5-Ingredient Baked Ham with Apricot Glaze

5 from 2 votes

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

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword baked ham, baked ham glaze, baked ham recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 45

Total Time 50

Servings people

Calories 270kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

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)

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.

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.