Brown Sugar Bourbon-Glazed Ham

5 from 2 votes

This easy brown sugar bourbon-glazed ham is a classic Southern recipe that makes an impressive statement on a holiday table!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword bourbon glaze for ham, bourbon glaze recipe, bourbon glazed ham, bourbon ham glaze

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2 15

Resting Time 20

Total Time 2 45

Servings - 14 people

Calories 479kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Position oven rack in lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 325°F.
Place ham flat-side down in a 12 – 14-inch cast iron skillet (or use a large roasting pan). Pour the water into the pan. Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together orange marmalade, orange zest, brown sugar, bourbon, mustard, and cayenne pepper. Remove the foil cover on the ham; brush with glaze.
Return the ham to the oven, uncovered, and bake until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the ham registers 145°F, about 1 hour more, brushing with the glaze every 20 minutes. Smaller 8-lb. hams might be done with just 45 more minutes, while larger hams might need at least another 1 hour and 15 minutes. Tent the ham loosely with foil at any point to prevent overbrowning, if necessary.
Let stand for 20 minutes before carving and serving. Garnish with fresh orange slices and herbs, if desired.

Make sure that you only scrape off the very outer layer of the orange peel when zesting the fruit. I use this tool to make it easy. You do not want to scrape off any of the white pith, which is bitter.
The total baking time will vary depending on the size of your ham, on the temperature of your ham when it goes into the oven, and on your individual oven. As a result, an instant-read thermometer is the best way to know when your ham is done. It's already fully-cooked when it's purchased, but the meat should come to an internal temperature of at least 140°F - 145°F for safe consumption.
Use the same bourbon glaze on a smaller ham. Follow these recipe instructions for a 2 - 3 lb. boneless ham.
This is the 14-inch cast iron skillet that I use to bake my ham. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you can use a roasting pan or other large baking dish that will adequately accommodate your ham.
Swap out the orange marmalade and use apricot preserves or hot pepper jelly instead.
For an alcohol-free glaze, use orange juice instead of bourbon.
Add more cayenne pepper for a spicy glaze, or omit that ingredient altogether.