How Long Do You Cook a Spiral Ham

Introduction

If you’re hosting a holiday meal and need to serve something special, the spiral ham is a great option. It’s easy to make and really delicious, but you might be wondering how long to cook it for. In this article I’ll show you the best way to cook a spiral ham so that it comes out perfect every time.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, then place the spiral ham on a roasting pan with sides. 2. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, being careful not to touch bone or fat–you want it in there deep enough so that you can get an accurate reading from inside but not so far down that it touches any bone or fat (if you do see any of these things when inserting your thermometer).
  • Cook until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F., then remove from oven and let rest for 30 minutes before carving

Place the spiral ham on a rack in a roasting pan.

how-long-do-you-cook-a-spiral-ham

Place the spiral ham on a rack in a roasting pan.

Place the ham in the oven at 325 degrees for 2 hours, checking it after 1 hour more and then every 15 minutes after that until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cover and bake for 2 hours.

The ham will be done when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F, which should take about 2 hours. If your oven tends to cook hot, check it with a meat thermometer every 30 minutes or so.

If you don’t have an oven with a built-in thermometer, cover the ham loosely with foil during baking and remove it for the last hour of cooking time (this will help keep moisture inside). You can also use an instant read thermometer inserted into thickest part of ham to check if it’s done (135 degrees F).

Uncover and continue cooking for 1 hour more.

  • Uncover the ham and increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
  • Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the glaze is browned and bubbling.
  • Turn off the oven and let your spiral ham rest for 30 minutes before carving it into slices that are about 1/4-inch thick (for a smaller crowd).

You can cook a spiral ham for up to 4 hours.

You can cook a spiral ham for up to 4 hours. Most of the time, you’ll want to keep the oven temperature at 325 degrees Fahrenheit and check on your ham every hour or so. The internal temperature should reach 140 degrees before you’re ready to remove it from heat, but how do you know when that is?

The best way is by using an instant-read thermometer–it will give a more accurate reading than using your eyes or fingers as indicators (though both work just fine). If you don’t have one handy, use these visual clues instead:

  • Ham juices run clear when poked with tip of sharp knife – about 2 hours into cooking time
  • Skin starts browning around edges – about 1 hour before end of cooking time

Conclusion

Ham is a delicious and easy way to feed a crowd. It also makes a great holiday meal, so if you don’t have time to prepare one from scratch, try buying a spiral-cut ham from the grocery store instead. Just follow these instructions and your guests will be impressed at how tasty this dish can be!

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