Pineapple glazed ham is a holiday ham with a sweet pineapple glaze and caramelized brown sugar crust.
This recipe shows you how to heat and glaze a fully cooked ham on the stovetop, with an oven method included too.
It's perfect for Noche Buena, Christmas, or any special gathering.
Jump to:
Ingredients You'll Need
Notes and Substitutions
- Ham: Use a fully cooked, ready-to-eat ham, about 8 to 12 pounds. I used spiral-cut ham because it is already sliced and easy to serve. Bone-in ham has more flavor, while boneless ham is easier to slice.
- Beer or alcohol: This is optional, but it adds more flavor to the glaze. You can use beer, rum, or brandy, or skip it for an alcohol-free version.
- Ground cloves: This adds a warm spice that goes well with the pineapple glaze. You can also use whole cloves, or swap in a little cinnamon, nutmeg, or ground ginger.
How to Make Pineapple Glazed Ham (Stovetop)
Step 1: Prepare the cooking liquid
In a bowl, combine:
- 3 cups pineapple juice
- ½ beer (or 2 tablespoons rum or brandy)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Mix until the sugar is dissolved.
Step 2: Prepare the ham
Remove the ham from the package and drain any excess liquid.
If it tastes too salty or has a lot of brine, you rinse it quickly and pat dry with paper towels.
Step 3: Simmer the ham
In a large pot or deep pan, place your precooked ham cut side down and pour 3 cups pineapple sauce over it.
Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Do not boil hard, so the ham stays juicy.
If the ham is too big for the pot, cover it loosely with foil.
Step 4: Baste the ham
Baste the ham occasionally as it simmers.
The ham will release liquid into the pot, so the sauce may look thin at first.
If there is too much liquid, uncover the pot for the last part of cooking so the sauce can reduce faster later.
Step 5: Transfer ham
Carefully transfer the ham to a platter and cover it with foil to keep it from drying out.
If you plan to broil it, place it on a baking sheet instead.
Step 6: Reduce the sauce
Boil the remaining sauce over medium-high heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until reduced by about half.
If your ham released a lot of liquid, this may take longer.
Mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until smooth, then stir it into the sauce.
Simmer until thick and glossy. Add more slurry if you want a thicker glaze.
Taste and adjust as needed.
The ham is ready to serve at this point. Just spoon the thickened sauce over the top.
If you're not a fan of the brown sugar crust or want the ham less sweet, you can skip the next step.
Step 7: Add the brown sugar crust
Sprinkle 1 cup dark brown sugar over the ham, using as much or as little as you like, depending on how sweet or crusty you want it.
Use a blowtorch to melt and caramelize the sugar, or broil for about 5 minutes until caramelized. Watch closely so it doesn't burn.
Step 8: Serve
Spoon some of the glaze over the ham and serve the rest on the side.
Serve your pineapple glazed ham warm or at room temperature. It's also really good with warm pandesal.
How to Make Pineapple Glazed Ham( In the Oven)
- Bake the ham covered at 325°F(163°C) until heated through, about 1 to 1½ hours.
- While it bakes, make the pineapple glaze in a saucepan and simmer until slightly reduced. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until thick.
- Brush the glaze over the ham, sprinkle with brown sugar, then broil for about 5 minutes until caramelized. Watch closely so it doesn't burn.
Cooking Tips
- Use fully cooked ham since this recipe is for heating and glazing.
- Simmer gently so the ham doesn't dry out.
- Reduce the sauce well so the glaze has better flavor.
- Watch the sugar closely when broiling or torching because it can burn fast.
- Serve extra glaze on the side for spooning over the ham.
What to Serve for Noche Buena
- Macaroni salad: Pasta salad with mayonnaise, vegetables, and fruit.
- Filipino spaghetti: Sweet-style spaghetti with meat sauce, hotdogs, and cheese.
- Leche flan: Caramel custard made with eggs and milk.
- Embutido: Filipino-style meatloaf with ground pork.
- Buko pandan salad: Creamy dessert with young coconut and pandan gelatin.
- Puto bumbong: Purple rice cakes served with butter, sugar, and coconut.
- Bibingka: Rice cake with coconut, salted egg, and cheese.
- Fruit salad: Creamy fruit salad with buko and cream.
Recipe FAQs
Most holiday hams are fully cooked. This recipe is for heating the ham and adding the pineapple glaze.
Cover the ham with foil while baking and heat it gently. Do not overcook it.
Heat fully cooked ham to about 140°F(60°C) in the center.
Yes. Just skip the beer, rum, or brandy. The glaze will still taste good.
The sauce may need more time to reduce. Cook it longer, then add the cornstarch slurry to thicken.
Pork Recipes You May Like
Did you make this recipe? I would love to know! Your feedback helps me make better recipes. Please rate, review, or comment below. Questions about this recipe are welcome, too!
Let's connect on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter, and Youtube. Be sure to tag me when you try any of my recipes @recipesbynora!
📖 Recipe
Pineapple Glazed Ham
Equipment
- Large pot (or roasting pan, if using the oven)
- Wire rack (optional)
- Blowtorch or broiler (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 fully cooked ham (8 to 12 pounds)
- 3 cups pineapple juice
- ½ cup beer (or 2 tablespoons rum/brandy) optional
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (with 2 tablespoons water)
- More brown sugar for topping
Instructions
- Mix the pineapple juice, beer, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and ground cloves.
- Remove the ham from the package and drain any excess liquid. Rinse briefly if needed, then pat dry.
- Place the ham cut side down in a large pot or deep pan. Pour the sauce over it, cover loosely, and simmer gently for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until heated through.
- Baste the ham occasionally as it cooks.
- Transfer the ham to a platter and cover loosely with foil.
- Boil the sauce uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, or until reduced by about half. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer until thick and glossy.
- Add more brown sugar over the ham and caramelize with a broiler or blowtorch for 5 minutes.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with extra glaze on the side.
Notes
- Ham: Use fully cooked ham, about 8 to 12 pounds. Spiral-cut is easy to serve, bone-in has more flavor, and boneless is easier to slice.
- Beer or alcohol: Optional, but adds flavor. Use beer, rum, or brandy, or skip it.
- Ground cloves: Whole cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, or ground ginger also work.
- Bake the ham covered at 325°F for about 1 to 1½ hours, or until heated through.
- While it bakes, simmer the glaze until slightly reduced. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until thick.
- Brush the glaze over the ham, sprinkle with brown sugar, then broil for 4 to 6 minutes until caramelized. Watch closely so it doesn't burn.
- Use fully cooked ham since this recipe is for heating and glazing.
- Simmer gently so the ham stays juicy.
- Reduce the sauce well for a thicker, better glaze.
- Watch the sugar closely because it can burn fast.
- Serve extra glaze on the side for spooning over the ham.
Lara says
I love this! It reminds me of honey baked ham. Soo good!
Nora Reyes says
Hello Lara, I'm so glad you liked it! It's great to hear it brings back those honey baked ham vibes. Enjoy!