Baked ham is a classic dish to serve during the holidays, family gatherings, or anytime of year. Ham can be baked in the oven using different spices or glazes making it a delicious, flavorful meal. In this post we are sharing how long to bake ham if it’s fresh, precooked ham, spiral ham, or frozen.

 

Baked ham doesn’t have to be just for holidays like Easter, Christmas, or another special occasion. It’s simple enough to make to use for a weeks worth of meals like for this farmer’s casserole and ham salad.

Pick your ham

Cooking ham is simple but there are a few things you need to take into consideration when trying to decide how long to bake ham:

• The first, is it bone-in or boneless ham.
• The second, is it fresh ham, pre-cooked ham, or frozen ham.

Most hams you will find at the grocery store have been smoked, which means it has been cooked. The ham packaging will let you know if has been fully cooked and the recommended internal temperature it needs to reach.

Pre-cooked, fully cooked hams should reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. Fresh, uncooked hams need to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Make sure to use a meat thermometer to ensure it reaches the perfect temperature.

How long to bake ham in the oven

The approximate time to cook a ham at 325 degrees F:

Ham	Minutes Per Pound
Uncooked Ham	20-25 minutes per pound
Fully Cooked Ham	10-15 minutes per pound
Frozen Ham	30-35 minutes per pound

Step one: Choose your ham – Determine if you have a fully cooked ham, uncooked ham, or frozen ham? Fully cooked hams just need to be heated up while uncooked hams need to be cooked until the proper internal temperature has been reached.

Step two: Set the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Step three: Prepare ham – Remove the wrapping from the ham. If there is netting, be sure to remove. Cover the whole ham with aluminum foil. Place the ham in a shallow roasting pan or baking dish, cut side down.

Step four: Bake – Determine how long you should bake the ham by the weight of the ham and recommended minutes per pound. Place the ham in preheated oven and bake.

Step five: Glaze – Up the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Carefully unwrap the ham. If you are using a glaze, spread in on the ham and bake another 15-20 minutes. Let the ham rest before carving into slices.

How long to cook frozen ham

A frozen ham will take about 30 minutes per pound to bake at 325 degrees F.

Tips for baking ham

• Some hams contain a plastic disc in the ham. Be sure to remove before baking.
• It’s a good idea to cover the ham with foil when baking to seal in the moisture and keep it from drying out.
• Use a meat thermometer to be sure the ham reaches the proper internal temperature and to prevent the ham from overcooking. 140 degrees F for fully cooked ham and 160 degrees F for uncooked ham.
• If using a ham glaze for extra flavor, it’s best to slice a little into the ham or cut a diamond pattern on top of the ham to let the glaze soak into the meat.

How to store leftover ham

Store: Store leftover ham in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay good for 4-5 days. Make sure to let the ham cool to room temperature before storing.

Freeze: You can easily freeze leftover ham by placing in a freezer safe bag or container and freezing. You can freeze for 2-3 months.

What to serve with ham

There are many amazing side dishes that pair perfectly with glazed ham, so many that we made a list of 37 side dishes for ham. Some favorites from the list are:

• Baked stuffing
• Macaroni and cheese
• Party potatoes
• Pea salad
• Pineapple casserole

Do you cook ham at 325 F or 350 F?

325 degrees is the recommended cooking temperature for ham. This ensures it stays moist and doesn’t burn. You can bake ham at 350 degrees, the cook time will be a little shorter, 10-12 minutes per pound.

How much ham per person

You can calculate about 1/2-3/4 pound of ham per person. Remember, if you want leftovers, calculate a little more per person.

A whole ham can feed 20-30 people depending on the size of the ham.

Half of a ham can feed 10-12 people.

More easy pork recipes

• Oven baked pork tenderloin – Easy baked pork tenderloin recipe.
• Thin pork chops – How to make thin pork chops.
• Leftover pulled pork recipes – A variety of ways to use leftover pulled pork.
• Pulled pork mac and cheese – Delicious and simple casserole.

Let me know if you make this simple baked ham recipe in the comments below.