This red pepper jelly Easter ham will delight your family with its fruity, spicy-sweet glaze. It’s sure to be the centerpiece of your holiday table!
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I like to serve this ham with Oven Asparagus Risotto, Sauteed Green Peas, Southern-Style Cole Slaw, and a Pineapple Upside-down Cake for dessert.
Bump Easter Up A Notch
Growing up in Pittsburgh, each holiday had its own specific menu. It never changed. It never varied. And while it was delicious, it did become routine and a bit boring.
So when the holidays became mine to plan and cook, I definitely wanted to kick it up a notch. Easter was an easy one to play with. Why not add a spicy kick to the main dish? The red pepper jelly, orange zest, juice, and marmalade make for a thick glaze with a heat that hits the back of your throat after you delight in the salty-sweetness of the glaze first. It was an instant hit! It also pairs perfectly with a cool and creamy slaw or cheesy mac and cheese!
Ingredients Needed For This Recipe
- Ham – look for a fully cooked, semi or bone-in ham. I used a semi-bone in, spiral cut ham. I like a spiral cut because the glaze seeps down into the slices to flavor the meat deeper down.
- Red pepper jelly – there are many kinds with various levels of heat. I used Braswell’s Red Pepper Jelly with a gentle, subtle heat.
- Orange marmalade – for a sweeter glaze, you could use apple jelly, quince jelly, or any type of jam that you enjoy. The jelly or jam adds more sweetness to offset the spicy kick of the pepper jam.
- Orange zest – just the orange skin. You don’t want any of the white pith. It’s too bitter.
- Orange juice – you could use white wine, apple juice, or even water.
How To Make A Glazed Ham
You are going to love how easy this recipe is and yet looks so impressive!
- Trim the fat, if any, from the ham and bake in foil for 1 ½ hours.
- Make the glaze by bringing the ingredients to a boil and simmering until thickened.
- Unwrap the ham and glaze. Then bake for 15 minutes.
- Glaze the ham again and bake another 15 minutes.
- Remove the ham from the oven and glaze one more time before serving.
To quote my idol, Ina Garten, how easy is that? I just love her. Don’t you?
Starters and Side Dish Recommendations For A Red Pepper Jelly Easter Ham:
- French White Bean Salad
- Classic Macaroni And Cheese
- Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad
- Kansas City Barbecue Beans
- Southern Potato Salad
- Southern Cornbread Salad
Red Pepper Jelly Easter Ham
- Total Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 12 1x
Description
This red pepper jelly Easter ham will delight your family with its fruity, spicy-sweet glaze. It’s sure to be the centerpiece of your holiday table!
Ingredients
1 (9-10 pound) bone-in, fully cooked ham
1 (9.5-ounce) jar red pepper jelly
1 (9-ounce) jar orange marmalade
1 tablespoon orange zest
½ cup orange juice
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Trim any excess fat from the ham and if desired, score the top in an ‘X’ pattern. (Note: this isn’t necessary if using a spiral sliced ham)
Cover the ham tightly with foil. Place the foil-covered ham in a roasting pan with high sides and place in the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the glaze.
In a medium saucepan, add the pepper jelly, orange marmalade, zest, and juice.
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to melt the jelly. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the mixture is thick and reduced to resemble a thick glaze.
Remove the foil from the ham and return the ham to the roasting pan.
Brush the ham with the glaze and continue to bake for 15 minutes.
Brush the ham generously again with glaze and bake for another 15 minutes.
Remove the ham from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
Place the ham on a serving platter and spoon more of the glaze over top.
Slice from the bone and serve warm.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Main Dish - Ham
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: red pepper jelly Easter ham, Easter recipes, ham recipes, spicy food, red pepper jelly, pepper jelly
