Save yourself some serious money during the holidays by making your own Honey Baked Ham recipe at home! Tender ham is cooked with butter and honey, then slathered with a sticky sweet and smoky glaze that’s broiled until it gets a great sugary crust!
This Copycat Honey Baked Ham is one of those recipes we have love to have for holidays like Thanksgiving and Easter. A couple of our other favorite Easter recipes are my Honey Butter Roasted Carrots and Broccoli Salad. This is one of my Easter recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
HONEY BAKED HAM
In our family, we always got a big Honey Baked Ham for the holidays… a ham for Easter and either a ham or turkey breast for Thanksgiving. One of my relatives used to work for Honey Baked, so we could score them at a pretty good discount… but even with that reduction in price, they were still pretty expensive!
An 8 lb bone-in half ham (like you can find in most grocery stores), from Honey Baked will run you over $75. Seventy Five!!! That’s a 300% markup from what I can buy at my grocery store.
So why not save some serious cash this holiday, and make your own version at home!
HOW TO MAKE HONEY BAKED HAM
I prefer my ham to be warm, so that’s what I’ll be detailing here.
- If warming in the slow cooker, trim ham to fit (if needed). Depending on your ham and your slow cooker, you may need to shave off a little bit to make the ham fit. If you’ll be warming your ham in the oven – omit this step.
- Combine butter and honey then massage into ham. I like to get some of the honey butter mixture in between the slices.
- Cover and cook on LOW for about 4 hours. Again, this is for warming the ham in the slow cooker – omit if warming in the oven.
- Combine dry glaze ingredients.
- Pat half of the sugar mixture on the warmed ham, then broil. Just for a few minutes, until bubbly and a little caramelized. Then remove from the oven.
- Add remaining sugar mixture to saucepan with water or ham juices. Heat this mixture to a boil, and boil for about a minute, then remove from heat and brush or pour the glaze over the ham.
- Broil ham again. Just for a minute or two, being careful not to let it burn!
- Let ham rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. This allows the glaze to fully harden and get that classically crackly crust.
ADDITIONAL COOKING TIPS
- DRY THE HAM – The hams from the grocery stores come in those sealed bags, which contain water. Give the ham a little pat dry with some paper towels to make sure the butter and honey don’t just slide right off.
DO YOU HAVE TO COOK A HAM
It depends. Most hams you buy at a grocery store are pre-cooked and/or smoked, which means you don’t have to cook them. You certainly can if you want to, but it comes down to whether you want cold or warm ham to serve. Just double check the package when you’re buying… if it doesn’t say pre-cooked or smoked, head over to the meat counter and ask the butcher to be sure.
VARIATIONS OF THIS RECIPE
- BOURBON – Not traditional to a Honey Baked Ham, but oh so delicious! Instead of using water or ham juices to make the glaze, try using some of your favorite bourbon.
- OVEN – Bake ham, covered loosely in foil, at 275 F degrees on a foil lined roasting pan or super heavy duty rimmed baking sheet. Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes per pound. Then glaze as directed in the recipe and broil.
- ROOM TEMPERATURE – if your ham is smoked or pre-cooked, you don’t have to warm it at all. Take the ham out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Massage the ham with the butter and honey mixture, then glaze as directed in recipe and broil.
MAKING COPYCAT HONEY BAKED HAM AHEAD OF TIME
I’ve not made this entire ham ahead of time, so I can’t guarantee the flavor and freshness if you make it that way.
However, you can combine all your dry glaze ingredients (sugar, seasoned salt, onion powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, paprika and allspice), and store in an airtight container.
STORAGE
Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and consumed within 4 days. Leftovers can also be frozen.
You’ll probably have quite a bit of ham leftover, so here are my personal favorites to use up those leftovers (aside from a classic ham sandwich!).
With Easter coming up, it’s the perfect time to watch your grocery store for the prices of bone-in half hams to go down. When you see them on sale, grab one! They can be frozen if need be. This way you can save even MORE on your main dish for the holiday get together!
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR THIS RECIPE
- Slow Cooker – this 7 qt slow cooker is big enough to hold most 8 lb spiral hams without too much trimming. Plus, it’s programmable!
BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERS’ COMMENTS FOR TIPS AND REVIEWS.
AND DON’T FORGET, IF YOU’VE MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING LETTING ME KNOW HOW YOU ENJOYED IT!
Recipe originally published in Feb. 2018 and has been updated in Mar. 2020 with additional information.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 8 lb bone-in spiral sliced half ham
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- pinch of allspice
Instructions
- Trim ham if needed, then place in slow cooker. Combine melted butter and honey, then massage over ham, getting in between the slices a little. Cover and cook on LOW 4-5 hours.
- At the end of the cooking time, preheat broiler to HIGH, and line a roasting pan with heavy duty aluminum foil.
- Combine sugar, seasoned salt, onion powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cloves, paprika and allspice in a small bowl. Pat half of the sugar mixture over the top of the ham.
- Broil for several minutes, until bubbly and caramelized, then remove from oven.
- To a small saucepan, add remaining sugar mixture. Add 3 Tbsp of either water or ham juices from bottom of the slow cooker. A combination of water/ham juice and bourbon is a nice alternative! Stir, and heat to a boil. Boil for about a minute, then remove from heat.
- Brush or pour glaze over the ham, then broil again for a minute or two (careful... don't let it burn!). Remove from oven and let ham rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve warm or cold and enjoy!
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Chef Tips
- Preheat oven to 275 F degrees. Adjust oven rack to the lower third position. Line a roasting pan or large dutch oven with a long strip of foil (heavy duty works best).
- Position ham flat side down in center of pan.
- Brush with honey/butter mixture, if possible, getting some in between the slices.
- Bring sides of the foil up over the ham and cover loosely. If needed, add a sheet of foil over the top.
- Bake approximately 12-15 minutes per pound. An 8 lb ham will take approximately 1 hour 30-40 minutes.
- Continue with steps 2-7 as directed.
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Sandy says
I am going to make an 11pound spiral ham in the oven. Would you put it face down or on its side for this recipe?
The Chunky Chef says
I’d probably do on it’s side, so the honey butter can drip all down in between the slices.
Aneca Franklin says
Can you warm the ham in the instant pot and then broil in the oven?
The Chunky Chef says
While I’m sure you could, I haven’t tested this recipe in that way, and my spiral hams won’t fit in my Instant Pot, so I can’t advise you on the specifics.
Lacey says
We used to buy honey baked ham every thanksgiving. I decided to try this recipe last year and we loved it so much I made it for Christmas dinner too! A fraction of the cost but so delicious. We actually like to cook it a few days prior and let it sit in the refrigerator in all the juices until thanksgiving. It gives it so much more flavor and if you think about it, it’s the same thing honey baked ham does when you pick it up a few days early.
Tracy says
I’m back for the 3rd year in a row! It’s a hit in my house for Thanksgiving. Thank you so much for sharing!
Gilda says
Hi i bought a spiral smoked ham from Costco it says is fully cooked. Do i need to warm it up or skip and just broil it?? Thank you
The Chunky Chef says
That all depends if you want the ham hot, or more chilled/room temperature. It’s truly up to you.
Diane says
Adding the bourbon sounds interesting. Do you think rum would do instead?
Thanks. Diane
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested it, but I think that would be delicious 🙂
Aleia says
I come back to this recipe over and over again. It’s part of my Thanksgiving and Easter traditions! Thank you!
MICHAEL says
AMANDA, A RAW HAM IS REFERED TO AS A FRESH HAM. IT IS NOT SMOKED. IT IS JUST RAW PORK. THEY ARE DELICIOUS SEASONED-MARINATED OR ON A ROTISSERIE. ONE OF MY FAVORITES. HOPE THIS HELPS. I AM A RETIRED EXECUTIVE CHEF OF 30 PLUS YEARS. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR VENTURE.
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Michael, yes I know, I’ve used a fresh ham many times and once before for another recipe on this site. I referred to it as a “raw ham”, as that’s the terminology that the reader I was responding to used. I find that helps clear up confusion on their end.
Kathy says
Everyone loved this. I will be using this recipe every time I bake a ham.
Amy says
Love the recipe and so does my family! Thank you so much for sharing!
Courtney says
So if I wanted this to be served cold, do I still need to go through the trouble of warming it in the crockpot first? Or would I just add the glaze and broil and then let it rest in the fridge?
The Chunky Chef says
Nope you can just glaze and broil, no need to warm it through first 🙂
Anabelle says
Was the ham you used in this recipe raw or precooked? Which is better
The Chunky Chef says
It’s smoked, so pre-cooked. I’ve never made this recipe with a raw ham, as smoked is what’s typically available to people 🙂
Juliet Wildasin says
Just to let you know that i made your recipe last year and it came out really good, better than honey bake ham that you buy in store. Looking forward of making it again this year for thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing this recipe. God bless!
Glorie says
Thanks for sharing chef
Glorie says
Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes
Cheryl says
I would use brown sugar next time instead of regular sugar. But it was good
christie perino says
Absolutely delicious & Better than Honey baked!!