Pin this recipe for later!
All recipes are rigorously tested in our Nashville Test Kitchen to ensure they are easy, affordable, and delicious.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I’m not in the mood to make a big dinner. So when I want a savory, sweet ham fix without cooking a full ham, I make these super simple Glazed Ham Steaks instead. They’re incredibly quick, satisfy the craving, and make dinnertime feel almost effortless. These glazed ham steaks are so good and so easy that they’ll probably make their way into your regular dinner rotation, too.
“Very quick and easy. I was making lamb for Easter, but one of my guests doesn’t like lamb. So I bought a ham steak and made this recipe to serve along with the lamb. It was a hit and didn’t add much stress to my Easter dinner-making process.”
Lauren
An Easy Ham Dinner for Small Gatherings
What I love about this recipe is how the glaze builds big flavor from pantry staples. Brown sugar brings the sweetness, Dijon, Worcestershire, and apple cider vinegar add tang and depth, and a little garlic powder and ground cloves make it taste like more than the sum of its parts. I make the glaze in a small bowl, sear the ham steaks in butter, then pour the glaze into the skillet and let it bubble until everything is glossy and coated. I like a thick-cut (½-inch thick) sliced ham steak for this recipe because it gives it more of a main-dish type feel. I think this recipe is such a smart way to stretch a smaller, less expensive cut into something that’s perfect for weeknight dinners or Easter!
Recipe Success Tips
- These cook fast because the ham is already fully cooked. Ham steaks are cured and fully cooked when you buy them, so all you’re really doing here is heating them through, browning the outside, and reducing the glaze. The recipe only takes about 15 minutes total, with 5 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cook time, making it a great option when you want something actually EASY for dinner!
- Pan fry just until browned, then glaze. Pan fry the ham steaks in butter over medium heat for 3-5 minutes per side, or until they’re nicely browned. After that, add the glaze and cook them for just 1-2 minutes more per side. Since the ham is already cooked, you don’t need to leave it in the pan much longer than this.
- Add the glaze at the end so it doesn’t burn. Because the glaze has brown sugar in it, it can go from glossy to scorched pretty quickly if the heat is too high or it sits in the pan too long! I like to add the glaze during the last couple of minutes, so it has time to thicken without burning.
- Keep the heat at medium once the glaze goes in. A ripping hot skillet can darken the glaze too fast. Medium heat gives the glaze time to thicken but not instantly burn.
- Cook in batches if your skillet is crowded. If your pan isn’t big enough to hold all the ham comfortably (or if you’ve doubled the recipe), it’s better to work in batches. Overcrowding the skillet can make the ham steam instead of brown.
- Try a different glaze. The glaze I use here is a sweet and slightly tangy mix that reduces to a nice sticky glaze. You can’t really taste the Dijon mustard in the end, but if you don’t like Dijon or simply don’t have any on hand, you can also use a sweet-spicy-smoky rub as I used in my glazed pork chops recipe.
Glazed Ham Steaks
Cost $6.31 recipe / $1.55 serving
Ingredients
- ¼ cup brown sugar ($0.12)
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard ($0.07)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce ($0.02)
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar ($0.02)
- ⅛ tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves ($0.02)
- 2 8 oz. ham steaks ($5.94*)
- 1 Tbsp butter ($0.10)
Video
Instructions
- Combine the brown sugar, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, garlic powder, and cloves in a small bowl.**
- Cut the ham steaks in half to create four 4oz. portions.
- Add the butter to a skillet and heat over medium. When the butter is melted, swirl the skillet to coat the surface. Add the ham steaks and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until browned.
- Spoon half of the glaze mixture over the ham steaks, flip, then add the second half of the glaze. Cook for 1-2 minutes more on each side, or until the glaze becomes thick and sticky. Serve hot.
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 Glazed Ham Steaks Step-by-Step Photos
Make the glaze first: In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, ⅛ tsp garlic powder, and ⅛ tsp ground cloves. It’ll look a little grainy at this stage, but it smooths out once it hits the hot skillet.
Slice the ham: These are the ham steaks I used. They’re the Kentucky Legend brand, and I like them because they’re lower in sodium than some others I’ve seen. You can use any type of ham steak available, but if they are thinner than ½-inch, you’ll need to reduce the cooking time from the estimates I have given.
Each of the ham steaks were 8oz., so I cut them in half to create four 4oz. portions. Portion your ham as you see fit.
Brown the ham: Add 1 Tbsp butter to a large skillet and heat over medium. When the butter is melted, give the skillet a swirl to coat the surface. Add the ham and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until the edges look lightly caramelized and the surface has some golden brown spots.
Add the glaze: Spoon half of the glaze mixture over the ham steaks, then flip them over and add the rest. The glaze will look loose at first, but once it starts bubbling, it will quickly melt into the butter and cling to the ham. Keep the heat at medium so the sugar has time to reduce without scorching.
Finish and serve: Cook the ham for a minute or two more on each side, or until the glaze has reduced, looks slightly syrupy, and glossy. Serve hot with your favorite sides!
Shown here served with roasted Brussels sprouts and a baked sweet potato.
How Are the Leftovers?
I love, love, love eating the leftovers of this ham. So much so that I often meal prep this on a regular basis! Glazes like this don’t stay clear and glossy after refrigeration, but they still taste great, and that sweet-savory flavor works in all kinds of easy meals. I like to dice it up and add it to my vegetable fried rice for a fast lunch, or mix it into mac and cheese for dinner another day!
What to Serve with Glazed Ham Steaks
Some of the best side dishes for glazed ham steaks are some of the simplest. Since the ham is salty, savory, and coated in a sticky brown sugar glaze, I like to pair it with sides that bring either something creamy, something crisp, or something bright to balance it out.
- Sides: Hasselback potatoes and broccoli cheese casserole both work well here because they mellow out the saltiness of the ham and go really nicely with the sweet glaze. I also love just about any roasted veggie, steamed peas, or crisp side salad.
- Appetizer ideas: If you’re serving these as part of a bigger spread, I’d keep the starters simple, like a veggie tray or a light cheese and cracker plate!
- For a smaller holiday-style dinner: I’d pair these glazed ham steaks with creamy potatoes au gratin and apple walnut stuffing for an easy holiday or Christmas dinner.
- Sandwiches: Leftover glazed ham steaks are also great tucked into rolls or toasted bread with Swiss or cheddar, a little Dijon or honey mustard, and maybe some crisp lettuce or pickles for contrast.
Storage & Reheating
Store leftover glazed ham steaks in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water to loosen the glaze and keep the ham from drying out.
Try These Glazed Recipes Next:
- My Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken Thighs turn pantry staples and boneless chicken thighs into a quick 25-minute dinner!
- These Glazed Carrots are one of those easy side dishes I keep coming back to because they use just five ingredients and turn simple carrots into a buttery, brown sugar glaze-coated side.
- Soy Glazed Eggplant is one of my favorite veggies stir-fries, made with eggplant, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger.
Great sweet tasting. I’d love to cook withyou
Quick and so easy. Tastes great!
This was so quick and easy! I doubled the glaze because my hamsteak was 1 3/4 pounds. I did add a splash of sherry to the glaze as it seemed very thick….turned out perfect!
Everybody loved it. Especially since we made sweet potato biscuits from another recipe on here and they drizzled some glaze on them. Will be saving for the next time we have ham steaks.
Very easy to make and really taste great too!
Sweet and savory sauce. Just what I was looking for!
THANKS
The glaze was yummy! My brother likes ham steaks, and I try to add flavor by serving them with a good glaze. I did add a bit of onion powder; otherwise, I followed the recipe as written. Will be making this glaze again. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I made this and enjoyed it. Usually, there are leftovers when it comes to ham steaks. My family ate every bite. What surprised me was some of the ingredients. I trusted the process and it did not disappoint. Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe.
This recipe was ok! Too bland for me, but probably good for most, depending a lot on the ham steak. I like adding bourbon to my ham steak glaze, and I like adding cayenne too, for added zip and zing.
Thanks for sharing this recipe with us.
That was oh so yummy! Thanks for sharing!
Going to try your ham steak recipe for supper. I love a good glaze on ham .
This was orderly, to the point. Simple, delicious, and exactly as she described it. I put it where I can find it again, and I told my adult daughter as well. Yummy!!
THANK you For your excellence and attention to detail.
Very quick and easy. I was making lamb for Easter, but one of my guests doesn’t like lamb. So I bought a ham steak and made this recipe to serve along with the lamb. It was a hit and didn’t add much stress to my Easter dinner-making process.
Wow! That was excellent!!! Clean plates all around! Recipe was spot on.
Love the glaze! I should double the recipe next time since my family cleaned this right up. Haven’t made ham in years and this was really good.