• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Simply Scrumptious
  • Quick and Easy
  • Courses
  • Desserts
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Quick and Easy
  • Courses
  • Desserts
  • Recipes
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Quick and Easy
    • Courses
    • Desserts
    • Recipes
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Main Dish

    Best 3-Ingredient Ham Glaze

    Published: Sep 26, 2022 by Nicole · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    ham on a platter with 3-ingredient glaze.

    This simple Homemade 3-Ingredient Ham Glaze Recipe is the absolute best and so easy to make! This mustard, brown sugar and orange-juice ham is baked into the ham, then glazed on top, creating the most juicy, delicious, slightly sweet ham.

    A ham glaze with 3 ingredients on a platter.

    Ham is popular year-round, but particularly popular as a holiday meal for Christmas and Easter. It also is a perfect quick and easy meat to serve for Sunday dinners.

    This would go great with or in our Cheesy Cauliflower Soup or Air Fryer Butternut Squash followed by our delicious and Easy Banoffee Pie. Use the leftover ham to make our Delicious Ham and Potato Soup Crock Pot!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Top tip
    • Recipe
    • 3-Ingredient Ham Glaze
    • FAQ
    • Food safety

    Ingredients

    ham, orange juice, brown sugar and mustard on a table.
    • ham
    • brown sugar
    • orange juice
    • mustard

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    This recipe is for a cooked ham. If beginning with a raw ham, fully cook the ham then follow the steps below, omitting the baking times, but complete the broiling.

    a scored ham in a foil pan.

    1. Preheat oven to 350* F. If ham is spiral cut, skip to step 2. If ham is not spiral cut, make scores in the top of the ham in a diagonal pattern, about ½ inch deep. Place ham in a roasting pan.

    half baked ham with mustard brown sugar glaze.

    2. Whisk together the brown sugar, orange juice and mustard together in a small bowl. Liberally spread glaze across the ham.

    scored ham with ham glaze.

    3. Place ham in the oven. Since the ham is already cooked, we don't need to cook it, but we want to heat it up and get it to to about 140*F for serving. Bake for 30 minutes then remove and coat in more glaze.

    cooked ham with brown sugar ham glaze on top.

    4. Bake an additional 15-45 minutes until it reaches desired serving temperature (around 140*F is recommended by the USDA) then add another coating of glaze. Turn the oven to broil and broil for about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and coat in the final layer of glaze.

    Hint: Reapplying the glaze makes it juicy, delicious and flavorful! It's quick and easy to quickly rub on more glaze and makes a big difference!

    Substitutions

    • Honey - instead of brown sugar, feel free to use honey for that classic honey ham flavor.
    • Stone Ground, Spicy or dijon mustard - you can use any mustard with this recipe. We love it with spicy brown mustard as well as regular mustard.
    • Pineapple juice - you can switch the orange juice for pineapple juice if you prefer that pineapple/ ham flavor

    Variations

    • Spicy - add chili pepper flakes to the glaze to add a nice kick! We recommend starting with ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes and adjusting to personal heat desires
    • Christmas- for that Christmas ham flavor, add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ½ teaspoon cloves to the glaze.
    • Deluxe - add 1 teaspoon minced garlic and 1 teaspoon lemon juice to the glaze mixture.
    • Apricot- skip the orange juice and mix in ½ cup apricot preserves or jam into the glaze.
    • Coke- substitute the orange juice for coke and combine with the mustard and brown sugar for coca cola ham glaze.
    • Maple and Brown Sugar- Simply substitute the orange juice for maple syrup and omit the mustard. I like to add about ¼ teaspoon minced garlic for some added depth of flavor.

    Equipment

    • basting brush - if you don't have a basting brush, you can drizzle the glaze over the top of the ham.
    • large roasting pan - we like to use foil roasting pans. They are heavy duty enough to reuse many times. If using a metal roasting pan, check the temperature starting 15 minutes early to make sure it doesn't over cook.
      • You may also use a large baking sheet, which works fine but may cause it to be a little dry.

    Storage

    Store cooked ham in the refrigerator in air tight container for up to 5 days. Reheat pieces in a fry pan til hot or in an air fryer at 360* F for 1 minute per side.

    Store cooked ham in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat as directed above.

    Top tip

    This is such a delicious way to make ham, the flavors are baked in and seep in and it tastes amazing. Since there is sugar in the glaze, there is a risk of burning, so watch it while it broils. We like to pull ours out when the tops are almost black, but not quite.

    3-ingredient ham glaze poured on a ham.

    Recipe

    ham glaze on a ham.

    3-Ingredient Ham Glaze

    This simple Homemade 3-Ingredient Ham Glaze Recipe is the absolute best and so easy to make! This mustard, brown sugar and orange-juice glaze is baked into the ham, then glazed on top.
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr
    Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
    Servings 20 people
    Calories/serving 31 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 roasting pan
    • 1 basting or pastry brush

    Ingredients
     

    • ⅔ cup brown sugar
    • ⅓ cup orange juice
    • 2-3 Tablespoons your favorite mustard

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350* F. If ham is scored or spiral cut, skip to step 2. If ham is not scored, score the ham by making diagonal cuts into it, about ½ inch deep, as pictured.
    • Whisk together the brown sugar, orange juice and mustard together in a bowl.
    • Place the ham in a large roasting pan and using a basting brush, spread the glaze liberally over the ham. Bake for 30 minutes.
    • Remove and apply more glaze. Bake an additional 15-45 minutes until ham reaches an internal temperature of 140*F.
    • Remove and add another coating of glaze and change the oven to broil. Broil the ham for up to 5 minutes, or until the top has darkened, but be careful not to burn it! Add all of the remaining glaze.
    • Serve and enjoy!

    Notes

    This recipe is for a bone-in cooked ham that weighs about 10 pounds. If using a raw ham, cook until internal temperature reaches 165* F. Then follow the directions, skipping the baking steps. 
    Store ham in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in a fry pan or in the air fryer at 360*F cooking for one minute on each side.
    We love to use this leftover ham to make our Ham and Potato Soup!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1spoonfulCalories: 31kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 0.1gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.02gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.04gSodium: 19mgPotassium: 20mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 9IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 0.1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was in the comments below
    Tag us on Instagram!We love seeing people make our recipes. Mention @simplyscrumptiouseats_

    FAQ

    how to make a ham glaze?

    For the best and easiest ham glaze, mix together the brown sugar, orange juice and mustard. Baste onto the ham before, during and after cooking for the best flavor and results.

    Food safety

    • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
    • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
    • Wash hands after touching raw meat
    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    Spread the love

    More Main Dish Recipes

    • cheese pull arepa on top of cooked arepas.
      Easy Arepa Con Queso
    • a plate of juicy crispy chicken nuggets.
      Frozen Chicken Nuggets Air Fryer
    • Instant Pot taco meat in a bowl ready to be used.
      Instant Pot Taco Meat
    • taco seasoning blend perfect for chicken.
      Homemade Chicken Taco Seasoning

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Nicole

      September 26, 2022 at 4:44 pm

      5 stars
      This ham recipe was a pleasant surprise. It's simple and easy and is easily the best ham glaze I've ever had. Who knew that could happen in just 3 ingredients?

      Reply
    2. Jake

      December 03, 2022 at 12:05 pm

      5 stars
      This 3-ingredient ham glaze recipe is sooooo delicious. We had it a few weeks ago and my family keeps requesting it! I can't believe how easy it is to make! Will definitely be making it for Christmas. Thanks for the easy to follow instructions.

      Reply
    3. Stacey

      March 22, 2023 at 8:14 pm

      for cooking a ham I have mustard, orange juice but no brown sugar what can I substitute instead of brown sugar

      Reply
    4. Stacey

      March 22, 2023 at 8:22 pm

      ok so to cook my ham I can mix together honey in stead of brown sugar then orange juice instead of pineapple juice then mustard ??

      Reply
      • Nicole

        March 23, 2023 at 9:15 pm

        Sorry for the delayed response! Yes, you can absolutely use honey, orange juice and mustard! It'll turn out delicious!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    nicole and andrea

    Hi, we are Nicole and Andrea! As busy moms our favorite meals are easy, healthy and delicious. While we love eating nutritious meals, we also strongly believe in moderating them with yummy desserts! We love hiking, going to the beach and doing Spartans.

    More about us →

    Trending

    • A bowl of thick chili
      How To Thicken Chili
    • Casserole dish with paula deen green bean casserole and a plate served with the side dish.
      Paula Deen Green Bean Casserole
    • rattlesnake pasta in a fry pan.
      Best Rattlesnake Pasta
    • a crusty baguette on a cutting board.
      Easy Homemade Baguette Recipe
    • Deviled Strawberries (Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries)
    • Bowl of spicy vodka pasta with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
      Gigi Hadid Pasta (Spicy Vodka Pasta)
    • a bowl of edible brownie batter.
      Edible Brownie Batter
    • Oreo Cheesecake Cookies on a cooling rack.
      Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

    Recent

    • cadbury egg easter cookies on a table.
      Cadbury Egg Easter Cookies (Spring)
    • Easy Blueberry Compote
    • brown sugar simple syrup on a table.
      Brown Sugar Simple Syrup (Starbucks)
    • Strawberry compote in a small mason jar.
      Quick Strawberry Compote

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About

    Browse Recipes

    All recipes

    Contact

    Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Simply Scrumptious Eats