I Asked 3 Chefs the Secret to a Perfect Ham Glaze—They All Agreed on the Same Trick

It's the perennial cook's dilemma: When in the roasting process should you apply the glaze so it lacquers the ham rather than incinerating on its surface? Anyone who's been tasked with the holiday ham knows the true nightmare before Christmas is pulling a ham from the oven only to discover the glaze has scorched into a bitter crust.

Fortunately, there's a chef-backed method that all but guarantees a burn-free, beautifully caramelized finish. And it's incredibly simple.

The Foolproof Way to Glaze Ham (Without Burning It)

After talking with three chefs, a clear consensus emerged: Glaze should be applied at the very end of cooking—never earlier. Applying a sugary glaze too soon means it's exposed to the oven's heat for far too long, and those sugars will burn before the ham itself is even warm.

"Glazing your ham at the end of the cooking process really helps ensure a nice caramelized, light crisp exterior," says chef Alex Whiteman of Goodtime Bar in San Jose. Both Jesús Varguez, chef-owner of Pre-Hispanic Mexican Cuisine in San Jose, and Juan Melendez, chef of the Bay Area Colombian-fusion pop-up Mezcla Eats, echoed the same warning: With a long cook time, an early glaze is almost guaranteed to burn.

Here's the chef-approved method for a beautifully burnished, lip-smacking glazed ham:

1. Cook your ham fully using your preferred method—oven, smoker, sous vide—until it reaches the proper internal temperature.
2. Increase the oven heat to 400°F (204C°C), or preheat to 400°F if you started with the smoker or sous vide. The high heat is what rapidly sets and caramelizes the glaze.
3. Brush on a thin, even layer of glaze and return the ham to the oven.
4. Re-glaze every 5 minutes for about 15 minutes total, or until the exterior is shiny, crisp, and deeply burnished.
5. After removing the roast from the oven, apply one final coat of glaze while the ham rests. This last coat sticks beautifully as the surface cools slightly, giving you the glossy deli-window sheen everyone wants.

No matter how the ham was cooked initially, this finishing technique stays the same.

Why Glazing Matters—It's Not Just for Shine

Both city hams (wet-cured or injection-brined) and country hams (dry-cured) start with a hefty dose of salt. The glaze's job isn't only to make them pretty—it's to bring balance.

“It tempers the saltiness of the brine,” says chef Varguez, “It also enhances the sweetness and acidity.” Acidity is important to counteract the richness of pork and is why glazes typically feature a bright element like vinegar or mustard. Chef Melendez notes, "It adds a dimension of flavor and texture to give it that little something extra.” When the glaze hits high heat, it forms a thin, crisp shell that contrasts beautifully with the tender interior.

Types of Glazes for Ham

Sure, you could glaze a ham with nothing more than sugar. Should you? Probably not—unless your goal is the world’s most forgettable holiday dinner.

Ham deserves deeper, more interesting glazes, and the flavor combinations are limitless. Serious Eats, has many ham glaze recipes, including maple-bourbon, balsamic-brown sugar, and mustard-whiskey. Former Serious Eats editor Kenji even has a recipe for a Cherry Coke glaze infused with warm spices like cloves, cinnamon, and black pepper. You can also develop your own glaze by experimenting with different fruit preserves, syrups, and spices. The main rule is to keep the flavors balanced.

Final Ham-Making Tips for Best Results

For better glazed ham, I recommend scoring the fat cap in a shallow crosshatch pattern. This helps it crisp, allows some fat to render, and creates perfect little channels for the glaze to cling.

If you prefer, you can remove most or all of the fat cap before glazing. This allows the glaze to adhere directly to the meat, rather than melting into a layer many diners trim off anyway.

And if you've got leftover glaze? Warm it and serve it at the table. No one has ever complained about too much glaze.