Baked Ham

With the holidays around the corner (hello Easter!), there’s nothing my family craves more than a sweet and savory baked ham. I know what you’re thinking, Ham is expensive. But this baked ham recipe is proof that a normally expensive meat can be inexpensive. By using a boneless ham, we don’t waste a single dollar on bones and easily feed 11 people. That’s a lot of ham! The texture of this ham is perfectly juicy and chewy. The glaze makes the outside nice and crispy, but still tender. There’s nothing better than a beloved holiday tradition!

Slice a baked ham on a white plate with pineapple rings.

Why make baked ham?

While lamb is traditionally served at Easter, ham has become the main dish because it’s much cheaper and more readily available – both things we love here at Budget Bytes. This baked ham recipe is a real superstar. Salty, savory ham coated in a sweet and tangy glaze made with brown sugar and pineapple juice is just so good. The glaze is super sticky, extra sweet and gives your ham a lovely color. Adding the pineapple juice to the glaze recipe really makes this glaze shine (literally and figuratively!)

Here’s what you need to make baked ham:

Smoked ham: We tested a bone-in ham and a boneless ham. Since hams are priced by weight, we found that the boneless hams were the cheapest and were offered in smaller quantities. In the end we decided on a weight of 5.5 pounds. ham for this recipe.
Sliced pineapple: The pineapple helps keep the ham moist while cooking. Did you know that pineapple also contains natural acidic enzymes that help tenderize meat cooked with it?
Water: Helps to steam your ham and keep it moist. The amount varies depending on the size of your roaster. To ensure your ham is nice and juicy, you should have 1/2 inch of liquid in the bottom of the pan.
Spices: Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and pumpkin pie spice create a nice mix of sweet and savory flavors.
Brown sugar: Adds depth of flavor, beautiful color and sweetness to the glaze.
Dijon mustard: Adds balancing bitter notes, earthiness and spice to the glaze.

Do you bake a ham covered or uncovered?

We have found that it is best to bake this ham in a tent with foil to seal in the moisture. Without foil, the ham tends to dry out and become tough. Remove the foil during the last 10 minutes or so of baking to allow the glaze to reduce and brown.

Most hams sold in the United States are fully cooked but require several hours of heating in the oven. So you can pop it in the oven and then focus on the rest of the side dishes!
If you don’t need as much meat or your budget is tight because of the cost of the ham, look for a smaller ham. If you go to the deli counter, sometimes they can help you. Hams are sold by weight. So allowing 1/2 – 1/3 pound per person will help you choose the size of ham your family needs!
I know the thought of “pumpkin spice ham” may sound strange, but pumpkin pie spice is a blend of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and black pepper…all perfect flavors to complement a juicy, sweet, yet savory ham!
I only filled the bottom of our roasting pan with ½ inch of water. Many recipes call for 1 inch, but the drops are great for basting or as a sauce, and we found them to be too diluted if we had used 1 inch of water.
The pineapples ended up sliding to the side after glazing, but they served their purpose and kept the ham moist and tender. Glazing at the end of cooking gives your ham a nice, shiny exterior. So don’t worry about taking it in and out of the oven to baste (unless you want to, it certainly won’t hurt!) You can always opt to just store it in the tent and staple it at the end.

What to serve with baked ham

This delicious baked ham is truly the star of the show, so we recommend serving it with simple roasted carrots and steamed green beans.

This baked ham is sweet, savory and juicy – the perfect holiday meal. The glaze makes the outside beautifully golden, but still delicate.

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Gather all of the glaze ingredients and preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a saucepan, whisk together pineapple juice (a 15-ounce can makes about 1 cup of juice), brown sugar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt, pepper, onion powder, and pumpkin pie spice.
Cook the glaze over medium heat until reduced by half.
Place the ham cut side down in the roasting pan of your choice.
Brush the ham with half of the glaze mixture and top with canned pineapple slices. Add 1/2 inch of water to the bottom of the skillet.
Make a tinfoil tent to cover the entire ham. Place the aluminum foil over the ham and bake for 20 minutes per pound of meat or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F. Baste the ham regularly using a baster or large spoon.
Once the ham reaches 145°F, remove the aluminum foil and baste. Then brush the ham with the remaining glaze.

See how we calculate prescription costs here.

Portion: 0.5PoundCalories: 449kcalCarbohydrates: 28GProtein: 43GFat: 17GSodium: 2853mgFiber: 1G

Read our full nutritional disclaimer here.

Three-quarter view of a partially sliced baked ham on a white plate with pineapple rings.

How to make baked ham – step by step photos

Divide the ingredients for the ham glaze into bowls.

Gather all of the glaze ingredients and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Heat ham glaze in a saucepan with a whisk.

Stir together pineapple juice (a 15-ounce can makes about 1 cup of juice), 1 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 2 teaspoons pumpkin cake spice. Cook the glaze over medium heat until reduced by half.

Pineapple rings on a glazed ham in a baking dish.

Place 5.5 pounds of boneless smoked ham, cut side down, in the roasting pan of your choice. Pour 1/2 inch of water into the bottom of the skillet. Brush the ham with half of the glaze mixture and top with canned pineapple slices. Then build a tinfoil tent to cover the entire ham. You want to cook the ham for about 20 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F. Baste the ham regularly using a standard baster or large spoon.

Spread glaze on a baked ham in a white baking dish with pineapple rings.

Once the ham has reached an internal temperature of 145°F, remove the aluminum foil tent, baste the ham with drippings, and brush the ham with the remaining glaze.