Easy Orange Spiced Baked Ham

This orange spiced baked ham is a reliable holiday main because you can rub it with the glaze a day ahead and let the oven do the work. An orange juice and honey glaze with warm spices bakes into a caramelized crust, and it works for bone in or spiral sliced hams.

Why You'll Love This Orange Spiced Baked Ham

• One Bowl Glaze. Mix the spices, orange juice, honey, and brown sugar in one bowl, pour it over the ham, and bake.
• Make Ahead Friendly. Rub the ham with the glaze, cover it, and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking.
• Balanced Flavor. Warm spices like cumin and coriander keep the orange juice and honey from tasting too sweet, and the glaze bakes into a caramelized crust.
• Flexible Cut. It works for bone in or spiral sliced ham, so you can buy whichever is on sale for the holidays.
• Leftovers for Days. A larger ham leaves plenty for breakfast casseroles, ham and cheese sandwiches, omelettes, or soups.

Ingredients for This Make Ahead Holiday Ham

• Fully Cooked Semi Boneless or Spiral Ham. This cut gives you the stability of a bone in ham while being much easier to slice for a crowd. A ham with a visible fat cap is a good choice because the fat renders as it bakes and bastes the meat.
• Ground Coriander and Cumin. These earthy spices move the flavor away from being overly sweet and add a savory depth that balances the citrus and honey.
• Honey and Brown Sugar. Together they make a sticky, thick glaze that clings to the ham rather than sliding into the pan. They are essential for the dark, caramelized crust.
• Orange Juice. This gives the spice rub a fresh, fruity base.
• Ground Cinnamon and Allspice. These warm spices add a nostalgic aroma that fills the kitchen as the ham roasts.
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper. A small amount cuts through the richness of the ham and the sweetness of the sugar.

Choosing the Best Ham for Your Dinner

• Leftover Potential A larger ham ensures plenty of meat remains for future meals like breakfast casseroles, grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, omelettes, or soups.
• Flavor and Texture. The fat cap can be scored, which lets the basting liquid run down and caramelize as the ham bakes.
• Better Results. Pressed, tube shaped hams often have a skinlike outer layer that does not baste as well as a traditional semi boneless ham.
• Budget Friendly. These hams often go on sale around winter and summer holidays, which makes them a cost effective choice for a crowd.
• Spiral Sliced Options. Many semi boneless hams come pre sliced, so they do not need scoring for the glaze to sink in.
• How Much to Buy. Plan on about ½ pound per person, which fits the 20 servings from a 9 to 12 pound ham.

How to Make the Best Orange Spiced Baked Ham

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the brown sugar, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, pepper, allspice, honey, and orange juice until you have a thick, consistent glaze.
3. Place the ham fat side up in a roasting pan. If the ham is not spiral sliced, cut a diamond pattern about ½ to ¾ inch deep into the fat cap with a sharp knife.
4. Pour the glaze over the ham and rub it over the surface with your hands, pushing it into the cuts. To make it ahead, cover the ham and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking.
5. Bake at 325 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes per pound.
6. For an extra caramelized crust, baste the ham with its pan juices 2 or 3 times during the last 30 minutes of baking. For a thicker crust, start basting 30 minutes into baking and repeat every 15 minutes.
7. If the pan looks dry or the sugars smell too dark, add a splash of orange juice to the pan for more basting liquid.
8. Check the thickest part of the ham with an instant read thermometer, away from the bone. A fully cooked ham packaged in a USDA inspected plant needs to reach 140 degrees F, and a ham packaged anywhere else needs to reach 165 degrees F.
9. Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing to keep the meat juicy.
10. Transfer the ham to a serving platter and slice it. Spoon the juices from the baking pan over the slices for extra flavor.

How to Score a Ham for Flavor and Presentation

1. Place the ham in your roasting pan with the fat side facing up.
2. Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut parallel lines across the fat cap about ½ to ¾ inch deep, spaced about an inch apart.
3. Rotate the pan 90 degrees and cut another set of parallel lines across the first ones to form the classic diamond pattern.
4. Use your hands to rub the orange spice mixture deep into the cuts, so the flavor reaches inside the ham as the fat renders.

How to Achieve a Delicious Glaze on Your Baked Ham

• The first baste. For a thicker crust, wait 30 minutes before the first baste so the initial layer of spices can set. For a lighter glaze, wait until the last 30 minutes.
• The technique. Use a large spoon or a turkey baster to scoop the juices from the bottom of the pan. As the ham bakes, the glaze darkens and tightens across the surface and forms a sticky crust around the edges of the scored fat.
• The pattern. Drizzle the liquid over the top of the ham so it runs into the diamond pattern or between the spiral slices.
• Frequency. Repeat every 15 minutes if you started early, or 2 or 3 times in the last 30 minutes for a lighter glaze.
• Monitor the liquid. If the bottom of the pan looks dry or the sugars smell too dark, add a splash of orange juice. This loosens the browned bits and gives you more basting liquid.
• Final result. You should see a thick, tacky crust form on the edges of the meat as the sugars reduce and the spices meld.

We usually transfer the ham to a serving platter to slice it. Make sure to keep the juices in the baking pan to pour over the pieces you slice. This adds tremendous flavor to the ham for your guests.

Tips on Making Your Glazed Spiced Ham

• Use a thermometer instead of timing alone, since bake time per pound varies with the ham’s size and shape.
• Place the ham fat side up so the melting fat bastes the meat as it bakes.
• Keep the pan juices, because they add flavor to the sliced ham.
• Close the oven door promptly while basting to hold the oven temperature.
• If the glaze darkens too quickly, tent the ham loosely with foil.
• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of serving.

Troubleshooting Your Glazed Baked Ham

• Glaze runs into the pan. Make sure the mixture is thick, rub it into the cuts, and spoon the pan juices back over the ham as it bakes.
• Glaze darkens too fast. Add a splash of orange juice to the pan and tent the ham loosely with foil.
• Ham is dry. Check the temperature with a thermometer and stop at the target, then rest the ham for 15 minutes and spoon the pan juices over the slices.
• Center is not hot enough. Return the ham to the oven and check the thickest part again.
• Orange flavor is too mild. Add the zest of the oranges you used for the juice, as in the recipe note.
• Glaze will not sit on a spiral ham. Drizzle it between the slices as well as over the top.

FAQs

This Baked Ham Pairs Well With

Try my cheesy almond flour biscuits for a fresh bread side or my Autumn broccoli slaw for a fresh crunch to go with the ham. This orange spiced baked ham is a beautiful centerpiece for brunch or dinner.

For more dishes to complete your holiday table, visit my Easter Recipes Roundup.

This orange spiced baked ham gives you a holiday main you can prep a day ahead and finish in the oven. Warm spices, orange juice, and honey build a sticky, caramelized glaze, and a thermometer tells you when the center is hot and ready to serve. Spoon the pan juices over the slices, and save the leftovers for sandwiches, casseroles, and soups. It is an easy centerpiece for Easter brunch or any holiday dinner.

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