How Long to Bake a Ham: Time per Pound for Spiral and Uncooked Ham

A precooked spiral ham needs about 10 to 18 minutes per pound at 325°F (165°C), until the center reaches 140°F (60°C). A cook-before-eating (uncooked) smoked ham needs roughly 18 to 25 minutes per pound at the same oven temperature for a whole or half ham, until it reaches 145°F (63°C), followed by a 3-minute rest. Add a glaze during the last 15 to 30 minutes so the sugar caramelizes without burning.

The label decides everything. Hams sold in the US say “fully cooked”, “ready to eat” or “cook before eating”, and that wording sets both the time and the target temperature. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service publishes the reference times most American recipes follow.

How do I tell whether a ham is precooked or uncooked?

The package label tells you, and it is required on US hams. Look for these terms:

• Fully cooked or ready to eat: the ham is already safe. You are only reheating it. Spiral-sliced hams almost always fall in this group.
• Cook before eating: the ham is cured and often smoked, yet it still has to reach a safe internal temperature in the oven.
• Fresh ham: an uncured raw leg of pork. It cooks like a pork roast and turns gray-white instead of pink.

When the label is missing, as with a ham from a farm stand or a gift basket, treat the ham as uncooked and cook it to 145°F (63°C).

How long do you bake a precooked spiral ham per pound?

A fully cooked spiral ham takes about 10 to 18 minutes per pound at 325°F (165°C). A typical 7 to 9 pound spiral ham is ready in roughly 1 hour 10 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes. Other fully cooked hams take a little longer because the heat has to work through unsliced meat:

• Spiral-cut, whole or half (7 to 9 lb): 10 to 18 minutes per pound
• Fully cooked half ham, bone-in (7 to 8 lb): 18 to 24 minutes per pound
• Fully cooked whole ham, bone-in (14 to 16 lb): 15 to 18 minutes per pound

Reheat until the thickest part reads 140°F (60°C). Leftover ham, or a cooked ham repackaged outside a USDA-inspected plant, should go to 165°F (74°C).

Spiral hams dry out fast because the slices open up in the heat. Set the ham cut side down in a roasting pan, pour about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of water or broth into the pan and cover the whole thing tightly with foil. Leave the foil on until you glaze.

How long do you bake an uncooked ham per pound?

A cook-before-eating smoked ham takes about 18 to 20 minutes per pound for a whole bone-in ham and 22 to 25 minutes per pound for a half, at 325°F (165°C). Smaller cuts need more time per pound:

• Whole bone-in, smoked (14 to 16 lb): 18 to 20 minutes per pound
• Half bone-in, smoked (7 to 8 lb): 22 to 25 minutes per pound
• Shank or butt portion, smoked (3 to 4 lb): 35 to 40 minutes per pound
• Fresh ham, whole leg bone-in (12 to 16 lb): 22 to 26 minutes per pound
• Fresh ham, half bone-in (5 to 8 lb): 35 to 40 minutes per pound

Cook every uncooked ham to 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part, then let it rest for at least 3 minutes before carving. The FoodSafety.gov temperature chart lists the same target for fresh pork and raw ham.

Why should I use a thermometer instead of the clock?

Times per pound are estimates, and a thermometer gives the real answer. Oven calibration, the shape of the ham, the bone, and a ham that went into the oven straight from a cold refrigerator can each shift the time by 20 minutes or more.

1. Start checking about 30 minutes before the shortest estimated time.
2. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the meat.
3. Keep the tip away from the bone, which reads hotter than the meat around it.
4. Check a second spot on large hams.

Planning a holiday meal with both a turkey and a ham works best when you map out oven time for each. The guide to turkey roasting times at 325°F uses the same oven temperature, so the two can share a schedule if your oven has room.

When and how should I glaze a ham?

Brush on the glaze during the last 15 to 30 minutes of baking. Most glazes contain brown sugar, honey, maple syrup or fruit preserves, and sugar burns if it sits in the oven for the full cooking time.

1. About 20 to 30 minutes before the ham should be done, take it out and remove the foil.
2. Raise the oven to 400 to 425°F (200 to 220°C) if you want a darker, stickier crust.
3. Brush the glaze over the surface and, on a spiral ham, between some of the slices.
4. Return the ham uncovered and bake until the glaze bubbles, usually 10 to 20 minutes, brushing on a second coat halfway.
5. Watch the edges closely in the last few minutes, since thin glazes can scorch quickly at higher heat.

The packet of glaze that comes with many spiral hams works the same way. Mix it as the package says and use it only at the end.

What are the most common ham mistakes?

• Baking a fully cooked ham to 160°F (71°C) or higher, which dries it out. It only needs 140°F (60°C).
• Leaving a spiral ham uncovered for the whole bake.
• Glazing at the start, so the sugar blackens before the ham is hot.
• Carving straight from the oven. A rest of 10 to 15 minutes under loose foil keeps the juices in the meat.
• Leaving the ham on the counter during a long meal. Cooked ham should go into the refrigerator within 2 hours.

A frozen ham needs to thaw in the refrigerator first. The method and timing are the same as for poultry, described in the guide to thawing a turkey in the refrigerator or cold water: plan about one day for every 4 to 5 pounds.

How long does leftover ham keep?

Cooked leftover ham keeps 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or colder. For longer storage, wrap slices tightly and freeze them for 1 to 2 months for the best quality. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C), or eat them cold if they were stored safely, since the ham is already cooked.

Quick answers

Do I need to cover a ham while baking?

Yes for most of the time. Cover the ham tightly with foil until the glazing stage, then uncover it so the glaze can set and brown.

How long should a 10 pound fully cooked ham bake?

A 10 pound spiral ham takes about 1 hour 40 minutes to 3 hours at 325°F (165°C), using 10 to 18 minutes per pound. Check with a thermometer from the 1 hour 30 minute mark and stop at 140°F (60°C).

Can I bake ham at 350°F instead of 325°F?

Yes. The ham will be ready a little sooner, and the outer slices dry out faster, so keep it covered and start checking the temperature earlier.

Should a ham rest before slicing?

Yes. Rest an uncooked ham at least 3 minutes for safety, and give any ham 10 to 15 minutes so the slices hold their juices.