This gorgeous Pineapple Roasted Ham is the ultimate centerpiece for your holiday table. It takes just 15 minutes to prep and is made with a simple, 7-ingredient glaze featuring pineapple juice and brown sugar that caramelizes to golden perfection in the oven.Makes 1 roast ham.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time2 hourshrs20 minutesmins
Total Time3 hourshrs
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: ham roast with pineapple, pineapple glazed ham, pineapple roasted ham
Heat oven to 325ºF and position the rack in the lower third rather than the center.
Make the glaze now or while the ham roasts: In a saucepan over medium high heat combine the pineapple juice and all the other ingredients. Bring to a simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Make Pineapple Sauce for Ham if using.
Remove the packaging from the ham including any netting or plastic.
Use a sharp knife to score the top portion of the ham and down the sides, making shallow slices in a cross-hatch pattern over the surface. Don’t cut into the meat too much, you really just want to have shallow scoring for the glaze to caramelize in, and for the ham to look pretty!
Place ham in a roasting pan or shallow oven-proof pan or dish. Add ½ cup water and ½ cup pineapple juice to the pan, along with 5 or 6 sprigs of thyme or the dried thyme. Then cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil to retain moisture as it roasts.
Roast 15 minutes per pound until the internal temperature reads 120ºF on an instant read thermometer (about 30 minutes before roasting time is finished). Remove foil and brush half the glaze over the ham and return to the oven for 15 minutes. Glaze again with remaining glaze and continue roasting until the internal temperature is 130ºF, about 15 more minutes.
Remove from oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
To slice, cut large pieces of ham away from the bone and then slice those pieces and arrange on a platter. Serve, garnished with extra thyme, or with Pineapple Sauce for Ham.
Notes
*Ham Tips
This recipe is designed to use cooked ham. If you want to use a partially cooked or uncooked/fresh ham with this recipe, follow the package or butcher's directions to cook it properly.
For the best flavor, texture, and presentation, use a bone-in ham.
I chose to use an uncut ham because I think it roasts to be more tender and juicy. Plus, I can slice pieces as thick or thin as I like. You can easily use a spiral sliced ham in this recipe. Just skip “scoring” it and proceed.
I love to use the shank-end, because it is fattier, more tender, and easier to cut.
Don't use a pre-glazed ham.
This recipe is for a 9-to-10-pound ham. You can plan for ½ to ¾ pound of bone-in ham per person (the raw weight before cooking).