Baked Ham with Apricot Glaze {5 Ingredients!}

You only need 5 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep for this sweet, savory, and smoky baked ham with brown sugar apricot glaze! If you use a smaller boneless ham, it’s ready in less than 1 hour for an easy weeknight dinner. With a larger ham, the delicious glaze is perfect for Easter, Christmas, or other special occasions. Serve the glazed ham with a salad, Southern pineapple casserole, and cheesy twice baked potatoes!

Oven Baked Ham

By mixing together just a few simple ingredients and baking a ham in your oven, you can have a fancy-looking dinner on the table with 5 minutes of prep! You’ll love the combination of the sweet glaze with the salty, smoky ham — and it couldn’t be easier. This is truly the best baked ham recipe!

The sliced ham is a beautiful addition to any holiday buffet, quick enough for your average weeknight dinner, and the leftovers can be enjoyed in next-day sandwiches, in hearty soups, or in cozy casseroles. You get a lot of bang for your buck when you bake an apricot glazed ham!

What does glazing a ham do?

A glaze adds flavor, color, and texture to a baked ham. The sugars in the glaze (from the apricot preserves and the brown sugar) caramelize on the outside of the ham while it’s baking in the oven, which gives the meat extra flavor, a beautiful color and shine, and a crispy exterior.

Should you slice ham before glazing?

No, you don’t need to. For this recipe, you can use either a pre-sliced boneless ham (if that’s easier) or an unsliced boneless ham (shown here). Both options will work, and you’ll glaze the ham before, during, and after the baking process.

How to Keep Moisture in a Ham

This baked ham stays moist and juicy, since the glaze adds moisture and you’ll keep the ham covered with foil for the first part of the cooking time. The cover traps the moisture in the meat and prevents excessive browning.

Ingredients for Baked Ham and Ham Glaze

This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for an oven baked ham with a sweet, fruity ham glaze. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

• Ham: this recipe calls for a small, boneless smoked ham that weighs between 2 ½ – 3 lbs. This size feeds about 4-6 people, so it’s perfect for smaller holidays or regular family dinners when you don’t need to feed a crowd. If you’re serving a larger group, you can use the apricot glaze with a bigger ham, too. Those instructions are included below.
• Apricot preserves: the sweet base for the glaze, which also adds a fruity flavor that pairs beautifully with the salty, smoky ham. You can substitute with peach preserves or orange marmalade if you like.
• Dijon mustard: a zesty and tangy addition to the glaze that balances the sweetness and adds brightness to the dish.
• Brown sugar: for rich molasses flavor and added sweetness.
• Cloves: a classic warm, fragrant ingredient in a traditional ham glaze.

How to Bake a Ham

While it looks impressive, this baked ham is actually really simple to prepare! The meat gets its flavor from a ham glaze made with apricot preserves, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and cloves. The sweet and fruity exterior is the perfect balance for the smoky, salty meat.

1. Place the ham in a baking dish or roasting pan.
2. Make the ham glaze by whisking together the apricot preserves, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, and cloves.
3. Spread about ¼ of the glaze over the ham.
4. Cover loosely with foil.
5. Bake the ham in a 325°F oven for about 25 minutes.
6. Remove the cover, baste with additional glaze, and bake uncovered for 15-20 more minutes, or until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140°F.
7. Warm the remaining glaze in a small saucepan over low heat. Serve the warm glaze with the sliced ham.

Baking Time for Pre Cooked Ham

If you’re wondering how long to bake a boneless ham that has already been smoked, it’s safe to assume that you’ll need to heat the ham in a 325°F oven for about 12-15 minutes per pound. For example, a 3-lb. ham will require about 45 minutes of total baking time.

Make sure to cover the ham for the first part of the baking time. This helps to keep the ham moist, and it prevents the sugars in the glaze from burning. By removing the foil cover during the final 15-20 minutes, you give the glaze just enough time to caramelize and get crispy without drying out the meat.

What to Serve with Baked Ham

A perfect entrée for Christmas dinner, Easter brunch, or your next weeknight dinner, this baked ham goes well with any of the following sides:

• Party Potatoes, Twice Baked Potatoes, Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Cheesy Potato Casserole, Easy Potato Salad, or Easy Au Gratin Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
• Southern Pineapple Casserole
• Ambrosia Salad
• Watergate Salad
• Easy Creamed Spinach Casserole or Sauteed Spinach with Garlic
• Roasted Asparagus or Sauteed Asparagus with Lemon, Garlic, and Almonds
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
• Homemade Crescent Rolls or Soft Dinner Rolls
• Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Southern Buttermilk Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits or Drop Biscuits
• Skillet Cornbread, Honey Cornbread, Old-Fashioned Corn Sticks, Sweet Cornbread Muffins, or Corn Muffins
• Cheddar Chive Beer Bread {No Knead, No Yeast!}
• Wedge Salad, Classic Caesar Salad, House Salad with Candied Pecans, or a Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
• Mac and Cheese or Shells and Cheese
• Charleston Red Rice
• Coleslaw or Vinegar Coleslaw
• Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
• Fried Apples
• Southern Succotash
• Creamed Peas or Southern Pea Salad
• Green Bean Casserole, Arkansas Green Beans, or Southern Style Green Beans
• Southern Collard Greens
• Fresh Fruit Salad
• Apple and Butternut Squash Casserole
• Cornbread Stuffing or Sausage Stuffing
• 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes or Cheesy Party Potatoes
• 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins or Pumpkin Bread
• 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
• Cranberry Sauce or Cranberry Jello Salad
• Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese or Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
• Jiffy Corn Casserole
• Old-Fashioned Cranberry Muffins

Storage

You can safely keep this easy baked ham in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Reheat the ham in a 325°F oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 135-140°F on a meat thermometer. If I’m reheating just a small portion of ham (such as a few slices), I like to wrap it in foil before placing it in the oven (this keeps it nice and moist).

Leftover Ham Recipes

We all know that leftover ham is one of the best reasons to prepare the meat in the first place! It’s delicious in soups, sandwiches, and casseroles, so here are a few recipes that use the leftovers in a delicious way:

• Layered Ham and Potato Casserole
• Ham Casserole
• 5-Ingredient Ham and Noodle Casserole
• Ham, Cheddar and Broccoli Quiche
• Ham, Brie and Apple Panini Sandwich
• Split Pea Soup
• Leftover Ham and Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes
• Egg and Cheese Monkey Bread with Ham

Recipe Variations

• For a more subtle cloves flavor, reduce the cloves to 1/8 teaspoon.
• Instead of apricot preserves, use orange marmalade or peach preserves for an equally delicious ham glaze!
• Adjust the size of your ham to suit the size of your family. If you’re hosting a big gathering, you might need a larger ham. Just remember to adjust to the total cooking time according to the weight of your ham. See my note below for those instructions.

Tips for the Best Baked Ham Recipe

• How Long to Bake a Pre-Cooked Ham: You can use this recipe with just about any size ham. A good rule of thumb to remember is that a boneless smoked ham bakes at 325°F for 12-15 minutes per pound. A larger bone-in smoked ham bakes at 325°F for 15-20 minutes per pound.
• Glaze the ham before, during, and after baking! The apricot and brown sugar glaze and pan juices add flavor and moisture to the meat as it cooks, so I recommend that you pour, brush, or baste with the glaze before, during, and after cooking.
• Should you cover a ham when you bake it? Yes. In order to prevent the sugars from burning on the outside of the ham and to prevent the meat from drying out, it’s best to cover the ham with foil until the final 15-20 minutes.
• If you want a crispier, more charred exterior, place the ham under the broiler for a few minutes at the very end.
• It’s safe to assume about ⅓ lb. – ½ lb. of baked ham per person. For example, a 3-lb. ham will serve about 6 people.

More Easy Ham Recipes to Try

• Pineapple Glazed Ham
• Virginia Brown Sugar Baked Ham
• Crock Pot Ham with Cola Glaze
• Easy Citrus Glazed Baked Ham

5-Ingredient Baked Ham with Apricot Glaze

5 from 1 vote

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 45 minutes

Total: 50 minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 270 kcal

You only need 5 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep to make this Baked Ham with Apricot Glaze!

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 (2½ – 3 lb.) smoked boneless ham, sliced or unsliced (or see note below to bake a larger or bone-in ham)
• ¾ cup apricot preserves
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves (use less cloves if you don’t want a strong cloves taste)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Place ham in a baking dish.
• In a small bowl, combine preserves, mustard, sugar, and cloves. Spread about ¼ of the mixture on top of the ham. Reserve the remaining glaze.
• Cover ham loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
• Uncover ham, spread another ¼ of the glaze over top, and bake (uncovered) for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140°F. Do not overcook. If you'd like a more charred exterior on the ham, broil for a few minutes at the very end.
• Warm remaining glaze in a small saucepan over low heat; serve with ham slices.

Notes

• For a more subtle cloves flavor, reduce the cloves to 1/8 teaspoon.
• Instead of apricot preserves, use orange marmalade or peach preserves for an equally delicious ham glaze!
• Adjust the size of your ham to suit the size of your family. If you’re hosting a big gathering, you might need a larger ham. Just remember to adjust to the total cooking time according to the weight of your ham. See my note below for those instructions.
• How Long to Bake a Pre-Cooked Ham: You can use this recipe with just about any size ham. A good rule of thumb to remember is that a boneless smoked ham bakes at 325°F for 12-15 minutes per pound. A larger bone-in smoked ham bakes at 325°F for 15-20 minutes per pound.
• Glaze the ham before, during, and after baking! The apricot and brown sugar glaze and pan juices add flavor and moisture to the meat as it cooks, so I recommend that you pour, brush, or baste with the glaze before, during, and after cooking.
• Should you cover a ham when you bake it? Yes. In order to prevent the sugars from burning on the outside of the ham and to prevent the meat from drying out, it’s best to cover the ham with foil until the final 15-20 minutes.
• If you want a crispier, more charred exterior, place the ham under the broiler for a few minutes at the very end.
• It’s safe to assume about ⅓ lb. – ½ lb. of baked ham per person. For example, a 3-lb. ham will serve about 6 people.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5lb. of ham and 1/6 of the glazeCalories: 270kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 38gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 2874mgPotassium: 634mgSugar: 9gVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 3.2mg

Keyword: baked ham, baked ham glaze, baked ham recipe

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American, Southern

Author: Blair Lonergan

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This recipe was originally published in April, 2014. It was updated in March, 2022.