Amazing 3 Step Brown Sugar Mustard Ham

No heading needs to be written for the introduction.

Making Your Perfect Brown Sugar Mustard Ham

Hi, I’m Anna! 👩‍🍳 Cooking is my passion, and here on Mom’s Kitchen I share simple, delicious recipes that bring joy and warmth to your table. Whether you love spending time in the kitchen or you’re just looking for easy ideas for everyday meals, I’m so happy to inspire you with my recipes. Thank you for being part of this flavorful journey! 💛

If you’re looking for a show-stopping main dish that practically makes itself, you’ve landed in the right spot. This Brown Sugar Mustard Ham is the centerpiece you need for any gathering, requiring minimal active time but delivering maximum flavor payoff. We focus on solid techniques here that build confidence, making this spectacular Brown Sugar Mustard Ham achievable even if you’ve never tackled a holiday roast before. Trust me, that sticky, sweet-and-tangy crust is worth every second!

Why This Brown Sugar Mustard Ham Recipe Works for You

This recipe is designed specifically for those of us who need impressive results without spending the whole day hovering over the oven. That’s the biggest draw of this Brown Sugar Mustard Ham—it’s truly beginner-friendly! When I first started cooking for big family dinners, I was terrified of messing up the main course. I nearly burned a turkey one year, oops!

So, I developed this ham technique to be foolproof. The secret is that slow, initial bake followed by layering on that gorgeous glaze. It builds flavor slowly, ensuring the ham stays juicy while developing that rich, caramelized exterior. You get all the wow factor of a fancy baked ham with none of the stress. It’s my go-to when I want to focus on the side dishes!

Essential Components for Brown Sugar Mustard Ham

Okay, let’s talk ingredients! You might look at this list for the Brown Sugar Mustard Ham and think it’s fancy, but I promise, these are all pantry staples that create magic together. The quality of your ham makes a huge difference, of course, but the glaze ingredients are what really sing. That combination of sweet brown sugar and sharp Dijon mustard is the backbone of the flavor profile we are aiming for.

We are using a fully cooked ham here, which simplifies things immensely! The water in the pan helps keep the environment moist while the glaze starts to set up. Don’t skip the smashed garlic; those smashed cloves infuse the pan juices and the early glaze layers with a lovely, savory depth. It’s all about building those layers of taste!

Ingredient List for Brown Sugar Mustard Ham

Ingredient	Quantity
Bone-in Cooked Ham	8-10 pounds
Water	1/2 cup
Unsalted Butter	1/2 cup
Brown Sugar	1 cup packed
Honey	1/2 cup
Dijon Mustard	2 tablespoons
Ground Cinnamon	1/4 teaspoon
Ground Cloves	1/4 teaspoon
Garlic	4 cloves, smashed

Equipment Needed for Brown Sugar Mustard Ham

You don’t need a ton of specialized gear for this big ham. Just make sure you have a sturdy baking tray—one with a slight rim is best so none of that glorious glaze drips away onto your oven floor! You’ll also need a small saucepan to gently melt down the glaze components. Don’t forget aluminum foil or parchment paper to line that tray. That makes cleanup for this big Brown Sugar Mustard Ham a breeze!

Step-by-Step Guide to Brown Sugar Mustard Ham

This is where the magic happens, but don’t rush! Even though the oven does most of the heavy lifting for this Brown Sugar Mustard Ham, those initial prep steps are crucial for that beautiful final crust and tender interior. We’re going to work in three distinct phases: prep, glaze creation, and the triple-layer bake.

Preparing the Ham and Oven

First things first: get that oven preheated to 300°F. We want a gentle, slow warm-up for this big piece of meat. Next, take the ham out of its packaging. This step is important: you need to let it sit on the counter for at least an hour, maybe even two, depending on how cold it is in your kitchen. A room-temperature ham cooks much more evenly!

While it’s warming up, grab your baking tray and line it with foil or parchment—your choice, but I always use foil because cleanup is just faster. Now for the fun part: scoring! Using a sharp knife, cut that top layer of fat into a 1-inch diamond pattern. Be careful not to cut deep into the meat, just score the fat layer itself. Place the ham cut-side down on the tray and pour that half cup of water around the base. Cover it loosely with foil. Pop it in the oven for 30 minutes to start warming through.

Creating the Brown Sugar Mustard Glaze

While the ham is getting cozy in the oven, we make the star of the show! Grab a small saucepan. We’re going to gently melt that butter over medium heat. You want it to turn a lovely golden color—that’s called browning the butter, and it adds such a nutty background note to the glaze. Don’t walk away, or it burns fast!

Once the butter is golden, whisk in your brown sugar, honey, Dijon mustard, cinnamon, and cloves. Keep stirring until everything is smooth. Now, turn the heat way down low. Add those smashed garlic cloves and let them simmer gently for just about two minutes until you can really smell that garlic aroma. Take the whole saucepan off the heat right away and let that glaze cool down to lukewarm before you use it. If it’s too hot, it’ll just slide right off the ham!

Glazing and Final Baking of Brown Sugar Mustard Ham

After the first 30 minutes, it’s time to step up the heat! Crank that oven up to 425°F. Carefully remove the foil from the ham. Now, grab a brush and paint on one-third of your lukewarm glaze. Make sure you get it right into those diamond cuts you scored earlier. Bake it uncovered for exactly 15 minutes.

Repeat that process twice more! Pull the ham out, brush on the next third of the glaze—and feel free to spoon some of those pan juices over the top too—and bake for another 15 minutes. Do this one last time with the final portion of the glaze until you have that deep, gorgeous golden-brown crust. If it looks pale, watch it like a hawk and pop it under the broiler for just 2 to 5 minutes until it darkens perfectly. Remember, let it rest for 10 to 20 minutes before slicing. This step is non-negotiable for a juicy Brown Sugar Mustard Ham!

Tips for Success with Your Glazed Ham

Baking a large ham can feel intimidating, but honestly, it’s mostly about patience and knowing when to trust your thermometer over your eyes. The biggest mistake people make is pulling the ham out too soon or too late, which ruins that lovely tender texture we worked so hard to achieve with the glaze prep. Don’t worry if your crust looks sticky or a little bubbly after the first few glaze coats; that’s exactly what we want happening as the sugars caramelize.

Also, remember that resting time I mentioned? That’s critical! When you take the ham out of the oven, the juices are rushing around the interior like crazy. If you slice it immediately, all that moisture just runs out onto your cutting board, leaving you with dry meat. Letting it rest lets the muscle fibers relax and reabsorb those lovely juices. Think of it as letting the ham take a quick, well-deserved nap after being baked!

Internal Temperature Check

Since we are starting with a fully cooked ham, our goal isn’t really to “cook” it through, but to heat it up safely to a delicious serving temperature. You absolutely must use a reliable meat thermometer for this. Stick it into the thickest part of the ham, avoiding touching the bone, because the bone heats up differently and will give you a false high reading. You can check official food safety guidelines here.

For a bone-in, fully cooked ham, you are aiming for an internal temperature of 140°F. Once it hits that mark, pull it out immediately, apply that final layer of glaze (or let it rest if you’re done glazing), and let it sit. Trusting that number ensures that your ham is perfectly heated, safe to eat, and unbelievably tender when you finally slice into it.

Serving Suggestions for Brown Sugar Mustard Ham

Now that you have this gorgeous, sticky ham ready to go, you need sides that can stand up to that bold savory-sweet flavor! Because the ham is quite rich, I always lean toward sides that offer a little brightness or something creamy to balance it out. You can’t go wrong with classic mashed potatoes—they are perfect for soaking up any extra glaze left on your plate.

For something green, a simple roasted asparagus or some bright green beans tossed with toasted almonds adds a nice fresh crunch. If you’re going full holiday mode, my creamy scalloped potatoes are always a huge hit and pair beautifully with the honey notes in the glaze. Don’t forget a good, sharp coleslaw or a tart cranberry relish on the side to cut through the richness. Everything tastes better when served alongside this ham!

Storing Leftover Brown Sugar Mustard Ham

I always hope there are leftovers because this Brown Sugar Mustard Ham is fantastic cold the next day, but if you have a mountain of it, storing it correctly is important. You want to make sure that amazing glaze doesn’t make the meat soggy while it sits in the fridge. The key is getting it wrapped up quickly once it has cooled down a bit.

Once the ham is completely cooled to room temperature—and I mean completely—wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap first, and then place those wrapped pieces into an airtight container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. This double-wrapping keeps out any fridge odors and seals in the moisture we worked so hard to keep! You can keep it refrigerated safely for about three to four days.

Storage and Reheating Guidelines

Storage Type	Time Limit	Reheating Tip
Refrigerator	3-4 days	Reheat slices in a covered dish with a splash of broth at 325°F until warmed through.
Freezer	Up to 2 months	Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating gently.

Frequently Asked Questions About Brown Sugar Mustard Ham

I get so many questions about this recipe after people try it, and that just tells me how much everyone loves this Brown Sugar Mustard Ham! Here are the top things folks ask me when they are getting ready to bake their first one. Don’t hesitate to drop your own questions in the comments below if I missed something! If you want to know more about me and my kitchen philosophy, check out my About Me page.

Can I use a spiral-cut ham for this Brown Sugar Mustard Ham?

You absolutely can use a spiral-cut ham! It makes things even easier since the scoring is already done for you. However, you need to be a little more careful with the glaze application. Because the cuts go so deep, the glaze will penetrate much faster. I suggest using only two-thirds of the glaze during the baking process and saving that last third for brushing on right after it comes out of the oven while it’s still piping hot. This keeps the glaze from just dripping straight through those cuts into the pan too quickly.

What is the total time required for this recipe?

The nice part about this Brown Sugar Mustard Ham is that most of the time is hands-off baking! The active prep time is super fast—only about 15 minutes for scoring and mixing the glaze. The total cook time is around 1 hour and 15 minutes for the baking itself, plus that crucial 10 to 20 minutes of resting time afterward. So, all told, you’re looking at roughly an hour and a half from start to finish, which is fantastic for such an impressive main dish! For more general cooking tips, you might want to read up on techniques for cooking ham.

Final Thoughts on This Brown Sugar Mustard Ham

I truly hope this recipe brings as much warmth to your table as it does mine. Seriously, seeing those golden, sticky slices come out of the oven never gets old! If you make this incredible Brown Sugar Mustard Ham, please come back and let me know how it went. Don’t forget to leave a star rating so other cooks know this recipe is a winner!

Print