How to cook a ham for Christmas or any holiday

The short answer: how to cook a ham is mostly about reading the label: most store hams are fully cooked, so you warm them gently and add a glaze.

• Fully cooked ham: reheat to 140°F
• Fresh or cook-before-eating: cook to 145°F and rest 3 minutes
• Easy glaze: 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• How much to buy per person below
• Next step: Plan it with the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99).

Learning how to cook a ham is mostly about reading the label. Most hams in the store are already fully cooked, so "cooking" them really means warming them gently without drying them out, then adding a glaze. This guide covers the main types of ham, minutes per pound, safe temperatures, an easy glaze, and how much to buy for a Christmas or Easter crowd. Check the days until Easter to plan when to buy and thaw the ham.

Know your ham first

USDA's guide to ham and food safety explains that hams are sold in a few forms, and each one cooks differently:

The label tells you which one you have. Look for the words "fully cooked," "cook before eating," or "fresh."

How long to cook a ham

These times are for an oven set to 325°F. Always check the temperature with a food thermometer in the thickest part, away from the bone.

Planning the whole holiday meal around the ham? Our Easter dinner ideas add sides, desserts and three priced menus for 8.

So an 8 pound spiral ham takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, and a 12 pound bone-in ham about 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Start checking early. A ham that's overheated goes dry.

How to cook a fully cooked ham, step by step

1. Take it out of the fridge about an hour before cooking.
2. Heat the oven to 325°F.
3. Set the ham cut side down in a roasting pan. Add 1/2 cup of water, broth, cider or orange juice.
4. Cover tightly with foil. This keeps the meat moist.
5. Bake until the center reaches about 120°F, using the times above.
6. Glaze. Remove the foil, brush on glaze and bake 20 to 30 minutes more, until it reaches 140°F.
7. Rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

For a spiral ham, keep the foil on as long as possible, since the slices dry out quickly. Brush the glaze between the slices for extra flavor.

Safe temperatures

USDA's safe temperature chart lists the numbers that matter:

• Fresh or cook-before-eating ham: 145°F, then rest at least 3 minutes.
• Fully cooked ham from a USDA-inspected plant: reheat to 140°F.
• Leftover ham or cooked ham repackaged at a store or deli: reheat to 165°F.

Use a digital thermometer and check in two places. Color isn't a reliable sign: cured ham stays pink even when it's fully cooked.

An easy ham glaze

You only need three things for a classic glaze:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons orange juice, pineapple juice or honey

Stir it together and brush it on for the last 20 to 30 minutes. For a deeper crust, raise the oven to 400°F for the final 10 minutes, watching closely so the sugar doesn't burn. Other easy glazes: maple and mustard, honey and cloves, apricot jam with a splash of vinegar, or cherry preserves with balsamic. For five full recipes with amounts and timing, see our ham glaze guide.

How much ham per person

If ham is one of two main dishes, like ham plus turkey, plan about half the amounts above.

Can you serve ham cold?

Yes. USDA notes that fully cooked hams packaged in an inspected plant, including spiral-cut hams, are safe to eat cold, right out of the package. In fact, spiral hams are often best served cold or just barely warm, because heating the thin slices can dry them out and make the glaze run off. A cold or room-temperature ham is a great choice for a buffet, a brunch, or a holiday open house where food sits out. Just keep it out for no more than 2 hours. If you do want it warm, USDA's spiral ham method is simple: wrap the ham or portion in heavy foil and heat it at 325°F for about 10 minutes per pound.

Cooking a fresh ham

A fresh ham is raw, uncured pork leg, so it tastes like a pork roast rather than a pink, smoky ham. Score the skin in a diamond pattern, rub it with salt, garlic and herbs, and roast it at 325°F for about 22 to 26 minutes per pound for a bone-in whole leg. It's done at 145°F, followed by a 3-minute rest. Many cooks raise the oven to 425°F for the last 20 minutes to crisp the skin. Fresh hams usually need to be ordered from a butcher ahead of the holidays.

Ham on a budget

Ham is often one of the cheapest holiday mains per serving, especially when stores run sales in December and before Easter. A few ways to keep the cost down:

• Buy bone-in. It usually costs less per pound than boneless, and the bone makes soup.
• Compare per-pound prices, not package prices, since sizes vary a lot.
• Buy a shank or butt half instead of a whole ham for a smaller group.
• Make your own glaze instead of using the packet, which is often mostly sugar.
• Plan the leftovers. A ham that feeds dinner, breakfast and a pot of soup stretches the budget.

Christmas ham: a holiday timeline

A Christmas ham is one of the easiest holiday mains, because it's already cooked and needs little attention. Here's a simple plan:

• Two weeks ahead: decide on the size and type, and order it if your store or butcher takes orders.
• One week ahead: buy it and keep it in the fridge. Check the "use by" date.
• The day before: make the glaze and any sides you can prep ahead. Easy scalloped potatoes can be baked up to 2 days ahead and reheated.
• Christmas morning: take the ham out an hour before baking. Bake, glaze and rest it.
• After dinner: refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

See our Christmas dinner menu planner and Christmas Eve dinner ideas for a full menu, and how to host Christmas dinner on a budget to keep costs down.

Storing and using leftover ham

FoodSafety.gov's cold storage chart says cooked, store-wrapped whole ham keeps about 1 week in the fridge, while slices, half or spiral-cut ham keeps 3 to 5 days. Frozen cooked ham keeps best for 1 to 2 months. Save the bone for split pea or bean soup. Dice leftovers for omelets, fried rice, quiche or scalloped potatoes. Our leftover ham recipes list has 25 more ideas.

Plan and budget the holiday meal

A ham dinner feeds a lot of people for a modest cost, but sides and extras add up fast. The Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) has a weekly menu planner, an aisle-sorted grocery list and pantry and freezer inventories, so you buy only what you need. The Christmas Budget & Gift Planner ($4.99) lets you set a holiday food budget alongside gifts, with menu and to-do pages. And if your family has a famous glaze or a ham and bean soup recipe, save it in the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99), which has recipe pages with room for the family story.

Serving beef instead of ham? Our guide on how to cook prime rib has the times, temperatures and how much to buy.

Common ham mistakes

• Cooking it uncovered the whole time. The outside dries before the center warms.
• Glazing too early. Sugar burns. Add glaze only at the end.
• Skipping the thermometer. It's the only way to know the center is hot.
• Cooking a fully cooked ham to 165°F. It's safe at 140°F, and hotter means drier.
• Slicing right away. Let it rest 10 to 15 minutes so the juices settle.

Have leftovers? Turn them into scalloped potatoes and ham, an easy cheesy casserole.

Cooking for just a few people? Ham steaks cook in minutes in a skillet, in the oven or on the grill.

Cooking a ham for Easter? Easter 2027 is Sunday, March 28; see when is Easter for the full Holy Week calendar.