Bourbon Ham Glaze

This Bourbon Maple Ham Glaze is the kind of recipe that can completely transform a smoked ham into something that feels special for the Holidays. After years of testing glazes for holiday dinners and family gatherings, this combination has become a go-to because it consistently gets rave reviews.

This Bourbon Maple Ham Glaze cooks down into a sticky and delicious sauce that caramelizes perfectly on a smoked ham. It is made with a good bourbon whiskey, pure maple syrup, a little brown sugar, mustard, garlic, ginger and spices. They all simmer together and then can be brushed onto a smoked ham for extra flavor. You can even make this sauce 2 days in advance and keep it in the fridge.

Bourbon Maple Glazed Ham is excellent served with cheesy potatoes, asparagus or green beans, and deviled eggs. Add some rolls and butter and you have a fantastic dinner.

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• Maple Bourbon Glaze Ingredients
• Maple Ham Glaze Step by Step Instructions
• How To Cook A Spiral Cut Ham to use with your Maple Ham Glaze
• VARIATIONS:
• More Ham Recipes
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• Bourbon Maple Glaze (Ham)
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Maple Bourbon Glaze Ingredients

Bourbon Whiskey: all bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon. I will 100% forget that in 10 minutes. For this recipe I used a Bulleit Bourbon Whiskey and it worked great. Just use a bourbon whiskey that you would want to drink on the rocks.

1. Woodford Reserve
2. Maker’s Mark
3. Knob Creek

If you don’t have bourbon whiskey in your house or you don’t want to buy a huge bottle for the recipe you can always buy the smaller flask sized bottle or buy a couple airplane sized bottles.

If you don’t want to use alcohol in your ham glaze I will point you to one of these other ham glaze recipes, as this one was specifically tested to use bourbon.

1. Marmalade Ham Glaze
2. Mango Chutney Ham Glaze

Pure Maple Syrup: what you want to buy is pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. It will be a lot more expensive than something like Log Cabin Syrup, probably around $9 for a 12 oz bottle. But it is a whole different flavor and texture than pancake syrup. If there is a choice at the store opt for a dark or amber syrup as it will have more flavor than the lighter colored syrups.

Brown Sugar: we use a little brown sugar in this recipe so that the maple syrup flavor doesn’t take over the whole sauce. We wanted this to be balanced, not taste like pancakes.

Dijon Mustards: is a VERY common ingredients in ham glazes. It adds a vinegary bite to the glaze and balances the sweetness of the maple syrup and brown sugar.

Garlic: you will be using 3 garlic cloves for this ham glaze. It has a strong garlic flavor that is so delicious.

Ginger: adds an amazing flavor to the glaze. You can add ½ teaspoon or up to 1 teaspoon if you like a little extra ginger kick. You can buy a fresh ginger knob and grate it into a fine zest. Or one of our favorite products are the frozen grated fresh ginger cubes that are in the freezer section of the grocery store. A common brand is Dorot Gardens.

All Spice and Clove: these are two spices we use in just about all our ham glazes. The flavors are absolutely perfect with ham.

Maple Ham Glaze Step by Step Instructions

To make the Bourbon Maple Ham Glaze place all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it boil for 1 minute. The reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes. It will thicken as it boils. It can be used right away or you can keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days.

You will have a little over 1 cup of glaze, which will be perfect for a 7-10 lb ham. If you have a ham 10 lbs. or more you may want to double the recipe. In the recipe card below simply hover over the servings and move the +/- to 2 servings.

Also, if you want to have extra glaze to serve at the table you will want to double the recipe.

Start your ham by preheating your oven to 300°F. Place your spiral cut ham, cut side down, in a baking pan. Brush all sides of the ham with ⅓ of your Bourbon Maple Glaze. Add ½ cup water or juice to the bottom of the pan.

Then cover the pan and ham tightly with foil, this ensures your ham doesn’t dry out. Bake at 300°F for 12 minutes per pound.

Remove the foil from the pan. Increase the oven to 400°F. Brush with all of the remaining glaze. Return to the oven, uncovered, for another 20 minutes to caramelize on the outside of the ham.

Take out of the oven and tent the ham with foil for about 10 minutes. Then cut and serve.

VARIATIONS:

• Spicy Maple-Bourbon Glaze Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or a small dash of hot sauce
• Citrus & Herb Twist Brighten the glaze with fresh orange zest and a little chopped rosemary or thyme.
• Smoky BBQ Version Stir in a bit of smoked paprika. This variation is incredible brushed over grilled pork chops or a pork tenderloin.
• Maple-Bourbon Chicken Use the glaze on bone-in chicken thighs or legs. Brush it on during the last 10-15 minutes of baking so it caramelizes without burning. For the grill, brush it on over indirect heat after the chicken is cooked through.
• Glazed Pork Loin or Chops Swap the ham for a pork loin roast or thick-cut chops.
• Bourbon-Maple Salmon Lighten the glaze slightly (use a little less bourbon) and brush it over salmon during the last few minutes of broiling or grilling.
• Maple-Bourbon Shrimp Toss large shrimp in a small amount of the glaze and sauté quickly over high heat. It makes an excellent appetizer or quick weeknight dinner.

More Ham Recipes

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