Dutch Oven Ham

This Dutch oven ham recipe is a foolproof holiday classic. The Dutch oven locks in moisture for a tender, juicy texture, while the maple syrup, brown sugar, and mustard glaze adds rich flavor and perfectly caramelized edges. It's a simple, hands-off recipe anyone can make!

This classic ham recipe can be enjoyed on Easter, Mother's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any weeknight in between! Dutch Oven Ham is a perfect choice whether you're cooking for a special holiday or just making Sunday night dinner.

Cooking ham in a Dutch oven is an ideal way to achieve a moist and flavorful ham without having to worry about the meat drying out. The enclosed environment of the Dutch oven guarantees that the meat stays tender and juicy as it cooks.

Maple Glazed Dutch Oven Ham pairs perfectly with my Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese and Red Skin Mashed Potatoes. Make sure you check out all of my best Dutch Oven Recipes and let me know if you make any of them!

Ingredients

• Precooked ham: I've tested this recipe with a boneless spiral-cut ham and a bone-in, half ham. Bone-in ham tends to have more fat and a more naturally savory flavor. However, cooking bone-in cuts of meat can be a little more challenging. Boneless spiral ham has a more mild flavor but is presliced and less intimidating for beginner cooks. Either way, you can't go wrong!
• Ham glaze ingredients: You'll need maple syrup, brown sugar, grainy Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, and kosher salt. This ham glaze is the perfect combination of sweet and savory.

*See the recipe card below for a detailed list of ingredients.

Special equipment needed

• You'll need an enameled cast iron Dutch Oven with a lid. I use the Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. I know many other bloggers like the Amazon brand of Dutch ovens as well!

How to make Dutch Oven Ham

Recipe rundown

1. Place the ham in the Dutch oven, add water, cover it, and cook until the ham has reached an internal temperature of at least 140°F.
2. Bring the glaze ingredients to a boil on the stove.
3. Pour the glaze over top of the ham and cook uncovered for 20 minutes at 425°F.

Step-by-step instructions

• Step 1: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Place your ham in the bottom of your enameled Dutch oven, cut side down, along with ½ cup of water. The cut side is the flat side.
• Cover with your Dutch oven's tight-fitting lid, and transfer to your preheated oven.

This recipe is specifically for store-bought, pre-cooked, half-ham roasts weighing 5-7 pounds. This size of ham will fit comfortably in your Dutch oven.

• Step 2: Warm your precooked ham in your preheated oven until the internal temperature of the ham has reached at least 140°F. Heating times can vary depending on the type of ham you use and the size of your ham.

A pre-cooked, bone-in, half ham weighing 5-7 pounds will need about 18-24 minutes per pound. A pre-cooked, boneless, spiral-cut ham weighing 5-7 pounds will need about 10-18 minutes per pound.

• I calculate the cooking time using the lowest end of the time range to start. If the ham has not yet reached an internal temperature of 140°F after that time has passed, then I'll start adding additional minutes to my cooking time.
• The USDA website has more detailed information on ham cooking times. I highly recommend browsing through this page before cooking your ham.

• Step 3: A few minutes before the ham has reached an internal temperature of 140°F, make your maple Dijon ham glaze.
• Whisk all of the glaze ingredients together in a small saucepan.
• Bring the glaze up to a low boil on the stovetop over low heat. Continue to boil the glaze for a few minutes to slightly thicken it.

• Step 4: Remove the Dutch Oven Ham from your oven. Uncover the ham and increase your oven temperature to 425°F. Extract some of the cooking water from the Dutch oven. You can do this using a suction baster or by spooning some of the liquid out. You don't need to get it all out. Try to remove at least half of the water.
• Step 5: Pour the glaze over the top of the ham. If you're cooking a bone-in ham, you'll most likely have a flatter top with a lot of indentations. This will make glazing the ham easy because the glaze won't pour right off of the ham.
• If you're making a spiral ham, you'll probably have a rounder top. I like to pull apart the spiral-cut slices so the glaze can drip between them. You can also rotate your ham around so that you can pour glaze onto all sides.

• Step 6: Return your glazed ham to the oven. Cook the ham uncovered for 20 minutes until the glaze is caramelized and golden brown.
• Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes before cutting it into slices. Serve and enjoy!

Expert tips

• Are you wondering whether to choose a bone-in ham or a boneless spiral-cut ham? Consider how much time you have to cook the ham, how many people you'll be serving, and if you prefer a leaner ham or a fattier ham. Spiral hams cook faster than bone-in hams. Spiral hams also tend to feed more people because it is already thinly sliced, and you don't have to cut around a bone. Spiral hams also have less fat on them. Bone-in hams have a lot of fat left on the top layer of the ham. The fat adds a TON of savory flavor, though, so it's not necessarily bad!
• Make sure you choose a ham that will comfortably fit in your Dutch oven. Dutch ovens are a superior way to warm a pre-cooked ham, however, they do limit you on the size of ham you can cook.
• When picking out a ham, you must make sure you choose a traditional, fully cooked ham. If your ham is labeled as "smoked," you'll have a slightly smoky flavored ham. The maple Dijon ham glaze will not cover up the smoked flavor.
• I like to let my ham roast sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before warming it in the oven. This helps cut down on warming time and allows the inside of the ham to warm up more quickly.
• I highly recommend using your Dutch oven's tight-fitting lid. I tested this recipe once using aluminum foil to cover the ham. The tight-fitting Dutch oven lid worked much better.
• When it comes to ham roasts, I do believe you get what you pay for. Most times, I'll encourage you to choose budget-friendly options. I've tried a lot of different ham roasts at different price ranges, though, and I can confidently say that a more expensive, higher-quality ham roast does have better flavor and texture. The BEST hams will come from a local small-scale farmer, Kurobuta hams from Snake River Farms, or Duroc Boneless Country Ham from Omaha Steaks.

Substitutions and variations

• Ham: As I've been saying in this post, you can use either a boneless spiral ham or a bone-in ham for this recipe. Make sure they're both pre-cooked and small enough to fit in your Dutch oven with the lid on it.
• Ham glaze: You can substitute honey for maple syrup and use either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar. I prefer grainy Dijon mustard for this recipe, but smooth Dijon mustard would also work.

How to store, freeze, and reheat

• How to store: Store leftover ham in a glass, airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Use your leftover ham to make creamy ham salad, ham sandwiches, scalloped potatoes, ham and bean soup, ham and cheese bagel sandwiches, and add it to pasta or casseroles.
• How to freeze: You can freeze leftover baked ham. Make sure the ham is completely cooled down. Tightly wrap it in plastic wrap or in a freezer bag, and store it in the freezer for up to two months.
• How to reheat: You can reheat leftover baked ham the same way that you cook a baked ham. The goal is to reheat leftovers without drying the ham out. Place the ham back in your Dutch oven with a little bit of water in the bottom. Tightly cover with your Dutch oven lid and reheat at 325°F until warmed through.

What to serve with baked ham

Dutch Oven Ham can be served with a variety of different side dishes! Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts, Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole, baked potatoes, and the side dishes pictured below are some of my favorites!

Frequently asked questions

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If you tried this Dutch Oven Spiral Ham Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and tell me how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!