Dr Pepper and Pineapple Glazed Spiral Ham for Easter

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Last updated on August 21st, 2023 at 05:39 pm

Easter is just around the corner, and I’m very excited to share with you a fun and slightly unusual recipe for this important holiday. The acidic and tangy flavors of pineapple unite with the sweetness of Dr Pepper to create a unique flavor combination that everyone will enjoy in this glazed spiral ham.

I know you love to eat great food, so don’t miss out on this tasty meal. If you’re looking for a truly special way to serve ham, this recipe is definitely worth considering. And you can try it yourself – by simply following the easy steps provided below.

First, we’ll cut the pineapple and cook down the glaze. Then use some of the glaze to cover the ham and bake it, covered, for 10-15 minutes per pound. Then remove the lid, add the remaining glaze, and bake it at a higher heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Give it a little rest and then you have a fully cooked glazed spiral ham.

So, what do you say? I hope you’ll give this delicious dish a chance…you won’t regret it!

What Is a Spiral Ham?

Spiral ham is a type of ham that has been pre-sliced in a spiral pattern, making it easier to serve and enjoy. It’s typically made from bone-in ham and has been cured, smoked, and/or cooked beforehand. This means that when we are cooking it we’re really just reheating it to a good temperature for eating.

Because cold ham doesn’t seem too appealing.

A spiral ham typically comes from the back leg thighs of a pig. One of the greatest risks of cooking this type of ham is dry meat. So we’ll mostly cook it at a bit of a lower temperature with it covered a majority of the cooking time to avoid as much liquid loss as possible.

The reheating also gives us an opportunity to add some more flavor to the meat. The spiral cut allows the glaze to penetrate the meat, resulting in a flavorful and visually appealing dish. So gather up all of the glaze ingredients and let’s get to cooking.

The serving size for a bone-in spiral ham is about 3/4 lb per person for the initial ham weight before cooking. So buy your ham accordingly.

Cutting the Pineapple

Fresh pineapple adds a burst of sweetness to the glaze, and it’s simple to cut and prepare. I feel like every time that I actually make the effort of cutting up a fresh pineapple I’m amazed at the delicious flavor it has. Somehow I forget every time and I really need to be better about grabbing a fresh pineapple while shopping.

Note that this recipe will not use all of the pineapple, just 2 cups worth of chopped pineapple. The rest is for you to enjoy or serve as a nice side dish to accompany the meal.

Start by removing the top crown of the pineapple along with a small slice from the bottom. Then stand the pineapple up on the now flat base. Carefully use your knife to cut away the skin from the outside. Try to leave as much of the sweet fruit intact as possible.

Once peeled, turn the pineapple onto its side and start cutting slices roughly 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. See the photo above for an example of these pineapple slices above the diced pineapple. Cut the core out of the slices and then begin chopping the fruit into small pieces.

Remember that we’ll be wanting these pineapple chunks to break down in the glaze, so smaller is better.

Making the Dr Pepper & Pineapple Glaze

I am going to start this section by saying that this glaze is not traditional, but it is delicious. Plus, it is a great opportunity for you to try your hand at a glaze that has a slightly different ingredient profile. The glaze is the star of this recipe, and it’s incredibly easy to make.

The idea behind this glaze is that the pineapple and Dr. Pepper combine to make a simple sweet and tangy glaze. To do this, we’ll be using a combination of Dr Pepper and pineapple along with some honey and brown sugar.

Start the glaze by melting the butter in a medium saucepan and then adding in the thyme, cloves, and ground black pepper. Give it all a good stir and let it cook for a few minutes until fragrant.

Add in the pineapple chunks, Dr Pepper, brown sugar, honey, and apple cider vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until the pineapple is soft and the flavors have melded together.

Remove from heat and let it cool slightly. If you want a purely smooth glaze, you can transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. I just used a potato masher to crush the cooked pineapple while still leaving it somewhat intact. I wasn’t going for a perfectly smooth glaze. But either way works

The result should be a thick and luscious glaze with a perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors. Just remember to use a spoon or basting brush when applying this glaze. Because it will be hot. And will burn your fingers if you try to spread it by hand… Not that I would know.

After mixing the glaze, we’re ready to pour some of it out over the ham for the first cook. Then we’ll do another glaze before a final hotter cook. This will result in a perfectly glazed spiral ham.

Glazing the Spiral Ham

With the Dr Pepper and Pineapple cooked down, we’re ready to top our glazed spiral ham. As I stated above, we’ll be doing this in two different steps. We will first add a portion of the glaze over the ham before any cooking.

Remove the ham from its packaging and place it into a large dutch oven or roasting pan. Make sure that your pan of choice has a lid that will fit on the pan over the ham. Next, you’ll need to brush the ham with a cup of glaze. Use a basting brush or spoon to spread the mixture over the ham.

Try to open up between the spiralized ham slices and get the glaze down into the gaps. This will give more flavor throughout the ham rather than just on the surface.

After the initial cook, we’ll apply the rest of the Dr Pepper and Pineapple glaze to the ham. Then give it a final cook with the lid off at a higher heat to finish the ham.

Cooking the Glazed Spiral Ham in the Oven

Luckily, cooking the spiral ham is fairly hands-off. The first step is to get the oven up to temperature. Start the preheating before you add the initial glaze to the ham. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).

Once the oven is preheated, the ham is topped with a cup of glaze, and the ham is sitting in a large dutch oven or roasting pan with the lid on, we’re ready to get cooking.

Place the glazed spiral ham into the oven and cook it for about 10-15 minutes per pound of ham. Use an instant-read thermometer we’ll be aiming for a final internal temperature of 140°F (60°C) for fully cooked ham.

When the ham is at about 130°F (55°C), take the ham out of the oven and remove the lid. Turn the oven up to 400°F (205°C). Baste it with all of the remaining glaze. Put it back in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes until reaching the full internal temperature of 140°F (60°C).

Cooking at a higher temperature with the lid off for the last bit will allow the glaze to caramelize and create a beautiful golden crust.

Once the ham is done, let it rest for at least 15 minutes and up to 40 minutes before slicing it. Resting meat is almost always the best practice before trying to slice and serve.

Serving Glazed Spiral Ham

Once the ham is fully cooked, glazed to perfection, and rested, it’s time to serve and enjoy!

Carefully transfer the ham to a cutting board or serving platter to carve it. Use a sharp knife to slice between the spiral cuts, and arrange the slices on a platter. Garnish with some of the leftover pineapple slices and some fresh herbs for an extra touch of elegance. Serve the ham as the centerpiece of your Easter table.

But the ham can’t be served alone. Any of the following recipes pair very well as sides with this spiral glazed ham recipe:

• Homestyle Mashed Potatoes
• Mom’s Dinner Rolls
• Honey & Ginger Glazed Carrots
• Twice-Baked Potatoes
• Apple Walnut Spring Mix Salad
• Oven-Roasted Asparagus

Note that if you have many leftovers of this ham (which is highly likely), then I recommend that you make this delicious ham and dill potato cream cheese soup. It is amazing and I give my personal guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

If you’re looking for a delicious recipe to bring to Easter dinner, then I would suggest this recipe for spiral ham. It has a great balance of sweet and savory flavors and it’s made with a combination of pineapple and Dr Pepper. I hope you enjoy this recipe.

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try out this glazed spiral ham recipe! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

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