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.
Lisa Arp says
Tried this today with my Easter ham. The taste was fantastic but the ham got dried out. I used the crockpot for four hours and then broiled in the oven. Suggestions?
Amanda says
Glad you enjoyed the taste, but that’s a bummer about it drying out! I’ve not had that happen, so I’m just speculating here, but maybe try opening the crockpot and basting the ham every so often?
Kari says
My family couldnโt stop talking about how good this ham was!!!
Michelle says
Some of us canโt have sugar, so I substitute Truvia granulated sugar (it measures cup for cup like sugar) and itโs just as good as the original. I did find that the first coating of spices didnโt bubble up on the ham, so the next time I will make it all into the glaze. Put half on. Then the rest of it on. I think it may have been, because I used the Truvia? I made it at Christmas and I made it for Easter (2021). Delicious both times. Itโs so easy, that I will probably never buy HoneyBaked ham again.
Ellen W says
Best ham crunchy glaze ever! This was delicious! The recipe was easy to follow and coated the ham wonderfully! Made in oven only, not slow cooker.
My family loved it!
Ellen W says
Best ham crunchy glaze ever! This was delicious! The recipe was easy to follow and coated the ham wonderfully! Made in oven only, not slow cooker.
My family loved it!
Sherry says
Made this several times
Julie says
We are not big ham eaters, but we wanted ham for Christmas last year. I found your recipe and thought, “let’s try this.” My family loved it!!! They want me to make it for Easter this year also. Absolutely yummy!!
Michelle Bradley says
Hi making this tomorrow and i dont know which paprika to use? Sweet or smoked?
Amanda says
You can use either, but I usually make it with regular sweet ๐
Leigh says
I LOVE this recipe! I make this ham on the holidays. Itโs a real crowd-pleaser. So easy, too. Try substituting granulated sugar with brown sugar. Yum!!! Thank you for this recipe
Sarah says
Made this for Christmas and am making it again for Easter. Used the oven method. Flavor is absolutely spot on, and such a money saver! Doubt Iโll ever pay for a HoneyBaked again. THANKS for this awesome recipe!
Lorraine says
Can’t wait to try this! Can you substitute brown sugar for granulated white sugar?
Amanda 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, although I’m sure it would, just with a little bit different taste. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Kelly says
Do I put the ham in the crock pot flat side down or does itmatter?
Amanda says
I usually try to get it to fit on it’s side, so the butter and honey can really soak in, but whichever way it fits will work just fine ๐
Cynthia says
Followed the recipe to the letter and this was the best ham Iโve ever made. Everyone loved it.
Anita says
“Best ham I’ve ever eaten”, said my 28 year old son. “Why did you deprive us of this when we were kids?”
Delicious!
MC says
I’ve made this multiple times and have recommended the recipe to family and friends with great success. I have used the brown sugar
packet supplied with the ham (usually 1/2 cup) and added it to 1 cup of white sugar. I also gently warm in the slow cooker(no more than 3 hours) before broiling.
Sherry says
Loved this ham soooooo good making it again for Easter
Allison says
Hi there,
I have a fully cooked ham, will this work?
Thank you for the recipe.
Amanda says
Yes, this recipe is actually written for a fully cooked (smoked) ham ๐
SHARYN says
since Easter is around the corner and I can’t afford a real Honey Baked Ham this year I am looking for a true honest to goodness copy cat honey-baked ham recipe. I am having guest coming for Easter dinner, who pride themselves on being aficionados of the honey-baked ham. So what I am asking is this the recipe I am looking for?
Amanda says
Hundreds of other readers have absolutely loved this copycat recipe, and we think it’s pretty darn close to the original ๐
Linda says
Great recipe
Bertha says
Loved this recipe!
My husband said it’s his new favorite food.
I never have rated a recipe before, but this one is a keeper, I look forward to making it again and again.