Whole Honey Ham Recipe

Prepare the ham

Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Remove any packaging and netting from the ham. Rinse the ham under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the ham fat-side up on a rack in a large roasting pan. If the ham has a thick fat cap, score the fat in a diamond pattern about 1/4 inch deep, making parallel cuts about 1 inch apart.

Stud with cloves

If desired, press whole cloves into the intersections of the diamond cuts (or evenly around the ham) to stud the ham. This adds aroma and decoration. Use roughly 20–24 cloves depending on size and appearance preference.

Make the honey glaze

In a small saucepan combine honey, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, orange juice, ground cinnamon, ground black pepper, and kosher salt. Warm over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and the glaze is smooth and slightly thickened, about 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of the butter until melted and incorporated. Reserve about 1/3 cup of glaze for serving or brushing after cooking.

Prepare pan and initial roast

Add 1 cup of water or low-sodium chicken broth to the bottom of the roasting pan to maintain moisture. Dot the top of the ham with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Tent the ham loosely with aluminum foil, sealing the edges of the pan so steam doesn’t escape quickly but leaving room above the ham. Place the pan on the center oven rack.

Cook until heated through

Bake the ham until it reaches an internal temperature of 130–135°F (54–57°C) for fully cooked ham reheating, which will take about 10–12 minutes per pound (approximate). For an 8 kg (about 17–18 lb) ham this will take about 3–3.5 hours. Check temperature with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part without touching bone.

Glaze and brown

When the internal temperature reaches about 120°F (49°C), remove the foil tent. Brush a generous layer of the prepared honey glaze all over the exposed ham surface. Return the ham to the oven, uncovered, and roast until the glaze is sticky and lightly caramelized and internal temp reaches 130–135°F (54–57°C), about 20–30 minutes more. Brush again halfway through this final browning period to build up a glossy coating. Watch closely to prevent burning; if glaze darkens too quickly, tent again loosely and finish until target temperature reached.

Rest the ham

Remove the ham from oven and transfer to a cutting board. Tent loosely with foil and let rest 15–20 minutes. Resting allows juices to redistribute and the final internal temperature will climb a few degrees.

Slice and garnish

If studded with cloves, remove cloves before carving or remove while slicing if you prefer. Slice the ham across the grain into 1/8–1/4-inch thick slices for serving. Arrange on a platter, drizzle with the reserved glaze and garnish with orange slices and chopped fresh parsley.

Serve warm. Leftover ham can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 4–5 days or frozen for up to 2 months.