How to Cook a Ham (2024)

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By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Updated December 5, 2019

The ideal holiday meal is one you can smell just thinking about it! Maybe it’s a ham simmering in mustard and brown sugar, or brushed with bourbon and maple syrup. It could even be stuck with warm, woody cloves or covered with pineapple slices. No matter your preference, ham makes for a wonderful holiday meal and is as impressive as it is easy.

What's In This Article

What You’ll Need
How to Pick the Perfect Ham
How to Bake Ham
How Long to Cook Ham
How to Broil Ham
How to Cook Ham in a Slow Cooker
How to Glaze Ham
How to Carve Ham

What You’ll Need

Before you get started, here’s what you’ll need to roast a ham.

Roasting pan: A 9x3x13-inch pan is a good size to look for. You’ll want a pan that’s large enough to fit the ham comfortably without touching the sides. A depth of 3 to 4 inches will help avoid spilling or splashing of hot cooking juices.
Meat thermometer: An ovenproof or instant-read thermometer will help ensure your ham is hot all the way through. Since most hams come precooked, this might seem odd, but it’s hard to tell internal temperature—you’re aiming for 140°F when reheating precooked ham—without a thermometer. If your ham was not precooked, it’s even more important to have a thermometer, because it will help you determine doneness (145°F). Since temperature is the most foolproof way to cook meat to perfection, we highly recommend investing in a thermometer. Options range from a basic ovenproof meat thermometers, which are widely available for under $10, to the premium instant-read thermometers, typically found in kitchen supplies stores or available for purchase online.

What if I don’t have a roasting pan?

Don’t fret, there’s more than one pan that can roast your ham. Try using one of the following:

a large casserole dish with deep sides
a broiler pan with a grated top that fit inside a bottom pan meant to catch juices
a sheet pan; just remember to handle carefully as hot juices can splash or spill more easily in this low-sided pan.

And if all else fails, why not ask your friend, neighbor or relative—the one with the fully-equipped kitchen—to lend you their roaster? Chances are, the ham you’re preparing is for a feast meal, and one of your guests might jump at the chance to help out.

How to Pick the Perfect Ham

With the details below, you can avoid indecision or worse, buying a ham that’s not well-suited to your recipe and meal.

City Ham versus Country Ham

The quick answer is that city hams are wet cured and typically come precooked and even presliced, while country hams are dry cured and might need to be soaked for a day or more before cooking. Translation: Buy a city ham, i.e. one that’s labeled as precooked, especially if this is your first time cooking ham. Most likely, this is all that’s available at your grocery store anyway. P.S. Spiral-cut hams are a type of city ham.

City ham: This is the type of ham most widely available, and the one you’re most likely familiar with—unless you live in the South. Preparation is easy, since it’s mostly a matter of reheating and adding flavor. City ham is mildly flavored and very moist due to the curing process. Typically, this type of ham is injected with a cure of salt, water, sugar and spices. Sometimes, the ham is smoked after. It’s typically sold precooked and presliced. It’s generally available bone-in or boneless. Spiral-cut ham is a popular type of city ham that’s been sliced into even pieces around the bone.

Country ham: Differing from city, country ham is preserved by dry curing, or rubbing with a mixture of salt, sugar and spices before being smoked and aged for a period ranging from several weeks up to one year. This type of ham is typically very salty, so much so that it often require soaking (to remove some of that salt) prior to cooking. This method of preservation was popular throughout the South prior to refrigeration and is still a part of the culinary tradition today. This results in strongly flavored, salty meat with a toothsome texture. It is sold both uncooked and cooked and typically bone-in.

Boneless versus Bone-In Ham

The main benefit of a boneless ham is that it’s easier to carve, while the main benefit of a bone-in ham is the flavor is better and meat is juicier. Another benefit of bone-in ham is that your leftover ham bone is the key to delicious soups, collard greens and more. Whichever choice you make, you can’t go wrong—we’re here to show you how to turn out a perfect ham.

How Much Ham Should I Buy?

This part is easy. When cooking a bone-in ham, you’ll want ¾ pound of ham per person. With a boneless ham, you’ll want ½ pound ham per person. So for 20 guests, you’d want to purchase a 10-pound boneless ham or a 15-pound bone-in ham.

What’s with the Hatching?

The classic holiday ham has a diamond pattern etched into its surface. Why do people do this? Good question! Scoring the rind of the ham in this way catches the glaze and better flavors the ham. It’s quite easy to do and makes for a stunning presentation. See how it’s done in the recipe below.

How to Bake Ham

Now, let’s walk through the steps of roasting a ham using a fully cooked, bone-in (city) ham.

What you’ll need:

Ingredients for Baked Ham with Balsamic Brown Sugar Glaze
Aluminum foil
Roasting pan
Meat thermometer

How to:

1. Heat oven to 325°F.

2. Place ham, fat side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.

3. Cover loosely with foil and roast ham, as directed, until thermometer reads 135°F.

4. About 20 minutes before ham is done, remove from oven. Cut uniform diamond-shaped pattern into fat side of ham.

5. Stir together brown sugar, vinegar and mustard.

6. Pat or brush mixture on ham.

7. Bake uncovered 20 minutes longer.

8. Let stand 10 minutes or until thermometer reads 140°F.

How Long to Cook Ham

Roasting time will depend on the weight of the ham. Check our timetable below to determine the time your ham will need to reach an internal temperature of 140°F—the temperature recommended when reheating a precooked ham.

Ham Roasting Timetable (Baked at 325°F)
Type of Ham (precooked)	Approximate weight (pound)	Approximate Time (minutes/pound)
Boneless Ham (cooked in covered pan with ½ cup water)	1 ½ to 2 3 to 4 6 to 8 9 to 11	29 to 33 19 to 23 16 to 20 12 to 16
Bone-In Ham (cooked in covered pan without water)	6 to 8 14 to 16	13 to 17 11 to 14
Canned Ham (cooked with can juices)	1 ½ to 2 3 5	23 to 25 21 to 23 17 to 20

How to Broil Ham

Craving ham but don’t want all the leftovers? Broiling a ham steak is the perfect solution. Since a steak is just a thick slice cut from the ham, it will have a similar flavor and texture. Broiling allows the ham to brown on the outside, for maximum flavor, and because steaks are typically about ½-inch thick, this method will also cook the meat through. It’s important to note, steaks are typically sold raw, so must be cooked to a temperature of 145°F. Here’s how to broil ham steak.

Set oven to broil and line broiler pan with aluminum foil, for easy cleanup.
Place ham steak on a wire rack over broiler pan. Position the pan so the top of the ham is 4 to 5 inches from heat.
Steaks are done when the meat is heated in the middle and edges are slightly browned; roughly 5 minutes per side for ¼- to ½-inch slices.

How to Cook Ham in a Slow Cooker

For a moist, delicious and hands-off ham, use your slow cooker and keep these tips in mind.

Oval slow cookers are best able to accommodate the shape of the ham—you’ll want a 5- to 7-quart size.
Before cooking, coat your insert with cooking spray. This will make cleanup easier.
Remove excess fat and skin before cooking ham and score with hatched pattern.
Hams typically cook on Low and take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours, depending on size of ham. If you’re ready to give it a try, we recommend the recipe below!

How to Glaze Ham

To add extra flavor to your ham, try adding a glaze. We’ll walk you through all the details!

How to Carve Ham

To add extra flavor to your ham, try adding a glaze. We’ll walk you through all the details!

So there you have it, everything you need to know to pull off your best-ever holiday ham!

FAQs

How long does it take to cook a ham? ›

The ham cooking instructions below cover all bases, but generally, a half ham will cook in 1½–2¼ hours, while a whole ham could need anywhere from 2½–4½ hours. Allow around 20 minutes per pound for an uncooked half ham; and 18–20 minutes per pound for an uncooked full ham.

Get More Info Here ›

What is the best way to cook a precooked ham? ›

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the ham on a rack in a large baking pan and add about 1/4- to 1/2 inch of water to the pan. If the ham is labeled "fully cooked" (does not require heating), heat it in the oven for about 10 minutes per pound, or to an internal temperature of 140 F.

View Details ›

Do you cover a ham when cooking? ›

If you don't cover your ham while cooking it will quickly dry out. Instead: Put some aluminum foil over your ham while it's cooking. It is recommended that the ham is covered for at least half of the cooking process and only removed during the last half when you glaze it.

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What is the best way to cook a ham without drying it out? ›

How do you bake a ham without drying it out? Spiral cut hams should be covered with aluminum foil to help retain moisture when re heating. You could also place a foil pan with water underneath the ham to create some steam inside the oven to keep everything moist.

Tell Me More ›

How long to cook 2 10 lb hams per pound? ›

Cooking Temperature and Time

If the ham is a half ham weighing five to seven pounds, it should heat at 325°F for 22-25 minutes per pound. If it is a whole ham weighing between 10 to 14 pounds, heat the ham at 325°F for 18-20 minutes per pound. The internal temperature should be 140°F.

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Do you need to add water when cooking a ham? ›

Water-Cooking

Add water to keep ham covered. Take ham from the pan and while warm, remove the skin and fat as desired. If a sweet coating is desired, sprinkle the fat side with brown sugar and bread crumbs and bake in a 400 degree oven until brown (approximately 15 minutes).

Are all spiral hams precooked? ›

Although very rare, not all spiral-cut hams are sold fully-cooked. Some are sold partially cooked or raw. It is important to check the product label to identify how the ham was processed.

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How long to heat fully cooked whole ham? ›

Place in a 325-to-350-degree oven, brush with some glaze if desired and bake until heated through and the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees. Again, figure no more than 10 minutes per pound. An 8-pounder will take 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Keep Reading ›

How do you know when a fully cooked ham is done? ›

Cook all raw fresh ham and ready-to-eat ham to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F (62.8 °C) as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming.

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Does ham get more tender the longer you cook it? ›

Why slow cook ham? Slow cooker ham is infinitely more tender for a fall-off the bone texture. A low, consistent heat over hours breaks down the collagen and connective tissues, which tenderises the meat. The natural fat slowly renders down, infusing the meat with a more intense, rich flavour.

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How long to cook a precooked spiral ham? ›

If you're starting with a pre-cooked ham, you'll only need to cook your ham long enough to heat it all the way through. Total cook time will depend on the size of the ham, your cooking method, and the cooking temperature. In general, you'll want to plan for 10-16 minutes per pound.

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