Apricot Honey Ham is a roasted bone-in ham topped with a sweet homemade glaze made with apricot preserves that can be enjoyed hot or cold. Try my Honey Glazed Ham for another beautifully glazed and delicious ham recipe.
APRICOT HONEY HAM
This is a lovely display of a ham, but it is easy to make! Ham is a wonderful choice to serve at any holiday, but don’t just save it for special occasions. It’s easy to roast ham anytime, and there are plenty of recipes to use up leftovers, from these Ham, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches to Country Ham Potato Bake.
APRICOT HONEY HAM INGREDIENTS
There are just five ingredients to this impressive dinner recipe. For the ham, I used a bone-in ham that had not been sliced (or spiraled) ahead of time. I also made sure it had been pre-cooked (or cured). If you are using a spiral ham, simply skip the scoring on top and just add the glaze.
For the fruit glaze, I use apricot preserves and orange marmalade. You could also get by with using jams. The point of the sweetness is to complement the saltiness of the ham.
HOW TO MAKE APRICOT HONEY GLAZE
To make the fruity glaze that will caramelize on the ham, simply combine the apricot preserves, honey, dijon mustard, and orange marmalade in a bowl. Mix the ingredients until you have a paste-like glaze. This recipe is enough glaze to cover an 8-9 pound ham (about 1 1/2 cups). You will brush on half of it before roasting and the other half before cutting and serving.
HOW TO SCORE A HAM
The main things you will want to know are how many lines to create when scoring and how deep to cut. We prefer a ‘tight’ score, which is slicing through the meat about every inch. However, you could also do a larger grid pattern by making a diagonal slice through the same every couple of inches. Start on the side and slice all the way along the ham length-wise.
The first time I scored a ham I cut about an inch deep. My thought process was that the glaze would have more opportunity to seem into the cracks and the ham would be even moister. This was not the case! I recommend only cutting about 1/3-inch deep. Again, if you are roasting a spiral ham, there is no need to score it.
HOW TO MAKE APRICOT HONEY HAM
Once the glaze is ready and the ham is scored, it’s time to roast it! Since the ham is pre-cooked, the best way to roast it is slowly, at 325°F. Before putting it in the oven, put the ham in a roasting pan and pour half the prepared glaze over it (about 3/4 cup).
Use a basting brush if you have one on hand. This really is the best tool to use and there aren’t many alternatives that can cover as well. I prefer the silicone brush as I find that natural bristle brushes tend to “shed” and leave bristles on my food. You could also use a spatula to rub on the glaze, especially with a thicker glaze.
Cover the ham with aluminum foil and roast the glazed ham for 15 minutes for every pound of ham you have. This glaze recipe covers an 8-9 pound ham, which would roast about 2 hours. Baste occasionally throughout the roasting time. The internal temperature of the ham should be 145°F when warmed through.
A few minutes before you remove the ham from the oven, heat up the remaining glaze in a saucepan for about 3-5 minutes. After the ham has reached the temperature, remove it from the oven and brush on the remaining glaze. Let the ham sit for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Ingredients
- 1 whole (8-9 pounds) ham, bone-in
- 1 cup apricot preserves
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup orange marmalade
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Place the ham on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, score the top of the ham. Start at one end of the ham and make a cut about 1/3-inch deep into the ham. Continue scoring, leaving about an inch between each cut.
In a medium bowl, combine the apricot preserves, honey, mustard, and orange marmalade. Stir until combined.
Place the scored ham in a roasting pan.
Pour half the apricot glaze (about 3/4 cup) on top of the ham. Cover with aluminum foil.
Roast for 15 minutes per pound of ham (about 2 hours for an 8-pound ham), basting occasionally throughout.
A few minutes before removing the ham from the oven, heat the remaining glaze in a small saucepan until heated through (3-5 minutes).
Remove the roasted ham from the oven (the internal temperature should read 145°F). Baste the glaze over the roasted ham. Let the ham rest for about 15 minutes before slicing.
