How To Bake A Ham In A Convection Oven With 4 Bonus Glazes
Cooking ham in a convection oven means adjusting both temperature and cook time slightly from conventional oven recipes.
Even though many hams sold in stores are fully cooked, it’s tradition in the United States to glaze and cook the ham before serving them.
Adding a ham glaze will make a butt portion even more succulent and delicious.
The best way to cook a smoked or unsmoked ham butt portion is in the convection oven at 325 Fahrenheit. Allow 35 to 40 minutes per pound to roast a bone in ham butt and makes sure the internal temperature reaches 145 F by the end of cooking. Leave the ham for three minutes before carving.
A ham is cured add salt, nitrites and nitrates, seasonings, phosphates and sometimes sugar to preserve your ham and enhance its color and flavor.
This is important to know when choosing your glaze. You need one that will dilute the salt and enhance what flavors you are choosing for the glaze.
No matter which ham you choose, cured or fresh, your ham when cooked will be delicious.
Hams may be smoked as well as cured, and they may be sold uncooked or cooked. It’s important to read the label carefully to see whether a ham needs cooking to make it safe.
Convection ovens work by circulating hot air through the oven cavity by a rear-mounted fan.
These convection ovens are preferred by many cooks because of the even heat distribution and absence of hot spots found in standard ovens.
Because of the efficiency of these ovens, temperatures can typically be reduced by 25 degrees and in some cases the time can be reduced, as well.
With roasts, such as ham, the cooking time will actually take a little longer. The reduced temperature is necessary to keep the meat moist, but because ham is a dense meat the cooking time is increased.
Pull the ham out of the convection oven when it reaches 155 degrees and allow it rest for 10 minutes. During the resting period, the meat will continue to cook after it has been removed from the oven and the internal temperature will increase another five to 10 degrees. This process helps keep the meat from being overcooked and drying out.
If you don’t have a rack for your roasting pan, you can use an oven safe cooling rack. Better yet, elevate the ham by lining the bottom of the pan with onions, carrots or potatoes. The vegetables will taste great as they cook in the ham drippings!
Below are some examples of glazes you can use. For the full recipe click the image prompt below the ingredients list!
Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
Ingredients for Glaze:
5 pound cooked bone-in ham, rump half or shank portion
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
4 sprigs sprigs fresh mint, each sprig about 2 inches
Green onions and leeks, optional
Cracked black pepper, optional
Cherry Glazed Ham
Ingredients for Glaze:
Nonstick spray
5 pound boneless ready-to-eat ham
1/2 cup water or white wine
1 cup cherry preserves
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, creamy
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium lemon, zested and juiced
Ginger Ale Glazed Ham
Ingredients for Glaze:
6-8 pounds half boneless ham or 6 -8 lbs semi boneless ham
1 can 12 OZ. can ginger ale (not sugar free)
1/2 cup brown sugar or sugar free alternative
Pineapple Glazed Ham
Ingredients for Glaze:
6-8 pound spiral cut ham, cooked as directed
1 medium pineapple cored and cut in chunks or rings
¼ cup dark rum or 1 can diet pepsi
1 teaspoon dry mustard
These are some of the most frequently asked questions and their answers.
Boneless canned ham should be heated for 11 to 15 minutes per pound. Vacuum-packed boneless ham require seven to 10 minutes per pound. Whole and half spiral-cut hams need seven to 13 minutes per pound.
Bake at the same conventional oven temperature but for a shorter period of time.
Bake for the same length of time as you would using a conventional oven but reduce the temperature by 25 degrees.
Bake for a slightly shorter period of time and a reduced temperature.
The oven trays supplied with the Convection Steam Oven can be covered in aluminum foil. Aluminum foil pans can be placed on the oven trays supplied, provided they do not touch the back wall of the oven. Cooking with aluminum foil is safe as long as contact with the oven cavity is avoided.
Bake in a preheated 325°F oven for 10-14 minutes per pound, or until a meat thermometer registers 140°F. To glaze this type of ham, turn the oven to 400°F, brush the ham with the glaze, and bake for 10-15 minutes until the glaze is browned and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing to serve.
Put the ham, flat-side down, on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour 1/4 inch water into the bottom of the pan. Transfer to the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the ham registers 130 degrees F, about 2 hours, 30 minutes (about 15 minutes per pound).
Place the ham on a rack in a large baking pan and add about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch of water to the pan. If the ham is labeled ‘fully cooked’ (does not require heating), heat it in the oven for about 10 minutes per pound, or to an internal temperature of 140 F.
Convection ovens cook food faster than conventional ovens. To cook in a convection oven, follow this easy formula: reduce the temperature by 25 degrees or reduce the cooking time by 25%.
I hope this has taken some of the mystery out of using your Convection Oven. Please comment below your own experiences!
Hope you had a great Christmas and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday,516. We hope to see you back here again soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you Miz Helen. Our holiday was wonderful! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Sounds delicious!
Thank you Irene! Happy Holiday.
Oh how I love a spiral ham for the holidays Marilyn! Not sure about this year though, as it will just be the two of us for Christmas and my husband is on a low sodium diet. That glazed ham looks mouthwatering though!
Thank you Leslie! We are foregoing a ham also. My Daughter in law is making me Fettuccini Alfredo and a Snicker Birthday cake since we will be celebrating them together.. Easy, no leftovers and I am not cooking this year!! Have a Happy Holiday. I am sure you will find a way to celebrate while distancing. Hugz
I am not the greatest at making hams. My daughter always makes them because hers are sooo good!! But, I am always wanting to try something new. I love all of the suggestions and tips you give because, honestly, I didn’t know a lot of this stuff. Thanks!
You are welcome Nancy. I think the convection oven just provides a much juicier ham or turkey and keeps the flavor at the same time. I hope you get to try one. You won’t be disappointed! Enjoy!