This is such an easy baked ham recipe and one of my favorites because there is so much delicious flavor and always tender and juicy. The Fig Chipolte Ham Glaze made with fig preserves (or fig butter) and chipolte peppers give the perfect hint of sweetness, while you also get just enough of a smokey kick for an amazing mix of flavor. Try it for your holiday dinner, or really, any family meal… if you even have leftovers, they’re amazing, too!
[note note_color=”#ffffff”]This post is sponsored by Omaha Steaks. We only share brands we personally use and believe in.[/note]
Ready to get that ham on the dinner table? Omaha Steaks ham is famous for superior tenderness and juiciness after being cured to perfection with water, salt, and sugar. It leaves it already slightly sweet, but I’ve found it to be less salty than other hams we’ve tried.
How to Bake a Ham
Yes it’s true, ham is already fully cooked (smoked, actually), meaning you could thaw it, open it up and get to eating. But when it comes to getting a ham on the dinner table that makes everyone “ohhh, ahhhh” and ask for more… well, there’s just a little more to it.
Thankfully, it’s easy!
I like to stud my ham with whole cloves, and while this is totally optional, I love the earthy, smokey flavor that it adds. It only takes a few minutes, but if you’re really short on time, feel free to skip it… the ham is delicious either way.
To stud a ham, just use a knife to score the ham about half-an-inch deep in a diamond pattern. Then insert a whole clove into each cross-cut of the pattern.
I also like to make a quick glaze, and this Fig Chipotle Ham Glaze Recipe is a top choice! It gives a slight heat and keeps it slightly sweet. Using fig butter, chopped garlic, apple cider vinegar, and chipotle peppers (chipotles are just smoked jalapenos!), which you can find in a can, usually in abodo sauce in the Latin foods aisle, these flavors all cook down together to create a nice, flavorful crust on the ham.
Toss in all of the ingredients together in a small saucepot and cook until it boils. Stir throughout to prevent sticking and prepare for amazing flavors and scents!
This recipe is also great with raspberry or blackberry preserves too! All of these flavors compliment the ham so well and balance the heat, too.
Fig Chipotle Ham Glaze
- 1 cup fig butter
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 to 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped small
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
I typically cook my Omaha Steaks ham according to the package directions (though at 325 degrees), on a roasting rack in a roasting pan, a bit of water below (but not touching the ham). Leaving the cover off of the pan helps to give a nice crust while it cooks. So good!
And how gorgeous are these artisan place settings from Tuxton Home? Each dish has that hand-thrown appeal and the glaze reacts differently with each firing, ensuring every piece is truly one-of-a-kind.
Baked Ham with Fig Chipotle Ham Glaze Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup fig butter
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 to 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped small
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 2.5-5 pound cooked ham
- whole cloves, for studding ham (optional, but smokey and delicious)
Instructions
- Place frozen ham in the refrigerator for 18-24 hours before cooking.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a small saucepan combine fig butter, ACV, chipotle peppers and garlic. Cook and stir over medium-high heat just until boiling. Reduce heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, about 5 minutes more. It will continue to thicken up. Set aside.
- If you want, stud your ham with cloves, score the ham with a sharp knife by making diagonal cuts in a diamond pattern about a half-inch deep. Push a clove into the crosses of the diamond cuts.
- Brush the ham generously with the glaze, reserving some for later. Place ham on a roasting rack in a roasting pan.
- Bake in a 325 degree oven for 12-15 minutes per pound or until thermometer registers 140 degrees F. The ham is already fully cooked; you're crisping the outside and heating it up.
- 20 minutes before your ham is done, brush with more glaze and finish cooking in the oven.
Notes
If you're worried about the chipolte peppers making the glaze too spicy, start with one and taste the glaze to see if you should add the second.
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