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Your search for the best baked ham recipe ends here. A Dr. Pepper glaze and an oven bag (trust me!) make this the ultimate holiday ham recipe.
For birthdays, Easter dinner, Christmas dinner, and any Sunday we want to feel a bit more special, my family swears by ham. True to our Midwestern roots, pork reigns supreme. It’s even a staple in the Thanksgiving menu (alongside, roast turkey, of course!).
Tired of the same ol’ plain baked ham and having already whipped up my Baked Ham with Bread Crumbs recently, I got a little wild and doused my slices in soda.
I know this sounds a little wild, but think of this Dr. Pepper glaze like a riff on barbecue sauce. Once roasted, the soda-glazed ham is deliciously sticky, remarkably juicy, and draws everyone back for seconds. I might not make baked ham recipes any other way anymore.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient and equipment notes
- Plastic oven bag: Look for “oven bags” by Reynolds and several other kitchen brands sold online and at many supermarkets. These are oven-safe and help keep the ham meat from drying out as it roasts.
- Ham: For maximum flavor, seek out a bone-in spiral sliced ham. The bone imparts more flavor and juiciness, and the slicing style allows the glaze to permeate into the meat (not just coat the exterior).
- Dr. Pepper: Regular soda, not diet.
Step-by-step instructions
- Remove the ham from the packaging, including the plastic disk covering the bone. Place the ham in an oven bag, then twist and tie the bag shut. Place the ham cut-side down in a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish. Allow the ham to sit at room temperature for 90 minutes.
- Arrange an oven rack in the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Bake the ham until the center registers 100 degrees, about 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours (approximately 15 minutes per pound).
- Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pan, bring the sugar, Dr. Pepper soda, orange juice, and mustard to a simmer. Cook until the mixture is syrupy and reduced to about ¾ cup, about 8 minutes.
- Remove the ham from the oven and roll back the sides of the oven bag to expose the ham. Brush the ham with about half of the glaze. Return the ham to the oven and bake 10 minutes longer, or until the glaze is sticky.
- Remove ham from oven and remove the oven bag. Brush the ham with the remaining glaze and tent loosely with foil. Allow the ham to rest for 30 to 40 minutes at room temperature.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: My Dr. Pepper Ham recipe makes 20 entree-sized servings, ideal to feed a crowd plus enjoy for a couple rounds of leftovers.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The glaze can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat it on the stove before using.
- Freezer: Slice and pack leftover ham into freezer-safe containers, then label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Recipe FAQs
Sure! Trade in Coca-Cola or Cherry Coke if you prefer.
I suggest a starch, like Cheesy Potato Casserole, Soft Yeast Dinner Rolls, or The Best Mashed Potatoes, plus a vegetable, such as Roasted Asparagus or Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon and Parmesan.
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Dr. Pepper Ham
Equipment
- 1 plastic oven bag (see note 1)
Ingredients
- 1 (7 to 10 pound) ham bone-in, spiral sliced (see note 2)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup Dr. Pepper (see note 3)
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Remove the ham from the packaging, including the plastic disk covering the bone. Place the ham in an oven bag, then twist and tie the bag shut. Place the ham cut-side down in a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish. Allow the ham to sit at room temperature for 90 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pan, bring the sugar, Dr. Pepper soda, orange juice, and mustard to a simmer. Cook until the mixture is syrupy and reduced to about ¾ cup, about 8 minutes.
- Remove the ham from the oven and roll back the sides of the oven bag to expose the ham. Brush the ham with about half of the glaze. Return the ham to the oven and bake 10 minutes longer, or until the glaze is sticky.
- Remove ham from oven and remove the oven bag. Brush the ham with the remaining glaze and tent loosely with foil. Allow the ham to rest for 30 to 40 minutes at room temperature.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Plastic oven bag: Look for “oven bags” by Reynolds and several other kitchen brands sold online and at many supermarkets. These are oven-safe and help keep the ham meat from drying out as it roasts.
- Ham: For maximum flavor, seek out a bone-in spiral sliced ham. The bone imparts more flavor and juiciness, and the slicing style allows the glaze to permeate into the meat (not just coat the exterior).
- Dr. Pepper: Regular soda, not diet.
- Yield: My Dr. Pepper Ham recipe makes 20 entree-sized servings, ideal to feed a crowd plus enjoy for a couple rounds of leftovers.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The glaze can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat it on the stove before using.
- Freezer: Slice and pack leftover ham into freezer-safe containers, then label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Iām the Executive Chef and head of the Culinary Hill Test Kitchen. Every recipe is developed, tested, and approved just for you.
This looks amazing, and will use this the next time we have ham. :)
Great recipe! I tweaked it just a little and used an allulose sugar-free brown sugar substitute and diet dr. pepper. Everyone at our Thanksgiving dinner loved it! Thanks!
Can I use regular yellow mustard?, and I dont have any tin foil or a bag so what do I do yall? I cant go get any tinfoil, because its Christmas eve and all the stores are closed. HELP!!
Hi Carrie! You can use yellow mustard, sure. I donāt know if it will taste exactly the same, but it canāt be TOO far off, I wouldnāt think! Do you have a Baking dish with a cover that you could use instead (Iām imagining a corn ware casserole dish or something, with a glass cover). You could try that. You basically just want to prevent the ham from getting too dry. Does the package the ham came in have any helpful tips? Maybe they know something about their particular ham and how to cook it. Iāll keep an eye on my comments to see if you write me again with more questions. Good luck Carrie! Merry Christmas. -Meggan
I made this 2 Easters ago and it was a big hit. My 19 year old grandson asked me to make it fir Christmas this year. I was surprised but happy he remembered. Merry Christmas!