Baked Ham

I’ve been baking our annual Christmas ham in oven bags ever since I picked one up from Reynolds years ago. It’s such an easy method, and similar to cooking in a crock pot, an oven bag traps heat and moisture to keep this baked ham tender and juicy. 

I use a bone-in spiral ham for this recipe, but you can absolutely use a whole ham and score it or cook it for a bit longer if needed. Pineapple and cherries are optional for a festive presentation (I’m a sucker for nostalgia), but I highly recommend that you don’t skip the brown sugar glaze. It’s sweet, sticky, and easy to make from the leftover cooking liquid, and it really complements the ham perfectly.

This holiday ham recipe goes wonderfully with a sweet potato soufflé, cornbread dressing, and sweet dinner rolls whether it’s Christmas, Easter, or any other occasion.

Why This Baked Ham Recipe is Perfect for Your Holiday Table

Reynolds Kitchens is seriously here to make your time in the kitchen as easy and foolproof as possible, and their oven bags are a MAJOR success in my house. Here’s why I come back to this foolproof baked ham recipe again and again:

• Only 10 minutes to prep. Plus, the bag keeps everything pretty contained, so clean-up is a breeze.
• While the ham cooks, moist heat infuses the ham with flavor. It’s a totally hands-free way to prepare a very juicy, tender ham. No basting!
• I create my own sweet brown sugar and pineapple glaze that the ham cooks in. It’s really easy, and the flavors of pineapple and maple syrup pair so well with the savory ham. 
• Usually you’d need to wait until the end of cooking to apply a glaze, but the bag cooks the ham right in the glaze.
• Plus, you can reduce the leftovers on the stovetop to drizzle over the finished ham when serving.

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you will need. Scroll to the recipe card for the complete recipe, including measurements.

• Bone-in Ham – It can be spiral-cut or unsliced. If the ham isn’t spiral-sliced, use a sharp knife to score the outside of the ham, making ¼-inch slices in a criss-cross pattern.
• Pineapple – Drained canned pineapple rings work perfectly, or you can use fresh pineapple slices.
• Maraschino Cherries – Pick up a jar of sweet maraschinos, or you can use canned. Drain them and save the juice to use in the glaze!

For the Glaze

• Ginger Ale – Ginger ale adds just the right amount of spiced sweetness to the glaze.
• Maple Syrup – Additional honey is a good replacement for a honey-glazed ham.
• Pineapple Juice – I don’t recommend using the syrup from canned pineapple. Use fresh pineapple juice.
• Honey – You can replace the honey with extra brown sugar if needed.
• Brown Sugar – Light or dark brown sugar will work here.
• Cherry Syrup – Reserved from the jar of maraschino cherries.

What Size Ham Do I Need?

I always plan for about ⅓ to ½ pound per person. The 8-pound bone-in ham used for this recipe yields enough to feed 16-20 people. For a boneless ham, it can be slightly less, about ¼ to ⅓ pound per serving.

How to Cook Ham

I haven’t had a dry ham since I started using oven bags! Reynolds Kitchens oven bags come in two sizes: One for meats up to 8 pounds, and another that fits up to a 24-pound turkey. I use their large-sized oven bags for my ham recipe.

• Get ready to bake. To start, preheat the oven to 325ºF. Place your oven rack on the lowest position, ensuring there’s enough room for the ham and bag. Meanwhile, shake 1-2 tablespoons of flour in the oven bag to coat the inside.
• Add the ham. Place the ham inside the oven bag. Then, place the whole thing in a large roasting pan.
• Make the glaze. Whisk together ginger ale, maple syrup, pineapple juice, honey, brown sugar, and maraschino cherry juice. Pour this over the ham inside the bag, making sure to get as much liquid as you can in between all the score marks.
• Add the pineapple and cherries. Arrange the pineapple slices over the ham. Place a cherry inside each pineapple round, securing everything in place with toothpicks. 
• Seal the bag. Next, seal up the oven bag using the tie provided. Slash a few ½-inch slits in the top of the bag for the steam to escape.
• Bake the ham at 325ºF for 2 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 140ºF on a meat thermometer. Afterward, let the baked ham rest inside the bag for 15 minutes before carving. Carefully open the bag, and serve!

How Long to Bake Ham

Cooking times will vary a bit depending on the type and weight of the ham you’re using. Cook your ham to an internal temperature of 140ºF. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to check for doneness at the thickest part of the ham.

• Pre-cooked: Most fully-cooked, bone-in and boneless ham should bake for about 15 minutes per pound. If you’re worried about overcooking, start with 10 minutes per pound. 
• Uncooked: The baking time will be longer for raw, uncooked bone-in ham, about 20 minutes per pound.

The Best Glaze for Baked Ham

Once the ham is done, you’ll have a decent amount of cooking liquid in the bottom of the oven bag. You can discard this, or you can reduce it in a saucepan. This makes a delicious, thicker brown sugar glaze that you can drizzle on top of the baked ham when serving:

1. Once you’ve removed the baked ham from the oven bag, transfer the leftover cooking juices to a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
2. Cook over medium heat until the liquid is reduced by half.

If you don’t want to do this extra step, you can eat the ham as-is, or you can drizzle extra honey or maple syrup over top.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Forgetting to cut holes in the bag. While most of the moist air stays inside the oven bag, you need to make a few holes in the top so the hot steam can escape. If you don’t, the bag might pop as the steam builds.
• Not scoring the ham. If you’re not using a pre-cut ham, I highly recommend scoring a regular ham using a sharp knife before you bake it. This helps it cook evenly and also lets the glaze get into all the nooks and crannies.
• Scoring too deep. That being said, don’t make the cuts too deep. Aim for no more than a ¼ inch, so the meat underneath won’t dry out.
• Not taking the size of your ham into account. It’s very difficult to dry out a ham in an oven bag, but not impossible. This recipe is for an 8-pound bone-in ham. If you use a boneless ham, or a smaller size, consider reducing the baking time slightly so the ham doesn’t overcook and dry out. Most pre-cooked ham bakes for 10-15 minutes per pound.
• Slicing too soon. Let your baked ham rest for at least 15 minutes once it’s out of the oven (but still inside the bag). This time allows for the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, for perfectly tender slices.

What to Serve With Your Baked Ham

You’re almost ready to serve a gorgeous baked ham. Here are some easy serving ideas for your holiday meal or special occasion.

• Holiday sides: Make a side of air fryer green beans and crock pot mashed potatoes (or Instant Pot mashed potatoes) while your baked ham finishes off in the oven.
• Festive desserts: Follow up your ham dinner with pecan pie, cheesecake, or bread pudding.
• Easter favorites: Pair your Easter ham with roasted carrots and hot cross buns or popovers. Don’t forget a slice of carrot cake for dessert!

Storing and Reheating Leftover Ham

• Refrigerate. Store ham airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I like to pile baked ham leftovers onto fluffy skillet biscuits with raspberry jam (don’t knock it ‘til you try it!). It’s also great shredded with my fall coleslaw in pulled pork sliders.
• Reheat. You can reheat baked ham in the oven again under foil so it doesn’t dry out, or in the microwave.
• Freeze. To freeze leftover ham, transfer it to a freezer-safe container or wrap it twice in plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw the ham in the fridge before reheating.

More Holiday Recipes

• Baked Meatballs
• Air Fryer Filet Mignon
• Instant Pot Chuck Roast
• Instant Pot Short Ribs
• Cheesy Crockpot Meatballs