that’s about 4.5 hours. After half of the total roasting time has passed, I will uncover the meat and begin basting it every 20-30 minutes with layers of sticky pineapple-orange glaze.
So, while the ham is cooking, I start the glaze on the stovetop by adding brown sugar to the pan. I then add some apple cider vinegar to dial back on the sweetness a little.
Then I add my favorite breakfast beverage – Pineapple Orange Juice.
Now simmer that on the stove until it reduces by half and the glaze thickens to where it will cover the back of your spoon. Once it’s ready, remove it from the heat and set it aside for glazing. To glaze the ham, remove the ham from the oven and remove the foil.
Brush the glaze all over the ham and then return the ham (still uncovered) to the oven for 20-30 minutes to caramelize. Repeat this process every 20 to 30 minutes until you reach the end of your baking time. If you have a smaller ham with a short baking time, shorten your time between coats of glaze to 10-20 minutes so you get several layers on before it’s ready.
You may notice that the diamond pattern will look like it’s not popping open. Once I started glazing the ham, I noticed them becoming more visible with each glaze layer. During the last 5-minutes of bake time, I turned the oven to broil to further caramelize the sauce for presentation.
Want to save this Glaze Ham recipe for later? Pin it now!
Looking for ways to use up leftover glazed ham? Check out these recipes:
- Loaded Ham and Cheese Breakfast Biscuits
- Broccoli-Ham Mac and Cheese
- Chicken Stuffed with Ham and Swiss
Pineapple-Orange Glazed Ham
Ingredients
- 10 lbs Ham , whole or half (we used 10 lb ham)
- Cloves , whole (optional)
- 3 cups Brown Sugar , packed
- 2 cups Pineapple-Orange juice , or plain OJ
- 3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar (more or less to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Score the surface of the ham in a diamond pattern about 1/8-inch deep. Place cloves in the middle of each diamond (optional). Place the ham in a large roasting pan [paid link] equipt with a roasting rack, cover, and tent with foil, and then bake for 20-minutes per pound or according to the package directions.
- Heat the brown sugar, vinegar, and juice in a small saucepan [paid link] until bubbly. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 15 minutes.After about 2 hours of baking time, remove the foil and brush the glaze on the ham in 20 minutes intervals (put the ham back in the oven, uncovered, in between) until it’s nice and glossy. Remove from the oven and allow to rest 15-20 minutes before carving.
- After about half the calculated baking time has passed [See Note], remove the foil from the ham and set aside for later. Brush the glaze on the ham in 10 to 20 minutes intervals, returning the ham to the oven, uncovered, between each interval. Continue to glaze until the ham is fully heated.
- Durning the last 5-minutes of bake time, set the oven to broil and caramelize the glaze. Be sure to continually check the ham during this 5-minutes as the glaze can easily burn during broiling.
- Remove from the oven, tent loosely with the foil you set aside earlier, and allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute.
- Serve warm with leftover glaze sauce poured over the meat as desired (optional).
I picked up a whole ham on sale around Easter and froze it. WE had a big dinner for Mother’s Day and this was perfect.
This looks so delicious. I’m pinning it for Christmas dinner.
Hi there! This looks delicious. I cannot wait to try it. Pinned the recipe for later. Thank you.
Hi Shirley! Thanks so much. That means so much to me. I hope you enjoy it.