Smoked Ham Recipe: 5 Tips for Smoking Ham
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Dec 9, 2023 • 4 min read
Break out the smoker and take your holiday ham to the next level. Learn how to make smoked ham with this recipe.
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What Is Smoked Ham?
Smoked ham is a flavorful barbecued preparation of ham, cooked slowly over indirect heat on a smoker grill. To make it at home, you can coat a cured whole ham with a flavorful BBQ dry rub and smoke it over wood chips until crispy and caramelized.
Difference Between Ham and Smoked Ham
The word “ham” typically refers to a cut of meat taken from a pig’s hind leg and preserved through brining (also known as wet curing) with a nitrate solution or traditional dry curing with seasonings like salt. There are several types of ham, including cured ham, fresh ham, country ham, Black Forest ham, spiral cut ham, double smoked ham, and hickory-smoked ham. While most grocery store hams come pre-cured, not all get smoked. Smoked ham is a cured ham that has been slowly cooked over indirect heat in a smoker to become imbued with a mild smoky flavor.
5 Tips for Smoking Ham
Whether you’re a pro at the smoker or a first-time griller, these tips will help you cook the best ham possible:
- 1. Choose the right ham. When purchasing a ham from the butcher or grocery store, ask for at least three-quarters of a pound of ham meat per person. Remember that the total cooking time will vary depending on the size of the ham. Choose bone-in rather than boneless ham: The bone insulates the meat, which prevents it from drying out during the slow cooking process.
- 2. Pick the proper wood. Many different types of smoking wood work for smoking ham, including applewood, cherry wood, pecan, and hickory, each of which will imbue the ham with a nice smoke flavor without overpowering the dish.
- 3. Keep the temperature consistent. Keep a close eye on the smoker’s temperature throughout the cooking process. Extreme dips in temperature could result in unevenly cooked meat with a dry or burnt surface and cold or undercooked center.
- 4. Incorporate different seasonings and rubs. Adjust the BBQ rub to include the spices and herbs of your liking. Incorporate spicier additions, like red pepper flakes and ground peppers for an added kick, or rub the ham all over with mustard before adding the rub for tanginess. Spritz the ham intermittently with apple juice or apple cider vinegar for moisture and sweetness. When the ham comes out of the smoker, further customize the flavor by adding a maple syrup, brown sugar, or honey glaze.
- 5. Use the broiler. If you’d prefer a thicker, more coagulated glaze on the outside of your ham, place the smoked ham under a preheated oven broiler after applying the glaze. The glaze should thicken up nicely in two to three minutes.
Brown Sugar Smoked Ham Recipe
makes
prep time
30 mintotal time
3 hr 30 mincook time
3 hrIngredients
For the brown sugar glaze:
- 1
Preheat a smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and coat a disposable aluminum pan or large cast-iron skillet with cooking spray.
- 2
Place the ham in the roasting pan, fat-side up.
- 3
In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and mustard powder.
- 4
Using your fingers, apply the spice mixture to the entirety of the ham, gently rubbing the seasonings onto the surface.
- 5
Place the pan on the grates of a smoker, close the smoker lid, and allow the ham to cook for 1 hour.
- 6
In the meantime, in a small bowl, whisk together the chicken stock and apple cider vinegar.
- 7
Using a baster, drizzle a few tablespoons of the chicken stock and vinegar mixture over the ham after the first hour of cooking. Alternatively, place the mixture in a spray bottle and spritz the ham all over.
- 8
Continue cooking the ham, basting once every half hour, until the surface is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees Fahrenheit, 2–3 hours.
- 9
Meanwhile, make the glaze. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add the sugar, honey, juice, mustard, butter, and vinegar, and stir to combine.
- 10
Stirring frequently, bring the glaze ingredients to a simmer and cook the glaze until it has thickened and taken on a dark brown hue, about 15–20 minutes.
- 11
Remove the pan from the heat and allow the glaze to cool for 10 minutes.
- 12
Remove the ham from the smoker. Using a pastry brush, apply the glaze over the surface of the ham.
- 13
Serve the ham immediately for a looser glaze, or place the ham under a preheated oven broiler until the glaze is thick and bubbling and the surface is golden brown, about 3 minutes.
- 14
Carve the ham and serve hot.
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