Maple Glazed Ham – this is the ham glaze to use when you want to add a special touch to your festive baked ham, but still keep it easy! The most incredible sticky glaze with the subtle fragrance of maple and hint of holiday spices, this is THE Christmas Ham recipe I make to gift and take to gatherings year after year.
New to glazed ham? Start here -> How to Make Glazed Ham. No maple syrup or honey? Make this show stopping Brown Sugar Ham Glaze instead! Want to get ahead? Glaze your ham the day before!
Maple glazed ham
There is no reason to be daunted by the thought of making a glazed ham! It’s quite straight forward if you have someone to show you how to do it.
(PS That “someone” is me!😂)
Here’s why this Maple Glazed Ham is my go-to centrepiece for holiday menus:
It makes the most wonderful, regal centrepiece – huge payoff for effort
This maple ham glaze has a touch of special that people love – but it’s 100% dead easy
It’s low risk and forgiving to make
Prep ahead or make ahead (days and days ahead!)
Economical – it’s sliced thinly, a bit goes a long way and leftovers last for ages and ages
When it comes to ham, there’s nothing to the ham glaze recipe – it’s literally mixing up a few ingredients. The part that’s not an everyday step is peeling the skin off – but don’t worry, the visual steps and recipe video below will guide you through it. It’s not a big deal – the skin WANTS to come off!
What you need for Ham Glaze
Here’s what you need for the Maple Ham Glaze. So few ingredients, it’s magical how it transforms once baked! It’s the combination of the glaze, the caramelization of the fat on the surface of the ham and the salt in the ham itself (which is why I don’t use any salt in the glaze).
Maple syrup is what gives this ham glaze a special little touch. No one can put their finger on it – they just know it’s got something magical about it! Sub with honey in a heartbeat! No maple or honey? Make this Brown Sugar Ham Glaze!
Brown sugar adds to the caramelised flavour of the glaze;
Dijon Mustard is a thickener for the ham glaze AND adds a touch of much needed tang to an otherwise sweet glaze;
Cinnamon and all spice for a touch of festive spices;
Oranges – for a bit of liquid in the pan that’s more interesting than just using water, plus a touch of extra natural sweetness. You can’t taste the oranges in the end result once cooked. Orange juice has more flavour than just using water which adds to the flavour of the glaze and also the sauce made using the pan drippings;
Cloves – optional, for studding! I really can’t taste it so I do it for visual / traditional purposes only. Also, they are a bit impractical – you can’t freely baste as you have to dab around the cloves (otherwise you brush them off) and also you need to remove them before carving. No one wants to bite into a clove!
How to make Glazed Ham
Making Glazed Ham is a 3 step process:
Remove rind (skin) from ham;
Slather with maple glaze then bake for 2 hours, basting with more glaze every 20 to 30 minutes;
Baste loads after removing from oven – the trick for a thick, golden glaze!
1. How to remove rind from ham
If this is the part you’re worried about – don’t be! The skin is thick, sturdy and WANTS to come off – so it peels off with little effort, mostly in one piece!
Here’s how to remove the rind from the ham. The recipe video below also provides a visual tutorial – and if you’re new to making Glazed Ham, start here -> Guide: How to Make Glazed Ham.
2. Baste and bake
This part couldn’t be easier – just brush or spoon the Maple Ham Glaze all over the ham, squeeze over the orange juice then pop it into the oven to bake, spooning over reserved glaze every 20 minutes or so!
3. Baste, baste, baste before serving!!
Now here’s the trick for an incredible glaze on your ham – baste LOADS after it comes out of the oven using the syrupy sauce in the baking pan! As that syrupy sauce cools, it will thicken and darken slightly in colour, so as you brush or spoon it over the ham, it creates an incredible thick to-die-for glaze!
Sauce for Ham
While ham itself is seasoned well enough such that it can be eaten plain, nobody ever says no to sauce!
I used to serve ham with sauces like Cranberry Sauce, mustard, caramelised onion jam and even chutney. But then one day it dawned on me – everybody’s favourite part is the glaze. Why not just use the pan drippings which is just the excess glaze that drips down the ham into the pan? Combined with the ham juices and orange juice, it transforms into a fantastic sauce to drizzle over the ham!
How to serve ham
Here’s how I serve ham – in fact, how I served it on the weekend at a Christmas Party I catered for my mother! (The only “catering job” I do each year – because I can’t say no to her 😂)
Wrap parchment / baking paper around “handle”, and tie with ribbon (practical to hold onto for carving + looks nice);
Cover serving platter / board with green fluffage of some kind. Whatever’s good value at the shops on the day;
Place ham on the green fluff age and place quartered oranges around it (for colour). In the past, I’ve also used cherries – just depends what’s better value on the day (oranges are usually good value!);
Once the glistening ham has been admired enough (yep, I’m really that immature 😂), I start carving!
Leftover ham will keep for a week in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. See How to Store Leftover Ham for directions.
What to make with leftover ham
I always get way more ham than I need (budget 1kg / 2 lb per 6 to 8 people) because Christmas is just as much about leftovers as it is the grand feast on the day! Here are some recipes I deem to be worthy of making using leftover ham!
Recipes worthy of your leftover ham
And don’t forget the bone! SO MUCH FLAVOUR in the bone 🙌. Here are my ham bone recipes:
Ham bone recipes
There’s something so iconic, so sentimental about a shiny, glistening Maple Glazed Ham taking pride of place in the centre of a festive table. It’s completely incomparable to the ham slices slapped between sandwich bread that you get over deli counters. I even know people who hate deli ham who go nuts over Glazed Ham.
Plus, as I said right up front, this is easy, easy, easy! It’s also make ahead or prepare ahead, is fabulous served warm OR at room temperature. Oh – and wait until you see the VIDEO!!! ⬇⬇⬇ – Nagi x
New to Glazed Ham? Start here -> Guide: How to Make Glazed Ham.
Watch how to make it
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Maple Glazed Ham
Ingredients
- 5 kg / 10 lb leg ham, bone in, skin on (Note 1)
- 30 Cloves (for studding the ham, optional – mainly for decorative purposes)
- 2 oranges , cut into quarters (Note 2)
- 1 cup (250ml) water
Glaze
- 3/4 cup (185ml) maple syrup (sub honey)
- 3/4 cup (165g) brown sugar , packed
- 3 tbsp dijon mustard (can sub American or other plain mustard)
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp All Spice (or nutmeg)
Instructions
- Take ham out of fridge 1 hour prior.
- Preheat oven to 160°C / 320°F (140°C fan). Arrange shelf in lower third so the ham will be sitting in the centre of the oven (rather than in top half of oven).
- Place the Glaze ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined – use whisk if needed.
Remove ham rind (skin)
- Run small knife around bone handle, down each side of the ham, and under the rind on the cut face. (See video & photos in post)
- Slide fingers under the rind on the cut face of the ham, and run them back and forth to loosen while pulling the rind back. Use knife if needed to slice off any residual rind.
- Lightly cut 2.5cm / 1" diamonds across the fat surface of the ham, about 75% of the way into the fat. Avoid cutting into the meat.
- Insert a clove in the intersection of the cross of each diamond on the surface (optional).
Glaze and Baking
- Place the ham in a large baking dish. Prop handle up on edge of pan + scrunched up foil so surface of the ham is level (for more even caramelisation).
- Squeeze the juice of 1 orange (4 quarters) over the ham. Then place them along with the remaining orange into the baking dish around the ham.
- Brush / spoon half the glaze all over the surface and cut face of the ham (don't worry about underside, glaze drips down into pan)
- Pour the water in the baking dish, then place in the oven.
- Bake for 1.5 – 2 hrs, basting very generously every 30 minutes with remainig glaze + juices in pan, or until sticky and golden.
- Use foil patches to protect bits that brown faster than others – press on lightly, caramelisation won't peel off with the foil.
- Allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before serving. Baste, baste, baste before serving – as the glaze in the pan cools, it thickens which means it "paints" the ham even better – but be sure to save pan juices for drizzling.
Serving and presentation tips
- My favourite sauce: Use pan juices as the sauce – it's loaded with flavour! Pour into a jug and warm so it's pourable. Thin slightly with water if required. Drizzle sparingly as the glaze flavour is intense!
- Other condiments: Dijon mustard, wholegrain mustard, onion jam, tomato chutney, cranberry sauce.
- Presentation: Wrap handle with baking paper and ribbon if desired. Remove cloves. Cover serving platter with lots of green fluffage, then place ham on. Surround with more quartered oranges, for colour. Let people admire before carving!
- Serving: Personal preference whether to serve at room temp or warm, I like either. I also like to drizzle with pan juices – it looks messier but tastes fabulous. Slice thinly! I start slicing at the table, then finish it in the kitchen (towards end when it gets messy!)
- Leftovers: See list in post for recipe using leftover ham and ham bone!
- Storing: Will keep for at least a week in the fridge if properly stored using a water-vinegar soaked ham bag or pillowcase. Otherwise freeze – don't forget the bone! See How to Store Glazed Ham for directions.
Recipe Notes:
- Skin (rind) on ham – Make sure you get the ham with the skin on (rind – thick rubbery skin). Between the skin and the ham is a layer of fat which is what makes this ham gorgeously sticky. There are some hams which come with the skin and fat removed. Though you can use this recipe for those hams too, you won’t get the sticky exterior you see in the photo.
- Half or whole – this recipe can be used for half or whole hams.
- Larger hams – For larger hams, scale the glaze by using the recipe slider (click on the Servings)
- Ham quality – Buy the best ham you can afford. The more you pay, the better the quality. However, for an economical option, I can recommend the Woolworths Smoked Ham Leg for $9/kg (I used a half leg). I was very impressed with how great it was for such good value – I’ve used it for several years now. There is an even cheaper one for $6/kg – I bypassed this because it wasn’t smoked and looked a bit pale.
- Cooked ham – Make sure you get a cooked ready-to-eat ham, not a raw one (also referred to as “gammon”). All ham sold in Australia in supermarkets is ready-to-eat but if you get your ham from the butcher, double check that it’s not raw. If you have a raw ham (gammon), this recipe is not suitable.
- With other main dishes – 6 to 8 people per 1 kg / 2 lb ham (bone in weight). So a 5 kg / 10 lb ham = 30 – 40 people, about 100 – 130g / 3.4 – 4 oz per person.
- As the only main protein – 5 people per 1 kg / 2 lb ham (bone in weight). So a 5 kg / 10lb ham would serve 25 people, about 150g/5oz meat per person..
Nutrition Information:
Recipe originally published December 2016. Updated and reviewed every year or so to improve with things like better photos, recipe video, writing edits. Recipe not amended – I wouldn’t dare, people love it as is!
Life of Dozer
Surely you know Dozer well enough by now to know that there’s only one reason why he wouldn’t be gagging over a giant hunk of meat….
….. food on the Christmas tree, of course!!
Hi Nagi, HELP!!!! I made this exquisite Christmas ham recipe last year and my family loved it and said it was my best one yet. This year due to Covid I wasn’t keen on going into the supermarket to handpick my own ham so I ordered one online and it came without the bone!! Help!! How do I cook the ham without the bone? The worst thing is I won’t be able to put a pretty bow on it 🙁 Any suggestions, would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Hi, AC
I did the exact same thin and just ended up with a smallish boneless ham delivered.
Can I ask if you cooked yours yet and did you adjust Nagis cooking time
I’m scared of drying it out.
I totally understand AC! I’m in the same position myself – really trying to restrict going out! Just make it as per the recipe, you’ll be totally fine. Ham is seriously brined which keeps the inside juicy. Use the recipe scale (servings, slide down) if your ham is smaller so you can scale the glaze. N x
I have made this ham for a xmas in July feast for my hubby’s birthday, and the last 2 xmas’. I thought I would get a break this year, but I have been asked (instructed) to make it again. Even the non ham eaters get stuck in. It is a huge winner in this house!!!!!
On a side note, I always make extra glaze for serving as sauce – it gets poured onto everything
Glaze is the BEST!! N x
This ham recipe looks fabulous but I don’t like mustard. Does adding it just take the edge off the sweetness or does it add a mustard flavour? I’d consider leaving it out but I’m not sure if that would unbalance the glaze. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Hi Gemma – you won’t notice a mustard flavour – I suggest trying it as it does round out the glaze flavour! N x
You definitely won’t notice it but I do think it would be needed to balance the glaze out a bit!
Hi Nagi, thinking about making this ham for a Christmas lunch on Sunday. Could I prep it on Friday – leave in the fridge and then glaze and bake on Sunday? What should I store it in, cling wrap or a wet tea towel?
Hi Ivana – you could peel it and then place the skin back over it and wrap it in a muslin ham bag, tea towel or cotton pillowcase (soak in a bucket of water with 1 cup of vinegar in it and wring it out before placing the ham inside the bag/pillow). Then on the Sunday just remove the skin, score it and glaze. The peeling takes the longest in the prep anyway! N x
Hi nagi and team.
Just wondering for a 1-1.5kg ham how long would I cook this for???
Hi Kim – to get the glaze to set will still take an hour or more as per the recipe. N x
Hi Nagi!
I’ve never made Christmas ham before but this one looks doable.
How do we adjust the oven time with the weight of the ham? I’m only serving it for 6 people.
Hi Jess – hams are already cooked so the oven time is more about getting the glaze set. You will need at least an hour for that. N x
Hi Nagi,
I have never ever had the courage to make ham but I really want to try this recipe for Christmas 2021!!
Due to small kitchen capacity, I would like to make it ahead say 3 days ahead. If make ahead, how do you serve store it and serve it on actual day?
Thanks muchly in advance.
best regards
Phyllis
found the answer in your other glazed ham recipe 🙂
Just curious as I want to try this. Does the Ham have to be smoked?
Yes that is the preferred choice here. N x
Hi Nagi, wondering if i can use this Woolworths Boneless Crackling Leg Ham (https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/104630/woolworths-boneless-crackling-leg-ham)?
Yes Indri that should be fine as long as it is not a raw ham and is fully cooked. The packaging will say that. N x
I really want to make this but my daughter is allergic to oranges. What could I use instead of the oranges?
You can use apple juice or pineapple. N x
Hi Nagi, excited to make this tomorrow for Canadian Thanksgiving. I just picked up my 7.5 lb ham, bone-in from the local butcher but it ended up being a flat piece instead of round. Any suggestions for modifications? It’s skin on, but looks more like a big steak.
Hi Nagi, I am excited to try to make this for Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend. I just picked up my 8lb ham from the butcher and it ended up being a cut that is flat, bone in and skin on. Any suggestions on modifications ?
Very tasty and another hit with the family and neighbors. Super easy too. Will use the recipe again for sure. Served with some spicy Dijon which goes well with the sweetness of the glaze.
Nagi,
I have made this 2 years in a row now. This Christmas I made a double quantity of glaze so there was plenty of extra sauce to pour over the leftover ham that continued to be eaten and enjoyed over the days following Christmas. Everybody loved it and we are already talking about making it again next Christmas – seriously!
Thank you.
Lilliana
Nagi! Do you think I can do this with the mini hams, the 850g ones? I just got some mega reduced. Thank you x
Sure could Amy, cook time will be less though! N x
That’s two years of cooking the ham , I’m now the ham-master ,I preprep the day before and add a few shots of wild turkey to the glaze that I put on the table for extra sauce for the family to add.it’s a winner ( adults only )
Sounds divine Graeme!! N x
Made this for Xmas lunch. So easy and delicious! Everyone loved the flavour. Someone asked what the recipe was and I replied I used the one from recipetineats and everyone said they loved this site and frequently used recipes from here. Caesar salad recipe at Xmas lunch (made by my cousin) was also from recipetineats. Next year I want to try the pavlova tower!
I love hearing this M! Thanks so much – and you MUST do the tower!!! N x
Oh my gosh this ham was out of this world. It was so juicy and flavorful and not dried out at all. I would definitely warm up the sauce are pan drippings and serve those with a ham it was delicious! We had this for Christmas dinner. I would prep the ham the day before by removing the skin and scoring it and putting the clothes in it and then wrapping up tightly in the fridge till the next day. That just makes it less work today that you’re cooking it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Ellen, thanks so much for letting me know!! N x
Made this for Christmas and it was an absolute hit. Best recipe for ham which I’ll be using every year from now
WOOT! What a compliment, thanks so much Natalie! N x
Made this yesterday for Christmas it turned out amazing. So easy so yummy. And it’s even better today. The sauce was also great. I’ve made a few of your things now all worked out perfect. Have eye on the garlic crack bread now. Hope you had a great Christmas you certainly contributed to ours