How to Make the Perfect Christmas Ham — Complete Glaze, Bake, and Serve Guide

The Christmas ham is the secondary centerpiece — easier than turkey, more forgiving, but with its own specific decisions that determine whether you end up with the holy-grail glossy-glazed Pinterest ham or a dry pink mass. This guide walks through every choice and step.

The premise: a ham that's caramelized on the outside, juicy throughout, beautifully scored, served with a real glaze. 30 minutes of active work, 2 hours of bake time, perfectly executable.

Buying the right ham

The first decision determines everything else.

Bone-in vs. boneless

• Bone-in: more flavorful, more impressive on the platter, harder to carve. Best for Christmas.
• Boneless: easier to slice, less flavor, smaller per pound.

For Christmas, choose bone-in.

Spiral-cut vs. whole

• Spiral-cut: pre-sliced for serving, easier glaze penetration. Most people choose this.
• Whole (not spiral): more impressive presentation, requires hand-carving.

For most Christmas hams, spiral-cut is the right call. You get the "presentation" of a whole ham with the ease of pre-sliced.

Smoked vs. unsmoked

• Smoked (the standard): pre-smoked, fully cooked, just needs to be heated through and glazed. ALL "Christmas ham" you see is this type.
• Unsmoked / fresh ham: raw, requires full cooking. Rarely served at Christmas.

For Christmas, smoked (pre-cooked) is the standard. The cooking time is just heating + glazing.

Size

• For 8-10 guests: 8-10 lb bone-in ham.
• For 10-14 guests: 10-14 lb bone-in ham.
• For 14+ guests: 14-18 lb bone-in ham OR two smaller hams.

Plan 1/2 to 3/4 lb per person (bone-in includes the weight of the bone, so you need more than you'd think).

Brand

• Honeybaked Ham — the most-recognized brand, often pre-glazed (no DIY needed).
• Smithfield, Cook's, Hormel — supermarket reliable.
• Local butcher — heritage breeds and pasture-raised options. More expensive.
• D'Artagnan (online) — premium charcuterie brand with excellent ham.

For your first Christmas ham, supermarket spiral-cut bone-in is fine.

The glaze: the critical step

This is where homemade ham becomes magazine-worthy ham. Skip a real glaze and you have a fine ham. Add one and it's the centerpiece.

Brown sugar bourbon glaze (the classic)

• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup bourbon (Bulleit, Buffalo Trace, Maker's Mark)
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Maple-pomegranate glaze (the modern)

• 1 cup pure maple syrup (real, not pancake syrup)
• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Cherry-cola glaze (the unexpected)

• 1 cup cherry preserves (Bonne Maman is the standard)
• 1/2 cup cola (not diet)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Honey-mustard-orange glaze (the safe classic)

• 1 cup honey
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Pick ONE. Don't combine.

Glaze preparation

• Whisk all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat until brown sugar / honey dissolves.
• Simmer 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened. Should coat the back of a spoon.
• Set aside. Glaze can be made up to 2 days ahead, refrigerated. Warm before applying.

Scoring the ham (the visual / Pinterest detail)

The diamond-pattern scoring is what makes a ham photograph.

Method

1. Place the ham fat-side up on a cutting board.
2. Score the surface in diagonal cuts about 1/2-inch deep, spaced 1 inch apart.
3. Score in the other diagonal direction to create a diamond pattern.
4. OPTIONAL but iconic: press a whole clove into the center of each diamond. Looks beautiful; some people skip because the cloves harden during cooking and can be biting. (Either way works; skip if cooking for kids.)

If using a spiral-cut ham

• The slices are already separated; you don't need to score deeply.
• A light decorative scoring on the visible "fat cap" surface is enough.

Cooking the ham

The temperature and timing depend on whether the ham is pre-cooked (almost always) or raw.

Pre-cooked / cured ham (the standard)

• Goal: heat to internal temperature of 140°F.
• Temperature: 325°F oven.
• Time: 10-15 minutes per pound.
• An 8-lb ham: roughly 1.5-2 hours.

How to apply the glaze

1. Place ham in a roasting pan, fat-side up, on a rack.
2. Pour 1 cup of water, cider, or stock into the bottom of the pan (keeps the ham moist and helps with deglazing for sauce later).
3. Tent loosely with foil and bake for the first 2/3 of the cook time.
4. Remove foil for the last 30-45 minutes. Brush glaze on heavily.
5. Re-glaze every 10-15 minutes for the final third of cook time.
6. The final 10 minutes: crank the oven to 425°F to get the glaze bubbly and caramelized. Watch closely — burns fast.

Internal temperature check

• Pre-cooked ham: 140°F when done.
• Raw / fresh ham: 145°F minimum.

The thermometer goes in the thickest part of the meat, NOT touching the bone.

Resting

Like turkey, ham needs to rest:

• Rest 15-20 minutes under loose foil.
• Do not skip this step. The juices need to redistribute.
• Ham stays hot for 30-45 minutes. Plenty of time to finish sides.

Carving

For bone-in spiral-cut ham:

1. The slices are already cut. You're separating them.
2. Slide a knife along the bone to release the slices.
3. Lift slices off in groups of 5-6 at a time.
4. Arrange on the platter overlapping for visual presentation.

For bone-in whole ham (not spiral-cut):

1. Place ham on the carving board with the bone parallel to the cutting edge.
2. Slice perpendicular to the bone in 1/4-inch slices, working from the outside in.
3. When you reach the bone, cut around it to release individual slices.

Side dishes that pair with ham

Christmas ham wants distinctly different sides than turkey. Best pairings:

• Scalloped potatoes or au gratin — creamy, contrasts the sweet glaze
• Roasted Brussels sprouts — earthy, balanced
• Glazed carrots — colors match the glaze
• Sweet potato casserole — sweetness echoes
• Cornbread — Southern tradition pairing
• Pineapple-glazed sweet potatoes — tropical-coded but works
• Mac and cheese — comfort food that doesn't compete

What to AVOID with ham:

• Cranberry sauce — too similar in sweet/acidic profile
• Mashed potatoes — too plain against the glaze
• Stuffing — bread + glazed ham is too much

Drinks to serve

The ham pairing notes:

• Beaujolais (light red wine) — pairs perfectly with the sweet-savory ham
• Sparkling wine or Champagne — universal pairing
• Wheat beer or amber ale — for the beer-drinking guest
• Apple cider (hot mulled) — non-alcoholic match
• Bourbon old fashioned — if you're serving bourbon-glazed ham

What to do with leftover ham

A 10-lb ham for 8 guests has substantial leftovers. Strategy:

• Ham + cheese sandwiches — the next-day classic
• Ham + bean soup — uses the bone for broth
• Quiche or strata with diced ham
• Ham hash for Boxing Day breakfast
• Ham + cheddar omelets

Store leftover ham wrapped tightly in plastic + foil for up to 5 days refrigerated. Freeze up to 3 months in zip-top bags.

The two-meat strategy (turkey AND ham)

For large gatherings: serve both turkey AND ham. The combination works for three reasons:

1. Guests have a choice. Some prefer one or the other.
2. The flavors complement. Sweet ham + savory turkey balances.
3. Cooking is staggered. Turkey hits the oven first; ham goes in halfway through.

If doing both: 1/2 lb turkey + 1/2 lb ham per guest is plenty.

Common ham mistakes

1. Skipping the glaze. Just heating a ham misses the entire point.
2. Brushing glaze too early. Sugars burn before the ham is heated through.
3. Not scoring the surface. Glaze runs off; meat doesn't absorb flavor.
4. Overcooking. Pre-cooked ham only needs to be heated; 140°F internal max.
5. Using a too-small pan. Glaze drips bake hard onto pan — use a roasting pan with a rack, not a small dish.

Cross-references

For the turkey side of Christmas — the OTHER major centerpiece — see perfect Christmas turkey.

For the full meal planning around the ham, see Christmas dinner sides, easy Christmas appetizers, and Christmas desserts.

For dietary variations: vegetarian Christmas dinner, gluten-free Christmas dinner, and vegan Christmas dinner cover the alternatives.

For backwards-planned cooking schedule, the Christmas dinner timeline tool calculates start times based on your dinner time and turkey/main weight.

A perfect Christmas ham is honestly easier than a perfect turkey — but only if you commit to the glaze, the scoring, and the proper temperature. Pick one glaze. Score the diamond pattern. Glaze it three times in the last 45 minutes. Crank the heat for the final 10 to caramelize. The ham becomes the platter that looks like a magazine cover — and tastes like one.