3-Ingredient Brown Sugar Glazed Ham (2024)

Toss that glaze packet that came with your ham—THIS is the glaze that you want to use! 3-Ingredient Brown Sugar Glazed Ham uses dijon mustard and dark brown sugar to create an irresistible glaze for a spiral cut ham.

You will be so glad you tossed that glaze packet after getting a taste of this easy recipe!

Brown sugar and dijon mustard team up to create a sticky, sweet, tangy, flavorful glaze for this 3-Ingredient Brown Sugar Glazed Ham.

I love how easy this recipe is. Warm the ham, stir the glaze, brush the ham, finish in the oven. That’s it!

It’s so easy, that you’ll have plenty of time to prepare sides like Scalloped Potatoes and Ham, Scalloped Pineapple, or Creamed Corn Casserole while it bakes.

I used a spiral sliced half ham, but you can use this recipe for a unsliced ham or a whole ham (see the notes in the recipe card for increasing the amounts for a whole ham).

If you want something a little fancier, don’t miss my Fire Glazed Ham recipe!

Top tips for glazing a ham

• Roast the ham cut-side down in a roasting pan. This will ensure the slices don’t dry out.
• After you brush the outside with the glaze, separate the slices and brush any extra glaze inside the ham. Even more sticky goodness!
• When serving the ham, run your knife around the bone in a circular motion to release the slices easily for serving.
• You can serve the ham warm from the oven, at room temperature, or cold.

Ingredients

Be sure to check the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and instructions!

• I used a spiral sliced half ham. You can also use a whole ham or an unsliced ham. Discard the glaze packet (if it comes with the ham).
• Dark brown sugar lends the perfect amount of sweetness. Light brown sugar is fine, too.
• Dijon mustard adds tanginess and some zip!

How to make a 3-ingredient glazed ham with brown sugar

Start by placing a spiral sliced half ham, cut side down, in a 13×9 inch pan. Cover with foil and bake at 325°F for one hour.

Cut side down ensures that the slices don’t dry out while it’s in the oven.

While the ham is warming up in the oven, stir the brown sugar and dijon mustard together in a medium bowl.

After removing the ham from the oven, brush the glaze all over the ham. You can turn the ham on its side and separate the slices slightly to flavor the ham even more.

(If your ham is not spiral sliced, score the ham in a diagonal pattern, ½ inch deep, before brushing the ham with the glaze.)

Turn the ham cut-side down again, then return to the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 350°F.

Cook for an additional 30 minutes, or until the ham is warmed through and the glaze is sticky to the touch.

That’s it! Your 3-Ingredient Glazed Ham is ready to serve.

Tips for carving spiral sliced hams

Since the ham is sliced already, you aren’t technically carving it, but you do need to get the pieces out!

The easiest way to loosen the pieces is to run a small, sharp knife all the way around the circular bone in the center. Check out the video in this post for a demonstration!

You may need to run the knife around, remove some slices, run the knife around again, etc.

I usually save the end that’s not sliced and cube that for other dishes like Scalloped Potatoes and Ham, split pea soup, , etc.

Variations for glazed ham

There are a variety of ways to change up this recipe. Here are a few:

• Add a few tablespoons of pineapple juice or orange juice to the glaze.
• Substitute half of the brown sugar with honey or maple syrup.
• Stir ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg , and a pinch of ground cloves into the glaze (these are the spices that Honey Baked Ham uses).
• Add some heat by sprinkling some cayenne pepper into the glaze.
• Double the glaze recipe and use this for a whole ham.

Make ahead instructions

Glazed ham can be served warm, at room temperature, or even cold.

So you can easily make this ahead, and refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve it. The ham can sit out at room temperature for up to 4 hours. After that, it should be refrigerated.

Leftovers and freezing

Leftover ham can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze ham for up to 3 months in an airtight bag or tightly sealed dish. Either keep slices whole or dice ham before freezing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Uses for leftover ham

Here are a few ideas for leftovers!

• Make Hawaiian Roll Sliders (my favorite party sandwich!)
• Create sandwiches with homemade flaky biscuits and mustard
• Make an or a frittata
• Whip up a simple split pea soup
• Add it to scrambled eggs, an omelette, or a breakfast hash
• Put on a pizza
• Add to an old fashioned potato soup

Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or comment below!

📖 Recipe

Note: this recipe was originally published in April 2023 and updated in February 2024.