Cranberry Orange Glazed Ham
This Cranberry Orange Glazed Ham is sweet, tangy, and ready to shine at your holiday table! The juicy ham is brushed with a homemade cranberry orange glaze that gets sticky and glossy in the oven. It's a pretty centerpiece for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, and the extra glaze is delicious served on the side!
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 606kcal
Ingredients
Ham
- 1 bone-in (8 to 9 pounds) fully cooked ham, not spiral-sliced
- ½ cup water
Cranberry Orange Glaze
- 2 cups (200 g) fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup (8 ounces) orange juice
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (79 g) pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Optional Garnish
- Fresh cranberries
- Orange slices
- Fresh rosemary
Instructions
Prepare the Ham
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Place the ham on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, score the surface of the fat in a diamond pattern, cutting about ¼ inch deep. Avoid cutting deeply into the meat.
- Place the ham cut-side down in a roasting pan. Pour the water into the bottom of the pan.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for about 1 ½ hours, or until the ham is warmed through and reaches an internal temperature of 120 to 125°F.
Make the Cranberry Orange Glaze
- While the ham bakes, combine the cranberries, orange juice, brown sugar, maple syrup, orange zest, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the mixture thickens.
- Gently press the cranberries against the side of the pan with the back of a spoon to help them break down.
- Remove from the heat. For a smoother glaze, carefully blend with an immersion blender until mostly smooth. The glaze should be easy to brush onto the ham. It will thicken a little more as it cools.
Glaze the Ham
- Remove the ham from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425°F.
- Carefully remove the foil. If there is a large amount of liquid in the bottom of the pan, carefully pour off most of it, leaving a small amount.
- Set aside some of the cranberry orange glaze to serve with the ham (optional). Brush about one-third of the remaining glaze over the ham.
- Return the ham to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the ham and brush with another layer of glaze. Bake for another 10 minutes.
- Brush with the remaining glaze and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the glaze is glossy and caramelized and the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140°F. Watch closely to prevent the sugars from burning.
Rest and Serve
- Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
- Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with fresh cranberries, orange slices, and rosemary, if desired.
- Serve the reserved cranberry orange glaze alongside the ham.
Nutrition
Serving: 1portion | Calories: 606kcal