Introduction

Ham is the quintessential holiday meal, and it’s always a treat to serve up a big ol’ spiral-sliced ham for your family and friends. But how long do you need to cook that ham? Depending on how you intend to cook it, there are different cooking times involved. Here’s what you need to know:

Cooking a spiral-sliced ham can be a bit confusing because there are variations in the cooking times in the instructions of the various brands.

Cooking a spiral-sliced ham can be a bit confusing because there are variations in the cooking times in the instructions of the various brands. The cooking time depends on:

• The size of the ham. A smaller ham will cook faster than a larger one, which means you might have to check it earlier or later than indicated on your package’s label. For example, if your recipe says 20 minutes per pound and you have an 8-pounder, then your total cooking time would be 160 minutes (2 hours 40 minutes). But if you have only 6 pounds of meat, then your total cooking time would be 120 minutes (1 hour 40 minutes).
• How you want to serve it: If you want slices that are crispy on the outside but moist inside–and I do!–then keep checking for doneness every 10-15 minutes toward the end of their recommended range; otherwise they’ll get too dry when sliced into pieces before being reheated later as part of an entrée salad or similar dish where they’re served at room temperature rather than hot off the grill pan like these delicious Sloppy Joe Sandwiches!

If you purchase a whole bone-in or boneless ham, you will need to allow about 12 hours for it to heat up to 140 degrees.

If you purchase a whole bone-in or boneless ham, you will need to allow about 12 hours for it to heat up to 140 degrees. You can cook it in advance and reheat later or cook it completely and serve immediately.

If you want your spiral cut ham to reach this temperature faster, place the entire package in an oven preheated to 250 degrees F (120 C) for 30 minutes per pound of meat with no foil covering on top or bottom of pan (which would trap moisture). However, if the ham is covered with foil during its initial heating phase, remove foil after 20 minutes of cooking time has elapsed so that all sides receive equal exposure from heat source above them; this will help ensure even cooking throughout entire roast without dry spots forming where they weren’t cooked enough before being covered again by aluminum foil coverings.”

For a pre-cooked spiral-sliced ham purchased at the store, use about 15 minutes per pound for each pound of meat.

As with any meat, the internal temperature of your spiral-sliced ham should be 145 degrees F.

To determine how long to cook your spiral-sliced ham, use the following guidelines:

• For a pre-cooked spiral-sliced ham purchased at the store, use about 15 minutes per pound for each pound of meat.
• For an uncooked spiral-sliced ham that you’ve thawed yourself and are now cooking for dinner (or breakfast), figure on 20 minutes per pound.

You can also use your own Thermopen or other instant read thermometer to check internal temperature to ensure safe consumption.

You can also use your own Thermopen or other instant read thermometer to check internal temperature to ensure safe consumption. Do not rely on the color of the meat, juices that run out of the meat, or color of glaze on top of ham as indicators that it is done cooking.

Read your ham’s label and follow its directions, but if you don’t have time to read through all the fine print then just remember that 15 minutes per pound is generally appropriate for most hams

If you don’t have time to read through all the fine print on your ham’s label, then just remember that 15 minutes per pound is generally appropriate for most hams.

If you do have time, check out this chart from The Spruce Eats:

Conclusion

So there you have it, a quick and easy guide to cooking your spiral-sliced ham. It may seem complicated at first, but after some practice with different brands and methods of cooking, you’ll be an expert in no time!