Salty-sweet, deliciously sticky, and perfect for any holiday table, my Maple Orange Glazed Ham recipe is sure to become a family tradition. Simply made with just 15 minutes of active kitchen time and a pre-cooked spiral ham, this no-cook orange ham glaze will enable you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the party — while still knocking everyone’s socks off.
At least ONE HOUR BEFORE COOKING -Remove Ham from Refrigerator: 1 to 2 hours PRIOR to cooking, take the ham out of the refrigerator. Leaving the ham in its original packaging, placed it on top of a baking sheet. Let the ham come to room temperature for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 hours, before preparing this recipe.
Make Orange Glaze for Ham: In a medium bowl, add the orange marmalade, maple syrup, vinegar, sugar, mustard, pepper, salt, rosemary, cinnamon, and ginger. Use a whisk to mix the ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
Preheat the Oven and Prepare Roasting Pan: Arrange the oven rack to the lower third position. Then, preheat your oven to 325-degrees Fahrenheit. Place a roasting rack or flat wire rack inside of a roasting pan and then set it aside.
Prepare Ham for Baking: Remove the packaging from the ham. If there is a plastic disk covering the bone, remove and discard it. Next, pour two cups of orange juice, water, or mix of both into the bottom of the roasting pan to prevent the bottom from burning. Then, place ham, cut side down, on the roasting rack.
Brush Ham with Orange Glaze: Using a pastry brush, brush 1/3 of the orange glaze (about ½ cup) all over the surface of the ham.
OPTIONAL – Cover Ham with Orange Slices: Arrange thinly sliced oranges all over the surface of the glazed ham and tack them into place with toothpicks or whole cloves. (Note: This is entirely optional; however, it does prevent the ham from drying out.)
Bake the Orange Glazed Ham: Lightly tent and wrap the top and bottom edges of the cut side of the ham with foil. Place the ham into the preheated oven and bake until the ham reaches and internal temperature of 110 to 120-degrees Fahrenheit on an instant read thermometer, approximately 12-13 minutes per pound of ham, or about 96-104 minutes for an 8-pound ham. Once the ham reaches an internal temperature of 110 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, remove the ham from the oven. (Note: Make sure you check the water level in your roasting pan while the ham is baking. If the pan is getting low, simply add more room temperature orange juice or water.)
Increase Oven, Add Juice to Pan: Increased the oven temperature to 400-degrees Fahrenheit. Add 1 cup of room temperature orange juice, water, or mix of both to the roasting pan. Then, use a baster to baste the ham with the juices in the pan.
Re-Glaze and Bake Ham TWO More Times: Brush half of the remaining glaze (1/2 cup) all over the surface of the ham. Return the orange glazed ham to the oven and bake – uncovered – for 12 minutes. Remove the ham from the oven and brush with the remaining orange glaze. Return to the oven and bake the ham again – uncovered – for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the ham reaches an internal temperature of at least 145-degrees Fahrenheit. (Note: If your ham is getting too brown on the surface, lightly tent it with aluminum foil.)
Rest Orange Ham: Remove the holiday ham from the oven and place it on a clean work surface. Use a baster to baste the ham with the drippings in the pan. Then, lightly tent the ham with foil and let it rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Remove and discard the orange slices from the ham.
Garnish and Serve Orange Glazed Ham: Place the ham on a serving platter and then surround it with orange wedges and rosemary sprigs, if desired. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Orange Glaze: You can make the orange ham glaze up to 3 days ahead of time. Cover the glaze and store in the refrigerator. Remove from the fridge 1 hour before using (simply remove it at the same time you remove the ham).
Covering Ham with Orange Slices: This step is entirely optional; however, it does add a bit of flavor and help prevent the ham from drying out during baking.
Storing: Store slices of orange glazed ham in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Alternatively, you can wrap the leftover ham in aluminum foil and then place into a freezer storage bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 14 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.