You want a ham that is juicy and pink and glistening all the way through dinner. Don’t you love to see your guests enjoying their dinner hearing comments of ‘Yummm! This is SO GOOD!”. I’ll show you HOW TO COOK SPIRAL HAM WITHOUT DRYING IT OUT! Show
Today I’ll show you how to cook a delicious juicy ham that won’t dry out either in the oven or on the table. It will be perfect for dinner and even for leftovers! Your guests will wonder HOW TO COOK SPIRAL HAM WITHOUT DRYING IT OUT! How to make spiral ham without drying it out WHY THIS RECIPE WORKSContents show 1 WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS 2 How to Cook Spiral Ham Without Drying It Out 3 HOW LONG TO COOK SPIRAL HAM WITHOUT DRYING IT OUT? 4 CHECK OUT THE VIDEO OF WENDI COOKING A SPIRAL HAM! IT’S LOCATED IN THE RECIPE CARD AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST! 4.1 COOKING CHART 4.2 BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE TO KNOW THAN JUST HOW LONG TO COOK… 4.3 WHAT KIND OF PAN DO I COOK A SPIRAL SLICED HAM IN? 4.4 CATCH THE JUICES THAT COME OUT OF THE SHRINK WRAPPED HAM PACKAGE 4.5 WHAT IF THE JUICE GOT AWAY OR IF THERE WASN’T THAT MUCH? 4.6 COVER THE HAM TIGHTLY WITH ALUMINUM FOIL 4.7 PUT THE HAM IN THE OVEN WITH THE FOIL ON TIGHTLY AND LEAVE IT ALONE! 4.8 WHAT DO WE DO NEXT? 4.9 TAKE THE HAM OUT OF THE OVEN AND… 4.10 GLAZING THE HAM 4.11 HOW TO KEEP HAM MOIST DURING DINNER 4.12 FAQ (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS) AND TIPS AND TRICKS FOR MOIST SPIRAL SLICED HAM! 4.12.1 HOW DO I COOK MY HAM WITH PINEAPPLE SLICES? 4.12.2 HOW TO COOK MY HAM IN AN OVEN BAG 4.12.3 HOW TO COOK MY HAM IN A CROCKPOT or SLOW COOKER 4.12.4 HOW CAN I MAKE MY OWN GLAZE FOR THE HAM? 4.12.5 IS SPIRAL HAM PRECOOKED? 4.12.6 HOW DO I REHEAT LEFTOVER HAM? 4.12.7 WHAT IS THE GLAZE PACKET THAT COMES WITH THE HAM? 4.12.8 HOW CAN I MAKE A SPIRAL HAM AHEAD? 4.12.9 DO I NEED TO COVER MY HAM WHEN BAKING? 4.12.10 WHY DO I NEED TO COOK A FULLY COOKED HAM? 4.12.11 DO I NEED TO BASTE THE HAM WHILE IT IS COOKING 4.12.12 WHAT DO I BASTE THE HAM WITH? 4.12.13 HOW LONG IS A HAM GOOD FOR? 4.12.14 HOW LONG WILL COOKED HAM LAST? 4.12.15 CAN I FREEZE MY SPIRAL SLICED HAM? 4.12.16 CAN I FREEZE MY SPIRAL SLICED HAM LEFTOVERS? 4.12.17 WHEN SHOULD I GLAZE MY HAM? 5 RECAP FOR HOW TO COOK SPIRAL HAM WITHOUT DRYING IT OUT: 5.1 WHAT GOES WITH MY JUICY SPIRAL HAM? 5.2 WHAT TO DO WITH HAM LEFTOVERS? 5.3 LET’S SEE WHAT GOES INTO THIS THING… 5.4 YA’LL BE SWEET AND HELP ME OUT, OK? 5.5 THE RECIPE FOR HOW TO COOK SPIRAL HAM WITHOUT DRYING IT OUT 5.6 How to Cook a Spiral Sliced Ham without Drying It Out 5.6.1 Ingredients 5.6.2 Instructions 5.6.3 Notes 5.6.4 Nutrition 5.7 A VERSE TO SHARE 5.7.1 On these dark dreary days, perhaps it helps to remember that God is the Light of the world. 5.7.2 John 1: 12-13 5.7.3 You May Also Love:
How to Cook Spiral Ham Without Drying It Out
HOW LONG TO COOK SPIRAL HAM WITHOUT DRYING IT OUT?This is actually the BIG question! You DO NOT want to over cook the ham. Over cooking is the Number ONE reason for dry chewing yucky ham! So, don’t do it. Check your ham label, but chances are that if you have a spiral ham, it has already been cooked. The label will say “precooked”. That means that YOU are not actually cooking the ham, you are simply reheating it! That said, there are certain tips and tricks you can follow to make this process go smoothly and to ensure that your ham is tender, juicy and perfect all the way through dinner and even for leftovers. Precooked, spiral sliced ham needs to reheat in the oven 10 minutes per pound at 325 degrees. That means we need to do a little math. I’ve included a handy chart for you below, in case math isn’t your thing. CHECK OUT THE VIDEO OF WENDI COOKING A SPIRAL HAM! IT’S LOCATED IN THE RECIPE CARD AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST!
COOKING CHARTIf you ham weighs…… Then cook for ………… 5 lbs………50 minutes 6 lbs……… 60 minutes 7 lbs …….. 1 hour and 10 minutes 8 lbs …….. 1 hour and 20 minutes 9 lbs …….. 1 hour and 30 minutes 10 lbs……. 1 hour and 40 minutes 11 lbs ……. 1 hour and 50 minutes 12 lbs ……..2 hours 13 lbs…….. 2 hours and 10 minutes 14 lbs…….. 2 hours and 20 minutes 15 lbs……. 2 hours and 30 minutes 16 lbs …… 2 hours and 40 minutes 17 lbs …….2 hours and 50 minutes 18 lbs……..3 hours. BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE TO KNOW THAN JUST HOW LONG TO COOK…There are several secrets to cooking the perfect ham without drying it out! I’ll review those here and then give you a bullet point list below. WHAT KIND OF PAN DO I COOK A SPIRAL SLICED HAM IN?Any pan that is large enough to hold the ham AND the drippings will work BUT, you can’t go wrong with a seriously proper roasting pan. I’ll include a photo below so that you can see what I’m talking about. The link I’ve included is an Amazon Affiliate link and I do receive a commission if you choose to purchase one this way. (Thank you SO MUCH!). Just click the photo to go straight through to Amazon to compare prices. That said, I found the one I use at Big Lots and I recommend that you look around because decent pans can be found in a RANGE of prices. You want one that has a nice finish (you’ll be doing some serious scrubbing in that pan after holidays). Nice deep sides are wonderful! A shiny thicker bottom is preferred to help prevent warping and for even heating. I like that mine has a V shaped rack to hold the contents together and above the drippings. Have no fear though, my own mother has baked hams in her ancient enamel coated 9×13 pan with a generic rack that came out of another pan for years and it works just fine too. CATCH THE JUICES THAT COME OUT OF THE SHRINK WRAPPED HAM PACKAGEWhen you cut the ham free of its plastic mummy wrap, you’ll see that quite a bit of juice runs out. SAVE THAT JUICE! When you place your ham into the roasting pan, put the juice in the bottom of the roasting pan and this juice will then steam your ham adding MORE FLAVOR. WHAT IF THE JUICE GOT AWAY OR IF THERE WASN’T THAT MUCH?It’s ok, just add ½ cup more chicken stock than I call for in the recipe. COVER THE HAM TIGHTLY WITH ALUMINUM FOILOnce you have placed the ham in the pan, make SURE that you cover it very tightly with aluminum foil. You DO NOT want any steam escaping from the pan. The steam heats the meat and keeps everything moist. Be sure to buy the LONG aluminum HEAVY DUTY foil because it is seriously hard to adequately cover your ham with cheap, thin, short aluminum foil. It’s worth an extra couple of bucks to ensure that you’ve got your ham covered. PUT THE HAM IN THE OVEN WITH THE FOIL ON TIGHTLY AND LEAVE IT ALONE!
How to make spiral ham without drying it out WHAT DO WE DO NEXT?Remember that time chart at the top of this post? Leave the ham alone until that exact time has elapsed. TAKE THE HAM OUT OF THE OVEN AND…Once the ham has cooked for the amount of time indicated, remove the ham from the oven. Set it out on the counter and DO NOT REMOVE THE ALUMINUM FOIL. GLAZING THE HAMIf a glaze is included, follow the directions that you will find either on the glaze packet OR on the back of the label of your ham. When NO glaze included, you could make your own OR just not have a glaze. Your ham will be good either way. If you want to make your own glaze, follow the instructions noted below. HOW TO KEEP HAM MOIST DURING DINNERThe best way for the ham to remain moist during dinner is to cook it properly to begin with. Ham that is overcooked will dry out more quickly on the table. The next best way to have moist ham on the dinner table is to only place the amount that the family will eat on the first pass around the table on the platter. Once the platter has been around and everyone has a slice, wait a bit and then refill the platter. Ham sitting open faced on a platter on the table does tend to dry more quickly than the whole ham that is in the kitchen with the aluminum foil on top of it! FAQ (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS) AND TIPS AND TRICKS FOR MOIST SPIRAL SLICED HAM!HOW DO I COOK MY HAM WITH PINEAPPLE SLICES?You can add sliced canned pineapple to your ham before baking. That is entirely up to you. Simply lay the slices of pineapple on the ham and secure with toothpicks. Most people prefer the slices that are preserved in syrup. Make sure that you remove the toothpicks before serving. You will likely want to offer the pineapple slices on the side of your ham platter. HOW TO COOK MY HAM IN AN OVEN BAGIf you prefer to cook your ham in an oven bag rather than aluminum foil, that will work too. Simply follow these instructions and then bake as per the recipe below…
This is an oven bag. You can click the photo to go straight through to Amazon to compare prices. I am an Amazon affiliate so if you decide to purchase through this method, I will receive a commission. This doesn’t affect your purchase price, so THANK YOU! Baking Bags DO come in several sizes. Make sure you get the one big enough for a turkey. HOW TO COOK MY HAM IN A CROCKPOT or SLOW COOKERFirst, you will likely need a big crockpot (something like a 7 quart crock pot). I’ve included an Amazon link here for that size crockpot. I have one and use it all the time. It’s great for making Party Chili! Follow these instructions to bake your ham in the crockpot.
HOW CAN I MAKE MY OWN GLAZE FOR THE HAM?If you would like to make your own glaze, then toss the glaze packet that comes with the ham. Make the following mix:
IS SPIRAL HAM PRECOOKED?Yes. Most spiral ham is precooked. Check the label of your specific ham to be sure. HOW DO I REHEAT LEFTOVER HAM?You can reheat spiral ham by wrapping it tightly in aluminum foil and then heating for 30 minutes in a 350 oven. If you prefer to reheat in the microwave, remove the aluminum foil and cover with plastic wrap and heat on high for 1 minute and then turn the dish and heat in 1 minute intervals until reheated. We enjoy single slices of ham cooked in a cast iron skillet in some butter too! How to make spiral ham without drying it out WHAT IS THE GLAZE PACKET THAT COMES WITH THE HAM?The glaze packet that comes with the ham is a mixture of sugar and flavorings. Usually, it is already prepared and all you have to do is cut it open and pour it over the ham at the end of baking. HOW CAN I MAKE A SPIRAL HAM AHEAD?You can bake the ham the day before and simply reheat the slices that you will need. See reheating instructions above. DO I NEED TO COVER MY HAM WHEN BAKING?YES! That is the secret to having a super juicy ham. See the recipe card below, the baking instructions for bake in the bag or the instructions for crockpot / slowcooker ham. WHY DO I NEED TO COOK A FULLY COOKED HAM?Actually, you do not need to cook the fully cooked ham. What we are actually doing is just warming it up. Most people like to have warm ham with their dinner. DO I NEED TO BASTE THE HAM WHILE IT IS COOKINGNo, you do not need to baste the ham while it is cooking. Baste it when it is done cooking several times and then again just before serving. WHAT DO I BASTE THE HAM WITH?You can use a spoon to spoon the drippings over the ham, but be careful you can burn your hand this way (ask me how I know). The safest way to do this is to use a good baster. I’ve included a picture you can click to go through to Amazon to compare prices. This is what I use. I am an amazon affiliate and if you purchase through this link, I do receive a commission (THANK YOU!) HOW LONG IS A HAM GOOD FOR?The spiral sliced ham that you buy at the store is good for quite a while. There will be an expiration date on the package. Be sure to heed this date. HOW LONG WILL COOKED HAM LAST?Your cooked ham should be good if kept in the refrigerator for 5 days. CAN I FREEZE MY SPIRAL SLICED HAM?Yes, you can freeze the entire ham when you purchase it from the store. Just put it in the freezer. It will be good in the freezer for 3-6 months. CAN I FREEZE MY SPIRAL SLICED HAM LEFTOVERS?Certainly you may! Put the slices in a freezer safe zip lock bag, remove as much air as possible. Label well with what’s inside and the date you froze it and it should keep for 3-6 months in the freezer. WHEN SHOULD I GLAZE MY HAM?If you are using the glaze packet that comes with the ham, follow the enclosed directions. Usually this calls for opening the packet and squeezing it over the ham after baking. If you are using my glaze instructions that are noted in this post, then follow those instructions. RECAP FOR HOW TO COOK SPIRAL HAM WITHOUT DRYING IT OUT:
WHAT GOES WITH MY JUICY SPIRAL HAM?Oh so many great choices for a wonderful dinner! You could go all out and have… Southern Sweet Potato Casserole Slow cooker green beans with bacon Mawmaw’s Banana pudding How to Cook Pinto Beans on the stove top or you could do something a little easier like How to Cook canned corn on the stove How to cook canned green beans on the stove 10x canned biscuits! WHAT TO DO WITH HAM LEFTOVERS?There is seriously nothing better to do with that ham bone than to put it in a big pot of pinto beans! The Secret to Perfect Old Fashioned Pinto Beans OR you can freeze the leftovers to use for sandwiches, in mac and cheese or soups! LET’S SEE WHAT GOES INTO THIS THING…Get the ham out of the bag and figure out how long it should cook…. How to Make Spiral Ham without Drying it Out Put the ham in the roasting pan with 1/2 cup of chicken stock or the reserved juices from the ham. How to make spiral ham without drying it out Cover well with foil and Bake for the required time, apply the glaze, allow to rest and SERVE! How to make spiral ham without drying it out
YA’LL BE SWEET AND HELP ME OUT, OK?Leave me a 5 STAR 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Comment below. If you made this recipe, I would love for you to share it with me on social media or just email me at wendi(at sign)loavesanddishes.net. Reader comments are the best. I answer right back! Ya’ll MAKE MY DAY when you leave me a comment 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 or send me an email! Join me on social media by clicking the links at the top of the page! THE RECIPE FOR HOW TO COOK SPIRAL HAM WITHOUT DRYING IT OUTHow to Cook a Spiral Sliced Ham without Drying It OutLearning to cook a Spiral Sliced Ham seems like a daunting task, but trust me it is EASY! You just need to know all the secrets! The most important thing is to keep it Juicy! I'll show you how to make your spiral sliced ham without drying it out! 5 from 60 votes Print Pin RateCourse: main Cuisine: American Keyword: how to cook a spiral sliced ham without drying it out, how to cook a ham. Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 2 hours Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes Servings: 8 servings Calories: 200kcal Author: Wendi Spraker Ingredients
Instructions
NotesUse the weight chart located in the post for this recipe to find the right time for cooking your ham. Don't want to use the enclosed glaze packet? That's ok, use my recipe:
NutritionNutrition Facts How to Cook a Spiral Sliced Ham without Drying It Out Amount Per Serving Calories 200 * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Tried this recipe?Mention @loavesanddishes or tag #loavesanddishes! A VERSE TO SHAREThis time of year always gets to me. It seems that it is dark all the time. I don’t know about where you live, but here, in North Carolina it seems like it has rained for months. With the rain comes dark dreary clouds and seem to hang over everything. I’ll tell you what, it can really dampen your mood over time. If you struggle with the dark time of year, then you know what I’m talking about. If you are getting up in the dark of early morning, heading out the door to work, working inside a building all day only to come out and find darkness again when you exit the building. My heart and prayers are with you. On these dark dreary days, perhaps it helps to remember that God is the Light of the world.His light shines into the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. In fact, John 1 talks about Jesus being the light of the world. He came into the world, which was his but the world didn’t accept him. And here is the best part, to those who DO receive him he gives the right to be children of God. That’s it. Just receive. Surely that is enough to brighten any short and dreary day! I’ll leave that scripture here and I hope you’ll go open up to John 1 and read the entire passage yourself! John 1: 12-13
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