15 Ways to Serve a Spectacular Holiday Ham This Easter The crust is key on these glazed holiday centerpieces. By Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann is an editor, baker, and confectioner with more than 15 years of experience in content creation, recipe development, and pastry production. She's obsessed with the fine details and ingredients that take dishes from tasty to outright otherworldly. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on March 31, 2026 Add Us On SAVE ALL RECIPES NEW! Save as a collection on MyRecipes Close Credit: Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Ham is a classic menu choice for Easter, whether it's the anchor of your brunch spread or the main event at dinner. We've collected our favorite Easter ham recipes for your menu, from glazed hams to brined fresh ham. Impress your guests with a Dijon, apple cider, or spicy pomegranate glaze, or a spring pea and leek pan sauce. Whichever preparation you choose, you'll have a satisfying holiday meal. These are our best Easter ham recipes. (And don't forget to save the bone to make ham stock.) Keep all of your recipes at your fingertips. With the MyRecipes app you can easily save and organize your favorites from anywhere, including Instagram and TikTok, in one convenient place. Get the free app. 01 of 15 Saba-and-Dijon-Glazed Easter Ham Eva Kolenko Sarah Grueneberg's inventive take on holiday ham swaps the usual brown sugar for a mix of Dijon mustard and saba, a sweet (and somewhat sour) syrup made from cooked-down grape must. It delivers a tangy, caramelized glaze that seeps into the roasted shallots and carrots beneath. A finishing drizzle of buttery, sesame-flecked pan sauce brings it all together. Get the Recipe Save 02 of 15 Carla Hall’s Spiced Cider–Glazed Ham Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel Buy a bone-in spiral-cut ham for this stunning centerpiece from chef Carla Hall. The bone deepens the flavor, locks in moisture, and keeps the meat tender. The spiral cut ensures there are plenty of nooks and crevices into which the sticky glaze of bourbon and brown sugar can seep. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 15 Spiced-Madeira-and-Honey-Glazed Ham Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Sweet, rich flavors abound in this celebratory holiday ham. A homemade glaze laced with honey and Madeira bastes the meat while collard greens tossed with tangerines and bay leaves cook underneath, soaking up all those delicious pan juices. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 15 Apple Cider–Glazed Ham Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Missie Crawford / Food Styling by Ali Ramee Make sure you buy an unglazed ham so you can coat it with this deliciously sweet blend of apple cider, light brown sugar, honey, and Dijon mustard. The homemade glaze caramelizes into a wonderfully sticky crust as the ham bakes. Get the Recipe Save 05 of 15 Dr Pepper–Glazed Ham with Prunes Keller & Keller A caramelized Dr Pepper glaze gives this ham a sweet, retro edge. The sauce made from pan drippings and prunes adds depth and richness to each slice. A playful classic, it can return to the table year after year. Get the Recipe Save 06 of 15 Guinness-Glazed Ham Caitlin Bensel Chef Jp McMahon uses a combination of light brown sugar and Ireland's most famous stout to create a simple glaze that develops a malty, caramellike bittersweetness in the oven. Irish ham is a bit less salty than American ham and has a thin layer of fat, which absorbs the flavors of the glaze. Get the Recipe Save 07 of 15 Spiced Brown Sugar Ham with Apple Jus Marcus Nilsson Here's some advice for supremely succulent ham: It needs rest if it's going to be tender. “If you can’t pick up the foil-wrapped ham without burning yourself, then it’s not done resting,” says Top Chef alum Kevin Gillespie. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 15 Smoky Glazed Ham with Red Pepper Jelly John Kernick To achieve the perfect holiday ham, chef Jonathon Sawyer makes the spicy pepper jelly and the sauce that becomes a sweet-sticky glaze a few days in advance. On Easter Sunday, the only thing left to do is to bake the ham. Get the Recipe Save 09 of 15 Pomegranate-Jalapeño-Glazed Ham Con Poulos To make the sweet and spicy glaze for this spiral-cut smoked ham from chef Akasha Richmond, simmer store-bought jalapeño jelly with lemon and pomegranate juices plus Dijon mustard, cinnamon, and ginger. Get the Recipe Save 10 of 15 Ham Steaks in Madeira Sauce Greg DuPree The legendary Julia Child was a champion of ham. For this recipe, she was inspired by a French dish called jambon à la morvandelle, featuring ham steaks basted in a sauce of mushroom and Madeira. Child called the dish one of her "fast entrées for fancy people." Get the Recipe Save 11 of 15 Lemon-and-Pickled-Pepper-Glazed Ham James Baigrie Pickled peppers (we're partial to Peppadew) are pureed with lemon-lime marmalade, grainy mustard, lemon juice, and bourbon to make the glaze for this bone-in smoked ham. It's brushed on top incrementally as the ham bakes for a beautiful brown lacquer. Get the Recipe Save 12 of 15 Honey-Bourbon-Glazed Ham Petrina Tinslay You'll need two full cups of bourbon for this Easter-worthy ham — it's stirred into a warmly spiced caramel along with soy sauce and honey for a sweet, sticky glaze that gets brushed on the meat in the last half hour of roasting. Get the Recipe Save 13 of 15 Chile-Brined Fresh Ham Con Poulos Butcher Ryan Farr uses Thai or serrano chiles plus a cup of crushed black peppercorns to dial up the heat on the brine for his bone-in fresh ham. The pork skin turns delightfully crackly as it roasts — he separates it from the meat and serves it on the side along with the jus. Get the Recipe Save 14 of 15 DIY Honey-Baked Ham Food & Wine / Photo by Abby Hocking Cookbook author Anna Painter's ham is baked in apple juice, then glazed with a sweet-spicy mix of brown sugar, honey, honey mustard, black pepper, and cayenne. Get the Recipe Save 15 of 15 Spring Ham Steaks with Sweet Pea–Leek Pan Sauce Christina Holmes Ham steaks make a quick and low-key Easter dinner. Sear them until golden brown and dress them with a simple sauce made from peas, leek, fresh tarragon, and butter, with some salt and pepper for seasoning. Get the Recipe Save Explore more: Food Holidays & Occasions Easter Was this page helpful? 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