Smoked Ham (Sweet Apricot Glaze)

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A smoked ham is the perfect meal for a family Easter or Christmas gathering, everyone loves ham! Don't serve the same bland ham that you've reheated in the oven for the past decade.

Kick it up a notch by slathering a GREAT tasting glaze all over and throw it in the smoker for an INTENSE flavor!

Smoked spiral ham on black platter with biscuits on white plate and jam.

Jump to:

Ingredients
Video - How to smoke ham (1 minute)
Apricot glaze
How to smoke a ham
Serving the Ham
The smoker / Pellet grill
FAQ
Smoke these recipes next!
Smoked Ham w/Sweet Apricot Glaze

Ingredients

Everything you need can be found at your local grocery store for this smoked ham. Buy a fully cooked spiral ham and let's make it 10x better.

Spiral cooked/smoked bone-in ham (10-14lb)
Pineapple juice
Star anise
Cloves
Apricot preserve
Brown sugar
Riesling wine
Dijon Mustard
Cinnamon
Nutmeg

Uncooked ham on cutting board with bottle of wine, mustard, and pineapple juice surrounding ham.

Video - How to smoke ham (1 minute)

Apricot glaze

The perfect fruity and sweet glaze for this ham starts with a great tasting apricot preserve. Add some sugar, wine, and spices and we have our spiral ham glaze.

Glaze ingredients

Apricot preserves
Brown sugar
Riesling wine
Dijon mustard
Cinnamon
Nutmeg

Add all the ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until it begins to boil.
Make sure to stir occasionally while heating. Once the sugar has dissolved and the ingredients are well mixed, remove from heat and set aside.

How to smoke a ham

This recipe is for an already pre-cooked ham, we are adding more flavor and smoke to it rather than just simply reheating. First we need choose the best wood and pre-heat the smoker / pellet grill.

Best wood for smoked ham

Pick a nice mild fruit wood when smoking ham, applewood and cherry wood work great. The goal is not to overpower the ham with a strong wood such as mesquite or hickory. I like to use applewood when making my smoked pork butt as well.

Applewood pellets / chips are going to be the best bet when making this smoked spiral cut ham recipe. The nice subtle fruit flavor goes great with the sweet apricot glaze.

Initial smoke

Pre-heat smoker to 225°F with applewood chips / pellets while getting the ham ready. Place the aluminum pan with ham, pineapple juice, and spices directly on the grill racks.

Pouring pineapple juice from a can over a ham that is on a smoker.

Start basting the ham with the pineapple juice from the pan every 30-45 minutes to keep the outside nice and moist.

TIP: If you have the ham on it's side, place cut side down after 30 minutes to 1 hour of smoking to prevent sliced ham from separating and drying out.

Smoke for about 3-4 hours until the internal temperature reaches 115° Fahrenheit.

Slather with apricot glaze & Finish

Once the ham hits 115°F when measured with a meat thermometer, using a basting brush, generously glaze the ham with the apricot glaze. Continue smoking at 225°F - 250°F until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.

While smoking, re-apply glaze every hour until the ham is finished. You might not use all the glaze, that's okay.

Using a brush to paint apricot glaze on ham that is in an aluminum pan atop a grill.

It took about 5 hours to finish this smoked ham recipe. The ham was heated to 145° and the glaze was perfectly coated on the outside.

Serving the Ham

Remove the ham from the aluminum pan and place on a serving platter when serving. Calculate about ½ pound of ham per person. A 10lb ham should serve 16-20 people depending on your guests.

There are unlimited ways and side dishes to serve with this smoked ham. Simply slice the ham off the bone and serve with your favorite sides listed below.

Spiral ham on black plate with biscuits and jam in background.

This ham has such an incredible flavor. The double smoke flavor combined with the sweet apricot glaze of this smoked ham recipe turns a normal ham into a masterpiece!

Smoking a ham or smoked turkey during the holidays creates the perfect dinner that everyone can enjoy and remember for years to come.

Side dishes

Green bean casserole - Dude that cookz
Buttermilk biscuits - Always eat dessert
Mashed potatoes - Preppy kitchen
Smoked mac and cheese - Jerkyholic
Creamed spinach - Mighty Mrs.

The smoker / Pellet grill

I'm smoking this spiral ham on my pellet smoker, just like the Camp Chef 36 smoker or my Traeger 780. Pellet smokers are an easy and great way to impart fantastic smoke flavor on the ham, and other meats for that matter, without having to babysit a firebox all day.

FAQ

Is the ham already cooked?

Yes. The ham is previously cooked/smoked, this recipe is to enhance the flavor while heating to be served.

How long goes it take to smoke a ham?

It takes about 5 hours to smoke a 12lb ham at 225° - 250°F. The ham needs to reach an internal temperature of 145°F to be done.

How do you smoke a ham without drying it out?

Baste the ham with pineapple juice every 30-45 minutes. This keeps the ham nice and moist while smoking.

Can you overcook a smoked ham?

You can heat it too much to where it does dry out and is not juicy. We are simply heating the ham, not cooking it. Heat to 145°F, a good temperature to serve the ham.