Make Ahead Spiced Baked Ham Recipe

So you want to know how to make a baked ham? When this spiced baked ham recipe is baking it takes me back to the holiday ham recipe we had when I was young. The warm spices mixed with orange juice are amazing. It is a very easy recipe to put together. When I first started making this spiced baked ham recipe, I found scoring the ham added to the look and flavor of the baked ham. This with the basting liquid made from the ham juices and orange juice. My pineapple pretzel fluff recipe, cuban bread, blistered green beans, or roasted potato recipe goes great with this ham. This semi boneless ham recipe can be prepared ahead of time and baked just in time for your dinner. A holiday ham recipe that your guests will love. There’s nothing wrong with ham!

Picking out a ham

When we purchase a ham for our Easter ham, Christmas ham, holiday get togethers, or for a summer picnic, we get a large semi-boneless ham with a bit of fat on it. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, the large ham will provide us with leftovers for ham recipes such as my Grilled Ham and Cheese with Fig Jam. The leftover ham can also be used in a breakfast casserole or any other of your ham favorites.

Second, the fat can be scored to drip down the ham as it cooks. The basting liquid will caramelize on the edges of the scored top and add to the deliciousness of the meal. It also adds an impressive presentation. We have tried to use other hams such as the ones that are pressed into a tube shape. But the skin type outer layer of the pressed ham just did not baste as nice even when scored.

The boneless hams do go on sale around the summer and winter holidays. You should be able to find a reasonably priced ham. Many semi-boneless hams do come already spiral sliced. You do not have to worry about scoring the ham with a spiral sliced ham, but still place it fat side up or the small end pointing up.

Scoring the ham

So how do you score a ham? It is not difficult. You just need a sharp knife. I have found that scoring the ham will enable the spice mixture to stay on the ham a bit better. Place the ham fat side up in the pan or roaster you will be using to cook it. Cut across the ham about 1/2-3/4 of an inch deep or so. Then cut across the ham in the other direction at 90 degrees from the first cut. This will form a cube or diamond pattern on the top of the ham. Using your hands is the best way to get the spice mix into the scored areas of the ham. It takes a bit of effort, but rubbing the mixture in as deep as possible will provide delicious results.

Many semi-boneless hams do come already spiral sliced. If the ham is already spiral sliced, you do not have to worry about scoring the ham but still place it fat side up. Below is a picture of a ham I scored. The fat cap on this ham was pretty thick so I went in about an inch deep. This is just a straight square cut. Not as showy as the diamond pattern. I also used less brown sugar in this recipe. I just did not want the ham to be overly sweet and we did not need the extra sugar.

Baking and basting

So, how do you bake a ham? I usually find a baking dish with sides that will fit the ham and the basting juices. The directions for baking the ham are usually printed on the packaging that the ham comes in. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Place the ham in the oven after you have scored and added the spice mixture. I usually start basting the ham about 30 minutes into baking. You can baste the ham with either a baster or just use a large spoon. After 30 minutes I baste every 15 minutes.

At first it may not seem that anything is happening as you are basting, however you will see great results by the end of the bake time. You will see a crust start to form on the edges of the scored areas or on the edges of the sliced ham. You will also love the aroma of the spices getting to know each other in the oven!

Spiral sliced baked ham

Below is a picture of a spiral sliced ham I made. There is still some basting liquid on the bottom of the pan. That was from orange juice I added. Close to the end of the bake time you may start running out of liquid because it may all cook down. Just add a little orange juice at a time to deglaze the bottom of the baking pan. This way the cooked down spices and sugar will mix with the orange juice and you can proceed basting.

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! Enjoy!

Try my cheesy almond flour biscuits to go with the ham.

This is just one of the great dinners I have on my site. Click here to try out some more!