Learn how to bake a spiral sliced ham, perfect for any special occasion. A smoky, juicy ham with a sweet and salty fig glaze is a beautiful main course that is impressive but easy to prepare.
A beautiful baked ham is a perfect main course for Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. With a minimal amount of effort, you can have a main course that is perfect to take center stage. A spiral sliced ham is a great option. Most of the prep work is done for you. It's so easy to just heat it through and add a few finishing touches.
If you've never tried fig preserves, I highly recommend giving it a try. It is so delicious, not too sweet and pairs so well with savory flavors. The sautéed shallot and garlic gives the glaze a more dimensional flavor. The balsamic vinegar is also sweet but balances everything else out with some acidity too. It really is a winning combination with the salty, smoky ham.
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Ingredients
- spiral sliced ham (shank end)
- butter or oil (for sauteing the shallots and garlic)
- shallot (you can use an onion instead)
- garlic
- fig preserves (you can also use orange marmalade, apricot jam, etc.)
- thyme (rosemary is another great option)
- balsamic vinegar (red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar are also good options)
The complete list of ingredients and their exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
What type of ham should you buy?
For this recipe, I am using a bone in, spiral cut ham. There is very little extra fat, so you don’t need to do much prep work to the ham before getting it into the oven.
The shank end of the ham has the bone that goes straight through the center of the ham, making it easier to slice. The sirloin/butt portion of the ham has two bones instead of one, making it a bit more challenging to slice.
You can also use a bone-in, uncut cured ham, also the shank end, for this recipe. In that case, trim the excess fat, leaving only about ¼ inch thickness and score the remaining fat in 1 inch intervals, in a crosshatch pattern, or spiral slice it yourself.
Add More Slices to the Ham
Most spiral sliced hams are not sliced at the very top. As the ham bakes, the cut portion of the man will separated from the uncut top portion of the ham, creating huge gaps.
There's nothing wrong with it, it will just look a little homely. To prevent this, use a sharp knife to create 3-5 more slices parallel to the other slices on the ham across the top. (If you forget this step and the ham starts to separate, just create a few slices and as soon as you notice it and it should fix the problem.)
Spiral Glazed Ham Video
How to Bake a Spiral Sliced Ham
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prep the ham.
- Place the ham in a deep roasting pan on top of a rack. Pour in about 1 ½ cups water into the bottom of the roasting pan. Cover the top of the ham and the roasting pan first with parchment paper, then with another layer of aluminum.
- Bake the ham in the preheated oven for 45 minutes - 1 ½ hours, depending on the size of your ham.
- The internal temperature of the ham should reach about 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Meanwhile, prepare the glaze for the ham.
- In a small-medium saucepan, saute the shallot and garlic in the butter, until the shallots are tender.
- Add the fig preserves, the balsamic vinegar, thyme and water. Mix to combine and simmer for another 5 minutes. Discard the thyme springs.
- I like to blend all of this in a blender or use an immersion blender to get a smooth consistency. This way, when you brush the glaze over the ham, you won’t have bits of shallot all over it. If the glaze is too thick, thin it out with a bit more water.
- Glaze the ham.
- When the ham has reached an internal temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, remove it from the oven. Uncover it, and brush it evenly with the glaze.
- Increase the temperature of the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Return the glazed ham to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the glaze has caramelized a bit.
- Remove from the oven, let it rest for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with the remaining Fig and Balsamic Glaze.
Helpful Tips and Frequently Asked Questions To Bake a Spiral Ham
Fig preserves are sold in the aisle with all the other jams, jellies and preserves. It is fairly easy to find.
If you can’t find it, Plum Preserves, Black or Red Currant Preserves will work instead too. Orange marmalade, apricot jam or apple jelly are also good choices.
Adding water to the bottom of the roasting pan and then covering the ham with parchment paper/aluminum foil will create steam on the inside and cook the ham in a moist low heat.
This will help a lot to keep the ham from drying out and overcooking.
I use both parchment paper and aluminum foil to create a steamy/moist environment for the ham. This will not only help the ham bake through faster, but will keep it from drying out too. I also like to avoid aluminum foil touching food. The parchment paper alone will not crimp around the roasting pan. The aluminum foil is more durable and malleable. If you have a really large roasting pan with a lid, you can just use the lid.
The ham is already cooked. In this recipe, we are only heating it through. If you bake it too long, it will dry out and won’t be juicy and delicious. Hams are ready to eat right out of the package - just like the ham you buy at the deli for your sandwiches.
Use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature and just get it hot all the way through.
When the ham is warmed through, add the glaze and finish baking it uncovered.
What to Serve with Ham
PrintHow To Bake a Spiral Sliced Ham (Fig Glaze)
A smoky, juicy ham with a sweet and salty fig glaze is a beautiful main course that is impressive but easy to prepare for a special occasion. The glaze not only adds a beautiful sheen to the ham, but adds a terrific flavor to it too.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 1 ham
Ingredients
10-15 lb spiral sliced glazed ham (preferably shank end)
1 ½ cups water
Fig Glaze:
½ Tablespoon butter or oil
1 shallot (you can also use ½ medium yellow or red onion), minced
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fig preserves
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2-3 fresh thyme springs (or 1 rosemary sprig)
¼ cup water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the ham in a deep roasting pan on top of a rack. Pour in about 1 ½ cups water into the bottom of the roasting pan. Cover the top of the ham and the roasting pan first with parchment paper and then with another layer of aluminum.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes - 1 ½ hours, depending on the size of your ham. The internal temperature of the ham should reach 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit. The ham is already cooked and does not need to reach a higher temperature.
- Meanwhile, prepare the glaze for the ham.
- In a small-medium saucepan, heat the butter or oil. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes on medium low heat, seasoning with salt and ground black pepper to taste, until the shallots are tender.
- Add the fig preserves, the balsamic vinegar, thyme and water. Mix to combine and simmer for another 5 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs.
- Blend all of this in a blender or use an immersion blender to get a smooth consistency. If the glaze is too thick, thin it out with a bit more water.
- When the ham has reached an internal temperature of 100 - 110 degrees Fahrenheit, remove it from the oven, uncover it, and brush it evenly with the glaze.
- Increase the temperature of the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Return the glazed ham to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the glaze has caramelized a bit. (Do not overcook the ham or it will be too dry.)
- Remove from the oven, let it rest for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with the remaining Fig Glaze, if you want to.
Notes
- Instead of fig preserves, you can also so many other jams/jellies/preserves: use orange marmalade, apricot jam, plum preserves, apple jelly, black/red currant preserves, etc.
- Most spiral sliced hams are not sliced at the very top. As the ham bakes, the cut portion of the man will separated from the uncut top portion of the ham, creating huge gaps.
There's nothing wrong with it, it will just look a little homely. To prevent this, use a sharp knife to create 3-5 more slices parallel to the other slices on the ham across the top. (If you forget this step and the ham starts to separate, just create a few slices and as soon as you notice it and it should fix the problem.)
What a delicious alternative to the classic brown sugar or pineapple glaze! Missing out on Easter celebrations this year but I will file this away for future dinners with family. Can you link to the pan you're using please? In the market for a roasting pan.
The roasting pan was a gift and I'm not sure where to find one. I haven't been able to find it online.
You can use any deep roasting pan that will fit the ham. I hope you get a chance to try it sometime soon, Kitti.