Bourbon Glazed Ham

Celebrate the holidays with this Bourbon Glazed Ham! A brown sugar glazed ham with a kick of bourbon that helps elevate the flavor. This bourbon ham takes 5 ingredients to make. Cook in this holiday ham in your oven or your slow cooker.

The bourbon brown sugar glaze is what makes this baked ham stand out from the rest. A bone-in ham that is tossed in a roasting pan and baked for a few hours in the oven. Try this brown sugar and pineapple ham!

Give this brown sugar ham recipe a try if you want something different from the classic holiday ham recipe. Or if you want to use your grill try our double smoked ham. Drizzle over some onion gravy to elevate the flavor!

Why we Recommend This Recipe

• 5 simple ingredients
• Easy Prep
• Juicy and flavorful meat
• A gorgeous presentation for holidays
• Make a simple brown sugar glaze for ham
• Great leftover
• Serve for a weeknight dinner, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and more

Ham | we used a bone in ham for this recipe. You could use a spiral ham if you would like.

Brown Sugar | Brown sugar is going to give this ham a nice sweetness without being overpowering. We also add a splash of molasses to make it a richer flavor and color.

Bourbon | Reach for your favorite bourbon to help mix up for this glazed ham.

Mustard | Ground prepared mustard is what we reached for, and it gives the ham a nice little kick of tang.

Swaps

• Add in some orange zest or even orange marmalade to the glaze, it will help enhance the flavor of the meat and glaze.
• Swap the bourbon with another type of alcohol. Whiskey could work for this as well like a Jack Daniels.
• A spicy mustard works great in replace of a prepared ground mustard. You want something with a nice kick to help tame the sweet.

How to Make

Full directions on how to make this Bourbon Glazed Ham are in the printable recipe card below. This is a quick walk-through.

Step 1: Take your ham and place in a roasting pan. Take 2 tablespoons of bourbon and brush it all over your ham.

Step 2: Then bake in the oven at 325 degrees for 2 hours.

Step 3: Right before the timer is up, you will make your glaze. Start by adding your brown sugar, mustard, molasses, and bourbon to a bowl. Mix until well combined.

Step 4: Remove the ham from the oven and brush the ham with this bourbon brown sugar glaze. Cook for another 30 minutes or until your ham reads 140 degrees internal temperature.

Pro Tip: Don’t baste your ham too early with the glaze or it will burn on the ham. wait till the end of cooking your ham.

Then remove ham and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice and serve up your ham.

How to Make in The Slow Cooker

Add ingredients like you would for oven in the slow cooker. Place lid on and cook for 3-4 hours on low. Make sure it reaches the proper internal temperature.

You will cook your ham with the glaze on it, and then if you want a few times during the cooking process you can spoon the glaze over the top of the ham.

Once the ham reaches the proper internal temperature, slice and serve.

Storing And Freezing Leftovers

To store leftover ham place in an airtight container. Store for up to 3-4 days in the fridge. Use your best judgement in terms of if the ham is good or not.

For freezing leftovers, you store in a freezer bag or use a vacuum seal system. Then freeze for up to three months in a freezer bag. Or longer if you use the vacuum-sealed system.

Thaw in the fridge the night before then reheat in the microwave, oven, or skillet on the stove. If you heat in the oven make sure that you cover and add a little water to prevent your ham from drying out.

Expert Tips

• You can use a spiral ham or bone in ham. The choice is yours.
• Buy as small or large of a ham as you would like. make sure that you adjust cooking time to fit the size of your ham.
• You can slow cooker your ham for a few hours then transfer to a roasting pan and then top with glaze and finish cooking in oven for a sticky glaze.
• This ham is for the holidays as it is gorgeous and flavorful.
• Use a sharp knife to slice so you get clean cuts.
• Reach for any of your favorite brands of bourbon.

Recipe FAQs

How long do you leave a precooked ham in the oven?

At 325 degrees you will cook 10 minutes per pound of ham. You need the internal temperature to reach 140 degrees. So, adjust the cook time to fit the size of your ham.

Do you need to cover a ham in the oven?

You can cover the ham with foil to start cooking, because it will help to prevent the ham from drying out. Then when you apply glaze, keep the aluminum foil off.

How do you make a ham glaze from scratch?

Mix your mustard, brown sugar, molasses, and bourbon together. Then baste your ham and finish cooking in the oven until it is fully cooked.

How do you heat up a precooked ham without drying it out? Is boneless or bone in ham better?

Boneless hams are easy to slice and serve. Whereas, bone-in ham offers a bit more flavor. like any bone-in meat you will find the flavor is richer than boneless.

What can we use if we don’t want to use alcohol?

Adding 1-2 tablespoons vanilla and 1/3 cup maple syrup will give you the flavor of the alcohol without needing to use alcohol in the ham recipe.

Serve it with

• Creamed Spinach
• Pea Salad
• Creamed Corn
• Twice Baked Sweet Potato Casserole
• Green Bean Almondine
• Green Bean Casserole without Canned Soup
• Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients

Makes 10 -15 servings

• 1 8 to 10 pounds fully cooked, bone-in ham (can use boneless)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 tablespoon prepared ground mustard
• ¼ cup bourbon + 2 tablespoons
• 1 cup water

Equipment

• Food Prep Bag Holders
• FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer
• Roasting Pan
• Pastry Brush

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Then in your roasting pan pour in a cup of water. Now you will place your ham in the pan and baste with 2 tablespoons of bourbon whiskey.
2. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours.
3. Right before ham is done work on making your brown sugar glaze. In a bowl mix the brown sugar, molasses, mustard, and 1/4 cup bourbon.
4. Baste your ham to coat the whole outside. Put the ham back in the oven uncovered this time.
5. Cook an additional 30 minutes or until your ham reaches 140 degrees internal temperature.
6. Remove the bourbon glazed ham from the oven, let sit 5-10 minutes to cool a bit then slice and serve.

Kitchen notes

Slow Cooker Directions: