Glazed Baked Ham (Paleo, Gluten Free)

Serve up a showstopper with this simple, slow cooked Glazed Baked Ham recipe.

Perfect for a weekend dinner or holiday table, this recipe uses a simple homemade glaze and hands-off cooking. Plus, it's paleo-friendly and gluten free, so your guests aren't left to wonder what's in the glaze!

How to cook a pre-cooked bone-in ham

For this baked ham recipe, I used a pre-cooked bone-in ham, which is what seems to be most widely available in my area.

So, how long does it take to make a pre-cooked ham?

Cook it too quickly at a high temperature, and it'll get dry and tough. Set the temperature too low and you'll be waiting all day for that ham to heat through. The goal is a happy medium where the ham stays tender but heats down to the bone, just enough for the fat and tendons in the meat to start loosening up.

Set the oven to a low 325 degrees F. When you put the ham in the oven, cover it with foil. This prevents the edges and top from drying out (and the glaze from burning).

About an hour in, you'll baste the ham and remove the aluminum foil cover before returning it to the oven for another 45 minutes.

For an 8-ish pound ham, that's it! If your ham is larger, you may need to add a half hour or so of cooking time while the ham is covered.

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How to make a paleo ham glaze from scratch

Fortunately, it's pretty easy!

Similar to a standard ham glaze, my version swaps the brown sugar for coconut sugar. Along with that, you'll add fresh orange juice, stoneground mustard, a little melted ghee or butter, and spices.

You won't have to cook the glaze separately — just brush it on as instructed and you're good to go. The oven will help it thicken and get sticky.

How many people will an 8 pound ham feed?

As a general rule of thumb, at minimum I make ½ pound of meat per person. This same rule applies to turkey, baked ham, or any large piece of meat I'm prepping.

During a holiday or large gathering, people tend to eat a little more than they normally would, hence the ½ pound per person. But, you generally aren't serving JUST meat, so you can expect your guests to also fill up on whatever else is available, including appetizers, sides, and dessert.

The ½ pound per person minimum has never steered me wrong yet! But I also tend to bump up what I buy by a couple pounds so I know I'll have leftovers.

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Can you freeze leftover ham?

Yes, you can!

Baked ham should freeze for up to 3 months. But try to use that ham in soups, stews, or casseroles — I just find defrosted cooked meat tends to lose some of its flavor if eaten alone.

A few gluten free recipes to serve with baked ham

• Roasted Garlic Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Warm Winter Kale and Delicata Squash Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
• Simple Stovetop Garlic Herb Carrots
• Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
• Carrot and Sweet Potato Casserole (Whole30)

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