Balsamic brown sugar glaze - This balsamic glazed ham is sure to be a new favorite easter meal. A beautifully glazed spiral cut ham will make a gorgeous centerpiece for your next holiday dinner table.
Balsamic vinegar combined with dark brown sugar, fresh rosemary, and black pepper are a great flavor combination for the salty ham. Simple, sweet, and tart this brown sugar glaze makes the best ham we have had in a long time.
For more delicious and simple main dish recipes fit for any holiday meal check out our Reverse Seared Tomahawk Ribeye or our Red Wine Braised Beef Chuck Roast.
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What You're Going to Need!
- Balsamic Vinegar - provides the perfect balance of sweet and tart for salty ham.
- Brown Sugar - is a great option when you want tons of flavor with one simple ingredient.
- Fresh Rosemary - a little bit goes a long way in creating bright fresh flavor.
- Black Pepper - fresh ground is always our go to.
See recipe card for quantities.
Recipe
Easy Brown Sugar & Balsamic Ham Glaze Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Remove the rosemary leaves from the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Rough chopped leaves should equal 2 Tbsps.
- Add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan and place it over medium heat.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat for about 5-7 minutes, being careful not to reduce too much. If it begins to thicken it's reduced a bit too much. If that happens add a little bit of warm water until it's thinned out.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place ham into a large baking dish and using a basting brush, brush the ham with the balsamic glaze, then place it in the oven.
- After about 40 minutes remove the ham from the oven and brush the ham with the glaze again. Place the ham back into the oven for 30-40 minutes and either brush or pour the remaining glaze onto the ham, return it to the oven for 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Nutrition
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Let us know how it was!How to Make an Easy Balsamic Brown Sugar Glaze for Ham...
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan.
- Simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
3. Place the spiral-cut ham into a large baking dish, in order to collect all of the pan drippings. And brush it with glaze before placing into the oven.
- Brush or pour the glaze onto the ham and finish cooking it in a 350-degree F oven.
Chef Tip
It's important that you resist the temptation to reduce the glaze to much. If the glaze is thick when it's hot in the saucepan, then it has been cooked to long and will be too difficult to brush onto the ham. The warm glaze should be fluid and have all of the sugar dissolved.
Substitutions & Variations
- Balsamic vinegar - is a wonderfully naturally sweet vinegar however you can use apple cider vinegar instead, just adjust the amount of sweetener used.
- Brown sugar - can be replaced with honey or even maple syrup.
- Fresh rosemary - is our go to herb to add that special holiday flavor, but you could add your favorite warm spices.
Storage & Helpful Hints
This recipe makes the right amount of glaze for an average sized spiral-cut ham. But if you have some leftover store, it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Leftover ham is good for so many recipes including our Ham & White Bean Soup! Don't forget to save the bone for cooking with beans or for a variety of soups. Simply make sure the leftovers are wrapped tightly, and they will store in the freezer for at least 2 months.
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FAQ
You certainly can use juices including pineapple juice and apple juice. Just make certain to adjust the sweetness when using straight fruit juice instead of vinegar.
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