Apricot Bourbon Glazed Ham is a perfect recipe for any family gathering or holiday! This tasty ham is perfect for Easter, Christmas, or any time you are in for a no-fuss festive ham dinner.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- This apricot bourbon-glazed ham recipe is super easy and has the most amazing flavor.
- The caramelization of the homemade ham glaze creates a beautiful presentation.
- The combination of the apricot preserves, bourbon, and maple syrup makes a delicious glaze on the spiral-cut ham.
Ingredients
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- bourbon
- apricot preserves
- pure maple syrup
- light brown sugar
- Dijon mustard
- apple cider vinegar
Equipment
Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe. The full instructions are below in the recipe card.
- Remove the ham from the refrigerator for ½ hour before ready to cook to bring it to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large roasting pan, add about one inch of water to the pan. Place a rack in the roasting pan.
- Wrap the spiral ham in aluminum foil. Place ham, flat side down in the middle of the aluminum foil. Wrap ham well with the foil and place the ham in the center of the rack in the roasting pan.
- Place the pan in the preheated oven and roast the ham for about 90 minutes.
- Remove the ham from the oven.
- Carefully open the foil and leave the foil rolled at the bottom of the ham to catch any dripping glaze.
- Place ½ of the glaze (recipe below) on the spiral ham. Get in between the slices of ham with the glaze.
- Place the ham back into the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Check the internal temperature of the ham and it should be close to 140°F.
- Remove the ham from the oven. Put the oven on broil.
- Brush the ham with the remaining glaze. Place under the broiler for about 5 minutes. The glaze will caramelize. *Do not leave the ham, oven temperatures vary. You do not want to burn the ham.
- Remove from the oven. Let rest about 15 minutes before slicing.
How to make the glaze
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine apricot preserves, bourbon, pure maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar.
- Stir occasionally for about 5 minutes. The mixture will slightly thicken and will be ready to glaze the ham.
Storage
Baked ham leftovers can keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days in an airtight covered container.
Freezer Instructions:
Leftovers are super easy to freeze for later. Place leftovers in freezer-safe bags or freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Also, a microwave can be used to defrost the ham. Follow manufacturer's instructions for defrosting.
Be sure to check out all my leftover ham ideas. We have a ton of ideas from breakfast burritos to ham bone soup and creamy ham and pasta.
Expert Tips
Expert Tip: At 325°F, the ham will need to cook at 10-14 minutes per pound and the ham's internal temperature reaches 140°F.
Frequently Asked Questions
Placing water in the roasting pan and placing foil around the bottom of the ham keeps the moisture in the ham and it will not dry out.
Besides the water bath for the ham, covering the ham with aluminum foil for most of the baking time ensures a juicy ham.
Absolutely. Both the ham and glaze can be made ahead of time. Do not slice the ham. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Wrap the ham in aluminum foil and place it in the heated oven. Warm for about 15 minutes.
Remove the aluminum foil and glaze the ham with 30 minutes left in the cooking time.
Absolutely, many times, I will prepare the ham a day ahead of time and leave it whole. It can be heated up in the oven at 325°F for about 15 minutes about a half-hour before being ready to slice and serve it.
An instant-read meat thermometer is an essential kitchen tool. They are not expensive and you will get the specific internal temperature of the meat to ensure proper cooking.
Variations
A boneless ham can be used with this delicious bourbon glaze.
For added flavor, feel free to add a bit of orange or apple juice to the glaze.
Serving Suggestions
Nothing beats my Granny's Homemade Mashed Potatoes. These are beyond delicious and everyone loves them.
If you love taters, try our Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, another winner of a recipe made with a bit of buttermilk.
Roasted Green Beans are simple and delicious and would be perfect with this glazed ham.
Crispy Roasted Potatoes are super easy to prepare and would be an easy side dish to prepare ahead of time.
A classic sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is another great option.
Roasted Asparagus with garlic and lemon, ready in under 20 minutes would be delicious with this ham recipe.
If you are planning a brunch, our bacon ranch potato salad and macaroni salad are two must makes.
Celebrating Easter? Don't forget these tasty M&M cookies, Macaroon Nest cookies, and Lemon Sugar Cross Cookies
Similar recipes
Looking for a smaller ham recipe, try our Maple Glazed Ham, so delicious!
Our Roasted Turkey is juicy, tender, and delicious.
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Eileen xo
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The recipe was originally published on April 7, 2017. Updated with new photos and a new variation on the glaze on April 12, 2022.
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Apricot Bourbon Glazed Ham
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Remove the ham from the refrigerator ½ hour before ready to cook.
- Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large roasting pan, add about one inch of water to the pan. Place a rack in the roasting pan.
- Wrap the spiral ham in aluminum foil. Place the ham, flat side down in the middle of the aluminum foil. Wrap ham well with the foil and place the ham in the center of the rack in the roasting pan.
- Place the pan in the preheated oven and roast the ham for about 90 minutes.
- Remove the ham from the oven.
- Carefully open the foil and leave the foil rolled at the bottom of the ham to catch any dripping glaze.
- Place ½ of the glaze (recipe below) on the spiral ham. Get in between the slices of ham with the glaze.
- Place the ham back into the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Check the internal temperature of the ham and it should be close to 140°F.
- Remove the ham from the oven. Put the oven on broil.
- Brush the ham with the remaining glaze. Place under the broiler for about 5 minutes. The glaze will caramelize. *Do not leave the ham, oven temperatures vary. You do not want to burn the ham.
- Remove from the oven. Let rest about 15 minutes before slicing.
- In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, add the bourbon, apricot preserves, pure maple syrup, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Simmer and whisk for about 5 minutes, to blend flavors. Set aside until ready to use.
Nutrition
Notes
- any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
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If you loved this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below — it helps other find it and means the world to me! — Eileen xo 🍀Oldies but goodies..... one of my first recipes. We needed to keep these photos to remind me of how it began!
Maureen
Made this as a test run for Easter. Wow, it is delicious and the glaze is amazing!
Eileen xo
I am so happy you enjoyed the ham! We love it at our house too!
Susan Conley @ Cookthestone
this is fabulous!!!! it's pefectly fit for family gathering
Eileen xo
Thank you so much Susan! So easy to make too!
Iryna
What a great recipe! This ham looks mouthwatering!
Eileen xo
Thank you Iryna! Its a delicious ham! We love it!
Kristen Roberts
You had me at bourbon! In all seriousness though, what a perfectly timed recipe. I have some homemade apricot preserves I should dive into, and I think this recipe is a perfect use! Thanks for sharing!
Eileen xo
Perfect Kristen! I hope you enjoy! Let me know how the recipe goes for you!