How to BBQ a Ham for Juicy, Flavorful Results

BBQ ham takes a holiday classic to delicious new heights. The smoky char and sweet glaze makes it an instant crowd-pleaser. While hams often get roasted or baked, grilling imparts that quintessential barbecue flavor. With a few tips, you can master how to BBQ a ham on either a charcoal grill or gas grill.

Why BBQ a Ham

There are several advantages to throwing your ham on the grill rather than in the oven:

Adds smoky savory depth of flavor from the grill smoke
Allows glazing during grilling for a crispy, caramelized exterior
Infuses more complex flavors from grill searing vs oven roasting
Frees up oven space for side dishes or other elements
Provides festive outdoor cooking option for holidays or gatherings

Almost any cut of ham can be successfully grilled, although bone-in varieties hold up best. Smaller hams may only need partial grilling time while larger ones can spend longer absorbing the grill’s smoke.

Tips for BBQing Ham

Grilling ham requires some special considerations for best results:

Select bone-in hams – The bone protects the meat from drying out and adds flavor. Opt for shank, butt or picnic hams.
Partially precook – Boil, bake or roast the ham partially before grilling to ensure it cooks through.
Use indirect heat – Place ham on the cooler side of the grill, not directly over hot coals.
Glaze during grilling – Apply glazes containing fruit or sugar frequently to get a candied crust.
Use a drip pan – Place ham over a disposable foil pan to prevent flare ups from the fat.
Allow ample time – A large, bone-in ham can take up to 2 hours on the grill to heat through.

With the right preparation, the grill’s slow, smoky heat transforms a plain baked ham into a mouthwatering barbecue centerpiece.

How to Grill a Plain Ham

For the simplest grilled ham with mild smoke flavor:

Choose a fully-cooked bone-in ham, about 8-10 lbs.
Set up grill for indirect cooking at medium heat, 325-350°F.
Place ham over drip pan on cooler side of grill, away from direct heat.
Insert meat thermometer horizontally into thickest part without touching bone.
Grill until it reaches 130°F, about 10-15 minutes per pound.
Remove from grill, tent with foil and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.

The ham absorbs delicious smoky flavor just from the indirect grilling. Serve as-is or with mustard, horseradish or fruit sauce on the side.

How to Grill a Glazed Spiral Ham

For added flavor, grill a store-bought spiral glazed ham:

Choose a bone-in spiral sliced ham with glaze packet.
Set up grill for indirect cooking at 325-350°F.
Score ham by making shallow X-shaped cuts across fat side.
Place over drip pan away from direct heat. Reserve glaze packet.
Grill ham 2-3 hours until internal temperature reaches 140°F.
Brush on warmed glaze frequently during last 30 minutes.
Remove ham from grill, spoon over any remaining glaze.
Tent with foil and let rest 15 minutes before serving.

The spiral cut lets the glaze penetrate deep into the meat as it melts and caramelizes.

Step-by-Step Guide for BBQ Ham with Glaze

Follow this simple process for incredible grill-roasted ham with a sweet, sticky glaze:

Ingredients:

1 (6-8 lb) bone-in, fully cooked ham
1⁄2 cup brown sugar
1⁄4 cup honey
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together all glaze ingredients until well blended.
Prepare charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking at 325-350°F. Add soaked wood chips to coal for extra smoke flavor if desired.
Score fat side of ham in diamond pattern. Place ham over drip pan on cooler side of grill, away from direct heat.
Insert meat thermometer horizontally into thickest part without touching bone.
Grill ham 2-3 hours with lid closed until thermometer reaches 130°F.
After first hour of grilling, begin brushing on some of the glaze. Brush on more glaze every 20-30 minutes.
Once ham reaches 130°F, remove from grill and spoon over any remaining glaze.
Loosely tent with foil and let rest 15 minutes before carving. Serve warm.

The sweet and savory glaze develops into a wonderfully caramelized crust on the ham.

Grilling Times for Different Ham Sizes

Larger hams take longer to grill than smaller ones. Follow these general guidelines:

4-6 lb ham: 60-90 minutes
6-8 lb ham: 90 minutes – 2 hours
8-12 lb ham: 2-3 hours
12-16 lb ham: 3-4 hours

Key tips:

Always use an instant-read meat thermometer to check for doneness rather than relying solely on time.
Rest bone-in hams at least 10-15 minutes before carving.
Reheating a cooked ham takes less time, around 10-15 minutes per pound.

Best Glazes for Grilled Ham

BBQ glazes compliment the smoky grill flavor. Whip up your own or use a store-bought variety like:

Brown sugar – Classic sweet flavor
Honey mustard – Tangy and mild
Sweet chili – Savory with heat
Pineapple salsa – Fruity twist
Bourbon molasses – Robust and bold

Brush on glazes during the last 30-60 minutes only as longer exposure risks burning.

Grilled Ham Recipe Ideas

Jazz up basic grilled ham with creative flavors:

Apple Cider Ham – Brush on apple cider glaze
Rum-Raisen Ham – Top ham with raisins soaked in rum
Fig and Rosemary Ham – Spread on fig compote mixed with rosemary
Coca-Cola Ham – Glaze made with cola and brown sugar
Orange Marmalade Ham – Brush on warmed orange marmalade

Get creative with glazes and toppings to put your own spin on BBQ ham.

How to Know When Ham is Done Grilling

Checking temperature rather than time is the most reliable test for grilled ham doneness:

Use an instant-read meat thermometer for accuracy.
Insert it horizontally into the ham’s thickest section without touching bone.
Ham is safely cooked through once it reaches 130°F.
If reheating a fully-cooked ham, heat to 140°F.

Let the ham rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing into it. The temperature will rise another 5-10 degrees as it rests.

Serving Suggestions for Grilled Ham

A crowd-pleasing grilled ham pairs perfectly with these sides:

Baked beans or potato salad
Cornbread or buttermilk biscuits
Scalloped potatoes or mac & cheese
Fresh fruit salad or baked apples
Green bean casserole or grilled veggies
Iced tea, lemonade or sangria

Round out the menu with traditional picnic fare. Set up a help-yourself buffet or carve the ham and serve it with sides family-style.

Ham Grilling FAQs

Get answers to some frequently asked questions about cooking ham on the grill:

What is the best cut of ham to grill?
Go for a bone-in shank, butt or picnic ham which hold up well on the grill. Or choose a spiral cut ham.

Can you grill a canned ham?
Yes, canned hams work fine. Grill using indirect heat until heated through, then glaze.

What is the lowest temperature you can grill ham?
Aim for 325-350°F for optimal grilling. You can go as low as 300°F but it will take longer.

Should you wrap ham in foil on the grill?
It’s fine to use foil when baking a ham to lock in moisture. But grilling with foil prevents the smoke penetration and glaze caramelizing that you want.

How long does an 8 lb ham take to grill?
Figure around 18-20 minutes per pound, so allow about 2 1/2 – 3 hours for an 8 lb ham. Check temperature to confirm doneness.

Can I grill a frozen ham?
Thaw ham fully before grilling. The grill’s heat is too intense for frozen meat.

Fire up your grill and get ready to enjoy the wonderful flavor of BBQ ham. Follow these tips for juicy, tender meat with a great smoky taste. Dress up your holiday ham with a sweet glaze to take it to the next level.

can you bbq a ham

Pineapple-Glazed Ham with Horseradish Sour Cream

1 fully cooked, bone-in smoked ham, preferably from the butt end (8 to 10 pounds), with the tough skin taken off.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup fresh pineapple juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon Chinese five spice
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup sour cream
¼ cup prepared horseradish
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

24 Hawaiian (sweet) dinner rolls (optional)

01: Let the ham sit out for 30 to 60 minutes at room temperature before grilling it.
02 Get the grill ready for cooking indirectly over medium-low heat (about 325°F).
03: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes, or until it starts to brown. Immediately add the remaining glaze ingredients. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring every now and then. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
04 Make deep cuts in the ham all over, but not on the cut side. Make the cuts about ½ inch deep. Put the ham in a large disposable foil pan with the cut side down. Pour the glaze around the ham and into the pan. Wrap the ham tightly in aluminum foil and crimp the edges of the foil around the pan’s edge. Cover the pot and cook the ham over medium-low heat for one and a half hours. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
05 In a small nonreactive bowl whisk the sauce ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (The sauce can be made up to one day ahead of time and kept covered in the fridge until it’s time to serve.) ) .
06 After 1½ hours of cooking, take the ham off the foil (but don’t throw away the foil; save it for later) and quickly pour some of the glaze over the meat. Close the lid and keep cooking the ham for another one to one and a half hours, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the ham (but not touching the bone) reads 120ºF. During this time, spoon the glaze over the ham about every twenty minutes. If the glaze gets too dark, loosely cover the ham with the aluminum foil you saved for the rest of the cooking time. Carefully move the ham from the pan to a baking sheet. Tent the ham loosely with foil. Let rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
07 Cut the ham into thin slices. If desired, drizzle some of the glaze over the slices. Serve the ham warm with the sauce on the side. You can also put a lot of ham on Hawaiian dinner rolls and spread some sauce on one or both sides of the rolls.

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Top Tips for Your Holiday Hamarrow

I forget about another popular holiday meal—grilled ham—when I’m busy with turkey and roasts. Does anyone else do this? This tends to strike right after I’ve grilled a ham. I often wonder why I don’t make these more often. They’re great, and they’re really easy to make when there are a lot of people at a family gathering.

Ham comes from the rear legs of a pig and has been preserved by curing. Unless you are feeling really adventurous, the ham you purchase will already be cooked.

However, there are several different types of ham to buy: boneless, bone-in butt, bone-in shank, or spiral cut. Cross boneless off the list for obvious reasons. Pass on the spiral cut, too. Why pay someone else to carve the ham and worse, set the stage for overcooking. This leaves bone-in from the butt or shank. While both are good, the butt end is more tender. The butt end it is.

Since the ham is already cooked, the grilling process is essentially a giant reheat. With a bone-in ham, it’s a process about impossible to mess up. Your holiday dinner is guaranteed to be a success.

If you want to show off how great the bone-in butt cut is, this recipe from Jamie Purviance is it. The magic is not just the sweet, tangy glaze, but the spicy herb fresh dip. It’s why I need to grill ham a lot more often.