Best oven baked ham with a bourbon glazed ham that’s to die for! Perfect meal for Easter, Christmas, or year round for your family.

Looking to cook an oven bourbon baked ham this year with an amazing glaze on top? Well you’ve gotta try this bourbon brown sugar rub that people just can’t stop talking about. A sweet and savory blend with just a few ingredients and over the top delicious with every slice. (post may contain affiliate links present, originally published 2/21)
Ham with Bourbon Glaze
We have messed around with baked ham glaze recipes over the years. From simple orange juice mixtures to this one, it’s really all about bold flavors. I mean it is really all about the sauce over the top right?
For the last few holidays we also have experimented with different methods. Instant Pot ham, Ninja Foodi ham with a pineapple glaze, and smoked ham, we love them all.

BUT if you don’t want to try an out of the box method and just want to use your oven, this is how. This is what you will need and a few questions you might have before you get started:
- 8-10 lb ham bone in, cooked
- Brown sugar
- Bourbon or other liquid
- 1 tbsp molasses or maple syrup works
- Ground mustard ground, dry
- Small bowl for mixing
Bourbon Glazed Ham
If you are buying it at a grocery store it is in fact precooked. If it says smoked, that means it is not raw either and safe to eat as is. Most people like it to be warm when served, so this is how to cook it.
Well not really cook, but warm it thru to the inside.
No, but it sure makes it taste amazing if you do. Another reason, other to add flavor, is to keep it moist. It is best to brush your glaze on 15 – 20 minutes before it’s done to avoid burning.
We will show you how to bake it in the oven in this post. We also share Instant Pot instructions as well as a smoked too. You can use our glaze on any of these methods if you like.
You can buy it pre-sliced, or do that yourself. Sometimes I slice it slightly before baking but either way works. If you do not it will just take longer to warm all the way to the center. Another option is to use this same glaze after braising pork shank this way.

Bourbon Ham Glaze Brown Sugar
You can use light or dark type of sugar for this one. Adjust the thickness with the liquid but as is will work quite well. The exception is if you are baking a really large one, if so you might want to make 1.5 times what is listed below to coat well.
How long does ham take to cook?
It depends on how large it is but typically about 2-3 hours cook time. You want to warm it until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer for this, and remove it from the oven before inserting for an accurate temp.
When should you glaze a ham?
You don’t want to do it too early or the sugars in it will cause it to burn before the inside is as warm as you’d like it to be. Instead, wait until the last 20 minutes or so to brush it on, then let it caramelize on top until YUM. The exception to the rule is if you use a slow cooker like we did to make coca cola ham.

How to carve a ham
Make a perpendicular slice all the way down to the shank side. Go all the way in until you hit the bone. Then cut at a 45 degree angle so you have equally proportioned pieces.
It is best to only cut the pieces that will get eaten at that time. Leave the rest whole if you’re going to have leftovers, it will stay moister that way.
Best side dishes to serve with ham
I mean mashed potatoes are a given and well, kinda’ predictable and plain if you ask me. Think outside of the box on your favorites and make those! Whether you make this or our air fryer ham, we love this cream corn casserole and baked cabbage steaks for all holidays with this Thanksgiving stuffing.

Baked Ham Recipe
Keep in mind that it is generally 15 minutes per pound to cook a ham in the oven perfectly. Slicing a diamond pattern on the top is quite effective. It is best to leave it out to reach room temperature instead of throwing it in right out of the fridge.
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
- Place bone in ham on a rack inside a roasting pan.
- Brush top with 2 tbsp of bourbon or liquid of your choice.
- Bake for 2 hours, or 15 minutes per pound or so.
- In a bowl stir together ingredients for your brown sugar glaze.
- Remove pork ham from oven and brush this mixture over the top of your ham.
- Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes or until it is 140 degrees F internally.
- Allow meat to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
When removing, put a piece of aluminum foil over the top to keep warm before slicing.

Now what can you make with all of your leftover ham? We make turkey dumplings every single year with this and turkey. With cheese wrapped up in a warm crescent roll, it’s always a hit.
- You can dice it up and make this pot pie soup.
- Instead of turkey, use this to make an easy pot pie recipe.
If just reheating slices, pour a bit of pineapple juice over the top to moisten and microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Want to see a few of my favorite things that I am totally obsessed with?? Take a peek and see how many you might already have…twinsies!
Looking for more easy family recipes and tips? LIKE The Typical Mom Facebook page?
Then sign up for my free newsletter, and follow me on Pinterest! 😉
***** If you LOVED this recipe give it 5 Stars below and let everyone know what you thought about it. 😉

Bourbon Glazed Ham
Ingredients
- 8-10 lb ham bone in, cooked
- 1 c brown sugar
- 1/4 c bourbon or other liquid
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 1 tbsp ground mustard ground, dry
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
- Place ham on a rack inside a roasting pan. Brush top with 2 tbsp of bourbon or liquid of your choice
- Bake for 2 hours
- In a bowl stir together brown sugar, molasses, ground mustard and remaining bourbon.
- Remove ham from oven and brush this mixture over the top of your ham.
- Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes or until it is 140 degrees F internally.
- Allow meat to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Edna
Sunday 23rd of January 2022
My ham came out great and smells good too.
The Typical Mom
Wednesday 26th of January 2022
Oh yay!