There are certain dishes that instantly make a Christmas dinner feel complete, and a beautifully glazed ham is one of them. Sweet honey, brown sugar, tangy Dijon mustard, fragrant orange, and warming cloves come together to create a shiny, caramelized glaze that looks every bit as festive as it tastes.
This holiday honey-glazed ham recipe is designed around a fully cooked spiral-sliced ham, which keeps preparation wonderfully simple. Most of the work goes into making the glaze and brushing it over the ham during the final stage of heating. As the honey and brown sugar cook, they create that deep amber finish that makes a glazed ham such a beautiful centerpiece.
For a presentation similar to the ham pictured, slice it generously and arrange it on a platter with fresh orange wedges and optional pineapple. The result is traditional, colorful, and perfect for Christmas dinner.
🍯 Holiday Honey-Glazed Ham Recipe
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: Approximately 1–1½ hours, depending on the ham
Resting time: 10–15 minutes
Servings: Approximately 6–8
Oven temperature: 325°F (163°C)
Important: This recipe assumes you are using a fully cooked ham. Always check the package label and follow its heating directions, since heating requirements can vary by product.
🛒 Ingredients
For the Ham
- 1 fully cooked spiral-sliced ham, about 4–5 pounds
- Whole cloves, optional, for decorating
For the Honey Glaze
- ½ cup honey
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- Zest of 1 large orange
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
- Pinch of salt
The glaze is intentionally simple. Honey provides the floral sweetness and beautiful shine, while brown sugar helps create a rich caramelized exterior. Dijon mustard prevents the glaze from becoming one-dimensionally sweet, and fresh orange adds brightness to the otherwise rich flavors.
🔥 How to Make Honey-Glazed Ham
1. Prepare the Ham
Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
Remove the ham from its packaging and discard any glaze packet that came with it if you plan to use the homemade honey glaze.
Place the ham cut-side down in a roasting pan or on a rack inside a roasting pan.
If you are using a ham that is not already spiral sliced and it has a layer of fat on top, you can lightly score the exterior in a diamond pattern. Avoid cutting too deeply into the meat.
For an especially traditional appearance, press whole cloves into some of the intersections.
2. Cover and Begin Heating
Loosely cover the ham with aluminum foil.
Place it in the preheated oven and begin warming according to the heating instructions on the ham’s packaging.
Keeping the ham covered during most of the heating process helps prevent the exterior and exposed spiral slices from drying out before the glaze is added.
🍊 Make the Honey-Orange Glaze
While the ham is warming, prepare the glaze.
In a small saucepan, combine:
- Honey
- Brown sugar
- Dijon mustard
- Orange zest
- Orange juice
- Ground cloves
- Cinnamon, if using
- Pinch of salt
Place the saucepan over medium-low heat.
Whisk gently for about 3–5 minutes, until the brown sugar has dissolved and the mixture looks smooth and glossy.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the melted butter.
You should have a thick but brushable glaze with a balance of sweetness, citrus, mustard, and warm Christmas spice.
🍯 Glaze the Ham
During approximately the final 30 minutes of heating, remove the ham from the oven and take off the foil.
Brush a generous layer of honey glaze all over the exposed surface, allowing a little of the glaze to work its way between some of the slices.
Return the ham to the oven uncovered.
After about 15 minutes, brush it with another layer of glaze.
Return it to the oven for the final 10–15 minutes, watching carefully near the end. Because the glaze contains both honey and brown sugar, it can darken quickly.
You are looking for a glossy, deeply golden exterior with lightly caramelized edges.
🌡️ How Do You Know When a Precooked Ham Is Ready?
A food thermometer is much more reliable than judging a ham by appearance alone.
For a fully cooked ham that was packaged in a USDA-inspected facility, USDA guidance says to reheat it to an internal temperature of 140°F (60°C). Other cooked hams being reheated should reach 165°F (74°C). Check the packaging for the appropriate instructions for your particular ham.
Insert the thermometer into a thick portion of the ham without touching the bone.
The exact heating time will depend on the size, shape, starting temperature, and type of ham, so treat the clock as a guide rather than the final test.
⏱️ Let the Ham Rest
Once the ham is heated through and beautifully glazed, remove it from the oven.
Let it rest for approximately 10–15 minutes before serving.
This is a perfect time to transfer side dishes to serving bowls, make the gravy, warm the dinner rolls, and put the finishing touches on the Christmas table.
🍍 How to Serve Honey-Glazed Ham
The ham in the photograph has the sort of presentation that works beautifully for Christmas: generous slices arranged to show off the shiny caramelized edges, accented with bright citrus and traditional cloves.
To create a similar holiday platter, arrange several slices toward the front of the ham and garnish with:
- Orange wedges
- Fresh parsley
- Pineapple rings or roasted pineapple
- Fresh rosemary
- Cranberries
- Whole cloves
You don’t need all of these. Even a few orange wedges and sprigs of greenery can transform the platter into an impressive Christmas centerpiece.
🥔 What to Serve With Honey-Glazed Ham
One of the best things about ham is how naturally it works with traditional Christmas side dishes.
The glaze is sweet, savory, citrusy, and lightly spiced, so sides with creamy, buttery, fresh, or slightly tart flavors work especially well.
Try serving your Christmas ham with:
- Creamy mashed potatoes
- Scalloped or au gratin potatoes
- Green bean casserole
- Roasted Brussels sprouts
- Honey-glazed carrots
- Roasted sweet potatoes
- Cranberry sauce
- Dinner rolls
- Stuffing
- Macaroni and cheese
- Roasted green beans
- Winter salad
- Homemade gravy
For more ideas when planning the rest of the meal, browse our Christmas Recipes collection.
🎄 Why Ham Is Perfect for Christmas Dinner
A fully cooked ham is especially convenient when you’re preparing several dishes at once. Instead of beginning with completely raw meat, you’re primarily reheating the ham while adding your own glaze and finishing touches.
That frees up valuable holiday cooking time for potatoes, vegetables, rolls, appetizers, and desserts.
It also has the advantage of looking spectacular with surprisingly little decoration. A burnished honey glaze, a few cloves, some orange slices, and a pretty serving platter are often all you need.
And because spiral-sliced ham is already cut, serving a large Christmas dinner becomes much easier once everyone sits down at the table.
🍊 Why Orange Works So Well in the Glaze
Honey and brown sugar give the glaze its sweetness, but orange keeps it from tasting overly heavy.
Both the zest and juice are useful. The zest contributes concentrated citrus aroma, while the juice thins the glaze slightly and adds acidity.
It also ties directly into the presentation. Fresh orange wedges beside the finished ham echo the citrus flavor already present in the glaze and bring a beautiful burst of color to the platter.
🌿 Can I Use Other Spices?
Absolutely.
Cloves are one of the most traditional flavors for holiday ham, but you can customize the glaze depending on the rest of your Christmas menu.
Try adding a small amount of:
- Cinnamon
- Allspice
- Ground ginger
- Nutmeg
- Black pepper
Use these spices sparingly. The honey, mustard, orange, and ham itself should remain the dominant flavors.
🍁 Honey-Glazed Ham Variations
Once you have the basic technique down, there are several easy ways to change the glaze from one Christmas to the next.
Maple-Honey Ham
Replace half of the honey with pure maple syrup for a deeper, woodsy sweetness.
Pineapple Honey Ham
Replace some of the orange juice with pineapple juice and serve the ham with caramelized pineapple rings.
Brown Sugar Mustard Ham
Increase the Dijon slightly for a glaze with a stronger sweet-and-savory contrast.
Spiced Christmas Ham
Add cinnamon, ginger, and the smallest pinch of nutmeg for a warmer holiday-spice profile.
Orange Marmalade Ham
Whisk a spoonful or two of orange marmalade into the glaze for extra citrus flavor and a slightly thicker finish.
🍽️ How Much Ham Do You Need Per Person?
How much ham you need depends partly on whether it is bone-in or boneless and how many side dishes you’re serving.
If Christmas dinner includes plenty of potatoes, vegetables, rolls, appetizers, and desserts, a 4–5 pound ham should provide a generous meal for a smaller gathering, usually with some leftovers.
For a larger family celebration, choose a larger ham and follow the package’s heating time for its weight rather than simply extending this recipe’s suggested time.
And don’t be disappointed if there are leftovers. Christmas ham may be even more useful the next day.
🥪 What to Do With Leftover Christmas Ham
Leftover honey-glazed ham can become an entirely new round of meals.
Try using it for:
- Ham and cheese sandwiches
- Breakfast omelets
- Scrambled eggs with ham
- Ham and potato soup
- Split pea soup
- Breakfast casseroles
- Macaroni and cheese with ham
- Ham sliders
- Quiche
- Fried rice
- Scalloped potatoes with ham
The slightly sweet glazed edges are particularly good chopped into breakfast dishes.
❄️ How to Store Leftover Ham
Refrigerate leftover ham promptly in airtight containers or tightly wrapped portions.
FoodSafety.gov lists 3–5 days in the refrigerator for cooked, store-wrapped slices, halves, or spiral-cut ham, with the refrigerator kept at 40°F (4°C) or below.
Smaller portions are much easier to store and reheat than putting an entire large ham back into the refrigerator.
You can also freeze leftover ham for longer storage.
♨️ How to Reheat Ham Without Drying It Out
The challenge with reheating ham is preserving moisture.
Place slices in a baking dish with a small splash of water, stock, apple juice, or orange juice. Cover tightly with foil and warm gently.
Avoid repeatedly reheating the entire ham when you only need a few servings. Reheating smaller portions generally makes it easier to keep the meat tender.
For food safety, USDA guidance calls for reheating leftovers to 165°F (74°C).
💡 Tips for the Best Honey-Glazed Ham
Start with a fully cooked ham. This recipe is specifically written for reheating and glazing one.
Keep it covered at first. Foil helps protect the ham from drying out during the initial heating period.
Glaze toward the end. Honey and sugar can burn if exposed to oven heat for too long.
Brush on several thin layers. Multiple applications create a better glossy finish than pouring all the glaze over the ham at once.
Watch the glaze closely. During the last few minutes, the difference between beautifully caramelized and burned can happen quickly.
Use a thermometer. Temperature is a better indicator of readiness than color.
Let it rest before serving. Give yourself those extra few minutes before bringing the ham to the table.
❓ Honey-Glazed Ham FAQ
Can I make honey-glazed ham ahead of time?
You can prepare the glaze a day ahead and refrigerate it. Gently warm it before brushing it onto the ham. For the best appearance and texture, glaze and heat the ham shortly before Christmas dinner.
Do I need to score a spiral ham?
Not usually. Spiral-sliced ham already has many exposed edges for glaze to cling to. Scoring is more useful on an unsliced ham with an intact fat layer.
Can I use whole cloves?
Yes. Whole cloves create the beautifully traditional appearance associated with holiday ham. Use them mainly as decoration and remove them as necessary when slicing and serving.
Can I substitute maple syrup for honey?
Yes. You can replace some or all of the honey with pure maple syrup. The flavor will be different but equally suited to a holiday ham.
Can I use pineapple with honey-glazed ham?
Definitely. Pineapple and glazed ham are a classic sweet-and-savory pairing. Roast pineapple rings alongside the ham or arrange them around the finished platter.
Should I use bone-in or boneless ham?
Either works. Bone-in ham makes a dramatic centerpiece and the bone can later be used to flavor soup, while boneless ham is particularly easy to carve and serve.
How do I keep a spiral ham moist?
Keep it covered during most of the heating period, avoid overheating it, and don’t begin glazing until near the end.
❤️ A Classic Christmas Centerpiece
A honey-glazed ham has everything you could want from a holiday main course. It looks impressive enough to command the center of the Christmas table, yet the preparation is surprisingly straightforward.
The honey and brown sugar create a glossy caramelized coating. Dijon adds a savory tang. Orange brings brightness, while cloves provide that warm aroma so closely associated with old-fashioned holiday cooking.
Slice the finished ham generously, add orange wedges and a little greenery to the platter, and surround it with all your favorite Christmas sides.
It’s the kind of meal that feels celebratory the moment it reaches the table—and one that may be just as welcome tucked into a sandwich the following afternoon.
🔗 Related Articles
- Christmas Recipes: Holiday Baking, Dinner, Desserts & Drinks
- 5 Easy and Festive Christmas Snacks to Try This Year
- Savor the Flavor: A Delicious Vegan Mushroom Gravy Recipe
- Traditional Vegan Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
- Traditional Nuremberg Lebkuchen Recipe
📚 Sources
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service – Hams and Food Safety — guidance on heating fully cooked ham and safe internal temperatures.
- FoodSafety.gov – Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures — current federal guidance for ham and reheated leftovers.
- FoodSafety.gov – Cold Food Storage Chart — refrigerator and freezer storage guidance for cooked and spiral-cut ham.
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service – Leftovers and Food Safety — safe storage and reheating recommendations for leftovers.
