This Apple Cider Glazed Ham Recipe is perfect for the holidays or a family get-together. Spiral ham is glazed with a spiced apple cider sauce and baked until caramelized, tender and flavorful. Your guests will love this ham recipe and it makes great leftovers for sandwiches or soups! 

APPLE CIDER GLAZED HAM RECIPE 

I can’t believe I am saying this but the holiday season is approaching and I have the best ham recipe for your holiday dinner. 

This Apple Cider Glazed Ham Recipe is tender, flavorful and the perfect holiday ham to serve your guests.

Sometimes I find ham to be dried out and this recipe uses a glaze to infuse sweet flavors into the ham to make a juicy ham.

This is a great recipe for not only Christmas dinner but also Easter or Thanksgiving if you want to switch it up from a Herb Butter Roasted Turkey. 

I also like to make this Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken, Herb Butter Roasted Turkey, this Roast Beef Recipe, Slow Cooker Mediterranean Whole Chicken for a special occasion.

After your holiday meal you can use the leftover ham in this White Bean Soup with Ham.

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THIS GLAZED HAM RECIPE?

• BONE-IN HAM OR BONELESS HAM

• APPLE JUICE

• LIGHT BROWN SUGAR OR DARK BROWN SUGAR

• SPICED APPLE CIDER MIX

HOW DO YOU MAKE AN APPLE CIDER GLAZED HAM?

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

PREPARE THE HAM: If your spiral cut ham has a plastic disk on the bone, this should be removed and discarded.

Place ham flat side down in a baking dish or a large roasting pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil.

ROAST THE HAM: Roast 12-15 minutes per pound (or according to package directions).

For the 8 pound ham bake it for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until the thermometer reaches 130 degrees.

PREPARE THE GLAZE: While the ham bakes heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and combine the apple juice, brown sugar, and spiced apple cider mix.

Bring to a bubble and reduce heat to medium low.

Reduce mixture until it is thickened and glazy, about 10-15 minutes.

Pour the glaze into a small bowl. Remove the foil and use a brush to spread the glaze over the ham.

Return the ham to the oven and cook another 15 minutes or until the ham is 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

Turn up the oven to 425 degrees and let cook for another 2 to 3 minutes to help the glaze caramelize over the fully cooked ham.

Serve warm! I promise the whole family will love this! 

TIPS FOR MAKING HAM 

• Scoring the ham in a diamond pattern helps the glaze penetrate the cooked ham.When doing this technique it exposes a juicy layer of fat, which helps the seasoning soak through the rind of then ham. 
• Wrapping the ham in foil helps to keep it mosts and tender. Make sure that you wrap it tightly. 
• Basting the ham with pan juices helps keep the ham tender throughout cooking. 
• Glazing the ham when it is almost done cooking helps to infuse the flavor into the ham and adds a sweetness to it.  I have seen other glazes that use a honey glaze, pineapple juice, dijon mustard, orange juice or maple syrup in the glaze which is another great addition. They all add that sweet, savory element to the ham which is nice. 
• Preheating the oven helps to make sure the ham cooks evenly and doesn’t dry out. 
• Cook the ham according to the weight of the ham. The rule is if your ham was sold fully cooked, then set the time for 10 minutes per pound. But if it is only partially cooked at the time of purchase, then time it for 25 minutes per pound.
• To avoid having a dry and flavorless ham, make sure you cook your ham at 325 degrees at most and use a glaze when cooking it to keep its moisture and taste.

WHAT SHOULD I SERVE WITH GLAZED HAM?

We love adding a salad alongside ham. Some favorites are this Lemon Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts, Kale Salad  with Lemon Dressing, Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad or this Brussels Sprout Apple Goat Cheese Salad.

Vegetables make a wonderful side dish to holiday meals like ham. I especially like making Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Turmeric Cauliflower, Lebanese Green Beans or Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries. 

Apples pair really well with ham. Some great apple recipes to make with this glazed ham are this Crockpot Applesauce, Instant Pot Applesauce or these Skillet Apples.