Save yourself some serious money during the holidays by making your own Honey Baked Ham recipe at home!ย 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 Hamย is one of those recipes we have love to have for holidays like Thanksgiving and Easter.ย A couple of our other favorite Easter recipes are my Honey Butter Roasted Carrots and Broccoli Salad.ย This is one of my Easterย recipes I know youโll 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. ย 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. ย Seventy Five!!! ย 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).ย Depending on your ham and your slow cooker, you may need to shave off a little bit to make the ham fit.ย If you’ll be warming your ham in the oven – omit this step.
- Combine butter and honey then massage into ham.ย ย I like to get some of the honey butter mixture in between the slices.
- Cover and cook on LOW for about 4 hours.ย ย 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.ย ย Just for a few minutes, until bubbly and a little caramelized.ย Then remove from the oven.
- Add remaining sugar mixture to saucepan with water or ham juices.ย ย 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.ย Just for a minute or two, being careful not to let it burn!
- Let ham rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes.ย 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.ย 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. ย Most hams you buy at a grocery store are pre-cooked and/or smoked, which means you don’t have to cook them. ย You certainly can if you want to, but it comes down to whether you want cold or warm ham to serve. ย 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!ย 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. ย Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes per pound. ย 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.ย Take the ham out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.ย 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.ย 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. ย When you see them on sale, grab one! ย They can be frozen if need be. ย 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. ย Plus, it’s programmable!
BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERSโ COMMENTS FOR TIPS AND REVIEWS.
AND DONโT FORGET, IF YOUโVE 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!
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- Preheat oven to 275 F degrees. ย Adjust oven rack to the lower third position. ย Line a roasting pan or large dutch oven with a long strip of foil (heavy duty works best). ย
- 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. ย If needed, add a sheet of foil over the top. ย
- Bake approximately 12-15 minutes per pound. ย 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.
Dee says
I plan on making this recipe for Christmas this year! I was wondering if there are drippings left over to make a glaze to serve along side the ham at dinner? Or do I need to make a separate glaze recipe?
Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Dee ๐ There should be some drippings in the slow cooker that you could absolutely use to make a glaze if you’d like.
Dee says
Thanks for the reply! I appreciate you and your recipe!
Abby says
Can you leave the ham in the crockpot insert when you put it into the broiler? I haven’t been able to find a temp max for it. Excited to try this but that was the one thing i was unsure of.
The Chunky Chef says
I’m not sure if the crock insert would be able to withstand that high of a temperature, so just to be safe, I add mine to a rimmed baking sheet or other deep pan lined with foil ๐
Debra Martin says
OMG! Soooo Good! Thank you! You have no idea how this made my Christmas time alone, peice of Heaven
DawnO says
Hi Amanda! I am planning to make this for Christmas and am so excited I may have to make it this week just to practice! I love all your recipes! Some of my absolute favorites are your restaurant salsa and your stuffed mushrooms. I wanted you to know how much I appreciate your recipes and your site is the site I go to for EVERTHING! Any time I want to make something I go to The Chunky Chef! Happy Holidays and thanks for what you do!!!!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Dawn! Oh my goodness, thank you so much for your kind words… you just made my weekend ๐ Happy holidays to you and your family as well, and I hope you LOVE the ham!
A. Miller says
Easy & delicious!!! Made this tonight and my family could not stop eating it!!! I used pineapple juice in place of water, only because I had some on hand! The carmalizing of the topping mixture was an added surprise! Thank you for an amazing ham recipe!!!
Lori says
Really delicious, everyoneโs favorite. I baked mine, crockpot wasnโt large enough.
Connie M Martin says
Yummy! It was a hit at Thanksgiving this year. It would work best with a spiral sliced ham but since I was given a whole boneless ham I used it instead. My sister-in-law asked for the recipe to make it for Christmas this year. Glad I found this site… will be browsing to find even more of these wonderful recipes!
Cheri Robinson says
I made a ham for Thanksgiving and your coating was amazing! No more waiting in the Honeybaked line for me. This is every bit as good. Thank you for the recipe!
Deanna says
First time Iโve ever made ham and this was a hit! Thank you for sharing.
Benjamin says
I made this ham recipe today and found it very easy to follow the steps. Final product very delicious. Thanks chef.
Pamela Rose says
Delicious and so easy
Durie says
I made this ham following the instructions given for Thanksgiving today. I was payed several compliments; and at least two people said it tasted better than honeybaked ham. I recommend this menu wholeheartedly!
Dana says
Loved this! Tastes just like a honey baked ham and saved me a ton of money. Literally bought one of those small ( 2 lb) presliced hams that are in the store year round for $5 and turned it into a honey baked. Thank you!
Russ High says
This glaze is as good if not better then what you get from the Honey Baked Ham Store. I have made it 3 times and my family loves it
Cathy says
This is the BEST ham! Iโve made it three times now. Easy, pantry staple ingredientsโฆno need for another recipe.
Morgan says
Can I do this recipe with a 4.3lb boneless cooked ham from Costco and cut the slices in it before placing in the crockpot?
The Chunky Chef says
Sure thing ๐ It may not take as long, since it’s boneless and smaller, but it can still be warmed in the crockpot and glazed.
Marlen says
My ovens boiler is in the bottom of the oven but the ham wonโt fit since its cooking space is small. Can I still follow the same steps but keep cooking it in the oven?
The Chunky Chef says
Iโve only tested this recipe as written. So without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain if that would work. You can use a kitchen blowtorch, if you have one, to create the glaze crust. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Jeanne says
The glaze always falls off the real store bought honey baked ham, thatโs why I looked for your recipe, is there a tip for me!
Brandy says
Do you have to broil it?
The Chunky Chef says
If you want that crunchy glaze on top, then you do have to broil it or use a kitchen blowtorch.
Consuela Sierra says
Should I purchase a smoked/cooked spiral ham or is this recipe best with an un-cooked spiral ham? Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
I prefer to use a smoked spiral ham for this recipe ๐