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Best Homemade Brown Sugar Bourbon Glazed Ham with Pineapple

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A juicy, flavorful ham with a sticky, caramelized brown sugar bourbon glaze and pineapple, perfect for holidays and special occasions. This recipe started as a happy accident but became a beloved tradition.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 fully cooked bone-in ham (8–10 pounds, spiral-cut or whole)
  • 1 can pineapple rings (20 ounces, drained, juice reserved)
  • Maraschino cherries (optional, for decorating)
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 1/2 cup bourbon
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup pineapple juice (reserved from the can)
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. Remove the ham from the refrigerator about 1 hour before cooking. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C).
  2. If your ham has a plastic disk or cap on the bone, remove it. Place the ham cut-side down on a rack in a large roasting pan.
  3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, bourbon, butter, pineapple juice, Dijon mustard, ground cloves, and black pepper. Stir constantly until butter melts and sugar dissolves, about 3-4 minutes. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat and set aside 1/4 cup of glaze for basting later.
  4. Using a sharp knife, score the surface of the ham in a diamond pattern, cutting about 1/4 inch deep (skip if spiral-cut). Brush a generous layer of warm glaze all over the ham, getting it into the cuts.
  5. Using toothpicks, secure pineapple rings onto the ham in a decorative pattern. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of each ring if desired.
  6. Cover the ham loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes per pound (about 1 hour 20 minutes for an 8-pound ham). After 30 minutes, remove foil and baste with reserved glaze. Continue baking uncovered, basting every 20 minutes with pan juices, until internal temperature reaches 140°F (60°C).
  7. For an extra-sticky crust, switch oven to broil for the last 3-5 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.
  8. Remove ham from oven and let rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. Transfer to a serving platter, spoon pan juices over the top, and serve warm.

Notes

Do not skip the resting time. Watch the sugar under the broiler to prevent burning. Baste often but gently. Use pan drippings to make a syrupy sauce. Keep the ham covered if it starts to look dry during baking. Always reserve some glaze for mid-bake basting.

Nutrition

Keywords: brown sugar bourbon glazed ham, ham with pineapple, holiday ham, Easter ham, Christmas ham, bourbon ham, glazed ham

Find it online: https://dahliadishes.com/best-homemade-brown-sugar-bourbon-glazed-ham-with-pineapple/