How to Cook a Ham

Posted byFood TeamPosted inRecipes, Techniques
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sliced meat

Recipe at a glance

  • Estimated yield: 10–14 servings
  • Prep: about 15 minutes
  • Cooking: about 140 minutes
  • Additional time: about 10 minutes (resting, rising, chilling or freezing, where required)
  • Total: about 165 minutes

Times and yields are planning estimates, not results from a documented kitchen test. Follow the texture and temperature checks in the method; optional overnight rests take longer. Measurements use US cups and spoons unless stated otherwise.

This measured method reheats a fully cooked ham. Check the label before starting: fresh or cook-before-eating ham is a different product and needs a different endpoint.

Ingredients

  • One 5–7 lb fully cooked half ham, bone-in or boneless
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup water for the roasting pan

Instructions

  1. Check that the package says fully cooked or ready to eat. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Remove packaging and any plastic bone guard; do not rinse the ham.
  2. Place the ham cut-side down in a roasting pan, add the water, and cover tightly with foil.
  3. Heat according to the package instructions, allowing roughly 10–20 minutes per pound as a planning estimate. Check the center without touching bone. Fully cooked ham still in its original USDA-inspected packaging should reach 140°F (60°C); repackaged or leftover cooked ham should reach 165°F (74°C).
  4. Mix brown sugar, honey and mustard. During the final 20–30 minutes, uncover and brush with the glaze. Loosely re-cover if the sugar darkens too quickly.
  5. Rest for 10 minutes, carve, and refrigerate leftovers promptly.

For fresh or cook-before-eating ham, use the manufacturer’s cooking instructions and reach at least 145°F (63°C), followed by a three-minute rest. Do not apply the precooked-ham schedule to raw ham.

Storage and serving

Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow covered containers at 40°F (4°C) or colder. Use within three to four days, or sooner if an ingredient label requires it. Reheat cooked leftovers to 165°F (74°C). Limit perishable food to two hours out of refrigeration, or one hour above 90°F (32°C). Food-safety guidance.

The schedule is only an estimate for the specified fully cooked 5–7 lb ham. The package instructions and measured internal temperature take priority.

Sources and further reading

Editorial update: October 23, 2026. Ingredient and method consistency reviewed; a documented kitchen test is still needed.

Food Team

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