22 Comments March 30, 2018 FrugalHausfrau
Honey Glazed Cajun Spiced Ham is one of my fave Holiday hams, no matter the Holiday. It couldn’t be better during the fall/winter months for Thanksgiving or Christmas and it brightens up a harsh, cold Easter like we’re having this year. (Even though it’s on a Christmas platter, lol!)
Honey Glazed Cajun Spiced Ham on a Standard Ham Portion
Speaking of Easter, what do you guys do for Easter dinner? I love lamb, but man is it pricey, we’ve done loin before, but my go-to is always ham. You can pick up a ham of just about any size to suit your crowd of hungry diners or brunchers. When it comes to ham, especially this Honey Glazed Cajun Spiced Ham, I’m all about “go big or go home” coz I love the leftovers! And while I have a post I call “12 Days of Ham” with all kinds of recipes for your leftover ham, I especially love this I developed just for using the leftovers of this ham.
Cajun Ham & Rice Soup
About Honey Glazed Cajun Spiced Ham:
This is one gorgeous ham; that honey spiced glaze gets built up through several applications, leaving the outside coated with caramelized goodness while the inside is beautiful and moist. It’s seriously hard to resist & you might find yourself sneaking a bit here and there as you carve. Those crispy, crunchy, glaze-coated edges are almost like sweet, flavorful ham jerky!
The spice in the glaze hits the perfect sweet spot, that magical place that makes your taste buds sing w/o any real serious heat. I made this ham at my daughter’s over Christmas and worried about the “littles” (There were seven children at the table, five under the age of five I think. I’m counting on my fingers, now, lol!) I cut back the spice.
It was a mistake, for sure. Don’t be afraid, at all, about the amount of Cajun Spice in the glaze. Besides, if you’re having very small children at the table, it’s likely you’ll be cutting their ham for them, so just cut off the glazy parts. The glaze doesn’t really penetrate the ham that far, even if a spiral cut ham is used.
This recipe is adapted from Chef Paul Prudhomme, one of the great Louisiana chefs. He uses his spice which you can buy at the store, but I usually use one of my homemade Cajun mixes, either his Blackened Spice, Emeril’s Essence, or my own Cajun Spice Blend. Use what you think you’d like or what you have on hand.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
About Honey Glazed Cajun Spiced Ham and Cooking Hams in General:
This is a precooked, smoked ham, which is what all those vacuum-packed hams you’ll find at the store are. If you need more direction or have a different type of ham, check this write-up from the USDA. It’s going to answer every question you have about ham, from type to cooking to storage.
I’m so glad to have come across it – coz I was thinking I might have to write up something of my own! Honestly, every Holiday, it seems, I’m googling up something about ham and how long or what temperature to cook it at. No more! Bookmark that page and you’ll have it handy.
This ham is absolutely drop-dead simple to make. If you don’t have a spiral cut, make a lot of deep pocket-like slits and rub the honey glaze mixture into them. That’s a bit tedious, for sure, but you’ll have beautifully soft hands after! Then as the ham cooks, you’ll glaze it several times so that gorgeous crust builds up. This is one of the few glazed hams I really love because it’s not too sweet and has such a nice balance of flavors.
Honey Glazed Cajun Spiced Ham
How to Save Money on Honey Glazed Cajun Spiced Ham:
Easter is THE season to buy Ham. It will always be on sale around Thanksgiving and before Christmas and New Year’s but you’d be hard-pressed to find better pricing than right now. Follow the ads, & get more than one. Hams keep for weeks in the fridge and can be frozen.
Stretching that ham over several meals is a great way to stretch your budget Save the bone & the juices for this ham because I’ll have a recipe coming. In the meantime, take a peek at how to break down a ham, store, and all the marvelous dishes for leftover ham I have here on my site. I’ve gathered them together in “12 Days of Ham.”
Honey is an item in this recipe that has to potential to be pricey. It pays to shop around, buy good quality and keep an open mind. The big surprise? You might find honey at a very competitive price at your drugstore, often with coupons from the store ad. That’s a great place to find Easter candy, too.
Honey Glazed Cajun Spiced Ham – This is done on a spiral cut ham.
honey glazed cajun spiced ham
This Cajun-spiced ham has a gorgeous honey spiced glaze but is mild enough for everyone in the family.
- Author: adapted from Chef Paul Prudhomme
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: varies
- Total Time: varies
Ingredients
1 (7-8 pound) precooked, smoked ham
½ cup honey
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Cajun Spice
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups stock (pork or chicken)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Place ham in a baking pan or cast iron skillet. If not making a spiral cut ham, with a knife, make about 20 inch wide slits about an inch and a half deep, in the top and sides of the ham. Use your finger to create a pocket but try to keep the holes on the small side.
Mix together the honey, butter, Cajun seasoning, allspice, clove, and nutmeg. Using hands, rub about half of the mixture over the ham and in the slits, and down the sides.
Reserve remainder, setting it on the stove so the butter will melt is ideal. Pour stock into bottom of pan.
Bake, uncovered, for about 45 minutes. Spoon some reserved glaze over ham just to thinly coat. Repeat glazing procedure about every 20 minutes until done.
Bake until ham is a dark crusty brown and internal temperature is 140 degrees. Consult the information on your ham package for specific baking instructions.
When finished, remove ham and cover with foil and allow to rest for about 20 minutes before carving and serving. Serve with some of the juices if desired, or save juices for soup.
Notes
The amount of time a ham is cooked is dependent on oven temperature, size, and type. A precooked, smoked, and vacuum sealed ham is safe to eat cold or may be reheated. Generally:
- a bone-in half ham will cook 18 to 24 minutes per pound
- a spiral cut will cook between 10 to 18 minutes per pound
_____________________________________________
I’ll be posting the marvelous ham at Fiesta Friday #217, hosted by Angie andAbbey @ Three Cats and a Girl. There are already a number of gorgeous posts & more will be added through the weekend! Have yourself a happy holiday!
