How to Cook a Juicy, Flavorful Ham in a Toaster Oven

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How to use an electric roaster oven to cook a sweet and sticky ham. This will make a holiday dinner that your guests will remember.

The irresistible smell of a ham roasting in the oven is sure to bring back happy holiday memories. One of the easiest and most popular holiday meals to make is ham. You can make it for Easter, Christmas, or Sunday dinner.

My favorite recipe for special occasions is maple glazed ham in an electric roaster oven. The maple glaze adds just enough sweetness to bring out the spiral ham’s savory, smoky flavor.

Cooking ham in a toaster oven is a quick and easy way to prepare delicious ham slices or smaller hams for your family without heating up the whole kitchen. With the right techniques, a toaster oven can produce ham that’s juicy, carvable, and full of flavor.

Benefits of Using a Toaster Oven

There are several advantages to cooking ham in a toaster oven rather than a full-size oven:

  • Faster preheating: A toaster oven preheats in just a few minutes, allowing you to start cooking sooner.

  • Shorter cook times: The smaller cavity concentrates heat around the food for quick, even cooking.

  • Tender and moist The tight space holds in moisture better than a spacious oven

  • Adds flavor: Glazes caramelize onto the meat’s exterior.

  • Perfect portions Cook just what you need instead of a huge ham

  • Saves energy: Uses less electricity than heating a large oven.

Choosing the Right Size Ham

Picking a ham that fits comfortably in your toaster oven ensures proper air circulation for even cooking:

  • For standard toaster ovens, opt for ham steaks, slices, or a half bone-in ham (4-5 lbs).

  • For larger toaster ovens, you can cook a 7-8 lb whole bone-in ham, a 7-9 lb spiral cut ham, or a 3-4 lb boneless roast.

  • Allow at least 2 inches of clearance on all sides for airflow.

Calculating Cook Times

Cook times depend on the size, shape and state of your ham:

  • Ham slices or steaks: 8-12 minutes per side

  • Boneless half ham: 18-24 minutes per lb

  • Bone-in half ham: 22-28 minutes per lb

  • Whole bone-in ham (7-8 lbs): 11-15 minutes per lb

  • Spiral cut whole ham (7-9 lbs): 9-12 minutes per lb

Use a meat thermometer to confirm doneness rather than relying only on cook times.

Target Internal Temperatures

Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the ham and verify these safe minimum internal temperatures:

  • Fresh ham: 160°F

  • Cook-before-eating ham: 140°F

  • Fully-cooked ham: 130°F

Let the ham rest for 10-15 minutes before carving to allow juices to redistribute.

Preventing Dryness

Follow these tips to keep your ham moist and juicy:

  • Choose a size with 2 inches of clearance on all sides.

  • Leave fat cap on if present to baste meat.

  • Brush with glaze, broth, or mustard during last 30 minutes.

  • Tent with foil and rest before serving.

  • Slice across the grain for maximum tenderness.

  • Serve with cooking juices drizzled on top.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here is a simple maple glaze recipe and step-by-step instructions for cooking a juicy half bone-in ham:

Ingredients:

  • 4-5 lb bone-in half ham
  • 1⁄4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp mustard

Directions:

  1. Rinse ham, pat dry, and place in toaster oven pan.

  2. Mix glaze ingredients and brush on ham.

  3. Cook 22-28 minutes per lb until 140°F internal temperature.

  4. Brush glaze on every 10 minutes during last half hour of cooking.

  5. Remove ham, tent foil, and let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Cooking a Whole Bone-In Ham

For larger toaster ovens, you can cook a complete 7-8 lb ham:

Ingredients:

  • 7-8 lb bone-in cooked ham
  • 1⁄2 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1⁄4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

  1. Rinse, dry, and place ham cut side down in pan.

  2. Mix glaze ingredients and brush on ham.

  3. Cook 11-15 minutes per lb until 130°F internal temperature.

  4. Brush glaze every 10 minutes during last half hour.

  5. Remove ham, tent foil, and let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Cooking a Spiral Cut Ham

For special occasions, spiral cut hams make a beautiful presentation. Follow these guidelines:

  • Choose a fully cooked 7-9 lb spiral ham.

  • Cook 9-12 minutes per lb until 140°F.

  • Brush with glaze during last half hour.

  • Let rest 10-15 minutes, then slice between spiral cuts to serve.

Helpful Tips

  • Use a probe thermometer to monitor temperature.

  • Save juices from packaging to pour over ham.

  • Add glaze when ham is 3/4 done and again at end.

  • Caramelize glaze by briefly uncovered at 425°F.

With the right size ham and simple recipes, you can easily make tender, flavorful ham in a toaster oven any time.

how to cook a ham in a toaster oven

How To Use a Probe-Style Food Thermometer

A probe-style food thermometer really helps when cooking a large piece of meat like maple glazed ham. I have a Lavatools Javelin PRO Duo Ambidextrous Backlit Professional Digital Cooking Thermometer, and it works perfectly. If you want the most accurate, top-of-the-line probe thermometer, I also recommend the ThermoWorks ChefAlarm, rated #1 by Cook’s Illustrated.

Put the probe into the roast to use the thermometer, and set the alarm to go off when the temperature is reached. To check the temperature, you won’t have to lift the roaster lid or take the ham out of its wrapper. This keeps the ham juicy. How to know that your spiral ham is done? The thermometer should register 140 degrees F.

how to cook a ham in a toaster oven

Preparing and Heating the Ham

When cooking an electric roaster maple-glazed ham, it’s important to keep the ham warm all the way through so it doesn’t dry out. Here are some helpful tips:

  • Tightly wrap the ham in foil to keep moisture inside.
  • Heat slowly in a moist environment. As an electric roaster has less space than a regular oven, it keeps the meat moist while it cooks.
  • Using a food thermometer to monitor the ham’s internal temperature

Some of the homemade maple glaze will be put on the ham when it’s 3/4 of the way done cooking and again when it’s almost done. You can also raise the heat and remove the lid from the ham in the last few minutes of cooking if you want the maple glaze to turn caramelized.

how to cook a ham in a toaster oven

How To Cook an Easter Ham in a Toaster Oven | Recipe | Annual Easter Special with Sal Governale

FAQ

How to cook a precooked ham in the oven?

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the ham on a rack in a large baking pan and add about 1/4- to 1/2 inch of water to the pan. If the ham is labeled “fully cooked” (does not require heating), heat it in the oven for about 10 minutes per pound, or to an internal temperature of 140 F.

Can you bake meat in a toaster oven?

Raw meat can be cooked in most toaster ovens if they are able to reach high enough temperatures. It is important to make sure that the meat is cooked to the correct internal temperature and that you follow proper food heating guidelines. Steak, for example, should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F.

Do you cook ham in the foil it comes in?

Tightly wrap and seal the ham with foil so none of the juices escape. Place the ham in a baking pan and cook for approximately 20 to 25 minutes per pound, or follow the directions on the package for cooking times. A fully cooked ham will be done when the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees F to 140 degrees F.

How long to cook a 10 lb fully cooked ham?

Plan on baking your pre-cooked ham at an oven temperature of 325 degrees Fahrenheit, covered with foil, until it reaches a safe internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit, as recommended by the USDA. A pre-cooked 10-pound ham, bone-in will need about 2 1/2 hours.

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