The Right Way To Heat A Pre-Cooked Ham

A fully cooked, ready-to-eat ham (also referred to as a "city ham") can be sliced and served cold or at room temperature—there's no need to reheat it. A spiral-cut ham is delicious this way, whether eaten by the slice, tucked into biscuits, or in a grilled cheese sandwich. Some brands, including Honey Baked Ham, are even meant to be served this way.

But it is possible—and many people do—reheat pre-cooked ham. Here's a bit more about how to do that properly.

What's the Difference Between Country and City Ham?

Cooked vs. uncooked? City vs. country? What does it all mean? When you're shopping for your holiday ham, you've got a few decisions to make.

Country hams are dry-cured with spices, which takes longer than city hams. They have a saltier flavor and are less common on a holiday tablescape because of that. Country hams usually come uncooked, meaning that they require more preparation. You might know them from your breakfast biscuits.

If you're hoping to take the hard work out of the holidays, opt for a city ham. City hams are cured in a salt water solution with various seasonings before being smoked, cooked, and packaged. They come boneless and bone-in, depending on your preference.

How to Heat a Pre-Cooked Ham

If you want to add a flavorful homemade glaze (skip those sauce packets that come with the ham—we have lots of options), or prefer your meat hot, you can heat a pre-cooked ham up in the oven. Just make sure that you have a meat thermometer handy, because you don't want it to overcook and dry out. A ham is a big cut of meat, and when you want to glaze it, it will require several hours in a low temperature oven—even though it's fully cooked—to get that wonderfully sticky, caramelized exterior.

Step 1: Choose a recipe

There are many glaze options to choose from—it's all about what you want from your ham. (It is, however, surprising how often pineapple comes into play when tackling a ham.)

A typical brown sugar-bourbon glaze is used on our Glazed Ham with Pineapple Chutney. With the Citrus Glazed Ham option, a sweet and salty flavor takes the stage. For the Port Wine Ham Glaze, it is the rich use of Cumberland Sauce that elevates the ham.

Our recipe for Maple-Bourbon Glazed Ham is easy to prepare, and the five-ingredient glaze is made from ingredients you already have on hand. The glaze forms a sweet, crunchy, and sticky crust on the salty, juicy ham—all the flavors and textures you want from a memorable holiday ham.

Step 2: Rest the ham

Once you've chosen your glaze, place the ham, cut-side-down, in a heavy-duty aluminum foil-lined jelly-roll pan. Let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Brush 1/2 cup of the glaze over the ham with a heatproof spatula or pastry brush. Move the oven rack to the lowest position and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 3: Heat the ham

Bake the ham in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 140°F, basting every 30 minutes with 1/2 cup of the glaze. Remove the ham from the oven, and spoon the pan drippings over it. Let the glazed ham stand 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

What To Do With Pre-Cooked Ham Leftovers

Regardless of whether you prepare a city ham or country ham, don't forget about the delicious leftovers. Making ham sandwiches is the typical approach to using leftover ham, but we also like to add ham into quiches and breakfast casseroles, stirred into a savory pot of thick and creamy ham and potato soup, or diced into a brunch-worthy ham salad. Be sure and store your leftover ham properly, and you can enjoy it long after your holiday meal.

Pre-cooked Ham Recipes