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There's a reason Ham with Pineapple is a classic! Sweet, tangy, savory and oh-so delicious, my recipe for pineapple ham is sure to become a favorite with your family. It sure has with mine!
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Pineapple Ham
I'd be hard pressed to think of a big supper centerpiece quite as iconic as a glazed ham with pineapple! My grandparents used to bring out a big ham with pineapple glaze every time we visited for the holidays, and I can still remember the mouthwatering smell of pineapple ham sauce simmering on the stove.
So naturally, when I had my own family, I set out on a quest to make the best spiral ham - and my first thought was ham with pineapple sauce! I tried different variations for years, but I always came back to this recipe. This ham recipe with pineapple is just the best.
I promise, when you try it, you'll understand why this classic is so well-loved! All it takes is easy ingredients and a few minutes of work to make a delicious ham your family will be asking for again and again.
Baked Ham with Pineapple Ingredients
- Spiral sliced ham
- Canned pineapple rings
- Pineapple ham glaze
- Pineapple juice
Pineapple Ham Glaze Ingredients
See my Pineapple Ham Glaze Recipe for full measurements and instructions!
How to Cook Ham with Pineapple
- Chop the fresh pineapple finely, and add it to a small pot over medium heat with 1 cup of pineapple juice. Mix well.
- Add in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir to combine, and let it come to a light boil.
- Turn down the heat until simmering, and let cook for 10 minutes, until thickened.
- Add in 1 tablespoon of butter and mix until melted, then remove from the heat.
- While the glaze is cooling, take a roasting pan and place 6-8 pineapple rings along the bottom, and preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Add a roasting rack on top of the pan, and place the spiral ham on the rack.
- Score the ham ¼ inch deep in a diamond pattern- this will soak up the glaze.
- Cover the entire ham generously with pineapple glaze, making sure to get between the slices.
- Using toothpicks to secure them, cover the ham entirely with pineapple rings.
- Pour the rest of the pineapple juice into the bottom of the pan with the pineapple rings, making sure not to pour it on the ham itself.
- Cover the ham with foil, and bake at 325°F for 15-18 minutes per pound.
- Remove from the oven, take off the foil, and remove the toothpicks and set the rings aside.
- Allow the ham to rest 15 minutes, and then add one more layer of glaze.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Pineapple Glazed Ham Recipe Tips
- For extra sweetness, you can add maraschino cherries to the center of each pineapple ring! Ham with pineapple and cherries is delicious.
- To make prepping this meal easier, you can make the glaze ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until ready to be used. Just give it a few seconds in the microwave so it's thin enough to pour over the ham.
- Don't be swayed by the concept of fresh pineapple rings; only used canned pineapple! Fresh pineapple is so strong it can actually break down the ham, leaving it mushy.
- Save the pineapple rings and juices from the bottom of the pan to serve with the ham! They'll be sweet, caramelized, and delicious!
Ham with Pineapple Sauce FAQs
Ham and pineapple are perfect for each other for many reasons, but it mainly comes down to flavor! Pineapple is a sweet fruit with a natural tang, complimenting the savory meat while balancing out how salty cured ham can be. Additionally, pineapple is one of those rare fruits easily packaged into cans, making it easy to access even out of season.
Fresh pineapple contains so much acid and such powerful enzymes that it can actually break down the proteins in ham, making it mushy and unappetizing. That's why ham recipes with pineapple tend to use canned pineapple, which is much milder. A little fresh pineapple in the glaze is fine, though!
Ham is naturally mild and salty, so it's up to the glaze to bring in the flavor! Pineapple glaze for ham is perfect for adding flavor to a precooked ham as it's powerfully sweet and tangy, soaking into the meat to balance the saltiness. Making sure to coat the ham in glaze several times is key!
Best Ham Recipes
- Pressure Cooker Ham
- Ham Steak Recipe
- Air Fryer Ham with Honey Sriracha Glaze
- Smoked Ham with Bourbon Glaze
- Brown Sugar Baked Ham
- Give my Easy Leftover Ham Recipes, Ham Bone Recipes, and Soup with Ham Bone a try!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Try more of my best pork recipes, and leave a comment and rating below! We love to hear from you.
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Ham with Pineapple
Equipment
- Small pot
- Roasting pan with rack
- Toothpicks
Ingredients
Pineapple Ham Glaze
- 1 cup Pineapple fresh, finely chopped
- 1 cup Pineapple juice
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 4-5 Cloves
- ½ cup Brown sugar packed
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
Pineapple Ham
- 9 lb Spiral cut ham
- 1 can Pineapple rings in 100% juice
- Pineapple ham glaze
- 2 cups Pineapple juice
Instructions
For Pineapple Ham Glaze:
- Chop the fresh pineapple finely, and add it to a small pot over medium heat with 1 cup of pineapple juice. Mix well.1 cup Pineapple, 1 cup Pineapple juice
- Add in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir to combine, and let it come to a light boil.½ teaspoon Cinnamon, ½ cup Brown sugar, 4-5 Cloves
- Turn down the heat until simmering, and let cook for 10 minutes, until thickened.
- Add in 1 tablespoon of butter and mix until melted, then remove from the heat.1 Tablespoon Butter
For Pineapple Ham:
- While the glaze is cooling, take a roasting pan and place 6-8 pineapple rings along the bottom, and preheat the oven to 325°F.1 can Pineapple rings
- Add a roasting rack on top of the pan, and place the spiral ham on the rack.9 lb Spiral cut ham
- Score the ham ¼ inch deep in a diamond pattern- this will soak up the glaze.
- Cover the entire ham generously with pineapple glaze, making sure to get between the slices.Pineapple ham glaze
- Using toothpicks to secure them, cover the ham entirely with pineapple rings.
- Pour the rest of the pineapple juice into the bottom of the pan with the pineapple rings, making sure not to pour it on the ham itself.2 cups Pineapple juice
- Cover the ham with foil, and bake at 325°F for 15-18 minutes per pound. A 9lb ham will take about 2 hours and 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, take off the foil, and remove the toothpicks, saving the pineapple to slice.
- Allow the ham to rest 15 minutes, and then add one more layer of glaze.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- For extra sweetness, you can add maraschino cherries to the center of each pineapple ring!
- To make prepping this meal easier, you can make the glaze ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until ready to be used. Just give it a few seconds in the microwave so it's thin enough to pour over the ham.
- Don't be swayed by the concept of fresh pineapple rings; only used canned for the rings themselves! Fresh pineapple is so strong it can actually break down the ham, leaving it mushy.
- Save the pineapple rings and juices from the bottom of the pan to serve with the ham! They'll be sweet, caramelized, and delicious!
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