Smoked Ham Recipe with Heavenly Glaze

Close up of a smoked ham on a pellet smoker

4.58 from 28 votes

Smoked Ham Recipe with Heavenly Glaze

The smoked ham recipe takes a simple smoked grocery store ham and loads it up with homemade rub and a heavenly sweet glaze, perfect for Easter or Christmas dinner.

Course Pork

Cuisine Barbecue

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 50

Servings bone-in ham

Calories 259kcal

Author Sarah Penrod

Ingredients

1 bone-in smoked spiral cut ham (this is a pre-cooked ham)
1/4 cup mustard as a binder
Wood or wood chips such as pecan hickory, fruit woods, or a blend

Smoked Ham Rub:

3 tablespoons of paprika
2 tablespoons of garlic powder
2 tablespoons of onion powder
1 tablespoon of chili powder
2 tablespoons of salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon of ginger
1/4 teaspoon of cloves
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup of brown sugar

Ham Glaze:

1 quart of guava juice or pineapple juice
One cup of brown sugar
One cup of coffee liquor
One dried ancho chile
1/2 t. black pepper
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder see tips

Instructions

To make the smoked ham rub:

1. Combine all of the spices in a Tupperware container with a lid. Add all of the spices, replace the lid, and shake well. (You will have some leftover rub and this is great to use on ribs or pulled pork.)
2. Place the spiral ham on a small baking sheet, dry well with paper towels, and begin by smearing, the smoked ham with yellow mustard.
3. Sprinkle the rub all over the outside of the ham. You will have some rub left over which can be used for pork butt or ribs.
4. Start your smoker or pellet smoker and bring the smoker up to 250°.
5. Place an instant read thermometer probe into the ham. You can use a cordless probe like the Meater, or a corded oven-safe probe that connects to a digital read out. Set the final temperature to 140°. This is when the ham will be ready to remove from the smoker or pellet grill.
6. Begin smoking the ham while you work on the glaze.

For the Glaze Ingredients:

In a large saute pan, add the brown sugar, guava juice, coffee liquor, espresso powder, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and reduce by half. Add the ancho chile purée as soon as it is prepared (below).
The glaze is ready when reduced by half and coats the back of a spoon.
(If you can't find guava juice, pineapple juice is also delicious.)

To Reconstitute the Dried Ancho Chile:

Remove the stem and cut the ancho chili in half with kitchen scissors. Shake out and discard any seeds or stems which can make the glaze bitter.
Fill a small bowl with water and microwave until very hot. Place the dried chile in the hot water and set aside until it is soft. (About 10 minutes.)
Remove the ancho chili flesh from the bowl, making sure to discard any seeds or stems. Chop with a knife until it is a soft paste, and add this chile puree to the glaze as the glaze is reducing.

To Glaze the Ham:

Carefully bring your glaze out to the smoker in a small saucepan, as it may be placed in the smoker and used throughout cooking. Using a meat painter, glaze the ham throughout cooking.
The ham is ready when the internal temperature hits 140 degrees. Remove your double-smoked ham from the smoker and rest 10-15 minutes. Carve 1/4 inch slices (if it's not already spiral sliced) and serve with extra glaze for a delicious Easter dinner!

TIPS:

To keep the inside moist we recommend glazing the exterior only until the ham is fully heated. Then bring the ham inside and you may drizzle the glaze inside the slices of ham before serving. This keeps the interior juicy and prevents drying out.
Instant espresso powder is not ground coffee beans. Espresso powder, which is found in the coffee area is crystallized coffee or espresso. If you can't find this product, just leave it out.

Notes

If guava juice is unavailable, pineapple juice may be used instead.

Nutrition