Keto Spiral Ham Recipe

This is a delicious and absolutely easy spiral ham recipe with a keto glaze. A perfect low carb  option for a big family dinner that still tastes amazing!

I usually choose not to eat spiral ham because when you buy it there is always a sugary, honey glaze package to go with it, which has way too many carbs. So when you have to watch your carbs, there are other cuts of ham that you can make that do not have a glaze on them.

So now that I have learned how to make a Keto glaze without carbs, I can make a spiral ham too! We’re going to show you exactly how to bake a spiral ham in the oven and all the steps you need to take to prepare it so that yours comes out just as delicious!

Baking the spiral ham is a very easy recipe, so don’t be nervous. Especially when you are having company for dinner it’s one of the easiest things to make. My friend always makes spiral ham dinner when her family and friends go over to eat because it’s easy and foolproof if you follow the instructions.

What is Spiral Ham?

A spiral ham is one that has been pre-cut or pre-sliced throughout the ham, but not all the way through, just partially. When you go to serve it, the slices are already formed and it’s easier to carve.

That’s important, especially for people that find it more difficult to carve meat because they may not have the right knife or just are afraid to carve it. With a Spiral Ham, it’s basically full proof. 

Do you Have to Cook a Spiral Ham?

Spiral hams already come to us pre-cooked, so when we put it in our oven, we are just heating it up throughout. For this reason, it’s important to cook it up on a low temperature so that the outside doesn’t dry out before the inside is heated up thoroughly. 

The best way to make sure that you don’t overcook and dry out your spiral ham is to use a meat thermometer, which we will discuss more about it later on. 

Is Ham Low Carb and Keto-friendly?

Ham is like other meats, they are all low in carbs or have no carbs. Meats are always a good choice. So you can always have ham if you are on Keto or a Low Carb diet, as long as it doesn’t have a sugary glaze on it which obviously adds lots of carbs. 

What about Spiral Ham?

When you buy a Spiral Ham at the store it usually comes with a glaze which you garnish your ham with during the cooking process. Even though it’s tasty, the downfall is that it’s high in sugar and as a result high in carbs. 

So instead, we came up with a glaze that is very low in carbs, so that way we could have a spiral ham with a delicious glaze on it and be within our limitations on a low carb/keto diet. No more worries!

What Ingredients do You Need to Make Low Carb Spiral Ham?

Spiral Ham – Any size spiral ham that you need to feed as many people as you like.

Monk Fruit Sweetener- This is a sweetener that has no carbs and measures out one for one like sugar. Perfect for making your glaze.

Pepper – A great spice to just add some flavor to the glaze.

Dry ground Mustard – We used ground mustard to season the glaze.  It just adds a little bite.

Ground Cloves – Cloves are a very common spice with ham which accents the meat exceptionally well.

Garlic – When you want something that packs a lot of flavor to food garlic is the best. Yummy!

The Keto Ham Glaze

So we made a ham glaze and we think that it came out really good. But when we were creating it we noticed that there are a lot of ingredients that can go into a glaze. We chose the ingredients that we liked but you could always tweak it with any other things that you like or don’t like.

We chose to use golden monk fruit, dry mustard, black pepper, dijon mustard, ground cloves, and garlic. It seems that mustard of some sort is usually in ham glaze, and of course you need some kind of sweetener, with some spices….

The monk fruit sweetener is going to give you that same, ooey, gooey, sweetness you love about a glaze, and it will even caramelize nicely over the skin of the ham.

How Much Spiral Ham Per Person?

Figuring out how much spiral ham to cook per person varies, depending on if you have big eaters or small eaters. I always cook extra to make sure that I have enough to serve, plus enough for leftovers. It also depends on how many yummy side dishes that you are serving with the ham too. 

The rule of thumb is to allow about ¾ pound of spiral ham per person, or a bit more if you too want to have leftovers. 

Chart of Typical Spiral Ham Weights and Feeding Chart

• 4-pound ham – serves 4-5 people
• 5-pound ham – serves 6-7 people
• 6-pound ham – serves 8 people
• 7-pound ham – serves 8-9 people
• 8-pound ham – serves 10-11 people
• 9-pound ham – serves 12 people
• 10-pound ham – serves 13-14 people
• 11-pound ham – serves 14-15 people
• 12-pound ham – serves 16 people

Shopping for Spiral Ham

The best thing I can say about shopping for a spiral ham is to get one that is low in carbs.

Sometimes there are some hams that are higher in carbs because they put a premade glaze on it in the prepping process before they package it up. If you are watching your carbs you want to avoid this.

Also, since the spiral hams can be ridiculously expensive, try to wait until the hams go on sale before buying one.

When they go on sale for a half-off price, I stock up and put several hams in my freezer. They only go on sale at certain times of the year so you have to watch the sales.

Properly Thawing Spiral Ham

To thaw out a frozen spiral ham, just like any other meat, place it in the refrigerator to thaw it out slowly, rather than thawing it out on the counter. If you don’t properly thaw it, the outer side will thaw out quicker than the inside, which then might cause harmful bacteria to grow since it takes so long.

If you are in a hurry to unfreeze it, you could always immerse your ham in the sink in cold/cool water and change the water every hour until the ham is thawed out.

Spiral Ham Cooking Temperature

One of the most common questions is how long should you bake a spiral ham in the oven for? This is going to be the first key to making it come out perfect!

You want to cook it slowly, at a low temperature.  The best cooking temperature for your spiral ham is 325 degrees, just enough to heat it through. If it was any higher it would crisp it up too much and dry it out. 

You are not really trying to cook it like you do other types of meat, instead, you are just trying to heat it all the way through, making a low-temperature the best.

Spiral Ham Cooking Time

Figuring out how long to cook a spiral ham may seem like a complicated thing, but once you know the formula, it’s actually easy. Cooking time will depend on 3 things:

1. The size of your ham
2. The temperature of the meat when you put it in the oven.
3. Your oven temperature itself. Some ovens run hotter or cooler.

A general rule of thumb for how long you need to cook a spiral ham is 10 minutes per pound.  You may get differing opinions but remember you aren’t trying to cook the ham, you are just heating it up. Dry ham is not good so don’t overcook it. 

If you take it out of the oven and you find that for some reason it’s not hot enough, then you can always put it back in the oven for a few minutes. But if you overcook it there is no going back.

Also, the colder the ham is when you put it in the oven will determine how long it needs to bake. So it’s ok to leave it out of the refrigerator for an hour or more before baking. That way it won’t be ice cold.

Spiral Ham Cooking Time Per Pound Chart

Here is a quick time chart for baking a spiral ham:

• 4 lb ham would take about 40 minutes
• 5 lb ham would take about 50 minutes
• 6 lb ham would take about 60 minutes or 1 hour
• 7 lb ham would take about 70 minutes, or 1 hour 10 minutes
• 8 lb ham would take about 80 minutes, or 1 hour 20 minutes
• 9 lb ham would take about 90 minutes, or 1 hour 30 minutes
• 10 lb ham would take about 100 minutes, or 1 hour 40 minutes
• 11 lb ham would take about 110 minutes, or 1 hour 50 minutes
• 12 lb ham would take about 120 minutes or 2 hours
• 13 lb ham would take about 130 minutes, or 2 hours 10 minutes
• 14 lb ham would take about 140 minutes, or 2 hours 20 minutes
• 15 lb ham would take about 150 minutes, or 2 hours 30 minutes

How to Cook the Best Keto Spiral Ham

You may be nervous about cooking your first Spiral Ham, but don’t be. It’s one of the easiest pieces of meat that you could cook. It’s actually cooked when we buy it so it’s just a matter of heating it through. So relax and look forward to serving it to your friends and family.

We will also show you how to make a Keto/low carb glaze to go over your ham, what kind of pan to cook it in, how to use a meat thermometer…etc 

Do You Cook Spiral Ham on a Rack?

Yes, you can cook your spiral ham on a rack. But it’s not necessary if you don’t have one.

Glazing the Ham

The glazing process makes the spiral ham so yummy and what sets a spiral ham apart. We have created a Keto glaze that doesn’t have all the carbs of traditional honey, sugary glaze, but still adds all the flavor!  In fact, Stephanie’s husband said it was the best ham he’s ever had…! 

Take a saucepan and add the water, and monk fruit and heat until dissolved. 

Then add black pepper, dry mustard, dijon mustard, cloves, and garlic. stir together till blended. 

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Place on medium heat for 5 minutes, and stir constantly.

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Once it’s blended together, divide it into 2 small bowls. One bowl is for basting the ham before baking and the other small bowl is for basting during the baking process, about a half-hour or so before the end.

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One thing you want to remember is to make sure to get the glaze on the sides of the ham as well as over the top. Also in between the slices of ham, if you can get it in there. That way it will keep your meat nice and moist since a spiral ham might get drier, quicker than other meats.

Baking the Spiral Ham – Step by Step 

The first thing you do is to preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Then put the water or broth at the bottom of the pan. Place the meat thermometer inside the middle of the ham. Be careful not to touch the bone with the thermometer because it will give you a different temperature reading.

You want to put the glaze all over the ham, even before cooking it, so place the ham in the pan and cover it with the glaze. Pour one small bowl of glaze onto the ham and use your brush to help spread it all over.

Make sure to not only glaze the top but the sides as well, also in between the slices if you can get it in there which will make the meat juicier.

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Then cover it up tightly with aluminum foil. Keep in mind to expose the thermometer so that you can read it while the ham is still covered with the foil.

Bake according to the chart and the thermometer. 

About a half-hour before it’s done cooking, baste it again with the second small bowl of glaze and put the glaze all over the ham, top, sides and inside slices.

Put it back in the oven with the foil for the duration. When the ham is done the thermometer should read 140 degrees. On my thermometer, it says right on it Ham, 140 degrees. 

Do you Add Water to Ham?

I always add about 1 cup of water in the bottom of the pan because once you put the foil on the ham the water acts as steam to keep the ham moist. You could also add chicken broth if you prefer that over water.

Basting the Ham

Yes, you should baste the ham with the yummy liquid at the bottom of the pan, from the water, or chicken broth combined with the drippings from the ham. This is an essential step as basting keeps your meat from drying out.

Checking if the Spiral Ham is Done

We can recommend how much time it’s going to take your spiral ham to cook, but the best way to know for sure is to use a meat thermometer. 

Keep an eye on the thermometer close to the time it’s projected to be done, just in case, it’s cooking faster than you think. You don’t want the ham to overcook and dry out so heat up the ham until it reads 140 degrees on the thermometer and you’re all set.

Let the Spiral Ham Rest 

When your ham is done, take it out of the oven and let it sit for at least 20 minutes. It certainly will not hurt the meat. In fact, it will be better to let it rest to trap in the juices. 

If you slice it when it first comes out of the oven,, the juices will run out and your ham will dry out. Also, it’s easier to slice when it cools off a little giving you another reason to wait.

How to Cut Spiral Ham

One reason that people like to cook a spiral ham is the way they are pre-cut. They are made from one continuous cut from top to bottom and as a result, they come apart easily.

Here are some steps to follow to properly cut spiral ham:

1. After letting your ham rest, turn it on its bottom so that the cut side is facing up.
2. Using a large, sharp knife, find the bone and cut around the entire bone. The top and bottom pieces will fall away from the bone. Then you will have to work on the smaller pieces.
3. Since there are natural breaks or cuts in the ham, cut through those breaks.
4. Then put the pieces on a plate and serve.

Other Tips for the Perfect Keto Spiral Ham

Make sure when you use foil to cover your ham that you use the large foil so that it completely covers the ham in one piece.  This will help keep in the moisture, keeping the ham juicy.

How do you Cook Spiral Ham without Drying it Out?

The best way to ensure that your spiral ham does not get dried out is to add liquid in the bottom of the pan so that once you cover the ham with foil it will steam and stay moist. You can add about 1 cup of water or chicken broth, the liquid of your choice.

Also if you baste it once or twice during the baking process it will help moisten your ham.

Cook it at a low temperature, 325 degrees, and don’t overcook it. To assure that you don’t overcook it, follow the cooking chart and use a thermometer for best results. Remember that ham is not like raw meat, it’s already cooked so you’re just heating it through.

Can I Make this Ham in a Slow Cooker?

Yes, you can actually cook your spiral ham in a crock pot if you like. The best way to do that is to brush it with the glaze and add a little water or chicken broth to the pot. Cook it on low for 3-5 hours depending on big the ham is. Remember your ham is already cooked so you are just reheating it. 

This is a nice way to cook it if you don’t want to heat up your oven which you may not want to do in the Summer, or if you need the space in the oven for all the side dishes that you need to make for your dinner.

Other Diets this Recipe is Good for

Gluten-Free – I’m happy to say that this Spiral Ham is another delicious recipe for those who have to be on a gluten-free diet

Dairy-Free – There is no dairy in the preparation of this Spiral Ham.

Nut-Free – There are no nuts in this recipe 

What to Serve with Spiral Ham?

Most anything goes with spiral ham. We have some good veggies and low carb side dishes that would be great with your meal. You can find their recipes on our website:

• Loaded Cauliflower and Bacon Casserole
• Butternut Squash Casserole
• Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
• Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
• Roasted Green Beans
• Green Bean Casserole
• Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
• Roasted Broccoli
• Creamed Spinach

Can I Make Spiral Ham Ahead of Time?

What’s great about serving ham is that it is very resilient even if you want to make it ahead of time. You can make your ham a day or two ahead and still be able to heat it up to taste like you just made it. 

You can even eat it cold if you don’t want to heat it up. 

How to Store Spiral Ham

When you have leftover spiral ham it’s easy to store it in the refrigerator. It will keep for 5-7 days, just make sure to keep it in a tightly secured plastic container or Ziploc bag.  

You can also freeze your spiral ham in the same manner and it will stay fresh for 3-6 months if you wrap it securely.

How to Reheat Spiral Ham

The best way to reheat your leftovers is to wrap them tightly in aluminum foil and place it in the oven for 30 minutes at 325-350 degrees.

If you are afraid it may dry out, sprinkle it with a small amount of water. The water will make the ham steam under the foil when you heat it up. If you kept the fluid from the pan when you cooked the ham the day before, then you could always heat it up and brush it on or baste it on the meat to keep it moist. 

Or if you would like to reheat it in the microwave, remove from the aluminum foil and place it on a microwave-safe plate with plastic wrap and heat for 1 minute. If it’s still not heated enough turn the plate halfway around and heat for another minute.

What to Make with Leftover Spiral Ham

One delicious thing that I like to do with leftover ham is to make a big tossed green salad and top it off with the ham….yummy!

You can also make low carb ham salad. Just grind up some and mix it with mayonnaise, some dill relish, salt and pepper and anything else that you like and serve it on top of a green salad.

One thing that I love to make with any leftover ham is soup. You take the bone with a good amount of ham left on the bone, and put it in a pot with water and cook. Take it off the bone and add chicken broth and a bunch of veggies and you have a good filling, low carb soup. 

More Roasted Meat Recipes:

If you’re in the mood for some other recipes for roasted meat in the oven, check out our:

• Perfect Roast Turkey
• Best Prime Rib Roast in the World
• Homemade Keto Meatloaf
• How to Make Corned Beef Brisket

All of them are Keto-friendly and low carb, and will have your friends raving!

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