Jump to Recipe
4.60 stars (205 ratings)Mar 25, 2013378
Hands down, this is the best ham I’ve ever had in my life, and I can almost guarantee it will be the same for you. With a completely out-of-the-box cooking method, ham has never been this tender or this delicious!
*Instant Pot Version of this Sweet Baked HamHERE!*
Does the world really need another recipe for ham? Ham is ham. Right?
How many ways can you really recreate Easter ham, especially when you have a fabulous slow cooker version and an equally fabulous classic version. I mean really.
Well, when your awesome friend, Mel, who has some of the best food judgment ever, sends you a recipe for sweet baked ham, stating it is the best ham ever,you decide you definitely have room in your heart for another ham recipe.
You guys. I have never had ham like this. Ever. I don’t even know how to describe it in a way that will convince you it’s life-changing. It is incredible.
What makes sweet baked ham so amazing
Here’s where this ham recipe differs from every other traditional baked ham recipe out there.
You take a bone-in ham (not spiral sliced!) and boil it in two parts water to one part white vinegar for a few hours. Stick with me here, because I was skeptical, too.
You definitely want to use a large pot that can accommodate the ham AND the liquid (you’ll need vinegar and water to cover). A lot will depend on the size of ham you have.
What type of ham to use
For this recipe, there are two factors that are really important:
- do NOT use a spiral sliced ham. You want a ham that is not sliced or else it won’t shred easily (and will be dry)
- try to find a bone-in ham; it will be more tender as it cooks. However, several people in the comment thread have used unsliced boneless hams and reported back with decent results. So this criteria isn’t as important as the spiral sliced advice.
I usually look for shank hams – that’s what my grocery store carries that fits this criteria. Bone-in and unsliced.
As the ham cooks in the vinegar/water mixture, the meat becomes super tender. Like, fall off the bone tender.
Yes, your house will smell like vinegar. It’s not the worst thing in the world, but if it bothers you, open a window and turn on the vent above your stove, or do what my friend Mel does and use an outdoor propane stove (pretty good idea if you have one).
The exact cooking time will depend on the size of the ham and how high the heat is during cooking, but you want to cook the ham until it is so tender, it’s basically shredding itself for you.
I let the ham cool until I can carefully extricate it from the pot and put it on a sheet pan or a large cutting board. (The sheet pan is nice because it contains all the juices.)
And then I pull the meat off the bone and shred into pieces.
Make-Ahead Tip
This step can be done several days ahead of time! Cook the ham, shred it, and place the meat in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble and bake.
When ready to bake, layer the ham with a mixture of brown sugar and dry mustard.
The shredded ham bakes for about an hour. It’ll come out of the oven tender as can be coated in a succulent, sweet sauce that contrasts beautifully with the tangy ham.
This sweet baked ham is unbelievably delicious, it’s unreal. I promise I’m not overselling this. It’s amazing. I’ve been making ham this way for years now, and it’s the only way we like our Easter ham anymore!
If you want a new ham recipe to knock the socks off you and your guests, this is the one.
Sweet Baked Ham FAQ’s:
- Can I make this with a boneless ham?I prefer using a bone-in ham (I look for a shank ham usually) – it cooks up the most tender, but a boneless ham will work as long as it isn’t already spiral sliced.
- Can I make this in the Instant Pot? Yep! Instant Pot directions here. I use the Instant Pot for cooking the ham until it is shreddable and then cook the shredded ham with the brown sugar mixture in the oven (although you could probably throw it all back in the Instant Pot and warm it that way).
- Can I cook the ham in the vinegar and water in the slow cooker? I haven’t tried this, but in the comments several people have and say it works great (as long as your ham fits in the slow cooker).
- Can this sweet baked ham be made ahead of time? Yes! The ham can be boiled and shredded several days in advance and refrigerated. It can also be assembled with the brown sugar/mustard mixture a day ahead of time. I think it is best baked right before serving.
- Can the shredded and baked ham be frozen? Yes! We freeze the leftovers of this ham all the time.
- What if my ham isn’t falling apart tender after cooking? Add more time and more liquid as needed.
What to Serve With This
- Tender biscuits like theseButtermilk Biscuits or Cream Biscuits
- Homemade Baked Tater Tots
- Classic Deviled Eggs
Sweet Baked Ham
Yield: 10 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 4 hours hrs
Total Time: 4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
4.60 stars (205 ratings)
Ingredients
- 5-7 pound precooked bone-in ham (see note)
- White distilled vinegar
- Water
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground dry mustard
Instructions
Place the ham in a large pot (larger than you think – the liquid is splashy while cooking) and cover with 2 parts water to 1 part vinegar until the ham is covered by at least an inch or two of liquid.
Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium and continue to simmer vigorously for 2-3 hours, until the meat easily falls off the bone. Add more time, as needed until the meat is tender. Also if the liquid reduces, add more during cooking so the ham stays mostly covered.
When finished cooking, carefully remove the ham from the pot to a rimmed sheet pan, discarding the liquid. Let the ham cool until it is easier to remove the meat from the bones.
In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and mustard.
Shred the ham, discarding the fat and bones, and place half of the ham in a 9X9-inch baking dish (or a similar size). Sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture over the ham. Layer the rest of the ham on top and sprinkle with the remaining brown sugar mixture.
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Ham Type: do not use a pre-sliced/spiral sliced ham. It will be very, very dry. Look for a cut of ham that is not sliced and still has the bone-in. The best cut I’ve found is a butt or shoulder cut (might be labeled shank, also).
Ham Size: you can make a larger ham than 5-7 pounds; you’ll need a larger pot to accommodate the ham (and will increase the sugar/mustard mixture accordingly). My friend, Mel, that gave me the recipe, boils her ham in a huge pot outside on her propane stove (like a camp chef-type stove). I only had my classic stovetop available and used my biggest pot with the 5-7 pound ham.
Make-ahead: the ham can be boiled and shredded a few days in advance of baking. It can also be assembled with the brown sugar mixture a day ahead of time.
Cooking Time: take care not to boil the ham TOO long or you’ll end up with ham jerky and you don’t want that. If you are worried about time, err on the side of taking it out at 2 hours (even if it means you are having to cut part of the ham away from the bone instead of it falling away). It should still be very tender.
Author: Mel
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Method: Stovetop
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 427kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 43g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 166mg, Sodium: 2626mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 21g
Recipe Source: from my friend with impeccable food tastes, Mel B.
Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Dairy Free Easter Egg-Free Gluten-Free Ham Main Dish Pork Thanksgiving The Best Pork/Ham Main Dishes
posted on March 25, 2013 (last updated May 31, 2024)
Leave a Reply
378 comments on “Sweet Baked Ham”
-
Lynette Faight — Reply
I made this ham today. The meat indeed fall off the bone. Then it was super easy to shred and discard any fat. My husband tried a piece and commented about how “vinegary” it was. I haven’t tried the brown sugar/ mustard mixture yet. I just wanted to get tender ham shreds to put on pizzas when I make them. I froze most of the ham in ziploc bags for that purpose however I did save some to try the baking process of this recipe. Can this recipe work without the vinegar or is it needed to tenderize the meat ?
Thanks !!-
Mel — Reply
I haven’t tried without the vinegar, so I’m not sure – sorry!
-
-
Sarah — Reply
The best ham! It’s worth the prep beforehand. We have this every Easter and Christmas!
-
Ron — Reply
Can this be done in the oven on maybe 250* instead of stovetop ?
-
Mel — Reply
I’m sure it could – I haven’t tried it so I don’t know how long to suggest, but it’s worth a try.
-
-
Lissie — Reply
Looks amazing! Always LOVE your recipes! One question: Does the ham taste like vinegar once you finish making it? Thanks in advance.
-
Mel — Reply
Hi Lissie, it does have a slight vinegar taste but is delicious with the sweet brown sugar.
-
-
Marissa — Reply
This was disappointing, the ham was so incredibly dry, and honestly this was way more labor intensive than just cooking a regular spiralized ham. Not sure what went wrong because I used the right type of ham, boiled it for the right amount of time and am not sure what I did wrong. Mel doesn’t usually lead me astray so I’m just over here scratching my head trying to figure out what it could have been.
-
Suzanne — Reply
Well, I made this recipe using a spiral sliced bone in ham despite Mel’s multiple warnings NOT to do this — for science of course! Also because I couldn’t find an unsliced bone in ham at my grocery store and the ham I did find was too big for the crockpot. Anyway. It worked fine — I can definitely see how it would dry out (and some parts of it were definitely dry) but I simmered it for 1h 45min — probably could have checked it and fished it out maybe 30 minutes earlier.
-
SL — Reply
This is such a good recipe! It’s great to make for a crowd because it can be made in advance. I took a suggestion from a commenter and made it in the crock pot. I had to cut chunks off the shank in order to make it fit. I cooked it on high for 8-10 hours with 2C of vinegar and water to cover. It’s so easy! Can’t wait to serve this for Easter tomorrow.
-
Jessica — Reply
I bought a huge ham because I love to make ham bean soup with the leftovers. My question is: will the bone and meat be good to make soup with after its vinegar bath (I don’t mean that if use the liquid it boiled in, but would reuse the bone and scrap meats to make soup later) or will I ruin the chance of yummy soup leftovers because of the flavor the leftover meat and bone will then have?
-
Mel — Reply
It will have a slightly different flavor than a traditionally cooked ham and the vinegar taste may come through.
-
AK — Reply
I use the bone and meat for soup every time I make this ham and it works perfectly. I cook up all the meat in the brown sugar and there is always leftovers because I can only ever find giant hams. Usually a few days after a holiday I use it to make Mel’s ham sweet potato soup. My only caution is to make sure you trim all the cartilage off the bone so no one chokes, and only use the biggest bones because the cartilage gets very soft in the vinegar bath. If you are worried about the vinegar taste, you can roast the bone for like 15/20 minutes on 400° in your oven before making your soup. It’s so good!
-
-
Heidi Puccinelli — Reply
I made this ham last year. Very funny as I stood on a step ladder to watch my boiling ham in a very tall pot!! I was thrilled as I shredded it. I then refrigerated it overnight, baked it…but it was dry. My guests said it was good and someone even asked for the recipe…but it really was dry…Making it again this weekend..any special hints? I really want to warm it up in the crock pot as I’m running out of oven space…Should I use a little liquid?
-
Mel — Reply
Hi Heidi, I’d suggest drizzling a bit of the cooking liquid (not much, just a little) over the ham if you are going to refrigerate it overnight.
-
-
Carla Harvey — Reply
Mel, I have ma made this recipe dozens of times. It is incredible. I was gifted to hams that meet all the criteria for this recipe except that they are “hickory smoked.” Will this cause problems? Thank you for your help!
-
Carla Harvey — Reply
*two hams! and ignore the “ma”!
-
Mel — Reply
Hi Carla! As long as they aren’t sliced and are bone-in, it should work just fine!
-
-
Tammy — Reply
I’ve never made ham before and want to make next week for Easter. We’re having my son’s girlfriends family over to meet for the first time – so I knew I needed a Mel’s recipe to impress. My question is – timing. Can I do the sugar bake at a lower temperature for longer so it’s ready when we get home from church? We’ll be gone about 2 – 2 1/2 hours – any suggestions?
-
Mel — Reply
Yes, you could definitely do that – or layer it in a slow cooker on low. Should work fine!
-
-
Tiffany — Reply
I have been making this recipe for the last couple of years and everyone in my family loves it! I was initially hesitant about the vinegar-and even the sugar-but it’s great! I don’t generally like glazed or any kind of sweetened ham, but I love this recipe! I use the instant pot version.
-
Shara — Reply
My ham is frozen- can I boil it from frozen or do I need to let it thaw completely first?
-
Mel — Reply
I would recommend letting it thaw first.
-
-
Sara Thompson — Reply
I made this recipe with a butt portion of ham. I followed it to a T and it was delicious!!!!!
-
Louie — Reply
Can I use Apple cider vinegar instead!??
-
Mel — Reply
The overall flavor will change, but you can definitely try it and see how it goes.
-
-
Debbie Hall — Reply
Hello! Can anyone tell me where I can buy the classic picnic hams, not smoked? …the kind mama baked when I was little.K&W cafeteria has this ham. All grocery stores only carry smoked! Please help! Thank you, Debbie in NC
-
Melissa F-L — Reply
I’d bet your grocery store carries picnic hams but calls them by a different name. The picnic ham comes from the front shoulder just below what is called the Boston butt. Depending on who you talk to, there are either 2 or 3 parts of the pork shoulder: the Boston butt, the pork shoulder and below this is what you referred to as the picnic ham.
If they have a pork shoulder that has a shank (aka hock) attached to it, it’s the picnic ham you’re looking for. Alternate names for a picnic ham are: “fresh ham” (because these are seldom sold as smoke or salt cured), “picnic shank”, “picnic shoulder”, “picnic roast”, “shank pork shoulder” or a “fresh shoulder picnic roast. ” Ask your butcher using these alternate names and it’s likely one of these will get you your picnic ham. If you get a blank look after listing off these alternate names, look for them near the Boston Butts and other fresh pork cuts. If your grocery store is organized like ours are, they won’t be anywhere near the cured hams. Just keep in mind they have less fat and tend to be tough so they’ll require being cooked longer than a cured ham.
-
-
monica — Reply
Is it really necessary to shred the ham after boiling & before sprinkling with brown sugar dry mustard mixture; because if your serving this for company most people are accustomed to having ham served in slices, not shredded.
-
Mel — Reply
Shredding helps the brown sugar/mustard mixture really flavor all the bits of ham.
-
-
Natasha C Livingston — Reply
This was AMAZING!!
-
Wendy Kelley — Reply
I had a larger ham (9 pds.) it’s the only size my store had with bone in and unsliced. It took a bit of water and vinegar to fully cover the ham while boiling. It also required more brown sugar and dried mustard.
My family fell in love!!! They thought the sweet taste with a twist was wonderful.
Thank you so much for sharing. -
Peter — Reply
Absolutely the best ham I have ever tried!
-
Lacey Parr — Reply
So I used some substitutions for this and still had great success! The ham I had on hand was a 5.5 lb uncut, boneless cured ham. I used the instant pot directions for the boiling portion. It was delicious even after that step. I did not have dry mustard on Christmas Eve so I used what we had: dijon mustard, haha. It made the brown sugar mixture into more of a paste. And I should have tossed the meat and brown sugar mixture more to help spread it out. Despite that, it was still sweet with the slightest tangy mustard flavor. It was very good, everyone gobbled it up and shredding it is just genius. I’ll never make make another way again! 10/10 will try again with the real ingredients next time 😉
-
Cheryl Williams — Reply
I made this ham for Christmas. First let me say it was delicious and a big hit. I recommend it. My only remark is that it doesn’t look like the picture. In the picture the meat has that ham color mine on the other had was brown looking. Did I do something wrong? Otherwise it was reeeeeeeeally good.
-
Mel — Reply
Hey Cheryl, it’s hard to know – what kind of ham did you use?
-
-
Jennifer Hart — Reply
Yum so good! I had to cook mine in a large crockpot. It still turned out great!
-
Joe — Reply
Does the dry mustard leave a “mustardy” flavor?
-
Mel — Reply
Yes, a little bit – the mustard flavor comes through with the brown sugar but it balances nicely with the tart vinegar of the ham.
-
-
Kaylyn Pearson — Reply
Hi Mel, this is my first time trying this ham. I am curious is the ham suppose to taste vinegary after it’s boiled and before putting the brown sugar and dry mustard mixture on it and cooking it for another hour. I tried a little piece right after boiling it and it had a strong vinegar taste and I’m hoping that’s normal. Haha
-
Mel — Reply
Yes, it’s normal…the flavors mellow and blend after baking with the sugar!
-
-
Renee — Reply
So I’ve been using your recipe for the last few years. The only thing I do different is cut the ham apart and place it in a crockpot in the garage or outside on a table (depending on weather). The vinegar smell is otherwise too strong in the house. After having made it the stove method and the crockpot method, I have to say there is no difference, save the fact that we can breathe inside the house. Lol! Thanks for the recipe!
-
Laurie — Reply
I meant turkey ham. Thanks. Laurie
-
Laurie — Reply
I am excited to try this., Can this be made with a turkey ham? Please say yes please say yes. Smiles
-
Mel — Reply
Honestly, I’m not familiar with turkey ham so I don’t know. Sorry!
-
-
Southerner Forever — Reply
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe for Father’s Day, and perhaps I overlooked this part, but is a lid placed on the stockpot while cooking?
-
Mel — Reply
You can partially cover the pot if you’d like but it isn’t necessary.
-
-
Jana — Reply
I made this for Easter last weekend and everyone loved it! Any ideas on how to use the broth, or is it just too vinegar-y?
-
Mel — Reply
Yeah, I don’t think the broth is really useable – it has a really strong vinegar taste.
-
-
Allison Marcroft — Reply
Okay, Mel. You’ve done it again. I’ve made the other hams on your site, but this one is my new favorite. Yes, it required more steps, but I used my IP so that made the first one easier, and then when it was time to serve it, it was so much easier for my kids to eat (and adults as well). We had this on Easter, and then I was still dreaming about it the next day so I bought some of those super soft Artisano sausage rolls and we had barbecue ham sandwiches (think pulled pork with a little mayo and a squiggle of your favorite BBQ sauce on the bread–I didn’t use much it because it was so flavorful already) and they were a hit. Usually I have ham for days, but not for now. Yummy, easy to eat, even more delicious leftovers. You. rock. 🙂
-
Mel — Reply
Those leftovers sound amazing, Allison!!
-
-
Kim spadafora — Reply
I made the sweet ham for Easter. I was very skeptical about this recipe, but it was so different that I had to try it. With the Coronavirus I good only get a 9.71 pound bone-in ham (for 2 people!). I used 128 ounces of water and 64 ounces of white vinegar. It was the best ham I have ever had. Brought some to my mom and friend and they thought it was the best.
-
Jessica G — Reply
Made this and my whole family loves it!
-
Ashley Wood — Reply
This is hands down the best ham I have ever eaten! The flavor is perfectly sweet and tangy while still tasting like ham. I can’t wait to eat some on a roll tomorrow. Hurray for leftovers!!
-
Melissa — Reply
I made this for Christmas and did it on the stove top. It was ok. I made it today in the IP – holy cow – it was amazing!!! I will only be making my ham like this from now on!!
-
Ali — Reply
Yummy! We just ate this for our Easter dinner and it was a hit. I used the instant pot, which tenderized it so fast. I served it with your delicious made from scratch funeral potatoes. They were the bomb! And of course I had to make my moms fresh made rolls to go along as well. A delicious Easter dinner! Thanks Mel!
-
Nicole — Reply
It’s my fourth year making our Easter ham this way and I just finished shredding and covering it with foil so it can have a good night sleep in the fridge. It has always turned out amazing and we are so excited to eat it tomorrow! My kids even came out of their rooms before they went to bed just to tell me that the ham smells delicious. Thanks Mel!
-
bgrama — Reply
I’ve been boiling bone in whole hams for 40 years so this was very close to what I have always done, however, this this was sooo tough. There was NO falling off the bone.like a regular boiled ham. My boiled hams were always so tender and juicy but this was a bomb. $20 dollars in the trash and a stinky smelling house. Too late to cook anything else so I guess its pizza for Easter.
-
bgrama — Reply
I just found out that many people are complaining about the same problems with the particular brand of ham that I used for this recipe. I don’t normally buy this brand, nor will I ever again. It just happened to be pretty much the only brand that Wallymart carries. My advise would be to only buy a ham that you are familar with and you might get better results than I did. I do plan on trying this again in the future, but with my favorite brand ham next time.
-
-
Andrea Cox — Reply
That’s the way my Aunt taught me to cook a ham and you are correct as it has to be the best tasting ham that I have ever eaten. Thank you so much for the recipe as I had forgotten about it over the years.
-
Terri — Reply
I just made this again today, but in my Instant Pot…and it is AMAZING! So easy and quick! I’ll never make ham any other way!
-
Leslie — Reply
Sorry, I just read another comment where you say that boneless ham tends to be drier using the boiling method. Would it have a better chance of staying moist/tender if I boil it for less time? Any other tips? If you think I should go and get a bone-in ham, give it to me straight 🙂 I need the truth (company will be joining us for dinner 😉
-
Mel — Reply
A bone-in ham definitely produces a more tender result! But I have used a boneless ham (not spiral sliced) before and worked out ok (I prefer a bone-in ham, though).
-
Leslie — Reply
Thank you so much, I appreciate your taking the time to reply. I’ve been a fan of yours for a while now 🙂
Btw, I’m making your chocolate sour cream bundt cake for our Christmas dessert and I’ll be sprinkling crushed candy canes over the glaze to make it a little more Christmas-y 🙂 LOVE that recipe and use it for many occasions.
-
-
-
Leslie — Reply
Hi Mel! I got a ham at Costco that is NOT spiral but IS boneless. How essential is it that it has a bone? It’s called “Master Carve Half Ham” if that gives you a better idea of what I’m working with. Hoping to make this for Christmas 🙂
-
Mel — Reply
Yes, that will work!
-
-
Natasha- Huge Fan! — Reply
Hi Mel, I am planning to feed a crowd of 100 with this ham. Is the serving size here accurate? For a 5-7 pound ham I would expect 10-14 servings.
-
Mel — Reply
It really depends on what the ham is being served with (lots of sides?), and also keep in mind the 5-7 pound ham includes the bone, so you’re getting less meat than with a boneless ham. Having said that, it probably can serve a few more than the serving size listed if you want to stretch it a little further.
-
Loretta — Reply
Can I use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar?
-
Mel — Reply
I think others have done so with good results if you check the comments.
-
-
-
-
Cicily — Reply
I made this for Thanksgiving this year. I brought it toy sister’s house and hoped it would be good. I usually like to try recipes before serving them. Fingers crossed. I pulled the pan out of the oven, set it on the buffet spread and quickly snitched a piece with no one looking. Not being able to hold back my delicious ham, I shared a piece with my sister. Her eyes lit up. Cool…at least my ham turned out good. Everyone fills their plate and we’re sitting at the table. My BIL mumbled something like “mmm…this ham is to die for” before shoving more in his mouth. I think everyone had a second helping of ham before we moved on to pie. Before we left, the same BIL asked me what I did to them. I told him (because the recipe is so easy to remember) and directed him to this website. He looked it up on the spot and got excited at whatever was.on the first page at the time. The next morning, I made a breakfast burrito with some of the leftovers…it was the best I’ve made. This is now “my recipe” for ham, the one that told all others.
-
Mel — Reply
I loved reading this, Cicily!! So happy the ham was a hit (and I bet it was amazing in those breakfast burritos!)
-
Leave a comment »
