It’s so easy to bake a ham in a Dutch oven. It’s a popular main dish for holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, as well as for graduations and other family gatherings, and for good reason. It’s a crowd-pleaser with robust flavor that feeds many with minimum effort. An easy, hands-off recipe that is perfect for beginner cooks!.
If you’ve never baked a ham before, this guide will show you how to make a juicy spiral ham with a tasty marsala glaze that tastes like Sicily!
This Marsala-glazed ham is one of the easiest main dishes that you can make. It’s already cooked, so all you have to do is heat it up, glaze it, and serve. This is a very easy recipe that cooks of all levels can follow.
Cooking a spiral cut ham in a Dutch oven is a fantastic way to prepare this holiday favorite. The Dutch oven’s thick, heavy material conducts heat evenly, keeping the ham moist while infusing it with delicious flavor. With just a few simple steps, you can make a juicy, tender baked ham that will be the centerpiece of your next celebration.
What is a Spiral Ham?
A spiral cut ham refers to a boneless or bone-in cured ham that has been machine sliced into thin even cuts in a continuous spiral pattern. This spiral slicing technique allows the meat to absorb glazes and seasonings more efficiently during cooking. Spiral hams are fully cooked meaning they just need to be heated through before serving. They are available smoked or unsmoked.
Spiral hams are convenient, easy to serve, and perfect for feeding a crowd. The spiral pattern gives each slice a nice presentation with an edge of the outside glaze. Popular holidays to serve spiral ham include Easter, Christmas, and Thanksgiving.
Why Use a Dutch Oven for Cooking Spiral Ham?
Dutch ovens are heavy, thick-walled cooking vessels with tight fitting lids. They are excellent for braising stewing baking, roasting, and slow cooking. A few key advantages of using a Dutch oven for cooking spiral ham
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Even heating The thick material of a Dutch oven distributes heat evenly around the ham, preventing hot or cold spots. This allows the ham to cook gently and evenly throughout
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Moist environment: When covered, Dutch ovens create a moist environment that keeps meats from drying out as they cook. The spiral ham stays tender and juicy.
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Infuses flavor: Cooking the ham in a small amount of liquid allows it to absorb extra flavor from aromatics like onions, broth, and fruit juices.
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Easy to use: Once assembled, Dutch oven hams basically cook unattended. The heavy lid keeps in heat and moisture.
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Gorgeous presentation: Bring the beautiful ham straight to the table in the Dutch oven for serving.
How to Cook a Spiral Ham in a Dutch Oven
Cooking a spiral ham in a Dutch oven is simple. Follow these easy steps for perfect results every time:
Prep the Ham
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Choose a bone-in or boneless cooked spiral ham about 7-10 pounds. Allow 1/2 pound bone-in or 1/3 pound boneless per person.
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Leave the ham wrapped until ready to cook. Rinse if desired and pat dry.
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With a knife, score the ham by making 1/4 inch deep cuts in a diamond pattern. This helps the glaze penetrate.
Prepare the Dutch Oven
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Select a 6-7 quart Dutch oven. It should allow 2-3 inches all around the ham.
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Rub the inside with oil or spray with cooking spray. This prevents sticking.
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Place sliced onions or garlic in the bottom of the pot. They add flavor.
Add the Ham and Liquid
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Place the ham cut side down on top of the aromatics.
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Add 1-2 cups liquid like apple juice, pineapple juice, ginger ale, broth, or water.
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The liquid steams and tenderizes the ham as it cooks.
Cook Covered
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Cover pot with the lid or seal tightly with heavy foil.
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Bake at 325°F for about 15-20 minutes per pound. Check internal temp.
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Bone-in hams cook longer. Cook to 140°F, then glaze.
Glaze and Finish
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Mix a glaze with sweet ingredients like brown sugar, honey, jams, etc.
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Remove lid, brush glaze over ham. Bake 15 mins more to set glaze.
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Rest ham 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Tips for the Best Dutch Oven Spiral Ham
Cooking spiral ham in a Dutch oven is very forgiving, but here are some tips:
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For less salt, soak the ham overnight in water in the fridge.
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Add carrots, parsnips, potatoes, or pineapple chunks to the pot to roast.
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Use flavored liquids like citrus juice, ginger ale, wine, or broth.
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Make slits in the fat cap for seasoning and glaze to seep into meat.
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Glaze ham multiple times during last 30 mins for caramelized, crisp exterior.
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Let ham rest before slicing so juices redistribute for moist meat.
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Use leftovers for sandwiches, omelets, breakfast casseroles, soups, and more!
Sample Menu with Spiral Ham
Here is a sample menu with delicious dishes to complement a juicy Dutch oven spiral ham:
- Honey Glazed Spiral Ham
- Herb Roasted Potatoes
- Green Bean Casserole
- Parker House Rolls
- Maple Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Serve a spiraled beauty for your next holiday meal or gathering. With proper Dutch oven technique, you’ll have moist, fully cooked ham with incredible texture and flavor.
Can You Cook a Spiral Ham in a Dutch Oven? The Benefits
Cooking a whole spiral ham in a Dutch oven is a great technique for several reasons. The Dutch oven’s environment helps to infuse the ham with extra flavor and retain moisture, resulting in a juicier, more delicious overall ham.
Flavor Infusion
Cooking the ham in a flavorful liquid or on a bed of aromatics like onions, garlic, carrots allows the ham to absorb their essence as it cooks. Using citrus juice, wine, broth or spices in the cooking liquid adds even more dimension.
Maximum Moisture Retention
The tight fitting lid on the Dutch oven circulates steam and braising liquid to keep the ham very moist as it heats through. The spiral cut also allows the ham to better soak up that moisture.
Even Heating
The Dutch oven’s thick material evenly distributes and holds heat around the ham. This prevents overcooking on the edges or undercooking in the center for even texture and doneness.
Beautiful Presentation
The Dutch oven can go right from oven to table for an impressive presentation. The ham’s browned, lacquered exterior shows through the oven’s lid or through pretty cutouts in foil.
Extra Glaze Adherence
The contained environment helps glazes coat and stick to the ham better. As the glaze reduces, it forms a lovely, shiny sheen.
Hands Free Cooking
Once in the oven, Dutch oven hams require minimal monitoring. The heavy lid does the work of sealing in heat and moisture.
Step-by-Step Guide to Cooking Spiral Ham in a Dutch Oven
Follow these simple steps for amazing Dutch oven spiral ham every time:
Prep Work
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Choose a 7-10 pound bone-in or boneless spiral ham. Allow 1⁄2 pound bone-in or 1⁄3 pound boneless per person.
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Leave wrapping on ham until ready to cook. Rinse if desired. Pat dry with paper towels.
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With a sharp knife, score fat cap and outside of ham by making 1⁄4 inch deep cuts in a diamond pattern.
Select Your Dutch Oven
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Choose a 6-7 quart Dutch oven. You want 2-3 inches clearance on all sides of the ham.
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Larger hams may require a foil cover if too tall for the lid.
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Rub inside of pot with oil or spray with nonstick spray to prevent sticking.
Add Ham and Liquid
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Place ham cut side down on top of sliced aromatics like onions, garlic, carrots, etc.
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Pour 1-2 cups liquid like fruit juice, wine, broth, ginger ale over ham.
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Liquid steams and braises ham, adding flavor and moisture.
Bake Covered
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Cover tightly with lid or heavy duty aluminum foil.
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Bake in a 325°F oven for approximately 15-20 minutes per pound.
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Check temperature after 2 hours. Cook bone-in hams to 140°F internal temp.
Glaze and Finish
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In a small pan, simmer your favorite glaze ingredients like brown sugar, honey, preserves, etc.
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Remove lid, brush glaze over ham. Return to oven for 15 minutes.
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Repeat glazing and baking to set glaze, adding color.
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When done, let rest 15 minutes before slicing.
FAQ About Cooking Spiral Ham in a Dutch Oven
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about making spiral ham in a Dutch oven:
What size Dutch oven do I need?
Choose a 6-7 quart Dutch oven to allow 2-3 inches of clearance on all sides of a 7-10 pound ham.
What liquid should I add?
Fruit juices, wine, broth, and ginger ale all add great flavor. Use 1-2 cups.
**How long
Ingredients for Baked Ham in a Dutch Oven
To make this Dutch oven spiral ham recipe, we’ll be using:
- It was written for a 7- to 10-pound spiral ham that was already cooked and had the bones still in it. Hams with the bone in tend to be more juicy, have more fat, and have a stronger, savory flavor. However, this recipe can also be used for a spiral ham without bones or even a ham that isn’t spiral. The cooking times will be different, though.
- When you cook with onions and orange juice, the juice adds flavor and moisture to the braising liquid.
- You’ll need marsala wine, brown sugar, orange juice, butter, soy sauce or tamari, Dijon mustard, and a little cornstarch to make my special sweet ham glaze that is based on Sicilian food. It’s a great complement to the smoky, salty ham!.
What is a Spiral Ham?
A spiral ham is a whole or half cooked ham that has been cut into thin, even slices by a special machine. It is almost always cured and often smoked and can be bone-in or boneless.
Spiral hams are part of the category of hams also known as city hams (as opposed to country hams). (Click here to read more about this.) All hams come from the upper portion (femur bone) of the back leg of a pig. And, while you can buy a whole ham, they are most often cut into two parts, each weighing about 7-10 pounds. The half closest to the pig’s leg is known as the shank half, while the half closest to the pig’s body is the butt half.
I think a bone-in spiral ham has more flavor and is less likely to dry out than a boneless one, which is what this recipe calls for. It’s so much easier to carve and serve than a bone-in whole ham that is not sliced.
The only caveat is that spiral hams tend to dry out if not cooked properly. Baking them in a Dutch oven with some braising liquid, like I did here, keeps the meat moist so the ham stays juicy and tender while it cooks. A no brainer!.
Glazes are to ham what icing is to cake. These add more sweetness and make the whole thing better. The sugar in the glaze also gives it some crunchy caramelized edges.
Often, spiral hams will come with a packet of glaze already enclosed. You can follow the steps below to use this, but I really hope you try my easy and unique Marsala glaze, which is inspired by Sicily. Homemade is always better!
Orange juice, brown sugar, butter, soy sauce, and Dijon mustard are slowly cooked with Marsala wine. A cornstarch slurry is then added to make the sauce a little thicker. A few times near the end of cooking, it’s brushed on the ham. It adds just the right amount of sweetness to go with the salty, smoky ham. I love how some of it seaps into the layers of the ham as well!.
Baking a ham in a Dutch oven really is the perfect, hands-off entrée for holidays. It’s very simple to make and doesn’t take much time to prepare. Both kids and adults love it, and there are always tasty leftovers that can be used in sandwiches, quiches, soups, frittatas, and other dishes. Plus, it smells amazing as it roasts. Let’s mangia!.
Dutch Oven Ham With Brown Sugar and Pineapple Glaze
FAQ
What’s the best way to cook a spiral ham without drying it out?
What is the best way to heat a precooked spiral ham?
Should a spiral ham be covered when baking?
How long does it take to cook a fully cooked spiral ham?
How do you cook a Ham in a Dutch oven?
Start by preheating your oven to 325°F. Then remove the packaging of the ham and place the cut side down in a 7 qt dutch oven. Bake covered for approximately 3.5 hours (see cooking chart below). I used aluminum foil to cover it since it was too large for the lid to fit on. Add the glaze for the last 35 minutes of baking and leave it uncovered.
Is honey baked ham as good as regular ham?
The addition of honey will affect the calorie content of the food. One tablespoon of honey contributes to approximately 64 calories. In addition, the use of heat when making baked ham will reduce the quality of the honey.
How do you reheat a spiral ham?
In a nutshell, since the spiral ham is precooked, all you really need to do is reheat it properly, then make the glaze and brush it on the ham. Here are the main steps: Preheat oven to 325°F. Rub the bottom of the Dutch oven with oil, then scatter the sliced onions over the oil.
What does a Dutch oven ham taste like?
Dutch oven ham is just an explosion of flavor as soon as that lid is removed! It is rich, juicy, and satisfying! The glaze adds a delicious caramelized crust with the perfect balance of sweetness and savory. Not to mention how easy it is to just throw your ham into a dutch oven and check in after a few hours.