12 Easy And Delicious Ham Sauces To Elevate Your Meal

Give these ham sauces a try the next time you have pork on the menu.

Glazed Ham with Pineapple Chutney
Photo: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

What's a ham without a delicious sauce to accompany it? From mustard sauce to perfect glazes for spiral-cut baked ham, these recipes are the best ways to dress up one of our favorite meats for holidays, special occasions, and even the average weekday. 

You can even use these recipes as a sauce for ham slices, whether served a la carte or between two pillowy halves of a yeast roll. Sure, ham already packs a dose of savory flavor, but sometimes giving it a sweet finish, a spiced and tangy topper, or even a cool dip can take it from a ho-hum ham to an out-of-this-world entrée. Give these ham sauces a try the next time you have pork on the menu, and you'll never look back.

01 of 12

Glazed Ham with Pineapple Chutney

Glazed Ham with Pineapple Chutney
Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

This ham, covered in a bourbon-brown sugar glaze, adds a rich and smokey flavoring to this dinner entree. Add our spiced Pineapple Chutney to the mix for a fresh and lively pairing. Opt for fresh pineapple rather than canned for the best texture and flavoring.

02 of 12

Baked Ham with Brown Sugar-Citrus Glaze

Baked Ham with Brown Sugar-Citrus Glaze
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Gorgeous winter citrus stars alongside the holiday ham in this showstopping entrée. Garnish with in-season tangerines, kumquats, and blood oranges. These garnishes pair perfectly with the fresh orange juice and marmalade glaze.

03 of 12

Port Wine Ham Glaze (Cumberland Sauce)

Best Ham Glaze
Hector Sanchez; Food Stylist: Torie Cox; Prop Stylist: Mindi Shapiro

How does one make the best ham glaze, you ask? We found a winning combination with a sweet and spicy blend of ingredients that perfectly coat the ham. You can store the glaze in a sterilized jar in the refrigerator for up to a month.

04 of 12

BBQ Glazed Ham

Barbecue Ham
Southern Living

If you've never tried BBQ-glazed ham before, prepare to be wowed. This recipe from Matt Bolus at Nashville's 404 Kitchen brings a sweet, smoky, and spicy twist to baked ham. This dish makes any dinner feel like a special occasion.

05 of 12

Brown Sugar-Bourbon-Glazed Ham

Brown Sugar-Bourbon-Glazed Ham
Becky Luigart-Stayner; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Vanessa McNeil Rocchio

You'll need a whole lot of cloves for this flavor-packed glaze. Spicy brown mustard, cola soft drink, brown sugar, and bourbon round out the flavorful sauce. Keep the ham moist by leaving a thin layer of fat when trimming.

06 of 12

Sweet-Hot Plum-Glazed Ham

Sweet-Hot Plum-Glazed Ham
Southern Living

Here's a bright idea: Garnish your ham with a zingy glaze of citrus juices, plum preserves, mustard, honey, ginger, and red pepper. Dry, crushed red pepper adds some heat to this tropical glaze. Serve the mixture warm.

07 of 12

Citrus Glazed Ham

Citrus Glazed Ham
Photo: Ralph Anderson

Orange marmalade, plenty of cloves, and garnishes of orange slices and rind make for a classic holiday ham. While cooking, baste the ham every 20 minutes to ensure it stays perfectly juicy. After baking, garnish with apple slices, orange slices, or salad greens.

08 of 12

Pineapple-Prosecco Glaze

Step 3: Glaze Ham
Becky Luigart-Stayner

Perfectly glazed ham with only three ingredients? Sign us up. Combine pineapple preserves, Prosecco, and kosher salt in a food processor until smooth.

09 of 12

Cola-Dijon-Brown Sugar Glaze

maple bourbon glazed ham
Photographer: Frederick Hardy II, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

This classic glaze is excellent for spiral ham and uses four ingredients—primarily pantry staples. Stir dark brown sugar, cola, Dijon mustard, and kosher salt for a sweet and savory sauce. Pour over your spiral ham and enjoy.

10 of 12

Coffee-and-Pepper Jelly Glaze

Smoky Glazed Ham with Red Pepper Jelly
John Kernick

Strong coffee and the zing from pepper jelly create an oh-so-juicy spiral ham, ideal for any holiday dinner table. This easy-to-assemble glaze uses three ingredients: brewed coffee, pepper jelly, and kosher salt. Stir until well-blended.

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Apricot-Glazed Ham

apricot glazed ham
Frederick Hardy II; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey; Prop Styling: Christina Daley

Try this apricot-based glaze to give your holiday ham a new twist this year. Apricot preserves, brown sugar, and stone-ground mustard work together to create a sweet, sticky, and savory glaze. Keep ham moist by covering it with foil while baking.

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Maple-Bourbon Glazed Ham

maple bourbon glazed ham
Photographer: Frederick Hardy II, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

This five-ingredient and easy-to-prepare glaze is an excellent recipe for the holidays. Maple syrup and bourbon combine for a sweet, crunchy, and sticky crust, ideal for delicious spiral-cut ham. Ginger and cinnamon perfectly season this glaze, covering the salty, juicy ham.

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