This glazed Bradshaw bourbon ham recipe is one of those dishes that never goes out of style. It's a baked ham that's simple to pull off but always impressive on the table.
Leaning into the warm, familiar flavors of an Old Fashioned cocktail, the glaze is made from bourbon, orange, bitters, and Luxardo cherries. It’s a little sweet, a little smoky, and just the right amount of special for any holiday gathering. You're going to love it!
There’s no complicated technique here—just a slow bake, a quick stovetop glaze, and a little time in the oven to finish. It bakes up juicy and full of flavor, with a sweet, caramelized glaze that clings to every slice.
Whether you’re serving this ham for Easter, Christmas, or just because you want leftovers for the week, this recipe's worth a save. Pro Tip: Be sure to save some leftover ham for making my ham and cheese empanadas. They're incredible.
You better believe this ham recipe will be on our Easter table this year along with my mom's broccoli casserole recipe, these addictive garlic smashed potatoes, hot honey roasted carrots, and my carrot cake pound cake.
I'll also plan to serve this glazed ham for New Years' day along with my sweet potato cornbread, tomato rice pilaf, braised collards, and some black-eyed peas. See? This ham wins the prize for versatility. You ready to make?
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Ingredients
Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe:
- bone-in, spiral-cut ham
- Luxardo cherries
- fresh orange juice
- light brown sugar
- bourbon
- bitters
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!
- First, preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the ham, cut sides down, in a roasting pan and cover the ham with aluminum foil. Bake until the ham reaches 130°F when inserted in the thickest part, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze. Combine the cherries, cherry juice, and orange juice in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth.
- Then, transfer the cherry mixture to a medium saucepan. Add the brown sugar, bourbon, and bitters. Simmer over medium-low heat until the mixture is syrupy, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool until thickened. (The mixture will thicken as it cools.)
- Finally, remove the ham from the oven and remove the foil. Pour and brush all but ½ cup of the glaze all over the ham. Return to the oven and continue to bake until the thickest portion of the ham registers 140°F with a meat thermometer, about 20 more minutes. Remove the ham from the oven and transfer to a platter. Drizzle with the remaining glaze, garnish, and serve.
Hint: The glaze will still seem runny after cooking it for 5 minutes, but that's because it's hot. Trust me: once it cools, it'll thicken the consistency of maple syrup and be perfect for brushing onto the ham. Any longer and you'll have a sticky mess.
Hint #2: Once you've eaten all the ham and have the bone leftover don't toss it. It's a great alternative to the smoked ham hock in my braised collards recipe.
Substitutions
Don't worry if you need to make some ingredient substitutions. Here are some ways to change things up:
- Bourbon - Instead of bourbon, try aged rum, rye whiskey, cognac, or brandy. If you'd like a non-alcoholic version (even though the alcohol burns off), apple cider is perfect.
- Luxardo cherries - These luscious maraschino cherries are incredibly delicious and make the ham worthy of a special occasion. For a more affordable option, look for other cocktail cherries. Amarena or morello cherries are great. I don't recommend using the bright red maraschino cherries you use for topping banana splits. It's much too sweet.
- Light brown sugar - Dark brown sugar is a great alternative to light brown sugar and will lend a more molasses-y flavor to the glaze.
Variations
Interested in other ways to make this recipe your own? I've got you covered!
- Spicy - Give the glaze a little kick by adding a little cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes during cooking.
- Glazed Ham Steak - If you're craving ham on a weeknight and don't want to make an entire spiral-cut ham, a ham steak is the perfect solution. Sear the ham steak in a little oil in a skillet and spoon some of the glaze over the top towards the end of cooking (after you've removed the pan from the heat.)
- Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs with Old Fashioned Cocktail Glaze - The cocktail-inspired old fashion ham glaze is amazing for finishing roasted or grilled ribs. Season 2 pounds of baby back ribs with salt and pepper. Bake the ribs at 275°F for 2 hours and 30 minutes in a roasting pan covered with aluminum foil or until very tender. Remove the foil and brush the ribs with the glaze. Increase the oven temperature to broil and broil 2 to 3 minutes or until caramelized.
Bonus Recipe: Bradshaw Bourbon Holiday Old Fashioned Cocktail
Since you already have the ingredients to make an Old Fashioned, you may want a recipe for the classic bourbon cocktail. It's a great year-round libation! (This recipe is adapted from the Bradshaw Bourbon website.)
- 1 sugar cube
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Ice cubes
- 2 oz of bourbon (¼ cup)
- 1 Luxardo cherry
- Orange peel for garnish
Place the sugar cube in an old fashioned or rocks glass. Add the bitters and muddle. Add a few ice cubes and the bourbon and stir until combined. Strain the ice and replace with a large ice cube, if desired. Garnish with a cherry and orange peel.
Equipment
Here's the equipment you'll need to make this recipe:
- roasting pan
- dry measuring cup
- liquid measuring cup
- medium saucepan
- measuring spoons
- basting brush
- meat thermometer
- food processor
Storage
Store leftover ham in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
This ham freezes well. Store in a freezer-safe airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Tasty Tip
When blending the whole Luxardo cherries with the orange juice, I make sure to puree the mixture as fine as possible. That way it makes a more appealing texture for the glaze, and I don't have to use a mesh strainer to strain out any large pieces of cherries.
Frequently asked questions
To prevent the ham from burning, glaze the ham during the last 15 to 30 minutes of cooking. That way you get a delicious, caramelized crust and the sugars from glaze don't get too browned.
Technically, no. All the alcohol from the bourbon doesn't burn off. However, the amount of alcohol leftover after boiling the glaze and cooking the ham is minimal.
It's not. Country ham is dry-cured, is often smoked, and is sold uncooked. Pre-cooked ham is cured and cooked before being sold.
To ensure that it's safe to eat, cook the ham to an internal temperature of 140°F. This will kill off any potential pathogens that may have developed during handling or storage.
Bake the ham covered with aluminum foil so it doesn't dry out during the long baking time.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this glazed ham recipe:
🍽Get the recipe
Bradshaw Bourbon and Brown Sugar Glazed Ham Recipe
Equipment
- roasting pan
- dry measuring cup
- liquid measuring cup
- medium saucepan
- measuring spoons
- basting brush
- meat thermometer
- food processor
Ingredients
- 1 (7.5- to 8-pound) bone-in spiral-cut ham
- ½ cup Luxardo cherries
- 1 tablespoon cherry syrup from Luxardo cherry jar
- ⅓ cup fresh orange juice (from 1 orange)
- 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup bourbon
- 1 tablespoon Angostura bitters
- Oranges, fresh cherries, and fresh bay leaves for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the ham cut sides down in a roasting pan. Cover the ham with aluminum foil. Bake for about 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 130°F. (Note: The ham will take about 12 to 15 minutes per pound to reach the finished temperature of 140°F.)
- Meanwhile, combine the cherries, cherry syrup, and orange juice in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
- Transfer the cherry mixture to a medium saucepan. Add the brown sugar, bourbon, and bitters and simmer until syrupy, about 5 minutes. The glaze will thicken as it cools.
- Remove the ham from the oven and remove the aluminum foil. Pour all but ½ cup of the glaze over the ham. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the ham reaches 140°F.
- Remove from the oven, transfer to a serving platter, and brush with the reserved glaze. Garnish with oranges, cherries, and fresh bay leaves, if desired.
Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food safety
Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe.
- Be sure to cook the ham to a minimum temperature of 140°F.
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash your hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave leftovers sitting out at room temperature for extended periods of time.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
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