A honey baked ham is a cherished centerpiece of many holiday meals. The famously sweet and salty spiral cut ham is a classic, but buying one pre-made can be pricey. For your next special occasion, try making your own honey baked ham at home on the smoker!
The team at HowToBBQRight has perfected this method for smoking a honey baked ham worthy of any feast. Keep reading for their tips on deliciously sweet glazes, getting the ideal texture, flavors and smoke, and more. With their guidance, you’ll be on your way to honey baked ham success!
Select Your Ham
You can’t go wrong starting with a spiral sliced, pre-cooked ham. Opt for a shank half around 8-10 pounds. The bone is great for soups later! A boneless butt half also works well. Look for inexpensive hams at the grocery store this time of year.
Make sure your ham is spiral sliced to really let the glaze and smoke penetrate. It also makes serving a breeze. An un-sliced version can be used too, but may need more time to absorb flavors.
Make the Glaze
A sweet glaze is key for that signature honey baked flavor. HowToBBQRight suggests a simple orange, apple juice, honey and brown sugar glaze. Heat the mixture until combined and thickened slightly.
You can also play with ingredients like pineapple juice, maple syrup, mustard, bourbon, cloves, citrus zest and more. Just make it viscous enough to coat the ham.
Apply the Glaze
Liberally brush the glaze all over the ham, getting into every spiral cut. Use a basting brush or squirt bottle for easy application. Set the ham in a pan or rack to contain the drips as it gets messy!
Coat with a Sugar Blend
For the crunchy, candied exterior, HowToBBQRight covers their ham in a brown sugar, turbinado sugar, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg blend. Use a shaker to lightly coat the entire ham.
Smoke That Ham!
Set up your smoker or grill for 275-300°F indirect heat, using lighter fruit woods like apple or cherry. The ham only needs 2-3 hours to reach 140°F internally. Glaze and rotate occasionally for even cooking.
Use a meat thermometer to monitor doneness. Once it hits 140°F, remove from the heat. The ham will continue cooking as it rests.
Rest and Carve
Let the ham rest 15-30 minutes loosely tented in foil before carving. The slices should start to pull apart slightly when ready.
To serve, simply cut along the bone to release those perfect spiral cut slices! They should be glistening with glaze and perfumed with smoke.
More Tips for Smoky Honey Baked Ham
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For more smoke flavor, try adding a smoke tube inside the grill.
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Cook at 300-325°F for a shorter cook time. Don’t go above 140° internally.
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Glaze with honey, maple or agave for variations on the sweetness.
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Add a stick of butter to the glaze for extra richness and sheen.
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Use a water pan or spritz to prevent the exterior from drying out.
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Pecan, apple, cherry, and alder wood all pair nicely.
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Let the ham rest in a cooler wrapped in towels to stay hot for serving.
Enjoy Your Honey Smoked Ham Masterpiece!
With these tips from barbecue pros HowToBBQRight, your honey baked holiday ham made on the smoker will be an instant hit. The sweet glaze, smoky aroma, juicy meat, and caramelized exterior take this classic to the next level.
Smoking your own honey baked ham allows you to control the ingredients, smoke level, and cook to your taste. You’ll save money compared to store-bought too. This recipe is sure to become a new family tradition!
From choosing the ham and building flavors to managing the smoke and carving, HowToBBQRight provides guidance on perfecting honey baked ham. Now get outside and fire up that smoker – sweet, smoky bliss awaits!
Honeybaked Ham Recipe | How To Smoke A Honeybaked Ham
FAQ
How do you BBQ a precooked ham?
How to prepare a store bought honey baked ham?
How to barbecue a spiral ham?
How do you smoke a honey baked ham?
To create the “Honey Baked” effect on the outside of the ham I use two things: a Honey glaze and a seasoned sugar blend. Here’s the recipe for the Smoke A Honeybaked Ham Glaze: Whisk these ingredients together over Med. High heat until it reaches a low boil. Reduce the mixture for 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Is honey baked ham as good as regular ham?
The addition of honey will affect the calorie content of the food. One tablespoon of honey contributes to approximately 64 calories. In addition, the use of heat when making baked ham will reduce the quality of the honey.
How do you cook a spiral ham?
Remove spiral ham from packaging and coat the outside with the Dijon Mustard. Apply a light coat of The BBQ Rub over the dijon. Place the ham on the smoker and cook for 2 1/2 hours. Heat the brown sugar, honey, and vinegar sauce until warm and drizzle over the ham. Use a basting brush to spread the glaze over the surface if necessary.
How do you smoke a spiral ham?
Prepare smoker for indirect cooking at 250-275°F using a few chunks of cherry wood for smoke flavor. Remove spiral ham from packaging and coat the outside with the Dijon Mustard. Apply a light coat of The BBQ Rub over the dijon. Place the ham on the smoker and cook for 2 1/2 hours.