15+ BEST Sauces for Ham (with Easy Recipes) (2024)

FAQs

What condiments are good with ham? ›

No one in our family can enjoy a ham without applesauce, honey mustard, or Pina Colada sauce these days. Plus, pretty sauces on a Christmas dinner table perfectly complete the meal. My personal favorite, which is funny because I'm not a lover of mustard, is the honey mustard.

Peach preserves, hot pepper jelly, and maple syrup work as sweet bases for glazes that add sheen as well as distinct flavor. Tasty additions such as aromatics, herbs, and spices switch up a traditional ham and make it truly memorable.

You can use water, but if you want to add more flavor, you should use wine or beef, chicken, or vegetable stock. Most of this liquid will cook off, but your tinfoil cover will help your meat absorb those juices.

First, you want to balance the sweetness with another flavor, such as a spice, herb, or citrus. Second, feel free to spike your glaze with some spirits—bourbon and rum are particularly nice—but don't add too much, because you don't want the glaze to be too liquidy.

Serve with mustard and cornichons.

You can rub it with brown sugar and put it in a hot oven. You can inject with a solution of water, salt, maple syrup and white pepper before you cook it.

Convenient and easy to prepare, a fully cooked ham can be sliced and eaten cold, making it great for sandwiches and salads, but the flavor and texture are even better once reheated.

All glazes should basically do the same thing: caramelize the outside and give more flavor. Some (most?) precooked ham come with a glaze packet in the packaging. That will work fine, but I prefer my glaze flavor MUCH better.

The glaze should not be applied until the final hour to 30 minutes, in order to avoid burning the sugars. What you're going to do with the glaze ingredients is just combine most of them into a paste, and then apply it to the ham. After that, the heat in your oven will take care of everything.

Any meat that is roasted in the oven needs moisture so it won't burn at the bottom of the pan or dry out. The trick is to make sure you add some kind of liquid to your pan. So here's the hack: Add half a cup of wine or stock to the bottom of your pan before popping that ham in the oven.

Do you cook a ham at 325 or 350? ›

Cooking Temperature and Time

If the ham is a half ham weighing five to seven pounds, it should heat at 325°F for 22-25 minutes per pound. If it is a whole ham weighing between 10 to 14 pounds, heat the ham at 325°F for 18-20 minutes per pound. The internal temperature should be 140°F.

With a bone-in ham, plan on one-third to one-half pound of meat per person (or two to three servings per pound), or more if you want leftovers. For a boneless ham, figure about quarter-pound per person, or more for leftovers.

Step 1Spread one side of each slice of bread with mayonnaise. In a small bowl, stir to combine mustard and honey. Step 2On 2 of the 4 slices, spread the mustard mixture on the opposite side of the mayo. Top with 3 slices of cheese and 3 slices of ham per sandwich.

Forest fruit sauces, honey sauce, or onion sauce are the best companion for roasted meats.

Cut the ham into small pieces and toss it with pasta, vegetables, and a creamy sauce for a satisfying meal. For a sweet and savory option, glaze the ham with a mixture of honey, brown sugar, and spices, and serve it with roasted vegetables or a side of fruit.