Orange Glazed Ham

This delicious Orange Glazed Ham is a perfect way to bake a bone-in ham that's full of flavor.

A perfect ham to serve for holiday dinners including Christmas and Easter. This ham also works anytime you need to serve a crowd.

Bone-in baked ham

Delicious holiday hams are often the star of holiday menus. My in-laws bake a ham every Christmas and Easter.

Baking a ham isn't difficult, but there are a few important things you need to know in order to have a delicious juicy ham.

Different types of ham

When you go to the store, you'll find there are so many different types of hams available. Knowing what to select is the first step to making a great ham.

First most hams are fully cooked and will state "Fully Cooked" on the label. This means you could eat it straight out of the package, but it will be so much better if you bake it and add a fabulous glaze to the ham.

If your ham is frozen, be certain to find our How to Thaw a Ham.

Bone-in or boneless

You'll have a choice to purchase a ham with the bone in or the bone removed. I prefer bone-in because it offers more flavor. Plus you can use that bone later to make an amazing ham and bean soup!

You could also get a boneless ham. A boneless ham will cook quicker and it is easier to slice once baked.

Spiral ham

Spiral hams are quite popular and readily available. Spiral hams are usually available bone-in. Most spiral hams come with a packet of sweetened glaze to drizzle over the ham. Just discard that packet and make this tasty orange glaze instead!

Fresh ham

A fresh ham is uncured and unbaked. It's the same cut of meat as other hams, but it is not the cut of meat you want for a baked ham.

How much ham do I need?

Hams vary in size. The larger the ham, the longer it will take to bake. Plan on ¾ of a pound per person for a bone-in ham and about ½ of a pound per person for a boneless ham.

Key ingredients for a glazed ham

• Ham - For best results select a 7-10 pound bone-in ham
• Orange Juice - Select your favorite orange juice
• Mustard - Two types of mustard are used in the glaze, Dijon mustard and dry mustard
• Brown Sugar - To sweeten the glaze
• Whole Cloves - A few cloves are added to the glaze and they are also used to stud the outside of the ham. If you don't care for the taste of cloves, they can be omitted.

Making an orange glazed ham

• Place the ham in an ungreased baking dish
• Cover lightly with foil (don't seal the foil) and place in a preheated 325°F oven
• Bake until internal temperature reaches 130°F
• While the ham is baking, combine the glaze and heat over medium-low heat until just slightly thickened

• Remove from oven and remove foil
• Score the fat on the ham. If using a spiral ham, omit this step
• Add glaze over all areas of the ham

• Add whole cloves and return the uncovered ham to the oven
• Reapply glaze every 20 minutes

• Cook until ham reaches 145°F
• Remove from oven and tent lightly with foil. Allow ham to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
• Remove cloves before slicing

How long to bake a ham

Bone-in hams take between 15-20 minutes per pound to fully bake. Baking time will vary on the actual size of your ham and the exact temperature of your oven.

The best way to determine if your ham is done is by using an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of your ham.

Recipe tips

• Lightly tent your ham with foil while baking before adding the glaze. Don't seal the foil to the baking dish or else your ham will steam instead of bake.
• If your baking dish becomes dry and burnt looking, add a cup of hot water to the baking dish.
• Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of your ham
• Allow your ham to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to redistribute to the ham and helps keep the ham juicy.

Frequently asked questions

What to serve with an orange glazed ham?

I like to serve this ham with Green Bean Almondine, Potato Galette, and Homemade Dinner Rolls and at Easter time I include Classic Deviled Eggs. We also like to serve sweet and spicy mustard for those who like to dip their ham!

Another great ham to make is this Maple Glazed Ham.

Ham leftovers

There are bound to be leftovers when making a baked ham. Store any leftovers covered in your refrigerator for up to five days.

A few great recipes to use up leftover ham include ham tetrazzini baked ham and cheese sandwiches, ham and scalloped potatoes, ham and cheese strata, and mini frittatas.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

If you loved this recipe you'll LOVE all the others in this category. Check out all my main dish recipes!

This recipe was originally published in February 2015. The recipe, images and post have all been updated.