No need to fear the ham! It’s super easy with this magic 5 ingredient Brown Sugar Ham Glaze that will transform your Christmas Ham into the most incredible sticky, caramelised centrepiece! Plus, my simple tricks to make your Christmas ham look and taste as good as they do in glossy magazines (and blogs 😂). Christmas made easy!!
New to glazed ham? Start here -> How to Make Glazed Ham. Want to try my signature Maple Glazed Ham? Here it is!
BROWN SUGAR GLAZED HAM – Made Easy!
I’m abnormally paranoid about wasting your time and money – especially for grand centrepieces. Hang ups from my youth – we lived on a tight budget when I was growing up.
I hope I always remain this way!
As a result, I have somewhat of an obsession with ensuring my recipes work. Which means making them repeatedly until I’m confident I’ve covered off the “problem” areas.
So. Christmas Ham. I think I’ve made it considerably more than your average person. And today I want to share the knowledge I’ve accumulated. Making Christmas Ham easy, easy, easy!
NAGI’S BEST TIPS FOR PERFECT GLAZED HAM
- Evenly golden surface – Level the ham surface by propping it up using scrunched up foil so the surface caramelises more evenly (same tip for perfect pork crackling!)
- MUST add water into pan to stop pan drippings from burning. Burnt drippings = can’t use for basting or sauce!
- Bake at lower temp – Most recipes say 180C/350F which causes the glaze to burn too quickly. Lower it to 160C/320F.
- Don’t hesitate to foil patch bits that are browning too quickly
- Baste loads after cooking – this is when you can “paint” the ham to make it beautifully deep golden all over with a thick glaze using the caramelised pan juices!
- Get ahead – prep ham and make glaze the day before then cook on the day. OR cook the ham ahead then simply reheat!
How to make Christmas Ham: 3 simple steps
Remove rind – easy, it wants to come off!
Baste ham with 5 ingredient Brown Sugar Ham Glaze
Bake for 1.5 hours on a lowish temp (160C/320F standard, 140C/285F fan), basting every 20 minutes
Choosing the Best Ham
Best Value Recommendation (Australia): Woolworths wood smoked $9/kg ($4.50/lb). I have been buying this for years. Excellent value for money and I am convinced that most people would not know the difference between this and more expensive ones. The ham pictured in this post is a Woolworths one. If you look at the cut face of the ham in the photo above, you can see it looks like meat, not shiny rubbery deli ham. PS Don’t get the $7/kg one. The extra $2/kg is worth it, I promise.
I also get my ham from local butchers in my area (Not loyal to any, I spread the love 😂)
Here’s my take on choosing the best ham for Christmas:
Bone in or out – Bone IN – it’s juicier!! **She says adamantly** Bone out is easier to carve but you lose so much juice through the hole where the bone was. 😩
Whole or half ham – One day I might find an occasion for a 10kg/20lb whole ham leg, but for now, I always get a half leg. There are 2 types – with the handle and the other end (which looks like a half soccer ball – see below). I always get the one with the handle even though there’s less meat-to-bone because a) it looks more traditional b) it’s easier to carve; and c) you get a bigger ham bone to use later;
Type: Natural wood smoked, ready-to-eat ham. NOT raw ham eg gammon
Difference between value and quality hams: Good hams from quality butchers have a kind of “meaty” texture and a pure ham flavour. It’s completely different to the stuff you slap on sambos! Supermarket and value hams are injected with brine (salty water) to make them juicier. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing per se, it’s just that some go overboard and you end up with a rubbery, kind of wet ham texture. Lower quality hams pretty much taste like the stuff you put on your everyday sandwiches!
How to remove ham rind
{Watch the video!} The ham rind (or ham skin) that covers the ham all over is inedible. It’s rubbery and tough so we need to remove it. The rind wants to come off – so it’s not hard to remove. Here’s how:
The Handle – first, cut through the skin around the handle. We’re going to leave the skin on the handle so it holds its shape and is easy to hold for carving. If you remove the skin, it gets all buckled and twisted while baking;
Cut slits down the each side – this just makes it easier to peel off the top, then the underside in clean sections;
Run knife along rim between the rind and the fat;
Slip your fingers in the gap;
Run your fingers back and forth to release the rind whilst pulling the rind back gently;
Pull – About halfway through, you should be able to just pull most of the rind back. It will probably tear – that’s fine, just peel back / slice off the remaining bits. Repeat on underside.
Scoring – score a 2.5cm / 1″ diagonal pattern all over the surface (not underside);
Fat only – cut into the fat only, don’t cut into the skin.
Clove studding option – follow directions in this Maple Glazed Ham. It’s more for visual than flavour – needs to be removed before serving.
EXCESS FAT: If you want a beautiful glossy, caramelised ham, you have to leave fat on. But there is quite a thick layer of fat on most hams and it does not melt (render) when baked. So if you have an aversion to that amount of fat, feel free to cut excess off but make sure you leave at least 0.5 cm / 1/5″ so you still get a gorgeous caramelised surface!!
Brown Sugar Ham Glaze
Brown Sugar Ham Glaze is a classic recipe. It’s very similar to the Maple Mustard Ham Glaze I shared years ago – but made without maple. It’s truly magical how such a simple ham glaze recipe can transform into caramelised amazingness once it’s slathered on the ham.
The key with the Brown Sugar Ham Glaze is to balance the sweet (sugar and some honey) with sour. I use vinegar and mustard (which also thickens the glaze). I like to add a touch of holiday spirit with All Spice and Cinnamon, but this optional!
Making a Brown Sugar Ham Glaze is as simple as plonking the ingredients in a saucepan then just simmering until the sugar dissolves. Then slather all over the ham. And I mean ALL OVER THE HAM!!!
Baking the Glazed Ham!
This is the easiest part – if you follow a few very simple Nagi Ham Rules that make all the difference!
Level the surface – this will ensure your ham caramelises more evenly. If it’s sloped, the highest point browns far faster and you end up with burnt patches and some barely caramelised bits. Also the same trick I adopt to get a perfect crackling all over my Pork Roast 🙌🏻;
Water in the roasting pan – it’s a must to stop the drippings from burning! Sugar in glaze = burnt mess = can’t baste using pan juices + no sauce 😩. Plus, water = more moist environment for your ham. I use: water, white wine or OJ;
LOWER TEMP – The oven temp of most ham recipes is too high, resulting in too many burnt bits. Lower the temp slightly – you’ll thank me later!
Baste, baste, baste! Baste lots – every 20 minutes. More basting = better glaze!
Baste LOADS before serving – This is where magic happens, especially if you’ve got bits that didn’t caramelise well. As the ham rests, the liquid in the pan thickens so you get a thicker glaze on the ham. Think of it like paint – it will make your ham a glowing deep caramel colour with a super thick, glossy glaze!
Wrap the handle – for practical purposes, so you can hold it. And if you are so inclined, pretty it up with ribbon and some greenage (last year I stole a sprig off the Christmas tree!)
INTERNAL TEMPERATURE OF COOKED HAM IS 60C/140F
Ham is already “cooked” ie ready to eat, so it doesn’t need to be cooked for consumption. It’s to ensure any food germs are obliterated. When a protein is in the oven for a considerable length of time, it creates a cosy environment for bacteria to grow so it’s best to bake the ham until the internal temp is such that any bacteria inside is killed. *Sorry for off-putting germ talk!!*
DON’T HESITATE TO FOIL PATCH!
Propping up the ham to level the surface will go a long way to help your ham caramelise more evenly. But if there are patches browning faster than others, just stick a bit of foil on them. Look how many I used!!! ↑↑↑
The foil will stick to the glaze like glue – then peel off carefully once the ham is done. If you accidentally peel some caramelisation off, don’t fret! Just paint it with the pan juices and it will look as good as new!
Sauce for Ham
The glaze is everybody’s favourite part…. and there’s just not enough to go around! So some years ago, I started using the pan drippings as the sauce to serve with the ham. It’s loaded with flavour from both the Brown Sugar Ham Glaze AND the juices of the ham.
The pan drippings are usually a bit thick to use as a sauce so I just thin it with water. The flavour is very intense so you don’t lose flavour at all.
Other sauce options: chutney, Cranberry Sauce, mustard, caramelised onion jam.
And there you have it. My ultimate ham guide! There’s a few bits I haven’t covered – cooked ham storage, shelf life, making ahead (this is super handy!) – which I’ve popped in the recipe notes.
Ah – wait! And most important – save the ham bone!! Last year I promised I’d share a ham bone recipe shortly after Christmas and a mere 8 months later, I published a 3 ingredient Chinese Ham Bone Rice Soup. 😂
This time, I can 100% promise you that I am sitting at my computer eating this years’ leftover ham bone recipe. It will be with you in the first week of the New Year (because I have something else I’m super excited to share as this years’ Christmas leftovers recipe!!).
And finally. After possibly the longest post of 2018 – I present to you the Brown Sugar Glazed Ham Recipe. 😅 ~ Nagi x
PS. For a mini, everyday or economical version, you can even use this glaze on chicken pieces too – check out Sticky Glazed Christmas Chicken! Also, my other Christmas Ham child is Maple Glazed Ham. The maple flavour is lovely in this!
WORTHY OF YOUR LEFTOVER HAM
Monte Cristo (Ham French Toast Grilled Cheese)
Ham and Cheese French Toast Roll Ups – insanely good and super quick!
Also use in place of bacon in: Quiche Lorraine, Frittata, Egg Muffins
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
Ingredients
- 4-6 kg / 8-12 lb bone in ham, rind and fat on (Note 1)
- 2 cups water (Note 2)
Brown Sugar Ham Glaze:
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey (or maple)
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Spices (Note 4):
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon*
- 1/2 tsp All Spice*
- 3/4 tsp mustard powder * (ordinary, not hot)
Presentation (optional):
- Ribbon
- Few sprigs of rosemary or other herb / leaves
Instructions
- Take ham out of the fridge 1 hour prior.
- Preheat oven to 160C / 320F (standard) or 140C / 285F (fan). Arrange shelf in lower third so the ham will be sitting in the centre of the oven (not right at the top of the oven, this causes more uneven cooking on surface).
Remove rind & scoring:
- Remove the rind (skin) of the ham, ensuring you leave the fat on (Note 5 for steps, photos in post and video above)
- Scoring – Cut 2.5cm / 1″ diamonds into the fat (don’t cut into flesh).
Brown Sugar Ham Glaze:
- Place brown sugar, honey, mustard, cider vinegar, pepper and Spices into saucepan over medium high heat. Simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Baste & Cook:
- Place rack in a baking pan and place ham on rack.
- Baste all over with the glaze (except the handle), including underside and the cut face. Reserve remaining glaze for basting.
- Bake for 1.5 hours, basting every 20 minutes with reserved glaze (Note 6) and pan juices, until caramelised and the internal temperature is 60C/140F. (Note 7)
- Stick bits of foil on parts that are browning too quickly, and you can even lower the oven temp. (Note 8)
- Rest ham for 15 to 30 minutes+, basting generously with the pan drippings – use it like paint to make your ham beautifully bronzed all over with a thick glaze. (Note 9)
Sauce (Note 10):
- Whisk water into pan juices until it’s a thick honey-like pouring consistency.
Presentation & Serving:
- Wrap handle with baking paper, secure in place with ribbon. Stick in rosemary sprigs.
- Place ham on table as centrepiece with Sauce on the side. Lovely served warm or at room temp!
- Once everyone has oohed and aahed over it, nominate someone to be the Ham Carver! Slice thinly and serve with sauce.
Leftover Ham:
- Leftovers: See list in post for recipe using leftover ham and ham bone!
- Storing: Will keep for at least a week in the fridge if properly stored using a water-vinegar soaked ham bag or pillowcase. Otherwise freeze – don't forget the bone! See How to Store Glazed Ham for directions.
Recipe Notes:
a) Cut through skin at the top of the bone handle and down each side of the ham.
b) Run tip of small knife between the ham rind and fat.
c) Slip fingers under rind, then run fingers back and forth while pulling skin back. Keep on as much fat as you can! Once halfway through, should be able to pull rind off.
d) Flip ham and remove rind from underside. Also read in post about option to trim back the fat a bit. Minimum fat requirement is 0.5cm / 1/5″ in order to achieve that beautiful glazed look! 6. Basting – As the brown sugar ham glaze cools, it thickens so it sticks better to the ham as you baste during the cook time. Be generous and slather it on thickly – aim to use it all by the end of the cook time. 7. Internal temp – Ham is already cooked and ready for eating, so glazed hams are really about extra flavour + glazing. But it is best practice to ensure the internal temp of the ham is 60C/140F as this is the temperature at which any bacteria inside is killed. 8. Foil patches – Use bits of foil to cover bits browning too quickly. It will stick to the glaze. Peel off carefully. If you accidentally strip off the caramelised surface, don’t worry – just “paint” over it with the pan juices! 9. Basting while resting – pan juices thicken which allows you to glaze the ham generously. I use it like paint – to get an even colour all over and a thick glaze! 10. Sauce: It thickens as it cools so get the consistency right at the temperature you are serving it (both warm and room temp is lovely). Flavour is super intense so don’t fret about losing flavour by adding water. 11. Servings – Allow for 200 – 300g / 7 – 10 oz bone-in ham weight per person. So a 5 kg / 10 lb bone in ham will serve 15 – 20 people. The bone + decent amount of meat (for leftover ham bone recipe) is about 1 – 1.25 kg / 2 – 2.5 lb in a 5 kg / 10 lb ham. Of course, if you have TONS of other dishes, one ham will go further! If I have a turkey as well, then I use 1 x 5 kg / 10 lb ham for 25 – 30 people.
Quick links: Garlic Herb Slow Cooker Turkey Breast, Roast Turkey Breast with Garlic Butter, Juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy.
12. Make Ahead – Two ways:
a) Prep ahead – Prep the ham and make the glaze up to 2 days ahead. Then baste and cook on the day (glaze may need reheating to loosen); OR
b) Bake the ham ahead. Then on the day of, reheat the ham either in your slow cooker followed by oven to resurrect the glaze or loosely covered with foil in the oven. Baste loads with preserved juices – this is the most important part. It will look as good as new – I’ve done this plenty of times, also I gift cooked hams and give jars of the pan juices for basting / serving! 13. Nutrition assumes all sauce is consumed which it probably won’t be.
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
It is that time of the year when we strip Dozer of what little dignity he has remaining for the amusement of myself and others at the dog park….
We’re having early Christmas abs made the brown sugar glazed ham today, turned out fantastic Just like you said, thank you
Merry Christmas
Hi Nagi, I offered to make the ham for Christmas this year. How much ham should I buy for 12 adults (they will also be other main proteins)
Hi Melanie – that’s a hard one as it depends on what else you’re serving. I would go with a 2.5-3.5kg ham, and hey, left overs NEVER go to waste! N x
This is the most brilliant Xmas Ham recipe of all time! I cant wait to make it again this year ….and next year! I’ve tried so many over the years and most have been very good. But this is simply the best! Thanks,Nagi ! All your recipes are brilliant and I never look anywhere else now ! 🙂 Wishing you a very Merry Christmas ! ( Hugs for Dozer x )
Hi, I am planning on cooking your recipe for Christmas. However there will only be 7 of us and I would like to halve the amount of ham required. I would also like to reduce the glaze to half the amount. My question is: is that enough glaze and would I still need to cook it in the oven for 1.5 hours? Looking forward to hearing your response. Cheer.
I cannot wait to make this again this year. This is THE best Christmas centre piece recipe to have on your Christmas table. Just make sure you read all of the instructions and take your time!
I’m so glad you love it Yanski!!
Hi! First time for me EVER cooking a ham, I came across your recipe and can only hope that it looks half as pretty as yours! I do have a question though; can I buy the spiral cut?
I came across your slow cooker Turkey breast and cornbread. I can’t wait to try for Thanksgiving.
Hi Susana, this wont work with the spiral cut sorry!
Thank you so much for your response! If I could bug you with one more question-for the ham I’m finding what’s called a fresh uncured ham with the handle. Your notes indicate not to get a raw ham. How do I ask for it at the butcher?
Truly inexperience cook 👩🍳
What are the steps to reheating day of in the slow cooker? Btw all your recipes are Amazing!
I just love your recipes, so I thought I would try your Brown Sugar Glazed Ham, but I got confused on the weight. I was looking at your ham bean soup recipe and mistakenly bought a 2.5 lb smoked ham: ) It is quite big enough for me though, seeing as though I live alone, but I was wondering about the cooking time etc. Would you mind helping me out, thank you.
Hi Linda! As long as it’s got a rind on it which can be removed to expose a layer of fat (as pictured in the recipe and video) then this recipe will work just fine! Just scale the recipe down until the brown sugar becomes 1/2 cup and all the other ingredients will change. It makes the cup quantities a funny number but roughly 0.16 cups = 2.5 tbsp so that will help measure the ingredients. Even though the ham weight will be higher than what you have, you need a minimum amount of glaze to coat the ham all over 🙂 Then simply bake per this recipe! N x
Made this for my husband;s birthday and he licked the plate. Also made the Magic Broccoli (which would make a broccoli lover out of anybody).
Thanks for all your great recipes. You are my go to source for recipes and none have failed me.
Wonderful to hear the feedback Lee! I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipes ☺️ — Nxx
truly love your cite, this is the best ever posting so beautiful and love the video and when I am feeling down I always go to your blog to cheer me up and it does !!happy new year to you and dozer from diana in toronto
I’m sorry to hear you were feeling down Diana. Sending over a big virtual hug! If we lived just a wee bit closer, you could pop round for a cheer up any time – Dozer loves company!!! N xx
We made this today for a brunch we hosted. VERY easy and the crowd went wild!
Of four stores we visited (in Maryland, USA) none had the leg w/handle, none the less one that wasn’t spiral-sliced. So, we made due with a spiral sliced non-handled ham. Flavor was bang-on, but the ham started to fall apart during the bake due to the brand’s slicing.
Long story short: Next time we’ll plan a bit further ahead and get what Nagi recommends, but presentation aside: everything was perfect!
I’m so glad you liked it even though it was sliced!
Made the ham today for Christmas dinner. It was PERFECT! My hubby who is a ham snob said it was the best ham he has ever had, that the glaze was beautiful and just the right balance of sweet and savory. (FYI, the only spice I used was pepper, I am not a big fan of sweetish spices on my hams.). Also made the roasted sweet potato stacks, for the second time. Lovely and tasty yum.
I would love to know how many hams you went through perfecting this recipe. Thank you for all your hard work.
Absolutely indescribably delicious! And fantastic instructions! Thanks,Nagi! You are a legend!
Hi Nagi,
I cook one of your recipes at least everyday, you have in my families eyes turned me into a Masterchef!! 🙂 I cannot wait to try out this delicious recipe on Christmas Day to impressive the extended family! Merry Christmas to you and Dozer! Rhi xx
My mum did the ham the same way that a local Italian baker did when I was growing up.
The ham is wrapped in bread dough znd baked, she did it in her Barbecue, the crusty bread cover is ripped off when it is done and usually most of it is eaten as it is very hamy.
Just made the glaze the day before but does not look like it’s enough. How much should it make or shall I just make some more. Can anyone help as I think Nagi will be too busy to get back in time
Thank you, great goals you’re setting! I’m going for that Sugar Glazed Ham. Learned a lot : constant basting, water pan.
Can’t wait to mix that glaze!
I am having a traditional Norwegian Christmas dinner – so ribbe!
Omg we are having your brown sugar ham for Christmas can’t wait thanks for all the great tips
Hi Nagi
I took this ham to a family lunch last week and they loved it. So I am taking it again to Christmas lunch with the wild rice salad which my vegan niece will love.. My sister in law is providing all the seafood so lunch is covered. Plum pudding and a trifle will follow. Wishing you and Yumiko a wonderful Christmas and a fabulous 2019. Thank you for continuing to give us great recipes that work❤️❤️