Oven Baked Ham With Potatoes And Carrots
An old-fashioned oven-baked glazed ham, surrounded by root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and beets, is an easy and classic family favorite.
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Baked glazed hams are as popular for easy Sunday dinners as they are for holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter.
Baking your ham at the same time as your vegetables makes for no-fuss meal prep. Save any meat scraps and your ham bone to make leftover ham bone soup with beans, German split pea soup, or Istrian jota soup.
Ingredient Notes, Variations, & Substitutions
The quantities of each ingredient are listed in the printable recipe card.
Feel free to use whatever root vegetables you love or have on hand — fennel, celeriac, turnips, sweet potatoes, and yams are all great choices. Brussels sprouts aren’t half bad, either.
Check out the tips below, as well as the FAQ, for more ideas and any help.
Instructions & Process Photos
Step 1: Preheat oven to 325 Fahrenheit. Wash and chop vegetables to your desired size. I like them as shown in the photo.
Step 2: Arrange the vegetables in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Add enough water to cover the vegetables by 1/2 inch or slightly less.
Add the herbs, fat, or oil to the vegetables and sprinkle them with a pinch of salt + pepper.
Step 3: Make the glaze by combining all of the ingredients, the juice and zest from one large orange (or a 1/4 cup of bottled juice), maple syrup or honey, worcestire sauce, and apple cider vinegar. Mix and set aside for later.
Step 5: Score the ham’s skin in long slashes or a cross-hatch pattern of small diamonds; try to avoid cutting into the fat below.
Wrap ham tightly in two layers of parchment paper and tie with kitchen twine if necessary. Of course you can also just use aluminum foil if that is your preference.
Place the wrapped ham on top of the vegetables, either on a rack made for the roasting pan or, if you do not have one, directly nestled on top.
Roast ham at 325 until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees; this is usually about 10 minutes per pound of ham.
Step 6: When the ham has come to temperature, remove the entire roasting pan from the oven and turn the oven up to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Flip vegetables over and test them for doneness by poking them with a fork or sharp knife — they should still require some additional roasting time.
Step 7: Remove parchment paper or foil from the ham and baste it with glaze. Return it to the roasting rack and place it back into the oven at 425 for 10 minutes. Glaze again after 10 minutes and return to oven for an additional 15 minutes. Test vegetables for doneness between glazings and remove them if necessary.
Final Steps: Allow ham to rest for 10-15 minutes, slice it into thin slices, and serve with the roasted vegetables; remove the bone and save for soup.
Top Tips For A Perfectly Juice Oven-Baked Ham
- Choose the Right Ham: Start with a quality ham. Opt for a bone-in ham for more flavor and moisture. We buy pastured, soy-free, corn-free heritage breed pork from a local farmer as we do not raise pigs ourselves yet.
- Score the Ham: Score the ham’s surface in a diamond pattern before roasting. This allows the glaze to penetrate deeply, enhancing the flavor.
- Low and Slow: Roast your ham at a low temperature, around 325°F (165°C), to ensure it cooks evenly without drying out.
- Glazing: You don’t need to glaze ham the entire time, just towards the end. It makes no difference.
- Use Foil: Wrap your ham with aluminum foil or parchment paper for most of the cooking time. This keeps moisture in and prevents the outside from burning. Remove the foil during the last 30 minutes to allow the glaze to caramelize and the skin to become crispy.
- Let It Rest: After roasting, let the ham rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to be redistributed through the meat, ensuring the meat is moist and tender.
- Add Liquids: To prevent drying, add a bit of water, broth, or wine to the bottom of the roasting pan. This helps maintain a moist cooking environment.
- Internal Temperature: Use a meat thermometer to ensure the ham reaches the safe internal temperature of 140°F (60°C) before removing it from the oven.
- Creative Glazes: Don’t be afraid to experiment with glaze ingredients like brown sugar, honey, mustard, orange juice, or spices like cloves, juniper berries, nutmeg, and cinnamon to create a unique flavor profile.
- Serve with Sauce: Accompany your ham with a side of sauce made from the pan drippings. Add a bit of mustard or brown sugar to enhance the flavors.
These tips will help you achieve a deliciously glazed, moist, and tender ham perfect for any special occasion or family gathering.
Frequently Asked Questions & Troubleshooting
Refrigerating Ham Leftovers:
– Cool the leftovers quickly to room temperature.
– Slice the ham to expedite cooling and make it easier to store.
– Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or place in an airtight container
– Refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing Ham Leftovers:
– Slice or dice the ham for easier use later.
– Wrap portions tightly in freezer-safe wrap or bags, pushing out as much air as possible.
– Label and date the packages. Freeze for up to 2 months for best quality.
Defrosting Frozen Ham:
– Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. For quicker thawing, submerge in cold water in its airtight packaging, changing the water every 30 minutes.
– Avoid thawing at room temperature to prevent bacterial growth.
Reheating Ham:
– To keep it moist, reheat in the oven at 325°F (165°C). Place the ham in a baking dish and add a little water or broth to the bottom of the dish. Cover the dish tightly with foil to trap steam and keep the ham moist.
– Heat until it reaches an internal temperature of 140°F (60°C) for pre-cooked ham or 165°F (74°C) if it was not pre-cooked.
Covering a baked ham in the oven keeps it moist and tender by trapping steam and preventing the surface from drying out or burning. This method ensures even cooking and helps maintain the ham’s flavor and texture.
A precooked ham should be roasted in the oven at 325°F (165°C) for about 10 minutes per pound, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 140°F (60°C).
Cook a ham at 325°F (165°C) to ensure it heats through evenly without drying out.
Popular spices and flavors that complement ham include cloves, mustard, black pepper, cinnamon, honey, maple syrup, and brown sugar. These enhance its natural sweetness and savory flavor.
Other spices and flavors that also work: allspice, apples, bacon, butter, cayenne, chestnuts, chives, cinnamon, corn, garlic, sharp greens like kale, garlic, nutmeg, orange juice, and sage.
Get creative with your glazes, sauces, and side dishes for ham.
Cooking a ham cut-side down helps retain moisture because it allows the juices to collect around the cut surface rather than draining away, ensuring the meat stays more moist and flavorful during the cooking process. This position also promotes even heat distribution, leading to more uniform cooking throughout the ham.
It’s not necessary to glaze ham at the beginning of cooking. Apply the glaze towards the end, once the ham is uncovered, and finish it at a high temperature to caramelize the glaze and enhance flavor.
Yes, placing ham on a rack in a roasting pan is recommended. This allows heat to circulate evenly around the ham and facilitates better drainage of any excess juices. You can also place it on top of your vegetables. If you don’t have a rack, don’t worry, you will still make a delicious ham.
Leftover Ham Recipes
Here’s what you want to do with your leftover ham bone and any meat:
Ingredients
For Ham & Vegetables
- 1 ham A half ham typically weighs between 5 to 10 pounds, while a full ham can weigh between 10 to 20 pounds or more. Cooking instructions are the same regardless. My recipe uses a half ham, so scale your ingredients up if using a larger cut of pork.
- 5 large potatoes Peeled and washed, cut in half or quarters, depending on your preferences.
- 5 large carrots Scrubbed and cleaned, left whole or cut into half.
- 3 large beets Scrubbed clean, cut in half or quarters, depending on your preferences.
- 1 large onion Peeled and cut in half.
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary Or 1 teaspoon dried.
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme Or 1 teaspoon dried.
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons oil or fat My top picks: lard, tallow, ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, or avocado oil.
- 1 teaspoon sea salt Or to taste.
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper Or to taste.
Ham Glaze Ingredients
- ¼ cup maple syrup or honey You can also use the same amount of brown sugar, maple sugar, or coconut sugar.
- 1 large orange, juiced Or 1/4 cup of bottled orange juice.
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon worcester sauce
Instructions
- Prep Your Ingredients: Preheat oven to 325 Fahrenheit. Gather all your ingredients. Wash and chop vegetables to your desired size or as instructed. Score the ham's skin in long slashes or a cross-hatch pattern of small diamonds; try to avoid cutting into the fat below. Wrap ham tightly in two layers of parchment paper and tie with kitchen twine if necessary. Or use a single layer of aluminum foil.
- Dress & Arrange Veggies: Arrange the potatoes, carrots, onion, beets, and any other root veggies you're using to the bottom of a large roasting pan. Add enough water to cover the vegetables by ½ inch or slightly less. Add the herbs, fat, or oil to the vegetables and sprinkle them with salt + pepper.
- Make The Glaze: Make the glaze by combining all of the ingredients, the juice and *zest from one large orange (or a ¼ cup of bottled juice), maple syrup or honey, worcestire sauce, and apple cider vinegar. Mix and set aside for later.*Using the zest is optional but I like to do so.
- Roast The Ham & Veg at 325: Place the wrapped ham on top of the vegetables, either on a rack made for the roasting pan or, if you do not have one, directly nestled on top. Roast ham at 325 until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees; this is usually about 10 minutes per pound of ham.
- Finish Ham with Glaze & Roast at 425: When the ham has come to temperature, remove the entire roasting pan from the oven and turn the oven up to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Flip vegetables over and test them for doneness by poking them with a fork or sharp knife — they should still require some additional roasting time.
- Remove parchment paper or foil from the ham and baste it with glaze. Return it to the roasting rack and place it back into the oven at 425 for 10 minutes. Glaze again after 10 minutes and return to oven for an additional 15 minutes. Test vegetables for doneness between glazings and remove them if necessary.
- Final Steps: Allow ham to rest for 10-15 minutes, slice it into thin slices, and serve with the roasted vegetables; remove the bone and save for soup.
Nutrition
Side Dishes & Pairing
Some more side dishes to consider for a fantastic and varied dinner: