What’s not to love about ham? It tastes fantastic, and it makes a gorgeous centerpiece for Christmas or Easter. And, did we mention? It’s so much easier to cook than other holiday roasts. You have to brine turkey to keep it juicy, and you must closely monitor prime rib to prevent overcooking. By comparison, learning how to cook spiral ham is a cinch.
Spiral ham is a city ham, which means it’s already cooked when you get it from the store. You just need to reheat it in the oven to warm it through to the center. And since city ham is much easier to carve than bone-in ham, it’s one of the best hams to buy. The butcher does most of the work for you, cutting the ham in a spiral-slicing machine that slices the meat around the bone. When it comes time to carve, you can simply cut along the natural breaks to remove the meat.
How Long to Cook a Spiral Ham
Spiral ham is already cooked, so all you need to do is heat it through properly at home. How long you’ll need to cook a spiral ham largely depends on its size and whether you cover it while it cooks. A 7- to 9-pound spiral ham will take two to three hours in a 325°F oven.
Since there are many variables that go into the timing, we suggest using a meat thermometer for true precision. Your ham will be ready to serve when it reaches an internal temperature of 140°.
Spiral Ham Ingredients
- Fully cooked spiral ham: Spiral ham is a precooked, presliced ham that’s easy to carve. Some spiral hams are boneless, but we recommend choosing one on the bone. The bone gives the meat a better flavor, and you can use the leftover bone to make split pea soup.
- Onion: Onion isn’t necessary in cooking a spiral ham, but it does add great flavor! In this recipe, we saute an onion with butter, and add it to the bottom of the roasting pan. This keeps the ham elevated without a wire rack, letting air flow freely around the ham while it bakes for even heating.
- Chicken broth and red wine: The chicken broth and red wine add moisture to the pan, keeping the spiral ham nice and juicy as it bakes. The wine isn’t necessary, so feel free to just use more broth in its place!
Directions
Step 1: Cook the onion
Preheat the oven to 325°. In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Step 2: Prepare the spiral ham
Transfer the onion to a roasting pan.
Place the spiral ham on top.
Pour the chicken broth and red wine over the ham.
Editor’s Tip: Spiral ham benefits from liquid in the roasting pan to keep it juicy as it cooks. You don’t need to use chicken broth and red wine specifically. Any type of broth or wine works, and you can also use just plain water!
Step 3: Bake the ham
Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer reads 140° and the ham is heated through, two to three hours.
Editor’s Tip: Don’t throw away the cooking juices in the roasting pan! Thicken the juices with cornstarch to make a tasty ham gravy.
How to Store Spiral Ham
Store leftover spiral ham in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days. For longer storage, freeze ham in a freezer-safe container for up to two months.
Spiral Ham Tips
How do you glaze a spiral ham?
Here’s how you glaze your spiral ham: During the final 15 to 30 minutes of bake time, remove the ham from the oven, and brush with your glaze of choice. Return to the oven to finish baking.
Some spiral hams come with a glaze packet, but it’s easy to whip up a homemade glaze for spiral ham. Use the brown sugar glaze from our glazed ham slices recipe, or make pineapple-glazed ham, maple-glazed ham, bourbon-glazed ham, or honey baked ham.
How do I prevent my ham from drying out?
You can prevent your ham from drying out by following a number of tips. First, resist the temptation to crank up the heat to make the ham cook faster. High oven temperatures can overcook the exterior before the center has a chance to warm through.
There’s also the question of whether to cover your ham as it cooks. Covering the ham with foil will trap moisture inside, and that will keep the ham juicy while it cooks more quickly. However, uncovered ham has better texture on the outside slices. They get lightly caramelized, especially if you add a glaze during the bake.
Ultimately, the best way to ensure a spiral ham won’t dry out is to add liquid to the pan as it cooks. This recipe uses red wine and chicken broth, but you can use any liquid—even water.
How do you cut a spiral ham?
To cut a spiral ham, place the ham on its side on a cutting board. Begin cutting around the entire bone to separate the meat, going along the natural breaks of fat on each piece. Move the cut ham to a platter. Continue cutting around the bone until you have removed all the meat. You can use kitchen shears to cut away pieces of ham with a lot of tissue connecting it to the bone. Our guide on how to cut a ham has more tips.
What do you serve with spiral ham?
Serve spiral ham with your favorite Easter dinner sides or Christmas side dishes. Ham pairs well with decadent dishes like creamy mac and cheese and scalloped potatoes. For a lighter meal, serve ham with vegetable side dishes like mashed cauliflower, roasted carrots or green beans.
What can you do with leftover spiral ham?
Use leftover spiral ham in recipes with cooked ham, such as ham and cheddar breakfast casserole, cheesy ham chowder, or mac and cheese with ham. When it comes to leftover ham recipes, the possibilities are endless!
How much ham do you need per person?
As a general rule of thumb, we recommend about 1/2 pound per person when serving a bone-in ham. If you substitute a boneless ham, plan for 1/3 pound per person.
How can you cook spiral ham in a slow cooker?
It’s easy to turn this oven-baked spiral ham recipe into a slow-cooker spiral ham. Simply place the ham in a 5-quart slow cooker. Pour the cooked onion, broth, and wine over the ham. Cook, covered, on low until a thermometer reads 140°, four to five hours. (Make sure to buy a ham that will fit in your slow cooker. If the lid doesn’t fit, you can cover the slow cooker tightly with foil. It’s not ideal, but it’ll work in a pinch.)
