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Dr. Pepper-Glazed Ham

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on October 5, 2011

Yield

Serves 20 to 30

Dr. Pepper-Glazed Ham

Ingredients

½ cup Dr. Pepper ¾ cup light brown sugar 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 7 - 10 pound spiral-sliced, bone-in half ham, preferably shank end

Instructions

  1. Bring Dr. Pepper, sugar, orange juice, and mustard to boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until mixture is syrupy and measures 3/4 cup, about 8 minutes. (Glaze can be refrigerated for up to 2 days; reheat when needed.)
  2. Remove ham from packaging and discard plastic disk that covers bone. Place ham in plastic oven bag, tie bag shut, and trim excess plastic. Set ham cut side down in 13 by 9-inch baking dish and cut 4 slits in top of bag. (If you don’t have an oven bag, place ham cut side down in baking dish and wrap tightly with foil.) Let stand at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours.
  3. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Bake ham until center registers about 100 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours (about 14 minutes per pound if using plastic oven bag, about 17 minutes per pound if using foil), depending on weight of ham.
  4. Remove ham from oven and roll back sides of bag to expose ham. Brush ham liberally with glaze and return to oven briefly until glaze becomes sticky, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, brush entire ham again with glaze, loosely cover with foil, and let rest for 30 to 40 minutes before carving.
Dr. Pepper-Glazed Ham

Dr. Pepper-Glazed Ham

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Serves 20 to 30

Ingredients

½ cup Dr. Pepper
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
7 - 10 pound spiral-sliced, bone-in half ham, preferably shank end

Ingredients

½ cup Dr. Pepper
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
7 - 10 pound spiral-sliced, bone-in half ham, preferably shank end

Ingredients

½ cup Dr. Pepper
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
7 - 10 pound spiral-sliced, bone-in half ham, preferably shank end

Why This Recipe Works

Though the ingredients may sound funny, Dr Pepper-Glazed Ham is a recipe that works. The fruity soda lends complexity and a real bite to the typically sweet, one-dimensional glaze applied to smoked hams. We combined the Dr Pepper with orange juice and mustard for even more complexity of flavor. To ensure the ham stayed moist, we cooked it in an oven bag, baking it until just warmed through.

Instructions

  1. Bring Dr. Pepper, sugar, orange juice, and mustard to boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until mixture is syrupy and measures 3/4 cup, about 8 minutes. (Glaze can be refrigerated for up to 2 days; reheat when needed.)
  2. Remove ham from packaging and discard plastic disk that covers bone. Place ham in plastic oven bag, tie bag shut, and trim excess plastic. Set ham cut side down in 13 by 9-inch baking dish and cut 4 slits in top of bag. (If you don’t have an oven bag, place ham cut side down in baking dish and wrap tightly with foil.) Let stand at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours.
  3. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Bake ham until center registers about 100 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours (about 14 minutes per pound if using plastic oven bag, about 17 minutes per pound if using foil), depending on weight of ham.
  4. Remove ham from oven and roll back sides of bag to expose ham. Brush ham liberally with glaze and return to oven briefly until glaze becomes sticky, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, brush entire ham again with glaze, loosely cover with foil, and let rest for 30 to 40 minutes before carving.

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