Picking the perfect Christmas ham glaze is a challenge when options are a-plenty. Perhaps it would help to first understand the fundamentals—and have some easy glaze recipes to help us along.
But first thing’s first. Why do we glaze ham? The answer is: Flavour! Done right, glazing takes ham from a humble side dish to a show-stopping centrepiece on the Christmas table. It elevates the taste from your average, everyday ham, to something you’ll talk about until next year.
But there is an art to nailing your glaze. If you were curious, we’re here to explain all the fundamentals of ham glazing, including ham glaze recipes, and how to glaze a ham properly. To start, a few notes on flavour…
The flavour fundamentals of a ham glaze
It’s worth considering the four flavour blocks that comprise a good ham glaze:
- Sweet: Brown, rapadura and muscovado sugar, maple syrup, apricot jam, marmalade, cola, dessert wine, Marsala, honey, kecap manis, peach nectar
- Spice: Cloves, cinnamon, star anise, ginger, fennel seeds, allspice, cardamom, peppercorn, smoked paprika
- Acid: Apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, verjuice, pineapple, lime, orange and apple juice, rice vinegar
- Other additions: Beer, soy sauce, sake, fish sauce, mustard, whisky, bay leaves, makrut lime leaves, thyme
A sweet ingredient is the key flavour profile, and provides the base of your glaze. A little acid is often used to balance the sweetness and thin the glaze. Then, certain spices – cloves, cinnamon, allspice – will add unmistakable Christmas flavour to the base glaze. A layer of savoury flavour, like mustard or soy, can also be a good addition for further depth.
Easy ham glaze recipes
We have dozens of Christmas ham recipes (glazes included), plus a slew of chef-recommended glaze recipes, too. However, in the name of ease, here are some options that show off the diversity of glaze flavours. And they’re simple to master.
Jump to:
- Cherry and allspice glaze
- Gingerbeer and hot English mustard glaze
- Char siu-style glaze
- Spiced quince glaze
- Spiced apricot glaze
- Brown sugar spice glaze
- Chipotle, lime and pineapple glaze
- Spiced marmalade glaze
- Kecap manis and chilli glaze
- Coconut nectar, tamarind and chilli glaze
Have your own glaze recipe? Skip ahead for instructions on how to glaze a ham.
Cherry and allspice glaze
- 350g pitted cherries
- 120ml maple syrup
- 2tbsp water
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- Pinch of ground cloves
- Pinch of cardamom
Combine pitted cherries with maple syrup, water, sherry vinegar, and the ground cloves and cardamom in a saucepan and simmer until cherries release juice, and liquid thickens slightly (20-25 minutes).
Ginger beer and hot English mustard glaze
- 750ml ginger beer
- 2 tbsp hot English mustard
- 55g (¼ cup) brown sugar
- 1 tsp finely crushed green peppercorns
- pinch of ground ginger
Combine ginger beer, hot English mustard, brown sugar, green peppercorns and ground ginger in a saucepan over medium heat and reduce until thickened slightly (20-30 minutes).
Char siu-style glaze
- 160gm hoisin sauce
- 120g honey
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp fermented soy bean paste (available from Asian grocers)
- ½ tsp five-spice
Combine hoisin sauce, honey, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, fermented soy bean paste (available from Asian grocers) and five-spice in a bowl. Place ham in a roasting pan and baste with glaze as it roasts.
Spiced quince glaze
- 100g quince paste
- 60ml dry white wine
- 2 tbsp apple juice
- 1 tbsp Sherry vinegar
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- 160g brown sugar
Stir quince paste, white wine, apple juice, Sherry vinegar and ground cloves, cinnamon and allspice in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until melted and smooth. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Place ham in a roasting pan, brush with half the quince glaze and roast, brushing occasionally with remaining quince glaze, until sticky, golden and warmed through.
Spiced apricot glaze
- Rind of 1 preserved lemon
- 300g smooth apricot jam
- 120g mild-flavoured honey
- Juice of 1 orange
- 1 tsp ras el hanout spice blend
Finely chop rind of preserved lemon and combine in a bowl with apricot jam, mild-flavoured honey, juice of 1 orange and ras el hanout spice blend. Whisk until smooth, then brush over ham and baste occasionally as it cooks.
Brown sugar spice glaze
- 150gm brown sugar
- 60ml (¼ cup) apple cider vinegar
- 60gm Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Combine brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, ground allspice, and ground cardamom and cinnamon in a bowl, rub all over scored ham, place in a roasting pan and cook, basting occasionally, until golden.
Chipotle, lime and pineapple glaze
- ½ pineapple
- juice of 2 limes
- 180gm crushed light palm sugar
- 2 jarred chipotle chillies
- 1 cup coriander
- sea salt
Combine chopped flesh of the half pineapple with the juice of 2 limes, crushed light palm sugar and chipotle chillies in a blender. Pound the coriander and sea salt in a mortar and pestle, then add to pineapple mixture to taste. Baste ham as it roasts.
Spiced marmalade glaze
- 250ml freshly squeezed orange juice
- 120g marmalade
- 100ml golden rum
- 2 tbsp coarsely chopped thyme
- 1 golden shallot
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 1 Habanero chilli
Process all the ingredients in a food processor until very smooth, then season to taste. Place ham in a roasting pan and baste with glaze every 20 minutes.
Kecap manis and chilli glaze
- 250ml kecap manis
- 60ml Chinkiang vinegar (available from Asian grocers)
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 tsp ground star anise
- 3 crushed garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix. Baste the ham as it roasts.
Coconut nectar, tamarind and chilli glaze
- 200ml coconut nectar (available from health-food shops)
- 1 long red chilli, split lengthways
- Finely grated rind of 2 limes
- 60ml water
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 tsp tamarind concentrate (available from Asian grocers)
Combine coconut nectar, red chilli, rind of 2 limes and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Reduce until slightly thickened (10-15 minutes), then add juice of 1 lime and tamarind concentrate, and season to taste. Place ham in a roasting pan, pour glaze over it and roast, basting occasionally.
How to make glazed ham
Ingredients
Method
Glazed ham
Preheat oven to 200C.
Follow the instructions to make your choice of glaze and set aside.
Use a sharp knife to score the skin around the shank (bone). Then, run your knife along the edges of the skin to help separate it from the fat. You do this so that your fingers can get under the skin to peel it back. Use your clean fingers to get beneath the skin, and peel it back from the ham. As you go, run your fingers back and forth along the width of the skin, so that it pulls back gradually and evenly. Be extra careful not to tear the fat.
Detach the skin and reserve (Use it to cover leftover ham to help prevent it from drying out).
Score the fat (not the flesh!) evenly with a small sharp knife, maintaining an even depth all over. You can either score in a crisscross pattern to form diamonds or in parallel lines (approx. one inch wide).
Place ham in a large roasting pan with a cup of water, then brush with glaze at regular intervals for about 30 minutes while baking. Bake until sticky, golden and warmed through (1½-2 hours). Rest for 30 minutes before carving.
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