Updated! Amazing Quick and Easy Ham Glaze Recipe

Glazed Ham… Yes Please!

UPDATED VERSION WITH ADDED TIPS! If there’s one thing about ham that many people can agree on is the fact that a tasty glaze is an amazing thing! The ham can be baked, smoked, or grilled and people still love a touch of sweet flavor that a glaze offers. If you’re wondering about the popularity of glazed hams then consider this fact; there are over 400 Honey Baked Ham Company locations across the United States. That number does not include other ham sellers ranging from grocery stores to specialty meat shops. So, about that glaze… here’s a trivia blurb worth noting. The Honey Baked Ham Company uses Certified master glazers who sprinkle a mixture of sugar and spices over each ham while applying heat from a specialized blowtorch!

Glaze Tips!

You can consider the recipe below as a starter glaze if you wish. It’s great as is – but feel free to make some adjustments and toss in some additional ingredients. Here are some basic tips and tricks when working with a glaze.

A glaze is not a marinade or sauce and should not be applied to early. Sugar can burn and become bitter.
Glazes most often are applied during the last few minutes of the cooking process.
A heated sugar glaze, like the one below, can be applied during the last few minutes of the cooking process, or after the cooking process as the ham rests.
A heated sugar glaze, like the one below, will harden as it cools.
A kitchen torch can be used to heat a thick sugar glaze without burning – this is a skill and you don’t want to do this for the first time while guests are waiting to eat!
Dark brown sugar makes for a deeper flavor.
Light brown sugar makes for a sweeter flavor.
Want some bonus flavor? You can use preserves, jams, and jellies such as apricot, orange or blueberry for bonus flavor or as an instant glaze!
Unused glaze can be used as the base for a dipping sauce. Add fruit juice to thin along with mustard, or whatever sounds tasty.

Amazing Quick and Easy Ham Glaze Recipe

HOW DO YOU MAKE A PINEAPPLE GLAZE OR MAPLE GLAZE FOR HAM?
Pineapple Brown Sugar Glaze and Maple Brown Sugar Glazed Ham are two of the more popular ham recipes, aside from regular brown sugar glazed ham. They’re so popular I made a slow cooker version of the Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham in case you’re feeling in a tropical mood!

Ingredients

1 cup light brown sugar packed
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves

Instructions:
Combine everything in a saucepan over low or medium heat to warm. Increase temperature to a low boil and quickly remove from heat stirring during the process. Apply to your ham and get ready to enjoy!

Author Bio: Kent Whitaker, also known as “The Deck Chef,” is an award-winning culinary writer and cookbook author. He’s also penned Young Reader, NASCAR and History titles. The former winner of the Emeril Live Food Network Barbecue Contest also covers football, motorsports, and bass fishing. Kent currently lives in East Tennessee with his wife, son, and a couple of dogs that love when he fires up the smoker or grill. You can reach out to Kent at www.thedeckchef.com, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.