This is the most delicious and flavorful smoked ham that is covered in a rich and creamy homemade cranberry honey butter. It's the perfect holiday ham that is smoked to perfection and ready to grace your dinner table this holiday season!
Smoked ham has never been so easy to make! Covered in a simple cranberry butter, this makes for the best holiday ham, especially for Christmas or Easter! Smoked low and slow, this ham smoker recipe forms the most delicious and succulent sweet crust. And it pairs so well with these southern deviled eggs, these smoked baked beans, and these smoked green beans!
Even if you're new to smoking meat, this recipe is simple enough for a beginner. And it's especially easy for people who have been smoking meat for years. Regardless of what type of ham you are smoking, the process is easy and doesn't require a full days worth of smoking like it does when smoking a brisket or smoked pork shoulder.
And you'll have plenty of leftovers! Try using some of the leftovers in this ham and potato casserole and in this white bean chili recipe! It really enhances the flavor in every bite!
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✔️ Quick Recipe Overview
Why This Is The Best Smoked Ham Recipe: This recipe required minimal effort. The prep is simple and the smoking processes is hands off.
How Long It Takes: only 20 minutes to prep, and 3 hours to smoke
Equipment You'll Need: smoker, digital meat thermometer
ℹ️ Why This Recipe Works
1. The taste of this smoked ham is by far one of the most incomparable flavors you will get, especially since it is covered in a cranberry butter and brown sugar.
2. Using a fully pre-cooked ham takes all the work and effort out of this ham smoker recipe.
3. It's almost effortless. Prepare and light the smoker, set it, and forget it. It really is that easy!
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
All you need is a fully-cooked ham and four simple ingredients to make the compound butter.
- Ham - if you're feeding 6 to 8 people, you'll need 3-4 pounds of boneless ham. Using a bone-in ham also works well.
- Butter - use unsalted butter because the meat is already naturally salty. I'm a big fan of using unsalted butter in most recipes because it allows me to control the level of saltiness in a dish.
- Brown sugar - dark brown sugar provides a deeper layer of flavor because it contains molasses, which means it adds more sweetness. And that helps balance out the natural saltiness from the ham.
- Whole cranberries - fresh is best. However, frozen cranberries can be used. Just don't use canned cranberries when making the butter.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
🐖 Types Of Ham
When you buy a ham at the grocery store or from a butcher shop, most of the time it is fully pre-cooked and has either already been cured, smoked, or baked. This recipe works well on any pre-cooked ham, but it especially tastes good on a pre-smoked ham.
When it comes to smoking a ham, my preference is to use a spiral ham because of how flavorful and tender it turns out. It is easy to find and one of the most common types you'll find during the holiday season. And, they come in all different sizes. It gets its name because it's sliced in one continuous spiral, leaving the meat on the bone in its original shape.
City hams are also very common and can be found at most grocery stores. They come whole, are wet cured, and typically smoked. While they are readily available, they are typically very large, weighing in between 15-25 pounds. Because of their size, they're usually cut into a butt and a shank portion, with the butt yielding larger slices. You'll find that some are boneless while others are a bone in.
When it comes to this recipe, it doesn't matter if you have a ham on the bone or if it's boneless. It comes down to convenience and individual preference. A pre-cooked and ready-to-eat ham can be purchased as both boneless and bone in versions. A lot of people really like a bone in ham because it looks amazing is extremely juicy as well as very tender. But it is really hard to slice, which is why I chose boneless for this recipe.
🔪 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Start by making the compound butter. It's shockingly easy and fast to make. Get the full recipe for making the cranberry compound butter. Don't skip this step! The flavor of the cranberry butter is what sets this smoked ham recipe apart from all the other recipes.
When making the compound butter, you'll split the batch into 2 different piles. One pile will be for covering the meat before placing it on the smoker. The remaining pile will be placed on parchment paper and then rolled into a tube to be refrigerated until firm.
Step 2: After the compound butter is made, prepare the smoker accordingly and preheat it to 225°F.
Step 3: While the smoker is preheating, cover the ham with the remaining non-refrigerated cranberry butter. Use your hands or a bastings brush to ensure it's spread evenly. Then, add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar on top of the butter mixture.
Step 4: When the smoker has preheated, place the meat directly on the smoker rack.
Step 5: Insert a digital meat thermometer into the center.
👩🍳 Chef's Note: You can purchase a pre-sliced or whole ham. For this recipe, I like buying a pre-sliced ham because I can really get the cranberry compound butter deep into the crevices of each slice.
Some feel it's hard to smoke a pre-sliced ham, but if you insert a digital thermometer into the middle of the sliced ham, it won't separate and dry out while it smokes.
Step 6: Once the meat is on the smoker rack, let the it smoke low and slow. There is no need to move or turn it.
Step 7: The ham is considered done when the thermometer reaches 145°F, which will take between 2-3 hours depending on the size. Even though the ham is already pre-cooked, the internal temp still needs to reach 145°F to ensure it is hot all the way through.
Since it's smoked low and slow, the outside layer has time to form the most delectable golden brown crust. It's incredibly flavorful and adds both depth and texture to every bite!
Step 8: When done, remove the ham from the smoker and allow it to rest for 2-3 minutes.
Step 9: While it's resting, remove the chilled cranberry honey butter from the refrigerator.
Step 10: Thinly slice the compound butter and place the cold slices in between each piece and allow it to melt.
Now you're ready to enjoy one of the best smoked hams you'll ever eat! Learning how to cook a smoked ham has never been easier and is incredibly tasty!
🙋 Recipe FAQs
Yes! If the label on the package states that it is baked, cured, or smoked, the ham is already fully cooked. A lot of labels will also include the words "fully-cooked". When in doubt, ask the butcher in the meat department to make sure.
Depending on the size, it will take 2-3 hours to cook on the smoker. It takes about 20 minutes per pound so plan accordingly. When an internal meat thermometer reaches 145°F, the ham is done.
If you have leftovers, use it to make a sandwich. Or, add small cut up pieces when making a pot of white beans or a white bean soup. Adding ham to scalloped potatoes is also quite tasty! And it's fantastic in this oven baked ham and potato casserole!
Store any leftovers in a container with a lid in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
While it can be reheated in the microwave, for best results reheat the slices in a skillet on the stovetop or in the oven until warm. Both of these reheating methods will ensure the meat doesn't dry out.
You can also freeze any leftover ham for up to 3 months. Place in a freezer safe container or vacuum seal before placing in the freezer.
💭 Expert Tips
- For a mild smoke flavor, use either apple or cherry wood or pellets when smoking a ham. To add a stronger flavor, try using hickory wood.
- When making the compound butter, ensure the butter is at room temperature and not melted. If it's melted, the consistency will be off and the butter will never set.
- For enjoy the flavors of fall, try adding in a small amount (⅛ teaspoon) of cinnamon and nutmeg when making the compound butter.
- If you're using a water pan in your smoker, add in 1 cup of apple cider vinegar to the water to enhance the flavor of the meat.
- The key to smoking meat is to smoke it low and slow. Keep the heat in the smoker between 225°F and 250°F.
📚 More Smoker Recipes
And if you’re looking for more smoker recipes, check out my latest cookbook, Smoking Meat Made Easy. This is your ultimate guide to backyard smoking and features 65 smoker recipes!
You can master the most flavorful techniques, with dozens of options that are easy to follow, and work with any type of smoker.
Easy Smoked Ham Recipe
Equipment
- Smoker any type
Ingredients
For The Hame
- 3-4 lb fully cooked spiral ham
For The Cranberry Honey Compound Butter
- ¼ cup fresh cranberries
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 cup butter, unsalted
- 4 tablespoons dark brown sugar, divided
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons juice from a fresh orange,
Instructions
To Make The Compound Butter
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add ¼ cup of fresh cranberries, 1 Tablespoon of water, 1 teaspoon of honey, and 2 Tablespoons of dark brown sugar into a small saucepan over medium heat.
- When the liquids start to boil, use a hand held masher to start crushing the cranberries so the juice is released.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to mix the ingredients together for another 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and place the mixture in a medium size bowl to allow the content to cool, about 7-10 minutes.
- Next, add the room temperature butter to the bowl of cooled mixture. Using a handheld mixer on low speed, combine the ingredients until well combined.
- Using a spatula, remove the cranberry butter and place it onto a large piece of parchment paper. Divide the mixture in half and put it on plate and set aside.
- For the remaining half of the butter that is on the paper, starting from one edge of the parchment paper, carefully roll the mixture, tucking the paper under the mixture as best you can and form into a log shape.
- Using both hands, twist the ends on the parchment paper on both sides so it looks like a large tootsie roll. Place it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to set.
- Using the cranberry compound butter that you set aside earlier, apply it to the entire outside layer of the ham using either your hands or a basting brush. Sprinkle the remaining 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar on top of the butter mixture.
To Smoke The Ham
- When the smoker is prepared and has preheated to 225°F, place the meat directly on the smoker rack.
- Insert a digital meat thermometer into the center of the ham. Important Note: Not only will this monitor the internal temperature of the meat, but if it is sliced it will hold each slice together so it doesn't spread open during the smoking process.
- From there, let it smoke low and slow. There is no need to move or turn it. It's considered done when the thermometer reaches 145°F, about 2-3 hours later.
- When done, remove the ham from the smoker, slice the chilled cranberry honey butter, and place the thin butter slices in between each slice and let it melt.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- For a mild smoke flavor, use either apple or cherry wood or pellets when smoking a ham. To add a stronger flavor, try using hickory wood.
- When making the compound butter, ensure the butter is at room temperature and not melted. If it's melted, the consistency will be off and the butter will never set.
- For enjoy the flavors of fall, try adding in a small amount (⅛ teaspoon) of cinnamon and nutmeg when making the compound butter.
- If you're using a water pan in your smoker, add in 1 cup of apple cider vinegar to the water to enhance the flavor of the meat.
- The key to smoking meat is to smoke it low and slow. Keep the heat in the smoker between 225°F and 250°F.
Teodora Grujic
Looks so delicious and festive! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Amanda Mason
I hope you enjoy it!
Gunjan
That looks awesome and so moist. I am so excited to make it for my meat eater brother.
Amanda Mason
Hi Gunjan! He's going to love it! Let me know what he thinks!