Maple Glazed Ham
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Maple Glazed Ham is the traditional choice for an Easter Sunday feast, and you’ll soon see why with my easy recipe! Perfectly roasted and coated with a tangy, sweet glaze, this dish is the best centerpiece for your holiday table. In fact, maple glaze for ham is so good you’ll want to drizzle it on anything you can find!
Maple Glazed Ham
Ham is a popular choice for many holiday meals, and you want a sweet glaze that will offset the natural saltiness of the meat.
Popular choices include brown sugar or honey, but I just love the flavor of maple glaze for ham.
It’s loaded with sweet maple flavor and just a touch of spices, making it the perfect main course for any holiday dinner.
Have you had a chance to try my best ever orange honey glazed ham yet? Or, you may want to try my Slow Cooker Orange Honey Ham — it practically cooks itself!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Bone-In Ham – I’m using a 7-pounder for this recipe, and the amount of glaze is designed for that size.
You can keep quantities the same for a smaller ham, but you’ll need to scale up if it’s larger. - Maple Syrup – The higher quality, the better — and only use the real stuff!
The sweetness is far more subtle than the flavored, processed kind, and the flavor is better too. - Orange Juice – I like to use fresh-squeezed, but 100% juice from a carton will work just as well. I don’t recommend juice from concentrate if you can help it.
- Brown Sugar – The added molasses adds rich flavor and helps the glaze caramelize beautifully. White sugar will work in a pinch, but it’s not preferred.
- Dijon Mustard & Apple Cider Vinegar – These help balance the sweetness of the maple glaze for ham. Don’t substitute these or it won’t taste the same!
Prep Ahead
- Remove ham from the fridge an hour before
- Preheat oven to 325°F
- Mince garlic
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Roasting Pan or large Baking Dish with Wire Rack
- Basting Brush – I like this one over the silicone ones because it holds onto sauces and glazes better, providing a more even coating.
- Medium Saucepan to make the maple brown sugar glaze for ham
- A Large, Sharp Knife is the best way to slice up baked ham!
Tips and Tricks to Make Perfect Maple Glaze for Ham
- Adjust the consistency.
If your maple ham glaze thickens too much, you can add more orange juice to thin it a bit more.
Avoid using water — it will only dilute the flavor.
- Bring ham to room temperature first.
When making this maple glazed ham, you will want to take the meat out of the refrigerator about an hour before you cook it.
For larger hams, increase the time to 2 hours.
Starting the meat at room temperature ensures even cooking throughout and reduces overall baking time.
Plus, maple glaze for ham won’t burn before the meat is done!
- Add glaze halfway through baking and baste often.
If you add it right at the beginning, it will end up hard, overly sticky, and burnt!
Pour maple ham glaze over the meat during the last hour of baking.
Then, brush what gathers at the bottom of the pan back over the meat every 15 to 20 minutes to add flavor and moisture.
- Let ham rest before slicing.
Always let your ham rest for 10 to 20 minutes before you slice it.
This gives the juices time to reabsorb into the meat, plus it’s extra time for the maple brown sugar glaze for ham to soak in.
If you skip this step, you will lose more of the flavor when you cut it.
Serving Suggestions
Right before you serve the ham, be sure to drizzle the pan drippings over the meat to give it a rich flavor and golden glaze on the top.
Pair maple glazed ham with all your favorite Easter side dishes, from potatoes and casseroles to roasted veggies and fresh fruit!
You can also use leftovers for this Ham and Cheese Quiche the next morning! Or set aside thinner slices for leftover ham sandwiches.
Maple Glazed Ham Recipe FAQ
There are several different options you can choose depending on how many people you’re serving.
A fully cooked bone-in ham like the shank end has the largest amount of meat. If you’re serving a crowd or want lots of leftovers after your Easter dinner, this is the type you need to get.
Your other choice is a half leg, otherwise known as the butt end. This cut of meat will contain the hip bone which means it’s a bit harder for you to carve.
Because there is a bone, you’ll have slightly less meat — although it’s a bit more tender. In the end, either cut turns out great with this maple glazed ham recipe!
If you would rather use a pre-sliced ham instead of the traditional bone-in ham I used, you certainly can. But, you will need to adjust the cooking time so that the meat doesn’t dry out.
For this maple glazed ham recipe, you’ll start the ham in the oven alone and then add the glaze about halfway through.
This allows plenty of time for the meat to soak up the flavor without the glaze becoming too hard on the surface.
Storing and Reheating Maple Ham with Glaze
You can store maple glazed ham in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you want to store it for longer than that, you should freeze it.
Simply place the meat in plastic freezer bags and put it in the freezer. I like to cut it into slices or chunks depending on how I plan to use it later.
Then, allow it to defrost in the refrigerator overnight and use it as you want to!
The best way to reheat maple glazed ham is in the oven. Return whole ham to the baking dish, add water to the bottom of the pan, and cover with foil. Bake at 325°F until warmed through, about 18 minutes per pound.
You can warm slices in the microwave if you’d like. Use reduced power if you can to keep the meat from drying out.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Maple Glazed Ham
Ingredients
- 7 pound traditional bone-in ham
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Set the ham out at room temperature 1 hour before cook time to take the chill off.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Place the ham on a 9×13 casserole dish, cut side down. Add 1/4″ of water to the baking dish.
- Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake according to package directions, until internal temperature reaches 140˚F, about 15 minutes per pound (about 1 hour 45 minutes total cook time).
- Meanwhile: In a medium pot over medium-high heat, combine all of the ingredients, except the ham, stir to combine. Cook on medium heat until it simmers (small bubbles) and the sugar is melted. Stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Half way through the ham cook time (about 45-60 minutes into cook time), remove the aluminum foil and pour half of the glaze over the ham. Use a basting brush to spread the glaze over the ham. Repeat every 15-20 minutes until the ham is cooked through. The more you glaze the prettier the ham will be.
- Remove ham from oven, let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve hot or cold.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published March 2021, updated and republished March 2024
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The sweetness with the ham is amazing, and such a nice mix of savory and sweet.