Homemade Ham with Brown Sugar Mustard Glaze
Hands down, this is the best baked ham recipe (and easiest). There. I’ve said it. Skip the $75 Honey-Baked stores. You can make a homemade ham with brown sugar mustard glaze for about one-quarter of the price of those foil-wrapped shanks AND without having to stand in line. Want to treat your family to an oven-roasted ham? This is the one. It’s the perfect centerpiece for all your holiday meals, and this brown sugar-glazed ham feeds a crowd on a budget.
I’m a ham junkie. As in — can’t get enough. Could be because I was raised a stone’s throw from Smithfield, Virginia and oven roasted ham was a staple in our house. Whatever the reason, I’m utterly smitten with the salty, savory bite of this piece of pig.
My mother, grandmother and aunts served homemade ham on a regular basis and the only thing that differentiated each person’s versions, were the sides they served with it. Aunt Heather served au gratin potatoes. Aunt Lynne preferred no mayo potato salad. My grandmother always made angel flake biscuits and my mother liked to switch it up — black bean and rice salad, antipasto pasta salad, three bean salad… you name it.
The central theme was always the brown sugar glazed ham, and in my humble opinion, this one’s the BEST.
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You’ll love this recipe because it’s so easy and the list of ingredients is so short. Seriously!
Table of Contents
Oven roasted ham with brown sugar mustard glaze ingredients:
- Smoked ham
- Water
- Brown Sugar
- Dijon Mustard
- Whole Mustard Seed
I know for many people, oven roasted ham is a holiday item — Christmas, Easter, that sort of thing. I have to say that I would never wait that long for a homemade ham with brown sugar mustard glaze. First because they’re really inexpensive for how much yield you get. And second, because brown sugar glazed ham is sooooo simple to make. No, really.
I should preface that statement by saying that I’m not talking about those dry-cured, country hams that require a days of soaking (and regularly changing the water) before it can finally be roasted.
No, the “ham” I’m referring to are the ones readily found in the meat department of the grocery stores, refrigerated, but not frozen. I can usually find a ham shank about 7-10 pounds for around $18-20 — a relative bargain for the amount of meat it yields.
The brown sugar mustard glaze is a phenom of flavor and so ridiculously easy to make, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with those “pre-fab” pouches of glaze that sometimes come included with the ham.
Steps for Making Brown Sugar Mustard Glaze:
- Add brown sugar and dijon mustard to a small bowl.
- Stir to combine.
See, I told ya it was easy… BTW – I always make an extra bit of this glaze with one additional component (whole mustard seed) to serve with the ham on the side, for anyone who likes a bit more of that sweet/piquant embellishment.
The brown sugar mustard glaze gets spread over the oven roasted ham for the last half hour of cooking (note: baking times will be different depending on the weight of the ham, see recipe below for specifics).
When You’re Young, You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
Confession: Back in my early twenties, when I was living on my own in a tiny, one bedroom condo, I decided to make a ham for my boyfriend. I’d never made one before — but how hard could it be?
At the market, all I could find were cooked, smoked hams. Remembering my mother cooking her hams for 2-3 hours, I knew I didn’t want a pre-cooked ham. So I asked the butcher for an uncooked ham. He said, oh you want a “fresh” ham — a “picnic” ham.
I smiled with satisfaction. “Yes, that’s what I want.
At home I prepped the ham the way my mother had, placing it in a roasting pan with a little water, sealing it tightly with tin foil, roasting it and pulling it out half an hour before it was done to add the glaze. But something didn’t seem quite right. My oven-roasted ham didn’t have that pinkish-hue. It didn’t have that smoky aroma. Undaunted, I pressed on — all the while feeling a persistent something’s-not-right niggle in the back of my head.
When it was time to carve, the brown sugar glazed ham was perfectly cooked, but again — their was no distinctive aroma, no pinkish flesh. My homemade ham with brown sugar mustard glaze was decidedly lacking in smoked flavor.
That’s because if it’s not smoked (thus cooked), it’s not a ham. It’s a pork roast. I was more than disappointed. Humiliated. D’oh!
Live and learn. The pork was good. However, this homemade ham with brown sugar mustard glaze is better. Best of all, your hands-on time for this feast is less than 20 minutes, including trimming and glazing. I recommend it for the holidays or any weekend.
The ham shank is perfect for feeding 8-10 people with leftovers and speaking of that…
More leftover ham recipes:
- Easiest Split Pea Soup
- Southwestern Leftover Ham Casserole
- Southern Ham & Kale Hot Dish
- Potato and Ham Au Gratin
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Easiest Ever Oven Roasted Ham
INGREDIENTS:
- 8-10 pound ham shank or butt portion
- 1 ½ cups water
- ⅓ cup dijon mustard
- ½ cup brown sugar
EXTRA GLAZE FOR SERVING: (optional)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons whole mustard seed
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Trim any excess fat from ham. Place ham into a roasting pan. Add water to the bottom of the pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil so that no steam can escape.
ROASTING TIMES FOR HAM:
- A ham should cook for about 18-20 minutes per pound.8 pound ham: ~ 2 to 2 1/2 hours9 pound ham: ~ 2 1/2 to 3 hours10 pound ham: ~ 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
- Meanwhile in a small bowl combine the dijon mustard and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- When the oven roasted ham has 30 minutes left in the cooking time, remove it from the oven. Take off the aluminum foil and glaze the ham with brown sugar mustard glaze. Return the ham to the oven for half an hour.
- Remove from oven and tent with aluminum foil. Let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.
BROWN SUGAR MUSTARD GLAZE FOR SERVING:
- Meanwhile in a small bowl combine the dijon mustard, mustard seed and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Microwave the brown sugar mixture in 20-30 second bursts until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool.
- Serve the carved oven roasted ham with extra brown sugar mustard glaze on the side for anyone who can’t get enough…
RECIPE VIDEO:
NOTES:
NUTRITION:
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Thanks for this wonderful post, fun story and simple recipe. Try zesting and juicing half an orange into the brown sugar and mustard before microwaving – AMAZING! It is positively drinkable, and so easy!
That’s a great idea. Will try it for the holidays!
I used a ham butt and it came out moist and delicious. Yum. Thanks for the recipe. It couldn’t have been easier.
Sounds terrific! Glad you enjoyed it Michele!
Oh I love this! I always love a good ham at the Holidays, but it always seems like way too much work so I end up getting the pre-made version. Your step by step instructions make this sound so easy!!
The photos of your ham are making my mouth water. It looks so good and when it comes to ham, it is very versatile. Make dinner, soup, sandwiches. So many good meals. I’m saving your cooking method. A nice ham makes a wonderful holiday meat.
Ham is always a hit at the holidays! Hope you enjoy it!
YES to a homemade glaze!!! Always better and WAY more affordable. And I love your story about cooking a ham for your boyfriend – ha the things we remember from our early culinary escapades! I remember the first time I made lasagna was for a boyfriend when I was 20 living in a tiny 1 bedroom apartment, too! I called my dad and told him and he asked me who he was talking to – HIS daughter didn’t cook! 😛
That’s priceless!
I grew up in a Jewish household, so no one ever made ham. I have no ham making relatives to guide down the delicious ham path. So, I’m going to learn from your family! This sounds so wonderful. I wouldn’t have known which kind of ham to buy either so thanks for sharing your error.
Do you stick to kosher and avoid ham, too?
You are so right! Why would anyone order a store made ham when deliciousness can be made at home! I love the brown sugar and mustard combo on this ham. Perfect for the Holidays and the left overs, yum!
I feel like I’m preaching to the choir! We have a ham every holiday, it seems.
I must say, I’ve never baked a whole ham before. I realize why…because every year for Christmas, we go to our neighbor’s for dinner and they make dinner. I love love the idea of doing it though, especially with that Dijon and brown sugar combo. Omgosh, I obsessively love those two flavors together, so I’m sure I would go crazy for this recipe. Thanks for sharing it with us!
Ham is a holiday staple in my family, too. Who knew it was this easy to make a glazed ham at home? Very economical!
I’ve never made ham before. You sure do make this look easy though. That sauce sounds super yummy too. Thank you.
Your story is super cute. It reminds me how much we don’t know as new cooks. I am amazed sometimes how much I assume my daughter knows about cooking but in fact, she still has so much to learn. I actually don’t know the differences between the different hams. This article is very helpful. That is so true about feeding a crowd on a budget. That’s a great go-to idea. This glaze short cut is brilliant. Thanks for this recipe!
That ham looks delicious. The perfect addition to the holiday table. We LOVE ham (except for my son-in-law) and I always make both for Christmas…and ham is a must on our Easter dinner menu. This would go over so well, and leftovers would be amazing in sandwiches too. I know for sure that ham bone would be used to make pea soup too.
I’ve got a killer pea soup recipe!
This looks scrumptious! We often have a ham at new year, and I usually cook it in the slow cooker, but your method looks so simple! And you’re right about the yield!
I am also a huge lover of ham. Especially with a mustard glaze. Your ham looks absolutely incredible! I really wish i was eating it right now 🙂
That glaze sounds divine! I should try making a homemade ham. They are a bit intimidating!
Reading this post gets me excited for the upcoming holiday season. I have to admit I have never baked my own ham. This looks so tasty and super easy to do. Can’t wait to cook my own ham this year.
This looks so delicious and perfect for the holidays! Thanks for sharing!
Hi! I would like to try this recipe, but I have a 3.46 lb. ham. Do I just cut the recipe in half?
As far as the glaze goes, you’ll probably only need about 1/2 cup, so yes, you can roughly half the recipe. Bake the ham for 18-20 minutes per pound.
Hi
I’m I using a smoked cooked ham for this recipe.
Great! Let me know how you like it!
Yum! I love a good ham too. I remember when you told me how to make ham… I couldn’t believe you used mustard… I hate mustard, but you can’t taste it and it adds something wonderful to the ham! Who knew!? 🙂