Sweet Baked Ham
Hands down, this is the best ham I’ve ever had in my life, and I can almost guarantee it will be the same for you. With a completely out-of-the-box cooking method, ham has never been this tender or this delicious!
*Instant Pot Version of this Sweet Baked Ham HERE!*
Does the world really need another recipe for ham? Ham is ham. Right?
How many ways can you really recreate Easter ham, especially when you have a fabulous slow cooker version and an equally fabulous classic version. I mean really.
Well, when your awesome friend, Mel, who has some of the best food judgment ever, sends you a recipe for sweet baked ham, stating it is the best ham ever, you decide you definitely have room in your heart for another ham recipe.
You guys. I have never had ham like this. Ever. I don’t even know how to describe it in a way that will convince you it’s life-changing. It is incredible.
What makes sweet baked ham so amazing
Here’s where this ham recipe differs from every other traditional baked ham recipe out there.
You take a bone-in ham (not spiral sliced!) and boil it in two parts water to one part white vinegar for a few hours. Stick with me here, because I was skeptical, too.
You definitely want to use a large pot that can accommodate the ham AND the liquid (you’ll need vinegar and water to cover). A lot will depend on the size of ham you have.
What type of ham to use
For this recipe, there are two factors that are really important:
- do NOT use a spiral sliced ham. You want a ham that is not sliced or else it won’t shred easily (and will be dry)
- try to find a bone-in ham; it will be more tender as it cooks. However, several people in the comment thread have used unsliced boneless hams and reported back with decent results. So this criteria isn’t as important as the spiral sliced advice.
I usually look for shank hams – that’s what my grocery store carries that fits this criteria. Bone-in and unsliced.
As the ham cooks in the vinegar/water mixture, the meat becomes super tender. Like, fall off the bone tender.
Yes, your house will smell like vinegar. It’s not the worst thing in the world, but if it bothers you, open a window and turn on the vent above your stove, or do what my friend Mel does and use an outdoor propane stove (pretty good idea if you have one).
The exact cooking time will depend on the size of the ham and how high the heat is during cooking, but you want to cook the ham until it is so tender, it’s basically shredding itself for you.
I let the ham cool until I can carefully extricate it from the pot and put it on a sheet pan or a large cutting board. (The sheet pan is nice because it contains all the juices.)
And then I pull the meat off the bone and shred into pieces.
Make-Ahead Tip
This step can be done several days ahead of time! Cook the ham, shred it, and place the meat in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble and bake.
When ready to bake, layer the ham with a mixture of brown sugar and dry mustard.
The shredded ham bakes for about an hour. It’ll come out of the oven tender as can be coated in a succulent, sweet sauce that contrasts beautifully with the tangy ham.
This sweet baked ham is unbelievably delicious, it’s unreal. I promise I’m not overselling this. It’s amazing. I’ve been making ham this way for years now, and it’s the only way we like our Easter ham anymore!
If you want a new ham recipe to knock the socks off you and your guests, this is the one.
Sweet Baked Ham FAQ’s:
- Can I make this with a boneless ham? I prefer using a bone-in ham (I look for a shank ham usually) – it cooks up the most tender, but a boneless ham will work as long as it isn’t already spiral sliced.
- Can I make this in the Instant Pot? Yep! Instant Pot directions here. I use the Instant Pot for cooking the ham until it is shreddable and then cook the shredded ham with the brown sugar mixture in the oven (although you could probably throw it all back in the Instant Pot and warm it that way).
- Can I cook the ham in the vinegar and water in the slow cooker? I haven’t tried this, but in the comments several people have and say it works great (as long as your ham fits in the slow cooker).
- Can this sweet baked ham be made ahead of time? Yes! The ham can be boiled and shredded several days in advance and refrigerated. It can also be assembled with the brown sugar/mustard mixture a day ahead of time. I think it is best baked right before serving.
- Can the shredded and baked ham be frozen? Yes! We freeze the leftovers of this ham all the time.
- What if my ham isn’t falling apart tender after cooking? Add more time and more liquid as needed.
What to Serve With This
- Tender biscuits like these Buttermilk Biscuits or Cream Biscuits
- Homemade Baked Tater Tots
- Classic Deviled Eggs
Sweet Baked Ham
Ingredients
- 5-7 pound precooked bone-in ham (see note)
- White distilled vinegar
- Water
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground dry mustard
Instructions
- Place the ham in a large pot (larger than you think – the liquid is splashy while cooking) and cover with 2 parts water to 1 part vinegar until the ham is covered by at least an inch or two of liquid.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium and continue to simmer vigorously for 2-3 hours, until the meat easily falls off the bone. Add more time, as needed until the meat is tender. Also if the liquid reduces, add more during cooking so the ham stays mostly covered.
- When finished cooking, carefully remove the ham from the pot to a rimmed sheet pan, discarding the liquid. Let the ham cool until it is easier to remove the meat from the bones.
- In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and mustard.
- Shred the ham, discarding the fat and bones, and place half of the ham in a 9X9-inch baking dish (or a similar size). Sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture over the ham. Layer the rest of the ham on top and sprinkle with the remaining brown sugar mixture.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from my friend with impeccable food tastes, Mel B.
My ham is boiling now and enough water has cooked out so that the top of the ham is showing… is that ok?
You can add more water to cover – but as long as the water isn’t significantly reduced, it should be fine!
Mel, I was excited to make this ham for my Easter dinner. I cooked one in the IP and one on the stove. I think I did it right. When I served the ham it was so dry. Good flavor though. I baked it in my oven using convection. Do you think this is what dried it out or did I bake it too long? (1 hour) I also used a little less of the brown sugar.
Darn, Amy! What type of ham did you buy, do you remember? Did you taste it after shredding it? Was it dry then or just after it baked?
I had a bone in cooked shank that I cooked on the stove and a boneless I cooked in the IP. The bone in was a little more tough than the boneless. I think I must have cooked it to long. I’m not giving up. I love your website and thank you for all you teach and supply us with.
This might be a dumb question but are you cooking a raw ham or cooking a precooked ham?
It’s a pre-cooked ham. I’m making this today, too and have made it several times before.
Precooked ham!
Mel, Love this recipe! Have made it for a few years now and everyone loves it! I have made with white vinegar and apple cider vinegar and prefer the apple cider vinegar.
Overnight I made this in 2 crockpots and I’m not sure I’ll ever go back to the stovetop or instant pot especially if cooking a large quantity of ham.
Paula from Salad in a Jar gives a shout out to you when she made this and then she changed it to the slower cooker method for the vinegar/water bath. Link is below.
https://saladinajar.com/family-recipes/slow-cooker-pulled-ham-honey-mustard-barbecue-sauce
My favorite brand of ham to use is Cook’s.
If I have a 7.5 lb. ham how much vinegar do I use?
It will depend on the shape and size of your pot – you’ll just want to use 2 parts water to 1 part vinegar until the ham is covered.
I want to make this ham for Easter , I have a 11 lb ham, can I cut chunks to fit my pot??
Does it need to be a bone in ham I have a chunk of boneless ham I’d like to try this with ??
Boneless ham tends to dry out faster using this boiling method.
We have made this for several years in a row for our women’s Christmas dinner for church. We always have this in someone’s home and everybody brings a dish. We don’t have to get out when the restaurant closes, and stay as long as we like. This recipe is always a hit and folks are always asking for the recipe. I would like to share this on my blog, giving credit back here. Is that okay?
Sure, that’s fine. 🙂
Is it really supposed to be a PREcooked ham??? I’m trying to image how a precooked ham can turn into this. I grew up in Canada and my mom always made ham that was NOT precooked and it’s so good (very flaky and tender like how this is picture). I have a hard time finding ham that is not precooked in the store and want to make sure I get the right thing for this recipe.
Hi Karlee, I use a precooked ham – it’s really hard to find an uncooked ham where I live.
We just had this sweet baked ham for dinner. I put the ham in the crock pot and turned it on high for about 5 hours – ham with bone weighed 4-6 lbs. Ham shredded apart very nicely. We made the brown sugar and mustard rub and put on ham in baking dish. Turns out just like recipes says – it is “sweet” like the recipe name. Next time we will probably use 1/3 or 1/2 cup brown sugar and of course a little less mustard. Recipe is good – cooks with being watched – recipe is a keeper!! Thanks for sharing recipe.
Just came across this recipe again and want to say that I made this last Easter and it was incredible. Lots of great feedback from everyone and I will definitely make it again!
Has anyone tried this in the crock-pot? I’m thinking of cutting mine to fit into the crockpot, setting it to high, and crossing my fingers! Any tips?!
I love the recipe as is (normally don’t use all of the brown sugar mixture) but looking for a short cut that u don’t have to monitor.
I left a comment on the Instant Pot directions page, but wanted to put this note here as well. I have made this recipe several times by boiling the ham in a giant pot on the stove. Last night I made it in the IP for the first time and I’m never going back!! Much less mess (it splashes all over the stove even at a low simmer) and the ham turned out perfectly!! So juicy and tender. I cut up an 8+ lb ham into large chunks and crammed them into my smallish IP, I set it for 45 minutes and let it pressure release naturally for at least 30 min (that worked for me, but you might have to experiment with that for yourself) .
Thanks for your input, Kate!
I normally use vinegar in everyday cleaning, so I really wasn’t concerned about the smell of cooking this recipe on my kitchen stove. However, I have to say that the co-mingling scents of the ham (always my favorite food) boiling in the vinegar was far more pungent and unpleasant than anything I expected! However, the ABSOLUTE DELICACY OF THE FINAL OUTCOME completely outweighed that smell. Kudos to you, Mel for sharing this with the world, and kudos to your friend for sharing the recipe with you!! Bon appetit!
The sweet Ham. Was a big hit. Thanks for sharing this recipe
Made this last night. And really liked the flavors and how the ham
Shredded up.
Great recipe
I have never been crazy about ham. If it wasn’t for my family, I doubt if I would ever make it. But somehow, every Easter I feel compelled to make ham. And every Easter I feel like a newbie cook all over again. Ham confuses me. Is it cooked, not cooked? If it is already cooked, why do we go to such great lengths to uh, cook it?! To make matters worse, because we get our meats from the farmers, they are labeled things like “picnic ham” or “country ham”. What are these things? And how do I cook them?
Yesterday I made this recipe and I will never again use another ham recipe. First of all, I made it in the Instant Pot – genius! I think we could have just eaten it just like that, without baking it with the mustard/brown sugar.
Next, since I was having a lot of people for dinner I cooked not only the whole ham, but I threw in 4 ham steaks and it all worked out like a champ! Everyone loved it, it was so easy, no scoring or basting required, and it was tender and tasty. Oh, and it is true, cooking it in vinegar in the IP really does help take some of the smell from previous foods out of the ring.
HAM is meh. I make it for Easter in the form of ham balls because my family loves that recipe. I, however, do not love ham balls because they are so sweet and so this year in an effort to try as many instapot recipes as I can and so justify my recent purchase, I made Sweet Baked Ham using the instapot instructions. It was fantastic. I can’t wait to make HAM again. I can’t wait to eat HAM again. I apologize HAM – you are wonderful! That is a serious recommendation from me. Wonderful recipe. Thank you!
Haha. 🙂 So happy you loved THIS ham.
Delicious and super easy to make ahead and just bake the day of! I had a 6 lb ham and it filled a 9 x 13 pan. Used the same amount of brown sugar and mustard and it is lovely. Thanks!
*by “used the same amount of brown sugar and mustard” I mean I followed the recipe. 🙂
Hmmm. I think I would have preferred sliced ham for Easter dinner. My husband said he likes it this way. It was ok but more like a barbeque pulled pork and not ham. The kids said, “this is ham?” So we’re not really in agreement over here. Thank you for the recipe, tho. I used a 7 lb bone in ham. It took forever to naturally decompress…over an hour. If I tried a quick release it spattered juice all over the wall.
I made the ham exactly as instructed and it was so stringy and not sweet at all.
For the life of me, I cannot find a bone in, precooked ham that isn’t already sliced!! And When I read Butt or Shoulder, I just think of a big raw pork roast. Have no idea where to get this kind of ham, but I really want to try it out! 🙁
Hey Annie – look for a shank ham – that’s the kind I buy for these (they have them at my fairly small town grocery store)
Do you have an aldi near you? I always get mine there. 🙂 They have the butt and shank.
It took me forever to find one too! I actually made it first with a raw ham … at least we can look back on it and laugh now!
Meijer is where I’ve had success finding one. I’ve also been told Aldi (as stated above) is a great place to pick one up.
I’m curious to know what the results were with a raw ham! We bought half a pig at the last livestock auction and now I have a raw ham roast that I have no idea what to do with. 🙂
Question for you Mel! I’m making this for Easter but have the one oven problem. I’ll be making your cheesy funeral potatoes and would like to bake them at the same time as the ham. Potatoes cook at 350 and ham at 325. Is it a big deal if I split the diff and bake them both at 337- ham a little less time and potatoes a little more? I’m an amateur! Help! 🙂 not sure if it’ll make a diff or a big no no?
If it were me, I’d bake them both at 325…take the ham out when it’s done and crank the oven up to 375 to finish them up so they are bubbly and golden.
To anyone who has made this and said it was tough or tasteless…. sorry but you probably got the wrong ham. I’ve made this recipe many times and it works out amazingly, and then once I picked the wrong ham by accident and it turned out tough and tasteless and I realized why. Anyway, it’s a family favorite and has been since I found it here on Mel’s. She’s the best!
What exactly is the wrong kind of ham please?
My family loves this recipe!
Huzzah! This ham was my first oven baked ham that wasn’t dry! Not to mention it was absolutely scrumptious.
I used a 9.2lb smoked shank ham, boiled for 3 hrs and used double the sugar/mustard in a 9×13 pan (kept the oven time to one hour).
My toddler gobbled it up like it was cupcakes 🙂
I always use about 1/3 cup of brown sugar and it is still delicious
This is THE best way to prepare a ham. Tried a shank ham once… not as tender or good. Thanks Mel!!
I love this recipe. But wondered if anyone has had success with using less sugar?
We actually use coconut sugar and it works great! It’s lower glycemic and brown sugar. It taste different but we really didn’t mind.
Love this ham recipe. Have made it several times over a couple of years. The tangy sweet taste is a nice change from gold old ham. Love freezing leftovers and putting it on salads, pizzas, or just as a main dish.
My ham went to waste as well. I followed the instructions to the letter. For all the rave reviews I wonder what the difference is for those of us who end up with a flavorless, bone-dry ham. My ham absolutely would not shred, but I wasn’t about to let it cook any longer, the piece I cut off after 2 hours was jerky. I tried to salvage it by cutting it up and adding some of the ham broth with the brown sugar. That made sweet jerky.
I don’t think the recipe or cooking method is at fault (there can’t be THAT many people who like ham the way mine turned out), but I think there is more to this than ‘Buy a ham and boil it’. Maybe a name brand ham, maybe a specific brand of vinegar? Does the pot used to boil make a difference (enameled cast iron vs. stainless steel)? I don’t know. Best of luck to those that try it.
Sorry you didn’t have great luck with this recipe, Oklahoma. It doesn’t sound like you’ll want to try it again, but for reference, I have used stainless steel pots for this, and have used both off-brand and name brand white vinegar (same with hams…a variety of brands). I understand the frustration when food has to go to waste, so I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you!
We don’t need a huge ham this year so I got the smallest one I could find. It is NOT spiraled but is boneless. Should I try a different ham recipe?
This still works with smaller hams!
This was the worst recipe ever! The smokey flavor completely disappeared and made the ham very dry.
I should have done it the “old fashioned” way and it would have taken longer but would have been more flavorful.
I feel like this recipe ruined the ham and made it such a waste.
Sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you, Amy!
So I’m boiling my ham right now and all the liquid evaporated, and it’s still not tender. Was I supposed to cover the pot? Eek. Can I add more liquid and continue the boiling process?
Hi Stacy – if the liquid is evaporating while boiling then yes, you can add more and keep boiling until tender. I usually partially cover the pot.
I just put my shredded ham in the oven…
I’m planning on making this for family coming in town. I’d like to get as much done ahead of time as possible. Should I bake day before they come and reheat or cook in vinegar water and wait to bake the day we are going to eat it? Thank you for in advance for your advice, you are my go-to website and my kids always tell me to make recipes from “the internet lady” because your recipes are their favorites!
Thanks Tammy! You can boil the ham the day before – shred the meat and put it in a container with just a little of the boiling liquid to keep it moist. Then on the day you want to bake it, layer the ham with the brown sugar/mustard mixture (drain off any excess water before doing this) and bake.
Hi Mel! My ham keeps popping up out of the water, floating. Is this okay? I keep flipping it over. It is covered by 2 inches when I push it down but then it pops up again? Any suggestions?
Hey Alexis – sorry for the delay in getting back with you. Yes, that’s probably ok, especially if you flip it over every once in a while.
Hey Mel! I have decided to make Thanksgiving in July! After Thanksgiving last year, my husband asked me to make “traditional” dressing for Thanksgiving next year. Since I have never done that I have been looking at tons of recipes regarding Thanksgiving. Needless to say, my family may be in for a surprise this year when all of our tried and true recipes get a new makeover.
I am in the process of boiling my ham now and will get it all ready to put in the oven for dinner tomorrow.
I am trying your sweet potatoes too. I normally make a sweet potato souffle (which is out of this world…I can email you the recipe if you are interested). I am actually going to try to make them ahead of time. I will let you know how that turns out.
Oh and I am sitting here “patiently” waiting for the mailman to come today…my kefir grains are coming in!!! I can’t wait to get that started.
So, CHEERS to my new friend Mel (that is how you are known around my house) and all of her great recipes and ideas! I am having a blast looking through you blog.
What fun to do Thanksgiving in July!! All the recipes sound amazing – send the recipe for the souffle if you have time. I think I have a recipe similar to it but I’d love to check it out. And I’m so excited about your kefir grains! I treat mine like a 6th child. Love them so much.
Sorry I forgot to send you the recipe for the Sweet Potato Souffle
6 medium sweet potatoes
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 c softened butter
6 large eggs
1/2 c flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 c sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
Boil whole sweet potatoes until fork tender. Cool, peal, and mash (should have about 6 cups)
In a large bowl, mix sweet potatoes with remaining ingredients until smooth and well mixed. Pour into a 9×9 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
This can be made a day ahead. Just pour into pan, cover with foil, and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Let me know if you have this recipe. It is always a big hit at Thanksgiving!
I was just looking for something to do with the remnants of a ham there’s probably two and a half pounds left with a small bone left in
Have you tried a ham soup?
I used palm sugar and wished I had stuck to the original recipe. Also I think my dry mustard was old, but there was kind of an aftertaste. As this results in a LOT of pulled ham/pork, choose your seasonings carefully, or divide between a number of pans for the baking and experiment with each. They say hell is one ham and two people, lol.
Also, the prep time does not appear to include the shredding of the ham, as it took me more than 1/2 hour to do that. 🙂
Hi Mel! I’ve been making your recipes for years and they’ve always been a family favorite. You were a great help 6 years ago when I became a young newlywed with zero cooking experience. I still have a lot to learn as you’ll see by me asking this question. We bought half of a pig this year and I’m pretty certain the ham is not precooked. Can I still make this recipe by adjusting it somehow? If not, how on earth am I supposed to cook this thing?
Thanks, Kelsey! Was the ham cured? We regularly buy half of a pig, too, and the ham we get is always cured, which means you can cook it the same way as this recipe. I’ve never heard of a fully “raw” ham – since it’s the curing that makes it ham, does that make sense? But I also admit, I don’t totally know what I’m talking about when it comes to the ins and outs of ham.
Unfortunately, I found out it has not been cured. Sounds like I need to cook it at a low temp with a ton of seasonings since it’s fresh. I’ll have to try this recipe out at another time. Bummer, thanks for your help though!
Interesting, Kelsey! You are forging new territory here (at least for me!). Thanks for teaching me something about ham. Good luck finding a way to prepare it!
Hi Mel,
Just wanted you to know that I made this ham this year and it was a HUGE hit. I usually follow Alton Brown’s recipe, which my family loves. After today I had to promise to make the ham your way forevermore. Thanks so much!
So glad it was a hit, Megan!
Thank you so very much for this recipe! I boiled the ham last night and am baking right now for Easter dinner. I can’t wait to taste it finished – it was delicious even after only boiling! Happy Easter to you and thanks again!
Hope it turned out well!
Quick question, I’m making this for Easter dinner tomorrow. I used a SIGNIFICANTLY higher water/vinegar amount but I kept the 2:1 ratio. As long as the ham is totally covered, I should be fine, right? The pot I used was HUGE, 9″ high by 12″ across.
Yep! Should be fine!
I boiled and prepped the ham last night. I was worried unnecessarily about it being too vinegary. I cooked it today, and it turned out so good!! Some of us ate it on your French bread rolls and some of us ate it plain. So, so yummy!!! Tomorrow I’m going to make some biscuits to eat with it.
I love eating this ham with biscuits – SO yummy! Glad it worked out for you!
I would like to make this but was wondering if instead of brown sugar if I could use maple syrup If you think that would be ok how much maple syrup I am thinking a half of a cup or what do you suggest
Hi Michelle – you could certainly try maple syrup; I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure how much to recommend, but I’d probably start with 1/4 cup and add more if needed.
I would like to try this! Can I use apple cider vinegar?
I’ve only ever used white vinegar so I can’t say how it would work, but you could definitely experiment!
I’ve made this recipe tons (thanks for the family favorite!) And have used apple cider vinegar in a pinch. It’s works just fine!
Hey Mel, if I make/shred this ham ahead of time, should I mix any water in or reserve any cooking liquid for when I bake it? I am worried about it being dry. Unfounded worry?
You could pour a little broth (1/4 cup or so) around the edges before baking if you make it several days in advance.
Hey Mel! I am planning on making this recipe for my little family’s first Christmas dinner, so I don’t want to mess it up! If I get around a 5 lb. ham, will a 6 qt pot be big enough or should I track down a larger size? What size did you cook yours in?
Thanks for posting amazing recipes! I’ve been using them since I got married 8 years ago. Your adobo chicken tacos is actually the first thing I cooked for my husband and I in our first home!
Every ham is shaped a little differently, but my gut feeling is that a 6-quart pot probably won’t be big enough. You really need a pretty big pot so the vinegar/water mixture can cover the ham. I usually use my large canning pot (or with a smaller ham, my 10-quart pot will often work). Let me know if you have other questions! (So happy you love those tacos – one of my favorite meals EVER!)
What are these adobo tacos Chelsea speaks of?!
Can the ham be cut into chunks??
Sure!
Inquiring minds would love to hear about these tacos??
These yummy tacos! https://www.melskitchencafe.com/easy-chicken-tacos/
Hi Mel, made this for Thanksgiving, and I just love love love this recipe. This was the best ham, it was simple to make and so delicious, the whole family enjoyed. Thank you. Looking forward to more recipes.
Hey Mel,
Can this recipe be made in a instapot?
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/sweet-baked-ham-how-to-cook-in-the-instantpot/
I just used my lunch break to run to the nearby grocery store for a 9# bone in butt ham, lol…..I have a recipe for lovely soft Bob’s Red Mill Bakery Buttermilk Biscuits that I use whole wheat and white flour in, and another from a Portland, OR restaurant for Mothers Buttermilk Biscuits that also have heavy cream in them….equally to die for!! Just added ham to the Thanksgiving menu!!
Hi! Do I have to boil or bake longer if it’s a bigger ham?
Probably a little longer – just keep an eye on it and boil until the ham is very, very tender.