My impressive smoked ham recipe features a tasty dry rub, basting sauce, and the most incredible glaze! It’s SO easy to make and even easier to eat!
Smoking meats is one of my favorite ways to elevate classic holiday centerpieces, and this smoked ham recipe is no exception. It’s a simple and hands-off way to prepare a traditional ham. Every time I make it, my guests BEG me to host every single year. Well, let’s say I’m still waiting for someone else to offer hosting duties…
In culinary school, we did two semesters on smoking and curing. When it comes to smoking meats, we were drilled on how smoking changes flavor depending on wood type and temperature control. After testing this recipe with hickory, apple, cherry, and maple wood chips, I found that apple gives a sweeter balance while hickory adds the boldest flavor.
This process gave me a foolproof method that keeps the ham juicy with just the right smoky crust. After a few trial runs (and SO many ham sandwiches later), I nailed the texture, so the ham practically melts in your mouth.
Table of Contents
Why this smoked ham recipe works
- Failproof. Cooking ham in a smoker may sound challenging, but even beginner home cooks will have an easy time mastering my recipe.
- Stress-free holiday meal. While the ham does its thing in the smoker, my oven is free to cook our other main holiday dishes.
- Mouthwatering flavors. Nothing compares to the flavor smoked meat has (yes, even roasting meat for hours on end!). You can even change up the subtle notes by using different wood chips.
- Versatile. Make this ham the star of your holiday meal or slice it up and use it for sandwiches, salads, or appetizers! It’s a fun alternative to my classic pork butt roast.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Made this for Christmas dinner and it was a huge hit. Juicy, smoky, and the glaze was perfect!” – Emily
“I was nervous about smoking a ham, but this recipe made it foolproof. My guests couldn’t stop raving.”– Daniel
Key Ingredients
- Ham (boneless or bone-in). I’ve tested both, and bone-in always delivers a deeper flavor and juicier slices, while boneless is easier to carve. Either works- just avoid hams with heavy glazing or sugar, which can burn in the smoker.
- Dry rub. My simple ham dry rub is made with equal parts paprika, sugar, salt, and black pepper.
- Basting sauce. I used chicken stock as the base of the ham basting sauce. From there, pineapple juice, olive oil, and mustard give it a robust and tangy flavor and caramelized crust.
- Finishing glaze. I love to glaze smoked ham with a mix of honey, pineapple juice, and mustard (aka my 3 ingredient ham glaze!). Feel free to swap the honey for maple syrup if you want.
How to smoke a ham
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
Step 1 – Marinate with the dry rub. Stir the dry rub ingredients together in a small bowl, then rub the seasonings over the ham. Wrap the ham in aluminum foil and place it in the fridge to marinate overnight.
Step 2 – Make the basting sauce by whisking everything in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat.
Step 3 – Score and smoke the ham. Use a sharp knife to score a diamond pattern into the room temperature ham. Transfer it to a preheated smoker and cook, basting with sauce every hour.
Step 4 – Brush on the glaze. Stir the glaze ingredients together and brush it on the ham a few times during the last hour of cooking.
Step 5 – Rest, slice, and serve. Let the ham rest before slicing and serving with your favorite holiday side dishes.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Pat the ham dry. While testing this recipe, I found that the dry rub adhered better to the ham when it was patted dry with paper towels.
- Temperature control. I highly recommend keeping a consistent and controlled temperature in your smoker. Aim for around 210°F for a slow and even smoke. During testing, I learned that basting more than once per hour actually washes off too much seasoning. Once every 45-60 minutes is the sweet spot.
- Checking for doneness. You’ll know the ham is done cooking when a meat thermometer measures the internal temperature between 140ºF to 145°F.
- Let it rest. In all my meat recipes, I recommend letting the meat rest for 10 to 20 minutes after cooking. This gives the ham juices time to soak back into the meat, giving you tastier results.
Variations
- Choose your wood pellets. For traeger smoked ham, I like to use hickory, apple, cherry, and maple wood pellets. Each one gave me phenomenal results!
- Switch up the glaze. You aren’t limited to the smoked ham glaze I used in this recipe. Try teriyaki sauce, brown sugar and mustard, or hot honey sauce instead.
Frequently asked questions
Smoking meats is a naturally longer process, so I recommend making this the day of serving. It’s hands-off, so it won’t impact other cooking tasks you need to do. Besides, the flavor of a freshly smoked ham is unmatched!
Yes, you can! I’ve included oven instructions in the recipe card below.
No, you don’t need to fully cover the ham in foil while it’s in the smoker- the closed lid traps the heat and smoke. However, if you notice the outside drying out during the long smoke, you can loosely tent it with foil to protect the surface. I usually leave mine uncovered until the last hour when I add the glaze.
I’ve had success with all kinds of wood chips. I like apple or cherry for sweeter results, and hickory if I want something bolder. Maple is a nice middle ground.
Storage instructions
To store: Store the leftover ham and/or slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
To freeze: Wrap the leftovers tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place them in a freezer-safe resealable plastic bag, and freeze for 2 to 3 months.
To reheat: To keep the slices juicy, place them on a baking sheet with a splash of water, cover with aluminum foil, then heat it in a 275ºF oven until warmed through.
Make the dry rub by mixing together the paprika, sugar, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Rub the spice mixture over the ham. Wrap the ham in aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to smoke, remove the ham from the fridge 1 hour before smoking.
Make the basting sauce by combining the chicken broth, pineapple juice, olive oil, and mustard in a small saucepan. Warm the basting sauce over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
Make the glaze by whisking together the honey, pineapple juice, and mustard.
Score the ham with a sharp knife, cutting a diamond pattern, about ¼-inch deep.
Prepare your smoker and heat up to 210F. Use desired hardwood.
Place the ham in the smoker and tent it with aluminum foil, to prevent drying oil. Smoke the ham for 2 1/2-3 hours, basting it every half hour with basting sauce.
Brush the ham generously with the glaze a couple of times during the last hour of smoking. Cover the ham with foil to prevent drying out.
Slice and serve.
Serving: 1servingCalories: 261kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 29gFat: 13gSodium: 1830mgPotassium: 444mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 40IUVitamin C: 38mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 7g
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Originally published November 2023, updated and republished September 2025
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