Twice Smoked Spiral Ham

Smoked spiral ham is so nice we had to smoke it twice! Double the smoke, double the fun, right?

Smoked ham is one of the easiest dishes to prepare for the holidays and this twice smoked spiral ham is so flavorful you’ll have your guests spinning for more!

In this recipe, I’m going to show you how to prepare the ham, then smoke it, and finally, make a homemade maple glaze to finish it off. 

Smoked Spiral Ham

Spiral hams are cut from the leg of the pig and are already pre-cooked and smoked.

They are called spiral hams because of the way they are cut. Normally a spring-loaded slicing blade cuts around the ham and around the bone making spiral incisions.  This method makes for even slices and a beautiful presentation.

You can find spiral cut hams in most grocery stores. If you decide you want to use a regular ham you can do that as well and this recipe will still work!

I would recommend scoring the ham first before applying the mustard binder and the rub so everything sticks to it well. 

The packaging of the ham will usually tell you what kind of wood it was smoked with and what temperature you need to warm the ham to, which is 140-145°F.

The pre-smoked hams are usually lacking in the flavor department, so for this recipe, we are going to smoke the ham a second time and give it a boost of flavor.

Spiral hams usually come with a glaze packet which is just a mixture of brown sugar, honey, and other ingredients.

You can certainly use the packet it comes with, but I tend to find homemade is always best, and I have a simple recipe that makes the perfect sweet ham glaze. 

How to smoke spiral ham

1. Set up the smoker

Get your smoker pre-heated to 250°F.

I used my Traeger Timberline 1300 for this cook and used Bear Mountain cherry pellets. 

2. Prep the ham

Slather the dijon mustard onto the ham, making sure to cover the whole thing. If you want to avoid a mess all over your hands, make sure you use latex gloves.

The Dijon mustard will give a little flavor to the ham and act as a binder for the seasoning. Since the ham is spiraled, make sure you get the mustard into all the individual slices to make sure everything is nicely coated. 

It’s time to season. I used our new Smoke Kitchen Honey Garlic Rub, it goes perfectly with ham (not to mention beef, chicken, and fish).

If you want to go for a more traditional flavor use a mix of brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper in place of rub. 

3. Smoking

Now that your ham is covered with the seasoning, place it onto your smoker.

It is going to take about 15-20 minutes per pound. I smoked a 10lb ham and it took almost 3 hours. You certainly could increase the temperature to 275°F if you want to reduce the cooking time. 

I like to insert a wireless meat thermometer like the ThermoPro TempSpike at the beginning of the cook when doing a big piece of meat like this, it takes the guesswork out of knowing when it’s time to baste and when your ham is done.

4. Make the glaze

To make the glaze, combine the brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, and butter in a saucepan, stir everything to incorporate it well, and then place it on your stovetop or smoker and bring it to a simmer then cook to reduce it and thicken the sauce. 

When the internal temperature of the ham reaches 130°F, take a basting brush and start applying a few layers of the glaze and let it tack up and set on the ham until it reaches an internal temperature of 140-145°F, and it will be done.

5. Slicing and serving your ham

Unfortunately, there really is no pretty way to slice spiral ham.

You can carefully turn the ham on its side and cut around the bone, then pull the pieces of ham away.

Sometimes the ham detaches itself from the bone after it’s been cooked and there is minimal cutting required. Wearing some cotton glove liners and latex gloves you can separate the ham from the bone without burning your hands. 

Other great festive recipes for the grill or smoker

• Smoked ham with bourbon and hot honey glaze.
• Double smoked ham with maple mustard glaze.
• Smoked leg of lamb

And here are some tasty sides that go well with both recipes;

• Easy Smoked Mac and Cheese
• Herby Roasted Potato Salad
• Southern Style Coleslaw