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.
Shelly says
Hello Amanda, can I add pineapples & cherries to this recipe? And when do I add it?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested this recipe using pineapples and cherries, so I can’t say for certain when the best time to add them would be. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Sandie Lynch says
The most delicious, exquisite meal ever! Followed directions to the letter, using oven method 👌. Unbelievably delicious. Thank you from a non- ham lover – convert now!!!
Shanavia says
Will this work for a turkey breast. I don’t eat ham but I love Honeybaked smoked Turkey breast. I buy it every year but I see is $50 this year … up from about $30
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested this recipe using a turkey breast, so I can’t say for certain what changes would need to be made, but I do think the ingredients would work really well with turkey. We’re huge fans of the smoked turkey from HoneyBaked as well, I’ll have to work up a recipe for the next holiday season! If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Marian Hampton says
Do you use white or brown sugar?
The Chunky Chef says
Granulated (white) sugar.
Irene says
Do you know if this could be done in a BBQ?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested this recipe using the grill, so I can’t say for certain whether any changes would need to be made. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Connie Carroll says
Hi Amanda, I have a question? Which brand of ham should I buy? Some already have flavoring on them. Like Costco has a hickory flavor, so I’m not sure if I should get that one? Also, a lot of them are really salty. Do you have a favorite brand that you use? Thank you!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Connie 🙂 All hams are inherently salty, as it’s just a salty meat, and hickory would work just fine. Generally they mean hickory smoked, which is a great flavor to have. I usually use Smithfield hams, but I’ve made this with store-brand (from Kroger and Meijer), and this recipe works well with any brand you’d like 🙂
Alysha Monroe says
Where can I buy the right ham?
The Chunky Chef says
Any spiral-sliced ham from the grocery store will work for this recipe.
Shar says
Made for the first time last year. My husband asked for it again this year. We give this recipe 5 and 1/2 STARS!
K says
Will this recipe work with fully cooked non-spiral ham? Thanks
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested this recipe other than as written and specified, but yes, it should work for a non-spiral ham. The cook time may change a little, so I would refer to the package or butcher’s instructions for how long to cook/warm it 🙂
Annette Mitchell says
Every Thanksgiving a family member buys an 8 – 12lb Honeybaked ham, I asked her why she didn’t just make it, she said “the glaze is a protected recipe”, well I’m here to say, I made a spiral ham yesterday and used this glaze recipe and I think it’s better than the expensive, store bought Honeybaked Ham. I’m a from scratch home cook, not a for convenience home hook. This recipe is delicious. I didn’t have any bourbon so I used all ham drippings and I used one cup of granulated sugar and 3/4 cup of light brown sugar….OUTSTANDING.
Grace says
Broiling the dry ingredients on the ham at the end is what sets this copycat apart from others. Amazing
Carol Wilkerson says
i AM TRYING THAT. WE ALWAYS BYE IT TO HIGH IN PRICE.
Mary S says
I made this last evening and it was delish! My family loved it. Although we aren’t big ‘Ham’ eaters I was missing that sweet sticky crust/gravy. This was a tradition in my childhood home on Holidays. I didn’t use the Bourbon but used the juices from the ham to add at the end before broiIing also didn’t use cloves and just a dash of allspice. I roasted the ham on 275 with a pan of water underneath(1hr) to steam the ham. It came out great! Thank you for this recipe and $saver !
Lora G says
Great recipe. I think it is better than the “store”. Nice to do in crockpot. Hope everyone enjoys saving their bucks!
Sandy says
Thank you. Made this for Easter. One of my adult children said “Don’t let this go to your head, but that was the best ham I have ever tasted”
Mary Ellen says
My guests enjoyed my “ honey baked ham” that cost me .89$/# instead of a store bought version that started at 79$! It was perfect! I’ve tried several times to replicate the costly ham and your recipe was spot on. Thanks, I’ll use it as my go to method. You’ve saved me lots of money and given me the satisfaction of creating a delicious main course.
MaryBethFurtak says
Deli she’s ham , thank you for recipe , everyone enjoyed it . I will use it every time I bake a ham 😊👍🏼.iwonder how it would be on a turkey breast ? I may try it.
Cathy says
This was a big hit at our family Easter dinner 2022. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us. Not to self: Put it under the broiler a wee bit longer next time to melt the sugar more. That was all me. I was distracted y early arrivals for the festivities.
Annie says
We LOVED this! So good, and so easy. I felt like a cooking star with very little effort.
Becky says
My oven has a separate broiler compartment that is extremely small and won’t hold an entire ham… is it possible to get the same “crisping” effect by turning my oven up to like 500??
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested that, so I can’t say for certain how well that would work. You could try it, or you could use a kitchen torch (like you would use to make creme brûlée).
Jan says
Omg, thank you so much, used a smithville spiral cut ham. It was the best ham ever and way better than the last honey bakes we bought.
Last Easter they clearly wrapped the ham to soon before it cooled so there was no crusty outside.
This is my new favorite, never buying from honey baked again 👍thank you for making our Easter great
Cathy says
I followed this recipe, used the crockpot. My husband said, oh, this is good, which is unusual. The crust was very nice and flavor of the entire ham was very good. I did not know how to heat up a ham & now I will always make the ham this way. I think I need to use my bigger pan next time but this worked out great. Why buy a honeyham or use the packet that comes with ham when this recipe is the best truthfully.