I’ve been trying to recreate the famous ham that’s known for its thick glaze, for years. I love the real deal but it’s expensive so I’ve tried to make my own version and have come really close. This honey glazed ham recipe not only gives that luscious texture on the outside but becomes international with multi-cultural spices such as cardamom, allspice, ginger, cayenne, and cloves. As a bonus, it’s made primarily in a slow cooker, finished to a caramelized crackle under the broiler. After you’ve made it for yourself, tinker with the amounts and combination of spices to make it your own.

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Easy Honey Glazed Ham with Exotic Spices

Ingredients:
8-10 lb bone-in ham (sliced or unsliced)

2 TBS melted butter
3 TBS honey

1 ½ cups granulated sugar
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp cardamom
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp sweet paprika (not smoky)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp dry mustard

Method:
1. Trim away the thickest pieces of fat all around the ham, leaving a thin layer. If the ham isn’t already sliced, make some shallow cross-cuts into it, all around, like you’d do for making a diamond pattern. Place in slow cooker, bottom side down.
2. Combine the melted butter and honey and massage it all over the ham (a rubber basting brush like these from Amazon work great for this and keep your hands clean). Use the brush to encourage the mixture into the slices or shallow cuts you made. Add about ½ cup of water to the bottom of the pan. Put the slow cooker (crock pot) lid on and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
3. Close to the end of the crock pot cooking time, line a roasting pan large enough to accommodate the ham with aluminum foil and spray it with non-stick spray. Turn on the broiler and adjust the oven rack so that the top of the ham will be 3-4 inches away from the broiler.
4. Combine the sugar, and all dry ingredients in a bowl and gently mix them together. Pat half of that mixture over the top of the ham, nudging it into some of the slices/cuts, distributing it down the sides a bit (a second basting brush is helpful with this).
5. Broil for a few minutes (look after 3-4) until it’s bubbling and caramelized. Carefully remove the ham and tray from the oven. Keep the broiler on because you’re going to be using it again in a few minutes.
6. Add the rest of the sugar mixture to a small sauce pan plus 3 TBS of the cooking liquid from the slow cooker or just water if there isn’t enough. Stir and heat it to the point of boiling. Then continue to let it boil for about one minute before removing it from the heat.

The remaining sugar and spice mixture cooks in a sauce pan to boiling.

7. Slowly pour the mixture over the ham, using that first basting brush (the one that was already sticky from honey and butter), to help distribute it. If any mixture drips down to the tray, use the brush to nab it and apply it to the ham again – you want as much of that sticky deliciousness as you can to stay on the ham.
8. Place the ham back under the broiler for just a minute or two. DON’T LET IT BURN!

This is the look of the finished surface you’re after with this holiday ham recipe.

9. Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Drizzle any dripped glaze over slices before serving because spiced and glazed goodness.
10. Note, the ham is even better the next day after having been refrigerated and letting the flavors meld. It makes one heck of a delicious sandwich!

Hungry for more? Get this recipe for a Pineapple Chutney to accompany this ham.

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