With its gorgeous spiral design, glossy glaze, and crispy skin, there’s a reason why baked ham is often the centerpiece of so many holiday dinners. It’s an extra special cut of meat that’s worthy of a special occasion like Easter dinner, Thanksgiving, or Christmas—plus it easily feeds a crowd and makes great leftovers to boot.
Since baked ham is most often served for holiday meals for a group, there can be a lot of pressure for whoever is cooking it to get it just right. Once you learn how to cook a ham, it is actually quite easy to keep it moist and flavorful. But it's also important to know the pitfalls to watch out for! In order to steer clear of dry, bland baked meat, avoid these common baked ham cooking mistakes.
Not Buying the Right Variety of Ham
When you’re at the grocery store or butcher’s shop, you might be surprised by just how many varieties of baked ham there are to choose from. There are most often three broad categories of ham to choose from—fully cooked ham (aka city ham), fresh ham, and country ham. You’ll also need to choose between bone-in or boneless ham; bone-in ham takes longer to cook but results in juicier, more flavorful meat.
Ree Drummond’s favorite glazed ham calls for a fully cooked, bone-in ham, which are the most popular when cooking for a crowd. "It comes unsliced so it's less likely to dry out and bone-in so it's even more moist and flavorful," she says.
Ditching the Roasting Rack and Pan Liner
Bake a ham using a similar set-up to any other roast such as beef tenderloin or a Thanksgiving turkey. Leave the sheet pan or glass baking dish in your cabinet and use a heavy-duty roasting pan and rack to rest the ham in for cooking. The pan will provide a sturdy base for a heavy ham and the rack will help the hot air to circulate evenly around the bottom and sides of the ham.
Forgetting to Cover the Ham
A surefire way to serve dry, overcooked ham is by forgetting to cover it when it’s in the oven! Use a few large sheets of aluminum foil to cover the ham while it bakes. You can remove the foil anytime you glaze the ham so that it doesn’t get in your way, but don’t forget to put it back in place before you shut the oven door.
Baking the Ham at a High Temperature
Low and slow is the name of the game when cooking ham. While we all want that crispy, crackling skin, if you bake your ham at too high of a temperature in the oven, you’ll risk overcooking the exterior of the ham without fully warming the interior. As a rule of thumb, Ree recommends baking a fully cooked ham in a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes per pound.
Not Adding Any Braising Liquid
Before you place your ham in the oven, add a little bit of liquid to the bottom of the roasting pan, which will help keep it juicy and moist. Add enough water or chicken broth to cover the bottom of the roasting pan. Unlike a Thanksgiving turkey, however, you don't need to baste the ham with this liquid (that's what the glaze is for!).
Not Glazing the Ham Properly
It’s not an Easter ham without a delicious, sticky-sweet glaze. It’s such an easy and foolproof way to build layers of flavor both on the outside of your ham and in each slice of meat. Ree’s go-to recipe is made with Dr Pepper, mustard, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. The key is balancing sweet, salty, and spicy flavors. But exercise caution when glazing—be sure to wait until the ham is almost fully heated through, then brush the glaze on top. If you add the glaze too early, you’ll risk burning it.
Forgetting Your Meat Thermometer
Although many home cooks opt for serving a fully cooked ham for their holiday dinner, it’s still important to keep your meat thermometer handy. Be sure to bake your ham long enough so that a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the ham reads between 145°F and 165°F.
Not Letting Your Ham Rest Before Carving It
Like roast beef or turkey, it’s important to let baked ham rest once you take it out of the oven. This will allow the juices to redistribute thoroughly throughout the ham, which ensures that each slice is moist and flavorful. If you cut it too early, the juices will land on your cutting board rather than your plate.
