3-Ingredient Ham Glaze

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Making a glazed ham isn't hard, especially not when you use this easy 3-ingredient ham glaze. It's perfect, sweet sticky and oh-so delicious.

A cooked glazed ham with cloves pressed into the corners of diamond shaped cuts in the fat layer resting on a wooden chopping board on the bench with christmasy decorations in the background

Why This Recipe Works

  • 3 Ingredients are all you need for this ham glaze recipe!
  • A gorgeous glazed ham that is always a crowd-pleaser
  • The easy way to the perfect Christmas ham.


Ingredients you will need

3 Ingredient Ham Glaze

  • Brown sugar
  • Pineapple juice
  • Mustard
  • Cloves (optional)
  • Leg ham (bone-in)
A large uncooked ham shoulder resting oil a wooden chopping board next to all the other ingredients to make the glaze

Ingredient Notes and Substitutes

  • Brown sugar: Can be substituted for honey, maple syrup, apricot jam or marmalade.
  • Pineapple juice: Pineapple juice can be substituted for orange juice, apple juice or apricot nectar.
  • Mustard: Use your favourite mustard, I used Dijon mustard but wholegrain mustard, English mustard, or American yellow mustard will all work just fine.
  • Cloves: The cloves are optional your glazed ham will taste amazing without them, but a clove-studded ham always looks so good on the Christmas table. Cloves do add a warming spice extra flavor to the ham
  • Leg ham: (bone-in ham): I used a half-leg pre-cooked ham. For a glazed ham to be good you need a thick fat layer when you remove the skin, so look for that fat layer when you purchase.


Step-by-step instructions

Below are illustrated step-by-step instructions to make my Glazed Ham with a 3 ingredient ham glaze, if you prefer just the written instructions then head straight to the printable recipe card below.

Preheat your oven to 160 degrees Celsius (320 F)

Step one: Remove the rind/skin from your ham leaving a generous layer of fat. (The fat layer is what will caramelise with the glaze so you want that!)I find the easiest way to take the rind off is to just use your fingers. First, cut a ring around the hock end of the ham. Then use a small sharp knife and run it between the rind and the fat. Then slide your fingers under and the rind it will lift away. You want to keep the fat layer as thick and as intact as you can.

Four photo collage showing how to remove the skin from a ham and leave the fat layer/

Step two: Use a small sharp knife to make diamond-shaped cuts into the fat layer of the ham. Optional: Press cloves into the corner of each of the diamonds. 

Diamond-shaped cuts in the fat layer of a large uncooked ham with cloves pressed between each corner which is sitting on a rack in a big oven dish

Step three: Use a piece of tin foil to wrap the hock end of your ham (this will stop the bone from burning) 


Step four: I place a rack into a large roasting pan and then I pour a cup of water into the bottom of the roasting tray, this keeps the ham moist. Bake the ham for 40 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius.

Step five: In a small mixing bowl or jug, whisk together the juice, brown sugar and mustard until glossy. 

A small glass jar with hand whisking juice, brown sugar and mustard together on a bench

Step six: After 40 minutes remove your baked ham from the oven. Pour over approximately half the brown sugar ham glaze, use a pastry brush to make sure the glaze gets into all the nooks and crannies of the diamond-shaped cuts you have made in the fat layer of the ham. Return your ham to the oven for another 20 minutes. 

A jug of whisked glaze being poured over the top of the large cooked ham while a hand is brushing the glaze into the fat layer.

Step seven Remove your baked ham from the oven, pour over the remaining glaze, and use a pastry brush to make sure the glaze gets into all the nooks and crannies of the diamond-shaped cuts you have made in the fat layer of the ham. Return your ham to the oven for another 20 minutes. 

A hand brushing glaze into the fat layer of the cooked ham

Step eight: Check the temperature of your ham, it should have reached 60 degrees Celsius.

Enjoy!


Top Tips

Here is how you can make this 3 ingredient-glazed ham perfectly every time!

  • I used a pre-cooked ham, if your ham has not been pre-cooked be sure to follow the cooking instructions before glazing your ham.
  • When it comes to a perfect glazed ham it is all about the sweetness penetrating the fat layer and caramelising, so choose a ham with a nice visible fat layer.
  • Serve your ham with your favourite sides for Christmas, new potatoes, green beans, Christmas rice salad, kumara salad or chickpea avocado salad.
A cooked glazed ham with cloves pressed into the corners of diamond shaped cuts in the fat layer resting on a wooden chopping board on the

FAQs

How do you keep a pre-cooked ham from drying out?

Add water to the roasting pan when you are glazing your pre-cooked ham this will keep the meat moist.

A large cooked ham being sliced by a large knife on a wooden chopping board with multiple slices beside it.

A large cooked ham resting on a wooden chopping board  on the bench with multiple slices of ham beside it.
A cooked glazed ham with cloves pressed into the corners of diamond shaped cuts in the fat layer resting on a wooden chopping board on the bench with christmasy decorations in the background

3 Ingredient Ham Glaze

This recipe for 3 ingredient ham glaze makes the best Christmas Glazed Ham.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Family Dinner Ideas
Cuisine: New Zealand
Keyword: 3-Ingredient ham glaze, glazed ham nz, christmas ham nz, brown sugar ham glaze
Servings: 20 servings
Calories: 397kcal

RATE THIS RECIPE

5 from 1 vote

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup pineapple juice
  • 2 Tablepsoons Mustard
  • cloves (optional)
  • ½ leg ham (bone-in)

Instructions

Prepare and Bake Ham

  • Preheat your oven to 160 degrees celsius (320 F)
  • Remove the rind/skin from your ham leaving a generous layer of fat. (The fat layer is what will carmalise with the glaze so you want that!)
    I find the easiest way to take the rind off is to just use your fingers.
    First, cut a ring around the hock end of the ham. Then use a small sharp knife and run it between the rind and the fat. Then slide your fingers under and the rind it will lift away. You want to keep the fat layer as thick and as intact as you can.
  • Use a small sharp knife to make diamond-shaped cuts into the fat layer of the ham. Optional: Press cloves into the corner of each of the diamonds.
  • Use a piece of tin foil to wrap the hock end of your ham (this will stop the bone from burning)
  • I place a rack into a large roasting dish and then I pour a cup of water into the bottom of the roasting tray, this keeps the ham moist.
  • Bake the ham for 40 minutes at 160 degrees clesius.

Glaze Ham

  • In a small mixing bowl or jug, whisk together the juice, brown sugar and mustard until glossy.
  • After 40 minutes remove your baked ham from the oven.
  • Pour over approximately half the glaze, use a pastry brush to make sure the glaze gets into all the nooks and crannies of the diamond-shaped cuts you have made in the fat layer of the ham.
  • Return your ham to the oven for another 20 minutes.
  • Remove your baked ham from the oven, pour over the remaining glaze, and use a pastry brush to make sure the glaze gets into all the nooks and crannies of the diamond-shaped cuts you have made in the fat layer of the ham.
  • Return your ham to the oven for another 20 minutes.
  • Check the temperature of your ham, it should have reached 60 degrees celsisu.
  • Enjoy

Video

Notes

  • I used a pre-cooked ham, if your ham has not been pre-cooked be sure to follow the cooking instructions before glazing your ham.
  • When it comes to a perfect glazed ham it is all about the sweetness penetrating the fat layer and caramelising, so choose a ham with a nice visible fat layer.
  • Brown sugar: Can be substituted for honey, maple syrup, apricot jam or marmalade.
  • Pineapple juice: Pineapple juice can be substituted for orange juice, apple juice or apricot nectar.
  • Mustard: Use your favourite mustard, I used Dijon mustard but wholegrain mustard, English mustard, or American yellow mustard will all work just fine.
  • Cloves: The cloves are optional your glazed ham will taste amazing without them, but a clove-studded ham always looks so good on the Christmas table. Cloves do add a warming spice extra flavor to the ham
  • Leg ham: (bone-in ham): I used a half-leg pre-cooked ham. For a glazed ham to be good you need a thick fat layer when you remove the skin, so look for that fat layer when you purchase.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 397kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 1784mg | Potassium: 444mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 0.2IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

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