Pin this recipe for later!
All recipes are rigorously tested in our Nashville Test Kitchen to ensure they are easy, affordable, and delicious.
When the holidays roll around (Hello, Easter!), there’s nothing my family craves more than a sweet and savory baked ham. I know what you’re thinking, ham is expensive, but this baked ham recipe is proof that a typically expensive meat can be budget-friendly. By using a boneless ham, I don’t waste a single dollar on bones, and it comfortably feeds 11 people. That’s a lot of ham! The texture of this ham is perfectly juicy with a great chew to it. The glaze makes the outside nice and crisp but still tender. There’s nothing quite like a beloved holiday tradition!
“This was great! Not too sweet and the ham stayed moist. It was an Easter hit!”
Jennifer
A Simple Baked Ham with Big Holiday Flavor
While Easter traditionally calls for lamb, ham has become the dominant centerpiece because it’s much less expensive and more readily available, both things we love here at Budget Bytes. This baked ham recipe is a true superstar. Salty, savory ham coated in a sweet and tangy glaze made from brown sugar and pineapple juice is just so good. The glaze is super sticky, extra sweet, and gives a beautiful color to your ham. Adding the pineapple juice to the glaze recipe really makes this glaze shine (literally and figuratively!)
Recipe Success Tips
- This recipe is easier than it looks. Most hams sold in the U.S. are already fully cooked, so this recipe is really about gently heating the ham through and adding flavor with the glaze. That makes it a great option for beginners (especially for holiday meals), because the oven does most of the work!
- I tested this recipe using a bone-in ham and a boneless ham. Because hams are priced by weight, I found the boneless hams to be the cheapest and offered in smaller quantities. I highly recommend you go for a boneless ham to get the most for your money!
- Pumpkin pie spice works really well here. I know the thought of “pumpkin spice ham” may sound strange, but pumpkin pie spice is a blend of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and black pepper…all perfect flavors to complement a juicy, sweet-but-savory ham!
- A little water in the pan is plenty. I only filled the bottom of my roasting dish with ½ inch of water. A lot of recipes call for 1 inch, but the drippings are great for basting or using as a gravy, and I found them to be too diluted when I used 1 inch of water.
- The pineapple does more than decorate. Even if the pineapple slices slide around a little, they still help keep the ham moist as it bakes. Brushing on the glaze a few times during baking also gives the outside a glossy finish. If preferred, you can skip the basting and just brush the remaining glaze on at the end instead.
- Lower and slower keeps the ham juicier. Baking at 350°F is a nice middle ground because it warms the ham through without drying out the outside too quickly. I also recommend tenting it with foil to seal in moisture. Your ham is done once the internal temperature reaches 145°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Use the ham’s weight to estimate the bake time. For a fully cooked boneless ham like this one, a good rule of thumb is about 20 minutes per pound at 350°F. The exact timing can vary depending on your oven, pan, and how cold the ham is when it goes in, but I find this guideline to be about right every time.
- Store leftovers and don’t let them go to waste! Slice and portion leftover ham before storing it in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in the fridge. Leftovers are great in sandwiches, breakfast hash, casseroles, or soup! You can also freeze cooked ham for up to 1-2 months in smaller meal-sized portions. There’s no waste in our budget-conscious kitchen!
Baked Ham
Cost $27.24 recipe / $2.47 serving
Ingredients
- 5.5 lbs. boneless smoked ham ($24.42*)
- 15 oz. can sliced pineapple (packed in juice, $1.68**)
- 1 cup brown sugar (packed, $0.48)
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard ($0.06)
- 1 tsp garlic powder ($0.10)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.03***)
- 1 tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.17)
- 1 tsp onion powder ($0.10)
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice ($0.20)
- water ($0.00****)
Video
Instructions
- Gather all glaze ingredients and preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a saucepan, whisk together pineapple juice (one 15oz can yields about 1 cup of juice), brown sugar, dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt, pepper, onion powder, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Cook the glaze down over medium heat until it is reduced by half.
- Place the ham cut side down in the roasting pan of your choosing.
- Brush the ham with half the glaze mixture and cover it with slices of canned pineapple. Add 1/2 inch of water to the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Make a tinfoil tent to cover the entire ham. Place the tinfoil over the ham and bake for 20 minutes per pound of meat, or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F. Baste the ham periodically, using a baster or a large spoon.
- Once the ham reaches 145°F, remove the tinfoil tent and baste. Then, brush the ham with all remaining glaze.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!how to make Baked Ham step-by-step photos
Gather and prep: Gather all glaze ingredients and preheat oven to 350°F while you work on the ham.
Make the glaze: Whisk together pineapple juice (one 15 oz. can yields about 1 cup of juice), 1 cup brown sugar, 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp onion powder, and 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice. Let the glaze simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes, whisking occasionally, until it reduces by about half and looks slightly thicker and glossy enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Cook the ham: Place a 5.5 lb. boneless smoked ham cut side down in the roasting pan of your choosing (or place it on the side that sits most evenly in the pan if your ham doesn’t have an obvious cut side).
Pour ½ inch of water into the bottom of the roasting pan. Brush the ham with half of the glaze mixture and cover it with slices of canned pineapple. Then, make a tinfoil tent to cover the entire ham. You want to cook the ham for approximately 20 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F. Baste the ham periodically as it bakes with pan drippings, using a standard baster or a large spoon.
Baste the ham: Once the ham reaches an internal temperature of 145°F, remove the tinfoil tent and baste the ham with pan drippings and brush the ham with all remaining glaze.
Serve: When your ham is done, it should have an internal temperature of 145°F. Transfer the ham to a cutting board and let it rest briefly so the juices settle. Start by slicing straight down from the top into even slices, making them as thick or thin as you like. For neat slices, use a long sharp knife and steady strokes instead of a sawing motion.
Arrange the slices on a platter or plate, and spoon a little of the warm pan juices over the top before serving. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This tasty baked ham is rich, savory, and a little sweet, so I recommend pairing it with simple sides that balance it out without competing for attention. Roasted carrots are a great choice because their natural sweetness works really well with the salty ham, while steamed green beans add a fresh element to the plate. My family also LOVES these creamed peas with ham, so I usually make a batch of those to serve on the side! And of course, mashed potatoes are always a safe bet, especially when you drizzle extra glaze or pan juices over them!
If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, they’re perfect for turning into a cozy ham and potato casserole for brunch the next day.
Storage & Reheating
Store leftover ham in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Store extra glaze separately if you can! For longer storage, freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container in smaller portions for up to 1-2 months. To reheat, warm slices in the microwave, in a covered skillet, or covered in a 325°F oven with a splash of water or brushed with glaze to help keep them moist. You can also chop the ham and add it straight to other recipes to heat through as part of another meal.
More Easy Recipes for Easter:
- This Honey Glazed Ham turns a spiral-cut smoked ham into a glossy holiday centerpiece with an easy from-scratch glaze!
- These Glazed Ham Steaks are an easy main for smaller gatherings, with a sticky brown sugar glaze and all the sweet-savory flavor of holiday ham in just 15 minutes!
- Deviled Eggs are an Easter classic that’s easy to make ahead and always disappears fast from the holiday table.
- My Sheet Pan Easter Dinner keeps cooking simple by putting the main dish and sides all on one pan, which means less mess and less juggling in the kitchen!
Got leftover ham?
If you happen to have any ham left over, these easy leftover ham recipes are perfect to make and help reduce waste!
Our Baked Ham recipe was originally published 3/25/24. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 4/15/25.
Loved this!! The little touch of pumpkin pie spice is genius – it really does make the flavor so much more rich and complex. After making the glaze, this was such a “set it and forget it” recipe (although I genuinely did forget to baste until the very end, it turned out perfectly moist & juicy anyway!), which was great. And I ended up sticking the pineapple slices on with toothpicks – they came out delicious as well!
I made this for Easter dinner today, and once or twice before. It tasted delicious every time. There’s one or two points I’d like clarification on.
The glaze. I remember every time I made this, stirring the pot so the sugar didn’t boil over and get all over the stove, wondering when was enough. I wish the recipe had before and after photos of the glaze, or a picture of a spoon lifting out of the reduced glaze so I could compare the viscosity/thickness of my results, or even an “about 5/10/?? minutes” in the instructions. (I write this knowing that everyone is probably all Easter-hammed out, and nobody is going to want to make another for pictures anytime soon, but maybe something to think about if you refresh this recipe next year?)
One other thing that I only just noticed. The instructions say to place the ham “cut side down,” which I took to mean that the ham should be oriented so that the slices that make up the ham are arranged horizontally on top of one another (like a stack of pancakes). But the pictures look like the example ham is on its side with the slices arranged vertically side by side (like a pre-sliced loaf of bread.) Have I been cooking the hams wrong, or did you just do the example one like that because it photographs better?
Thanks for sharing this recipe with us.
Primero Dios, la preparare para esta navidad, realmente se ve deliciosa! mil gracias y saludos respetuosos y una Feliz Natividad para todos
De nada. Espero que tú y tu familia lo disfrutéis. ¡Feliz navidad!
Will this work in a crockpot? I want to save oven space.
Thanks
We never tested it in the crockpot so I can’t tell you for certain!
May I ask what brand name of ham did you use? It’s a beautiful ham!
We used a Kentucky Legend Ham!
Can you slice the ham before cooking and putting the glaze on it
We didn’t try it that way, Elveda! I’d worry about it drying out that way, though
Would it be possible to post a picture of the raw meat packaging showing what it looks like from the store? Beth used to do this and it was really helpful for me when I was learning how to cook and find the right kind of meat. When I search for “boneless smoked ham” I only ham for making sandwiches, all pre-cooked.
We can definitely try to get that for you! I will say, it’s usually wrapped in clear plastic at the store, and it looks pretty spot on to what it looks like above, just wrapped up. It does kind of look like what the whole deli hams look like!
This was great! Not too sweet and the ham stayed moist. It was an Easter hit!
I made this today. Only differences were I used a bone-in ham that was 7.5 pounds. I made no adjustments because I’m assuming the bone contributed to the weight. This was an excellent recipe and it looked so pretty. My family loved it! Thanks!
This looks amazing and I’m thinking about trying this for Sunday! I wanted to clarify if “smoked ham” means a pre-cooked smoked ham or an uncooked smoked ham. I already bought a pre-cooked boneless ham and am trying to figure out if the baking temperature and time instructions would apply.
Correct, it would be a pre-cooked smoked ham so it sounds like you’re good to go!