Part of what we love about spiral cut ham is the delicious caramelized flavor and texture of the glaze. But it’s not a guaranteed feature when purchasing this kind of ham, and it will slightly alter the cooking instructions. Some suppliers include a glazing packet for you to add at home, while others sell spiral hams with the glaze already drizzled over the slices. You can also make a custom glazing sauce using everyday pantry and fridge items such as brown sugar, honey, Dijon mustard, cinnamon, maple syrup, cranberry sauce, and apple or pineapple juice.
For a deeply rich, caramel flavor throughout, it’s fine to pour a small amount of glaze into the slices before covering the meat with foil and heating. However, that coveted crunchy, sweet texture and glazed sheen on top and around the rims of each slice only comes in the final few minutes. To achieve this, just remove the foil up to 20 minutes before the meat is ready, generously coat the ham with glaze, and let it finish cooking at a slightly higher temperature of 400 F. You’ll end up with super tasty, crispy-glazed, sliced ham that requires only a gentle tug to release each piece onto awaiting dinner plates.
