Baked Ham With Coca-Cola Glaze
Is there anything more delicious than baked ham?
How about baked ham with a Coca-Cola glaze?
This ham recipe is easy to make and so tasty that your guests will be begging for seconds.
Move over Honey Baked Ham, this is one delicious recipe.
Spiral Cut Ham With Glaze
We love ham around here. So, baked ham with brown sugar glaze is the perfect recipe to cook for any special occasion.
We always cook turkey and ham at Thanksgiving and Christmas. But we usually stick to just ham on Easter.
Now, I love a good country ham. Country ham was often on the table at my grandparent’s house.
My grandfather cured the ham, and my grandmother cooked it up, and oh man, if only I could eat a piece of her ham now.
But baked ham with glaze is a wonderful dish anytime. It’s one of those family favorites that are great for Sunday suppers or any holiday.
City Ham
Today, I’m sharing a recipe for more of a city ham. It’s fully cooked and pre-sliced, which is a wonderful thing. It’s easy to heat up, glaze, and dish up at the table. And the slices are deep slices, so the glaze will run down the inside.
If you happen to buy a ham that is not pre-sliced, that’s fine.
Just grab a big sharp knife and cut different ways to create diagonal cuts or a diamond pattern. The juices will settle into those places and cook up nicely.
What Ingredients Do I Need for the Coca-Cola Ham Recipe?
- 8-10 lb. pre-cooked ham
- Whole cloves
- Light brown sugar
- Dijon mustard
- Apple cider vinegar
- One can of Coca-Cola
I am a big believer in using what you’ve got in the kitchen.
I love to buy new things, but there’s nothing wrong with an old pot, so for this recipe, I used a large metal turkey roasting pan.
It’s one of those old oval roasting pans that your grandmother probably used. I think I got it at a garage sale, and it works great for this recipe.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Start by preheating the oven to 325-degrees and line the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil or an oven bag that is sold at the grocery store.
It just makes clean-up a little easier.
Prepping And Heating The Ham
Start by placing cloves around the ham.
They will slip and slide once it starts cooking, but they will add some great flavor. You can place the cloves into the sliced grooves.
I bought a small container of cloves because you really don’t need that many.
- I placed a few toothpicks on the side because otherwise, your slices will start to fall, and you won’t be able to keep the juices in as well.
- Be sure to remember how many toothpicks you stuck on the side, so you can count them when you take them out after cooking. Those things can get lost in there!
I place the ham on its side because it’s easier to get the glaze to run down into the slices.
Cover the pan with tin foil and place it in the preheated oven.
Bake the ham 10 minutes for every pound.
Mine was a 10 pound ham, so I set my timer for about 1-1/2 hours before I started adding the glaze.
When the ham has about 20 minutes left to cook, start your glaze.
Coca-Cola Glaze With Brown Sugar
In a medium-sized saucepan, add brown sugar and dijon mustard.
I used light brown sugar for the glaze, but if you’d like a bit of a deeper flavor, you can add dark brown sugar instead.
Next, add the apple cider vinegar.
Finally, add the Coca-Cola to the saucepan.
Give it all a good stir.
We don’t drink soda around here, but my son had a school project and needed a few tabs off some soda cans, so we bought a small 6-pack of Coca-Cola.
The can is 7.5-oz. but worked perfectly. If you have a larger can, you can use that, as well.
Dr. Pepper and Diet Coke can be used in place of Coca-Cola if you like those better.
Bring the brown sugar glaze to a boil. Once it boils, turn the burner down to a simmer and let it thicken a little.
Stir it on occasion while it thickens.
It’s not going to create a thick glaze, but it will thicken a little.
After about 10-15 minutes, carefully pull the glazed ham out of the oven and brush the Coca Cola mixture all over the ham. (Be careful, it will be hot).
You can take a fork and gently lift the slices and let the glaze drizzle down into the crevices of the ham. It will work its way down to the bottom of the ham.
Cover the ham and place it back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
Repeat the steps twice more, so you will be putting the glaze on a total of three times.
After you put the glaze on the third time, put it back in the oven for the last 10 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it sit for about 15 minutes before serving.
TIP: You will have a lot of glaze juice at the bottom of the roasting pan. If you want to add a little cornstarch to thicken it, you can do that.
I would use one teaspoon of cornstarch and add it to 1/2 cup of water and then add it to the glaze. Mix it in, and it will thicken.
Is The Ham Cured Or Uncured?
The ham I bought for this recipe is cured. Most hams that are sold in the grocery store are cured hams that just require reheating before serving.
What Is Uncured Ham?
Uncured ham is fresh ham, which is completely raw and needs more cooking time than cured ham, sometimes several more hours.
Many of the hams that are sold in the grocery store are cured with smoke or flavorings.
Cured ham comes from the rear leg of the pig and is usually smoked, rubbed with a salt cure, or wet brine.
Internal Temperature Of The Ham
The internal temperature of the ham should reach 140-degrees, and the best way to find the temp is by using a digital thermometer.
Stick the digital meat thermometer in the thickest part of the ham, but be sure not to allow it to touch any bone or any part of the pan, or you will get an incorrect reading.
Once the temperature reaches 140-degrees, you can take the ham out of the oven and let it rest for about 15-minutes before serving.
How To Reheat Leftover Ham
You can reheat ham in several different ways.
Skillet – place the sliced ham in the skillet and cook on medium heat until hot.
Microwave – place the sliced ham on a microwave-safe plate. Be sure not to stack the ham so it will heat properly. Place a damp paper towel on top of the ham and microwave for 30 seconds on each side.
Heat longer if needed.
Oven – Preheat oven to 325-degrees.
Line a pan with aluminum foil or an oven-safe bag. Place the slices in the pan single file and cover with more aluminum foil.
Heat for about 5-7 minutes on each side or until the ham reaches the desired temperature.
Do You Bake A Ham Covered Or Uncovered?
I baked the ham covered. I covered it with aluminum foil while it cooked. This helps keep in the moisture and not dry out the ham.
Holiday Desserts
Ideas For Leftover Ham
- Ham salad
- Ham sandwiches
- Ham and potato casserole
- Ham hash
- Ham and potato soup
- Add some delicious pepper jelly from Life Currents for a pop of flavor.
Delicious Vegetables To Go Along With Ham
- Green beans
- Pineapple casserole
- Creamed corn recipe
- Zucchini casserole
- Slow Cooker Glazed Carrots
- Cheesy Baked Diced Potatoes
- Jiffy Creamed Sweet Cornbread
- Homemade potato salad
- Collard greens from Julia’s Simply Southern
Baked Ham With Coca-Cola Glaze
Be sure to get a copy of the recipe for the best ham recipe around. The Coca Cola ham recipe is easy to make and always turns out delicious.
If you need an Easter or Christmas ham, this is the one.
Baked Ham with Coca-Cola Glaze
Ingredients
- 8-10 pound pre-cooked ham
- 1 Tablespoon whole cloves
- 3 cups light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup dijon mustard
- 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 7.5 ounce can Coca-Cola
Instructions
- Ham
- Preheat oven to 325-degrees.
- Line pan with tin foil and place ham in pan. Cover with cloves.
- Cover with tin foil and bake 10 minutes for every 1lb. (approx. 1-1/2 hours)
- Ham Glaze (begin cooking 20 minutes before ham is done)
- Add brown sugar, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar and Coca-Cola to a medium-sized saucepan.
- Mix and bring to a boil. Return to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove ham from oven and brush glaze over ham.
- Cover and return ham to oven for 10 minutes.
- Repeat steps with the Coca-Cola mixture two more times.
- After third glazing, return ham to oven for 10 minutes.
- Make sure internal temperature reaches 140-degrees.
- Remove ham from oven and let rest 10-15 minutes before serving.
