Ham With Beer and Brown Sugar Glaze

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 02/3/22
Sliced ham on a platter with pineapple.
Diana Rattray
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 105 mins
Total: 2 hrs 5 mins
Servings: 8 servings

Beer and brown sugar get together with a bit of vinegar and mustard to make a delicious glaze for this baked ham. The ham bakes to perfection with beer and then it is glazed near the end of the cooking time.

Don't discard the cooking liquids left in the roasting pan; they make a super-flavorful sauce to drizzle over the sliced ham. Serve the ham with mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes and your family's favorite side dishes. This beer and brown sugar glazed ham is an excellent choice for a holiday meal.

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Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Gather the ingredients for the beer and brown sugar glazed ham.
    Diana Rattray

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the ham, flat-side down, in an uncovered roasting pan. Pour 1 cup of beer over the ham and bake it for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until it registers about 135 F. Baste with the pan drippings every 15 minutes.

    Ham ready to bake.
    Diana Rattray

  3. Meanwhile, combine the brown sugar, flour, dry mustard, and vinegar in a bowl; add just enough using enough beer—a tablespoon or two—to make a smooth, thick glaze.

    Ham glaze mixture in a bowl.
    Diana Rattray

  4. Remove the baked ham from the oven and score the fat diagonally in a criss-cross pattern. Stud the ham with whole cloves, if desired. Skip scoring and the cloves if the ham is spiral-sliced. Spoon the glaze mixture over the ham.

  5. Bake the ham for about 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until well glazed. The internal temperature of a fully cooked ham should be at least 140 F for best flavor and texture.

    Ham with pineapple slices.
    Diana Rattray

  6. Serve the ham sliced; drizzle with the cooking liquids, if desired.

Fully Cooked Ham Baking Chart

  • Whole, bone-in (10 to 14 pounds): 15 to 18 minutes per pound
  • Half, bone-in (5 to 7 pounds): 18 to 25 minutes per pound
  • Canned ham, boneless (3 to 10 pounds): 15 to 20 minutes per pound
  • Smoked picnic shoulder, boneless (5 to 7 pounds): 25 to 30 minutes per pound
  • Vacuum-packed ham, boneless (5 to 10 pounds): 10 to 15 minutes per pound
  • Spiral cut (6 to 9 pounds): 10 to 18 minutes per pound

Tips

  • A fully cooked USDA—United States Department of Agriculture—inspected ham can be eaten uncooked, but cooking improves the flavor and texture. The recommended temperature for a fully cooked ham is 140 F. If the ham is not labeled fully cooked, cook it to the minimum safe temperature of 145 F. For any ham that was not USDA inspected and unpackaged or leftover ham, cook to 165 F.
  • How much ham should you buy? For each serving, calculate about 4 to 6 ounces per person of boneless ham, or about 6 to 8 ounces per person of bone-in ham. A 4-pound boneless ham should feed approximately 10 to 12 people. A 4-pound bone-in ham should serve about 8 to 10 people.

Recipe Variations

  • If you prefer to cook without alcohol, use unsweetened apple juice and apple cider vinegar instead of the beer and wine vinegar.
  • Replace the beer in the glaze mixture with few tablespoons of orange juice along with a dash of nutmeg.
  • Replace the dry mustard with 2 teaspoons of grainy mustard.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
423 Calories
12g Fat
27g Carbs
51g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 423
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 2g 11%
Cholesterol 145mg 48%
Sodium 2224mg 97%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 25g
Protein 51g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 31mg 2%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 827mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)