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!
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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.
Dawn says
Thank you for this recipe!! You have saved us a lot of money for something that is even better than the “real thing” because I can control the amount of sugar I put in AND it taste unbelievably good!
Wendy says
Can you also add the Glaze packet that comes with or no?
The Chunky Chef says
I wouldn’t, this glaze is plenty flavorful.
Cora says
Was looking forward to making this tomorrow but the only oven that broils is my small upper. Do you think I could preheat the lower to 475, and give it 7-10 min?
Not sure what else to do. My hand torch is out of gas!
The Chunky Chef says
That could work, sometimes we have to work with what we have ๐ Just keep an eye on it.
Cora says
It worked! 475 convection oven! Everyone loved it!
Thank you for a great recipe!
Serra White says
thank you for the follow-up comment so all of us with small upper broilers now know another option!!!
Susan L Huddleston says
I cannot believe how kitchen savey you are!
Thank you ever so much, this is so close to the expensive one, actually, i believe it is even better, you got it going on, your skills are top notch
Lauren Oselette says
This looks great! I’m using a ham that’s smoked but not spiraled. Can I cook today then reheat and put on glaze tomorrow – Easter?
Or would this dry it out?
The Chunky Chef says
That should work just fine ๐
Diane says
Can you please tell me if you have a boneless ham,and you cut a spiral, do I have to remove the outer skin before adding the outer spices and broiling?
The Chunky Chef says
Do you mean the really thick skin? My hams never came with that on, but if yours does, then yes, you’ll want to remove that.
Brooke says
Can you do this with a ham that is NOT spiral cut?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, although I do recommend one that is smoked/pre-cooked.
Tammy says
HI,
This recipe looks great! I have a question about the ham you used. Is it the
already cooked spiral ham? If so, is there any worry of it drying out in the
slow cooker? Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Tammy, yes it was the smoked (precooked) spiral ham. With the honey butter you add to the ham, and the lid trapping the moisture, I’ve never had it dry out on me.
Tammy says
Thanks, will be making it for Easter Sunday dinner.
Sara Welch says
It wouldn’t be Easter without a honey baked ham! This will be perfect to serve for Easter brunch; looks too good to pass up!
Carrie Robinson says
Honeybaked makes the best hams! Can’t wait to try this recipe. ๐
Toni says
This was so good! Really worth to try!
katerina @ diethood.com says
I love how easy and delicious this is!!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
This Copycat Honey Baked Ham looks absolutely delicious! Yummy!
Dorothy Reinhold says
I love this ham. Those spices are so perfect with the sweetness. I hope we can all celebrate Easter with our families this year!
Emily Callan says
Made 2 big spiral hams for a breakfast buffet…all 38 guests loved this!
Stephanie S says
Would a 9 lb boneless ham (spiral sliced, hickory smoked) work with this recipe?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, absolutely ๐
Diane says
This ham was a huge hit for Christmas Eve. Quote from my uncle, “that ham was special… and I’ve eaten a lot of hams.” I had a larger ham (~10.5 lb), so I did the full 5 hours in the crock pot, and that was too long. It got a little dry. I think it was largely due to the spirals falling forward while cooking, though. Next time, I need to figure out a way to keep the spirals close together while in the crock pot and under the broiler. Flavor was great, though, and the topping was YUM.
Hollie says
I am a bit confused. I have a smoked ham, so it doesn’t need to be cooked. How best to do this recipe so I have ham for my up coming party?
The Chunky Chef says
You’re not cooking the ham, just warming it through. If you want warm ham, follow the written recipe. If you want a room temperature ham, skip step 1 and proceed with step 2 to get the “crust” on the ham.
Mandy says
So….with a ham already ย being pre-cooked…. how would I do this?ย
The Chunky Chef says
If you want warm ham, follow the written recipe. If you want a room temperature ham, skip step 1 and proceed with step 2 to get the “crust” on the ham.
Tracy Morton says
Made this for X-Mas Eve dinner! OMG delish! Better than Honeybaked. Thank you.
Brad says
Just prepared a small 1.5lb already cooked / spiral cut for myself. Wife does not do Ham. Used foil to keep it together while heating. Came out great. A little Jameson in the sauce worked out well. Large toaster oven. 275 first round 12 minutes, 450 broil second a third round about 3 minutes each.
Melissa in Jax, FL says
Yes this is a year later than Brad’s original post but wanted to say thank you for the small ham instructions in a large toaster oven, exactly how I need to do mine. HUGE thank you to The Chunky Chef for this recipe!! Mine’s baking now, can’t wait to try it!