You want a ham that is juicy and pink and glistening all the way through dinner. Don’t you love to see your guests enjoying their dinner hearing comments of ‘Yummm! This is SO GOOD!”. I'll show you HOW TO COOK SPIRAL HAM WITHOUT DRYING IT OUT!
Today I’ll show you how to cook a delicious juicy ham that won’t dry out either in the oven or on the table. It will be perfect for dinner and even for leftovers! Your guests will wonder HOW TO COOK SPIRAL HAM WITHOUT DRYING IT OUT!
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- I show you how long to cook a spiral sliced ham without drying it out!
- We review all the possible ways to go wrong so you can avoid them.
- I show you how to make the glaze.
- There’s lots of other tips too!
How to Cook Spiral Ham Without Drying It Out
- Preheat 325.
- Remove spiral ham from package, reserve the liquid. Put the spiral ham in pan with rack in the bottom and with the fat side UP.
- Pour package juices in the bottom of the pan to avoid drying it out.
- Cover spiral ham tightly with foil, no steam escapes.
- Place CENTER of oven.
HOW LONG TO COOK SPIRAL HAM WITHOUT DRYING IT OUT?
This is actually the BIG question! You DO NOT want to over cook the ham. Over cooking is the Number ONE reason for dry chewing yucky ham! So, don’t do it.
Check your ham label, but chances are that if you have a spiral ham, it has already been cooked. The label will say “precooked”. That means that YOU are not actually cooking the ham, you are simply reheating it!
That said, there are certain tips and tricks you can follow to make this process go smoothly and to ensure that your ham is tender, juicy and perfect all the way through dinner and even for leftovers.
Precooked, spiral sliced ham needs to reheat in the oven 10 minutes per pound at 325 degrees. That means we need to do a little math. I’ve included a handy chart for you below, in case math isn’t your thing.
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO OF WENDI COOKING A SPIRAL HAM! IT'S LOCATED IN THE RECIPE CARD AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST!
COOKING CHART
If you ham weighs…… Then cook for …………
5 lbs………50 minutes
6 lbs……... 60 minutes
7 lbs …….. 1 hour and 10 minutes
8 lbs …….. 1 hour and 20 minutes
9 lbs …….. 1 hour and 30 minutes
10 lbs……. 1 hour and 40 minutes
11 lbs ……. 1 hour and 50 minutes
12 lbs ……..2 hours
13 lbs…….. 2 hours and 10 minutes
14 lbs…….. 2 hours and 20 minutes
15 lbs……. 2 hours and 30 minutes
16 lbs …… 2 hours and 40 minutes
17 lbs …….2 hours and 50 minutes
18 lbs……..3 hours.
BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE TO KNOW THAN JUST HOW LONG TO COOK...
There are several secrets to cooking the perfect ham without drying it out! I’ll review those here and then give you a bullet point list below.
WHAT KIND OF PAN DO I COOK A SPIRAL SLICED HAM IN?
Any pan that is large enough to hold the ham AND the drippings will work BUT, you can’t go wrong with a seriously proper roasting pan. I’ll include a photo below so that you can see what I’m talking about.
The link I’ve included is an Amazon Affiliate link and I do receive a commission if you choose to purchase one this way. (Thank you SO MUCH!). Just click the photo to go straight through to Amazon to compare prices.
That said, I found the one I use at Big Lots and I recommend that you look around because decent pans can be found in a RANGE of prices.
You want one that has a nice finish (you’ll be doing some serious scrubbing in that pan after holidays).
Nice deep sides are wonderful!
A shiny thicker bottom is preferred to help prevent warping and for even heating.
I like that mine has a V shaped rack to hold the contents together and above the drippings.
Have no fear though, my own mother has baked hams in her ancient enamel coated 9x13 pan with a generic rack that came out of another pan for years and it works just fine too.
CATCH THE JUICES THAT COME OUT OF THE SHRINK WRAPPED HAM PACKAGE
When you cut the ham free of its plastic mummy wrap, you’ll see that quite a bit of juice runs out. SAVE THAT JUICE!
When you place your ham into the roasting pan, put the juice in the bottom of the roasting pan and this juice will then steam your ham adding MORE FLAVOR.
WHAT IF THE JUICE GOT AWAY OR IF THERE WASN’T THAT MUCH?
It’s ok, just add ½ cup more chicken stock than I call for in the recipe.
COVER THE HAM TIGHTLY WITH ALUMINUM FOIL
Once you have placed the ham in the pan, make SURE that you cover it very tightly with aluminum foil. You DO NOT want any steam escaping from the pan. The steam heats the meat and keeps everything moist.
Be sure to buy the LONG aluminum HEAVY DUTY foil because it is seriously hard to adequately cover your ham with cheap, thin, short aluminum foil. It’s worth an extra couple of bucks to ensure that you’ve got your ham covered.
PUT THE HAM IN THE OVEN WITH THE FOIL ON TIGHTLY AND LEAVE IT ALONE!
- OK, so here we are.
- The ham is in the roasting pan on the rack.
- We put the reserved juices and the chicken stock in the bottom of the roasting pan.
- The oven is preheated.
- Aluminum foil is so tightly covering the ham in the roasting pan that I’m pretty sure I heard the ham hollar, “Help! I’m claustrophobic”. ***Put the aluminum foil over the ham and secure it to the pan***
- We put the ham as close to the center of the oven as possible.
- The oven door is securely shut.
WHAT DO WE DO NEXT?
Remember that time chart at the top of this post? Leave the ham alone until that exact time has elapsed.
TAKE THE HAM OUT OF THE OVEN AND...
Once the ham has cooked for the amount of time indicated, remove the ham from the oven. Set it out on the counter and DO NOT REMOVE THE ALUMINUM FOIL.
GLAZING THE HAM
If a glaze is included, follow the directions that you will find either on the glaze packet OR on the back of the label of your ham.
When NO glaze included, you could make your own OR just not have a glaze. Your ham will be good either way. If you want to make your own glaze, follow the instructions noted below.
HOW TO KEEP HAM MOIST DURING DINNER
The best way for the ham to remain moist during dinner is to cook it properly to begin with. Ham that is overcooked will dry out more quickly on the table.
The next best way to have moist ham on the dinner table is to only place the amount that the family will eat on the first pass around the table on the platter. Once the platter has been around and everyone has a slice, wait a bit and then refill the platter.
Ham sitting open faced on a platter on the table does tend to dry more quickly than the whole ham that is in the kitchen with the aluminum foil on top of it!
FAQ (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS) AND TIPS AND TRICKS FOR MOIST SPIRAL SLICED HAM!
HOW DO I COOK MY HAM WITH PINEAPPLE SLICES?
You can add sliced canned pineapple to your ham before baking. That is entirely up to you. Simply lay the slices of pineapple on the ham and secure with toothpicks. Most people prefer the slices that are preserved in syrup.
Make sure that you remove the toothpicks before serving. You will likely want to offer the pineapple slices on the side of your ham platter.
HOW TO COOK MY HAM IN AN OVEN BAG
If you prefer to cook your ham in an oven bag rather than aluminum foil, that will work too. Simply follow these instructions and then bake as per the recipe below…
- Put 1 Tablespoon of flour into the bag and shake it well and then leave the flour in the bag. (This prevents the bag from exploding while cooking).
- Place bag into the pan and put the ham into the bag (cut side down)
- Cut 6 1” slices in the top of the bag (this lets steam escape so bag doesn’t explode)
- Make sure the bag is completely inside the baking pan and not hanging over at all. (The bag will melt if it is touching the wire rack)
- Bake according to the directions below and then apply the glaze per directions.
This is an oven bag. You can click the photo to go straight through to Amazon to compare prices. I am an Amazon affiliate so if you decide to purchase through this method, I will receive a commission. This doesn't affect your purchase price, so THANK YOU!
Baking Bags DO come in several sizes. Make sure you get the one big enough for a turkey.
HOW TO COOK MY HAM IN A CROCKPOT or SLOW COOKER
First, you will likely need a big crockpot (something like a 7 quart crock pot). I’ve included an Amazon link here for that size crockpot. I have one and use it all the time. It’s great for making Party Chili!
Follow these instructions to bake your ham in the crockpot.
- Place the ham in the crockpot (flat side down) with the juices from the ham and ½ cup of chicken stock.
- Put the lid on.
- Set on “low” and cook for 2-4 hours.
- Glaze with the included glaze packet when done.
- (If you want to glaze with your own glaze, you will want to add that at the beginning).
HOW CAN I MAKE MY OWN GLAZE FOR THE HAM?
If you would like to make your own glaze, then toss the glaze packet that comes with the ham. Make the following mix:
- 1 Cup pineapple juice
- 1 Cup brown sugar
- ⅔ Cup maple syrup.
- 30 minutes before the ham is done, pour this mixture over the ham (separate the slices slightly and make sure the mix goes down between slices).
- Place the aluminum foil back on the ham tightly and put back in the oven to finish cooking.
- Forewarning (this mix is very sticky!).
IS SPIRAL HAM PRECOOKED?
Yes. Most spiral ham is precooked. Check the label of your specific ham to be sure.
HOW DO I REHEAT LEFTOVER HAM?
You can reheat spiral ham by wrapping it tightly in aluminum foil and then heating for 30 minutes in a 350 oven.
If you prefer to reheat in the microwave, remove the aluminum foil and cover with plastic wrap and heat on high for 1 minute and then turn the dish and heat in 1 minute intervals until reheated.
We enjoy single slices of ham cooked in a cast iron skillet in some butter too!
WHAT IS THE GLAZE PACKET THAT COMES WITH THE HAM?
The glaze packet that comes with the ham is a mixture of sugar and flavorings. Usually, it is already prepared and all you have to do is cut it open and pour it over the ham at the end of baking.
HOW CAN I MAKE A SPIRAL HAM AHEAD?
You can bake the ham the day before and simply reheat the slices that you will need. See reheating instructions above.
DO I NEED TO COVER MY HAM WHEN BAKING?
YES! That is the secret to having a super juicy ham. See the recipe card below, the baking instructions for bake in the bag or the instructions for crockpot / slowcooker ham.
WHY DO I NEED TO COOK A FULLY COOKED HAM?
Actually, you do not need to cook the fully cooked ham. What we are actually doing is just warming it up. Most people like to have warm ham with their dinner.
DO I NEED TO BASTE THE HAM WHILE IT IS COOKING
No, you do not need to baste the ham while it is cooking. Baste it when it is done cooking several times and then again just before serving.
WHAT DO I BASTE THE HAM WITH?
You can use a spoon to spoon the drippings over the ham, but be careful you can burn your hand this way (ask me how I know).
The safest way to do this is to use a good baster. I've included a picture you can click to go through to Amazon to compare prices. This is what I use. I am an amazon affiliate and if you purchase through this link, I do receive a commission (THANK YOU!)
HOW LONG IS A HAM GOOD FOR?
The spiral sliced ham that you buy at the store is good for quite a while. There will be an expiration date on the package. Be sure to heed this date.
HOW LONG WILL COOKED HAM LAST?
Your cooked ham should be good if kept in the refrigerator for 5 days.
CAN I FREEZE MY SPIRAL SLICED HAM?
Yes, you can freeze the entire ham when you purchase it from the store. Just put it in the freezer. It will be good in the freezer for 3-6 months.
CAN I FREEZE MY SPIRAL SLICED HAM LEFTOVERS?
Certainly you may! Put the slices in a freezer safe zip lock bag, remove as much air as possible. Label well with what’s inside and the date you froze it and it should keep for 3-6 months in the freezer.
WHEN SHOULD I GLAZE MY HAM?
If you are using the glaze packet that comes with the ham, follow the enclosed directions. Usually this calls for opening the packet and squeezing it over the ham after baking.
If you are using my glaze instructions that are noted in this post, then follow those instructions.
RECAP FOR HOW TO COOK SPIRAL HAM WITHOUT DRYING IT OUT:
- Reserve the ham juices and use those along with the chicken broth to “steam” the ham.
- Cover the ham well with aluminum foil and make sure it is tightly secured to your roasting dish.
- Use a proper roasting pan.
- Choose your glaze (either the included packet or the recipe I gave you) and apply the glaze at the proper time.
- Keep the ham covered until time to eat and keep the remains covered to keep them juicy
- BASTE the ham with it’s juices several times after you take it out of the oven. This helps increase moisture in your ham. Baste it just before removing slices to put on the serving platter.
- Only put enough ham on your serving platter to serve those at the table their first serving. Go fill the platter again for the second serving to keep the ham at the table fresh and juicy.
- DO NOT over bake your ham. Really, it’s better to go under time than to go over time. Remember the ham is already cooked, we are just warming it up.
WHAT GOES WITH MY JUICY SPIRAL HAM?
Oh so many great choices for a wonderful dinner! You could go all out and have...
Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
Slow cooker green beans with bacon
How to Cook Pinto Beans on the stove top
or you could do something a little easier like
How to Cook canned corn on the stove
How to cook canned green beans on the stove
WHAT TO DO WITH HAM LEFTOVERS?
There is seriously nothing better to do with that ham bone than to put it in a big pot of pinto beans!
The Secret to Perfect Old Fashioned Pinto Beans
OR you can freeze the leftovers to use for sandwiches, in mac and cheese or soups!
LET'S SEE WHAT GOES INTO THIS THING...
Get the ham out of the bag and figure out how long it should cook....
Put the ham in the roasting pan with ½ cup of chicken stock or the reserved juices from the ham.
Cover well with foil and Bake for the required time, apply the glaze, allow to rest and SERVE!
YA’LL BE SWEET AND HELP ME OUT, OK?
Leave me a 5 STAR 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Comment below. If you made this recipe, I would love for you to share it with me on social media or just email me at wendi(at sign)loavesanddishes.net. Reader comments are the best. I answer right back!
Ya’ll MAKE MY DAY when you leave me a comment 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 or send me an email!
Join me on social media by clicking the links at the top of the page!
THE RECIPE FOR HOW TO COOK SPIRAL HAM WITHOUT DRYING IT OUT
How to Cook a Spiral Sliced Ham without Drying It Out
Ingredients
- 1 Spiral Sliced PreCooked Ham
- ½ cup Chicken Stock
- 1 Glaze Packet
Instructions
- Remove your ham from the packaging being careful to reserve the juices that will be inside the shrink wrapped covering over the ham.
- Also be sure to save the label (with instructions for the ham), the glaze packet and the tag showing the weight of your ham. Keep handy where you can use them frequently if needed.
- Refer to the chart on this post for the length of time you will need to bake your ham based on the weight.
- Preheat the oven to 325 and move the oven rack so that you can position the ham in the center of the oven.
- Place the ham in your baking dish. Place fat side up for the most flavor.
- Pour the retained juices from the ham into the bottom of the baking dish and add ½ cup of chicken stock if there is not at least ½ cup of juices.
- Cover the ham TIGHTLY with heavy duty aluminum foil. If you can’t cover with a single piece of aluminum foil then use several. Put the aluminum foil over the top of the ham and secure it to the top edges of your roasting pan. Make it tight so that there are no leaks.
- Read the instructions for your included glaze packet so that you understand when and how to place the glaze.
- Bake for the time stated in the chart above OR if your ham comes with different time/temp instructions, follow that.
- Apply your glaze according to the glaze instructions (you will need to apply the glaze to the sliced side of your ham. If that side is down in the pan, flip the ham over). If you are using my glaze recipe included in the post, apply it 10 minutes before the ham is done after flipping the ham over so that the sliced part is up, recover with foil and place back in the oven to finish baking.
- When the appropriate time has elapsed, remove the ham from the oven, leave the foil on until it has cooled enough to handle.
- When cool enough to handle, make sure the sliced side is up. Use a basting bulb OR a ladle and spoon the pan drippings over the ham. Make sure that some of the juices get down into the slices.
- Just before serving, baste again. Serve warm.
Notes
- 1 Cup pineapple juice
- 1 Cup brown sugar
- ⅔ Cup maple syrup.
- 30 minutes before the ham is done, pour this mixture over the ham (separate the slices slightly and make sure the mix goes down between slices).
- Place the aluminum foil back on the ham tightly and put back in the oven to finish cooking.
- Forewarning (this mix is very sticky!).
Nutrition
A VERSE TO SHARE
This time of year always gets to me. It seems that it is dark all the time. I don’t know about where you live, but here, in North Carolina it seems like it has rained for months.
With the rain comes dark dreary clouds and seem to hang over everything.
I’ll tell you what, it can really dampen your mood over time.
If you struggle with the dark time of year, then you know what I’m talking about.
If you are getting up in the dark of early morning, heading out the door to work, working inside a building all day only to come out and find darkness again when you exit the building. My heart and prayers are with you.
On these dark dreary days, perhaps it helps to remember that God is the Light of the world.
His light shines into the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
In fact, John 1 talks about Jesus being the light of the world. He came into the world, which was his but the world didn’t accept him.
And here is the best part, to those who DO receive him he gives the right to be children of God. That’s it. Just receive.
Surely that is enough to brighten any short and dreary day!
I’ll leave that scripture here and I hope you’ll go open up to John 1 and read the entire passage yourself!
John 1: 12-13
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
Patrick Horgan says
Two things, first I can't get the video to work. Tried refreshing with no luck. Second, I am confused, do you wrap the ham in foil or the pan after the ham is inserted. I can't figure out how the juices can get into the ham if it is covered with foil.
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Patrick,
Thank you for asking! The video is in the recipe card and there is a "skip to video" button at the top of the post. If you refresh the page, click the skip to video button, it should work. If not, that is so frustrating!
let me answer your ham question though. Remove the ham from it's store package and try to capture the juice that is in the package. If you can't, it isn't that big of a deal. Put the ham in the pan you will bake it in, add the chicken stock to the bottom of the pan. You'll want to have your ham sitting on a rack if possible to keep its bottom up out of the broth. Then place heavy duty aluminum foil over the top of the ham and seal it down to the edges of your baking pan. Tightly. So that no steam or air will escape. This way, the juices in the bottom of the pan will steam the ham as it cooks. If you need to remove the aluminum foil for any reason, seal it back down tightly before putting the ham back into the pan.
stream nba online says
This is my first time go to see at here and i am actually pleassant to read everthing at one place.
Wendi Spraker says
Thanks I appreciate it so much!
Scott says
I am heatng a 1/2 spiral sliced ham by Jamestown Brand. Ever heard of this,? Got it at Walmart -- maybe it's a relabelled Smithfield? If you have heard if this brand, are there any particular directions to follow? The ham laBel says "wrap ham with foil, then put in pan" -- this seems different than your way -- place Ham in paN and _then_ wrap ham. Also, directions say nothing about reserving the ham juices. Appreciate any advice info.
Wendi Spraker says
Scott, The method described on the packaging will work, no worries BUT the way I describe really does keep your ham juicy. I learned these tricks from my mom and grandmother. If I were in your shoes, I would try it using my method because I've already tried the package directions and I usually end up with a dry ham that way!
Shirley says
This was all very helpful. Every question was answered before I even thought about it.
THANKS SO MUCH. I had to use a large enamel roasting pan with foil over the top sealed as good as I could. I didn't have a rack of any sort that would fit, so ended up putting a small stoneware made for a toaster oven from Pampered Chef to set the ham on. It worked perfectly.
Loved the whole thing. We had a Costco Kirkland Spiral Cut Ham and cooked it in the oven with pineapple rings and pineapple juice poured over the ham and seperated the layers a bit and poured juice around them. I added cloves to the liquid in the bottom of the roaster. It was spectacular. People went back for seconds and thirds, I even sent some home with the guests. They were delighted.
I hope I can be sure to save this, favorite it or something as I enjoyed her.
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Shirley! I'm so glad you found this helpful! Just save loavesanddishes.net to your favorite websites and come visit any time!
Lee says
This looks like it will be a great help, but do you have a video that goes with it?
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Lee! Yes! I have a video, it is right in the post on the recipe card. There is a chance that if you read the post, it may have played while you were reading. Simply refresh the page and at the top of the post you will see a "jump to recipe" button. Click that and it will take you right to the video. You may have to wait through a advertisement, but THEN the ham video will play. Once it has finished, it will play some of my other videos SO, if you need to repeat it, just click replay BEFORE it gets to the end of the video. Thanks for asking!
Sally says
This great to use ham juice. I always do the foil method. Yum
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Sally, Thanks for leaving me a comment. I like using that ham juice too!
kb says
Great advice for a juicy ham.
Wendi Spraker says
I'm so glad to hear it!
Geoffrey says
Did you leave the ham standing, as you did in the video? With the slices up?
Thanks
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Geoffrey, I cook the ham for an hour with the fat side up and then flip it over, cover it tightly and finish cooking.
Cecelia Carr says
Love spiral ham but LOVE your glaze much better.
Thank you for sharing.
God bless.
Happy Friend'sgiving
Wendi Spraker says
Hey Cecelia! Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed! Happy Friendsgiving to you!
Trish says
After following her instructions I made a perfectly moist ham. So glad I found these instructions because for many years all my hams have turned out dry. Thanks for the detail and helpful tips.
Wendi Spraker says
Hey there Trish! You are welcome! I'm glad it turned out just the way you wanted!
Sue says
When you cover the ham with foil, are you wrapping the entire ham including the bottom? Or are you just covering the pan?
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Sue. I'm sorry that isn't clear enough in the recipe. I'll go back in and see if I can make it clearer, so thanks for asking. Place the ham in your baking dish and then seal the foil very securely to the dish. I like to use the heavy aluminum foil as I find that it does this job much better. Also, using a proper roasting pan will help too as it has a lip around the top edge that you can secure the foil to. Hope this helps! Wendi
Olivia says
Thank you, I had the same question.
Robyn says
I need help. I am heating a precooked glazed ham for a group of 70 people. I think I messed up because I cut the slices off the ham before cooking it. Thinking I was saving time. I planned on cooking the slices in a large roaster oven. Not that I cut the slices off the bone before cooking the ham, I don't know how to heat these slices so they are moist and taste good. I kept the glaze packages. Do you have any suggestions?
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Robyn, In your case, I would put the slices as close together as possible in a roasting pan, add about 1 inch of chicken stock. Put an aluminum foil lid on VERY TIGHTLY. Heat over recommended heat per package. Baste the slices often (like every 15 minutes) with the stock from the bottom of the pan. When the ham is heated throughout, it is DONE! Don't expect it to be steaming piping hot. The ham is already cooked, so just warmed up is best. I think you will be ok. Just don't over do the cooking.
Lori says
My spiral sliced ham came out absolutely perfect! Easter dinner a huge success. Thank you!
Wendi Spraker says
Lori! Thanks so much for letting me know! This is my first day back at my desk and I needed to hear that! It brought tears to my eyes! Have an excellent week! ~love, Wendi
Sarah Uselton says
This is the best!
Wendi Spraker says
Wonderful!
moxie says
I'm printing this out right now because I am going to need this come Easter time with my big ol family to feed! Great info and thanks for the chart. That's a big help!