Apricot apple glazed ham

This glorious glazed ham with sticky apricot apple glaze is the kind of festive recipe dreams are made of. Simple, juicy ham the whole family will love.

Roasting the ham/gammon is a simple way of cooking it that doesn’t involve boiling. The apricot preserves and apple juice create the best ham glaze which compliments the salty, smoky ham just perfectly. Serve this as part of your Christmas feast and I promise you, your family will sing your praises. And maybe even make an extra one because glazed ham leftovers are a thing of beauty!

Apricot apple glazed ham

Ingredients needed 

  • Ham/Gammon. I use boneless smoked ham or gammon. The boneless ham cooks faster and is much easier to carve. If you have a bone-in ham, use my cherry glazed ham recipe as a guide for cooking.
  • Carrots. 
  • Apples. I use Granny Smith apples.
  • Onion.
  • Fresh garlic cloves.
  • Apple juice. 
  • Chicken stock.
  • Apricot preserves. Apricot jam.
  • White wine vinegar. Apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, rice wine vinegar will all work. You just want some acidity to cut through all the sweetness.
  • Brown sugar. Honey or maple syrup can be substituted.
  • Salt.
Apricot apple glazed ham

How to make glazed ham

  1. Cook the ham: Place the ham in a roasting pan or deep baking dish then add the apple, onion, garlic, apple juice and stock or water. Cover with foil and allow to roast until cooked. (Cooking times are discussed below.) Remove the ham from the oven and turn the heat up. Reserve 1 cup of ham stock then discard the remaining liquid and aromatics. Remove the skin from the ham with a sharp knife, taking care not to remove too much of the fat. Score a diamond pattern into the fat. At this point you can also stick whole cloves into the ham if you prefer. Place ham on a wire rack set inside the roasting pan and set aside while you make the glaze.
  2. Make the glaze: Combine a few tablespoons of dark brown sugar, apricot preserves, apple juice and some of the stock from the roasted ham/gammon in a saucepan set over medium heat with salt and vinegar and simmer until the mixture is syrupy and reduced, approximately 10 minutes. A note on spices: I like the simple flavors of the apple and apricot glaze with the ham but you could add spices like cinnamon, allspice, ground cloves or nutmeg to the glaze.
  3. Glaze the ham: Pour the glaze over the roasted ham/gammon and brush into all the nooks and crannies to make sure the ham is coated in the glaze. Place back in the oven and roast for another 20-30 minutes until the glaze is caramelized and sticky. Remove the ham from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before carving and serving.

How long do you cook a glazed ham?

When roasting at 160ºC/320ºF, you need to roast the ham approximately 20 minutes per 500g/1lb. So a 2kg/4lb smoked ham/gammon will need around 1 hour 20 minutes. Thereafter you remove the skin and score the fat, glaze and roast for another 30 minutes at around 200ºc/390ºF until sticky and caramelized.

How do you glaze a precooked ham?

Simply bring the cooked ham to room temperature. Cut off the skin and score the fat in a diamond pattern then pour over the glaze and roast for 30 minutes until the glaze is caramelized. This apple glaze is delicious but if you want something slightly more traditional, my orange brown sugar glaze ham recipe is also fantastic. The glaze is made with fresh orange juice (pineapple juice can also be used), brown sugar and aromatics.

Apricot apple glazed ham

Can I make this ahead?

Ham is a great main dish to make ahead. Cook the ham fully then remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature then cover well and place in the refrigerator overnight. 2 hours before serving, remove the ham from the fridge then continue with the glazing step. Any leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

How do you serve a fully cooked ham?

Allow the glazed, cooked ham to cool for 10-20 minutes after coming out of the oven then slice and serve with side dishes.

What to serve with glazed ham:

Glazed ham is a staple for any festive table and we love it at Christmas served with crispy potatoes, bread stuffing, dinner rolls and Garlic Parmesan brussels sprouts. However, it’s also a delicious meal served at room temperature with salads.

  1. Roast potatoes with herbed salt
  2. Creamy condensed milk potato salad
  3. Easy side salad with lemon dressing
  4. Easy creamy curried macaroni salad
Apricot apple glazed ham

What to do with leftover ham

  1. Ham and pea pasta bake
  2. Leftover Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich
  3. Zucchini feta crustless quiche
Apricot apple glazed ham

Apricot apple glazed ham

This glorious glazed ham with sticky apricot apple glaze is the kind of festive recipe dreams are made of. Simple, juicy ham the whole family will love.
5 from 14 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Baked ham, Glazed gammon, Glazed ham
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Resting time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Calories: 352kcal
Author: Alida Ryder
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 2kg 4lb boneless, smoked ham/gammon
  • 3 carrots roughly chopped
  • 2 apples halved
  • 2 onions quartered
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 cups/500ml apple juice
  • 2 cups/500ml chicken stock

For the apricot apple glaze

  • ½ cup apricot preserves/jam
  • 1 cup/250ml apple juice
  • ¼ cup/50g brown sugar
  • ¼ cup/60ml white wine vinegar
  • ½ cup ham cooking stock
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/320ºF.
  • Place the ham/gammon in a large roasting tray and add the carrots, onions, garlic, apples, apple juice and water to the roasting tray and cover with foil/lid.
  • Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes per 500g/1lb. A 2kg/4lb boneless ham/gammon will need 1 hour 20 minutes.
  • When the ham is cooked, remove from the oven and turn the heat up to 200°C/390ºF.
  • In a small saucepan, combine all the glaze ingredients and allow to come to the boil. Cook until the sugar has dissolved.
  • Cut the skin off the gammon and cut a diamond pattern into the fat. At this stage you can press cloves into each diamond if desired.
  • Pour the glaze over the gammon and place back in the oven to cook.
  • Allow the glaze to get sticky but check on it regularly as it can burn quickly. Glaze the ham once or twice while baking to allow the glaze to get thick and sticky. When the glaze is sticky and dark, remove from the oven.
  • Allow the ham to cool for 20 minutes then slice and serve. 

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 352kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 1502mg | Potassium: 525mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3845IU | Vitamin C: 5.9mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1.3mg