Orange Fig Glazed Ham Recipe

The most flavorful glazed Ham is on my table today. I’m so excited to share this recipe with all of you. This Orange Fig Glazed Ham Recipe is simple, and the ingredients are very accessible.    

The secret to this flavorful Orange Fig Glazed Ham Recipe:

Making a Ham from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated. I like to make things simple and take advantage of spices that infuse flavor into the Ham. In this recipe, I use cloves. This versatile spice gives a spicy, warm flavor to cookies, pot roast, and hot beverages such as Hot Chocolate. They look like flower buds, and its believed to have many health benefits, like helping stabilize blood sugar levels. Cloves are found in whole or ground form. To make this Orange Fig Glazed Ham Recipe, I decided to use them. The glaze that makes this flavorful ham shine (literally) is made with a combination of fig preserve, brown sugar, mustard, freshly squeezed orange juice, unsalted butter, and honey (optional). This easy glaze complements the Ham so well.

Ingredients you will need to make this Orange Fig Glazed Ham Recipe: 

• 9-10 pounds bone-in ham (Butt end)
• Whole cloves (spice)
• Oranges 
• Fig preserve
• Coarse ground mustard
• Light brown sugar
• Unsalted butter
• Honey (optional)
• Cornstarch (dissolved)
•  Water

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Equipment: 

• Small saucepan
• Whisk
• Aluminum foil 
• Basting brush 
• Roasting pan
• Sharp Knife

How to make this Orange Fig Glazed Ham from scratch: 

The first step is to Score the Ham. This is a crucial step to break through the fat of the Ham to infuse flavor. Scoring the Ham also allows the glaze to penetrate it, giving it extra flavor. Cutting the Ham is very simple; place it on a cutting board, ensuring it is stable. Then, with a sharp knife, start from one end close to the bottom of the Ham, and cut about ⅓ inch all around the Ham. Next,  cut diagonally across those lines.  

Next, insert cloves within those cuts. I use about 30 cloves to cover the top of the Ham. 

Preheat oven to 350°F ( 176.6°C). Place the Ham on a roasting pan, add 1 ½ cups of water, and cover with aluminum foil to create steam. Bake the Ham for 1 ½ hour. The Aroma in the house is incredible!

While the Ham is in the oven, let’s prepare the glaze:

Add 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small saucepan and place it on the stove over medium-low heat. When the butter is melted, add ½ cup of orange juice and whisk to combine.

 Then add fig preserve, ¼ cup light brown sugar, one tablespoon coarse ground mustard, and one tablespoon of the honey whisk to combine. 

Add a teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved with a teaspoon of water and constantly whisk until the mixture is thick (about 3-5 minutes). Then, carefully remove it from the stove and set it aside. 

Remove the Ham from the oven and the foil paper, then discard some remaining water. Next, coat the Ham with 1/3 of the glaze using a basting brush. Place the Ham back into the oven and cook uncovered for an hour. The AROMA IS INCREDIBLE!

After an hour, check with a meat thermometer for an internal temperature of 140°F ( 60°C). Increase the oven temperature to 425°F ( 218.3°C), brush some glaze on the Ham, and place it in the oven for 5 minutes while keeping an eye on it, so it doesn’t burn. 

Let it rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. The outside of the Ham will be crispy, and the inside so tender and flavorful. Enjoy!