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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.
Do you need an instant read thermometer?
Because roasting times may vary, the best way to tell if your ham is done is with a good instant read thermometer. I love my Thermapen One from ThermoWorks and it’s one of my most used cooking tools. I get nearly-instant, extremely accurate results every time. In fact, we named it the top pick in our roundup of the best instant read thermometers.
It’s a bit pricey and you can get it for $99 at ThermoWorks. It does go on sale every so often, but if you want a more budget-friendly option, I also like the ThermoPop, which is only $15.99 at ThermoWorks and it makes a great gift!
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.
Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup
This easy Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup recipe is an ultra-comforting and healthy dinner idea. Bonus: There’s no need to soak the beans in advance for this slow cooker soup! There are many reasons…
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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.
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
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
I am super excited about trying this recipe!
Just a little confused at directions, it ends with “Rest ham for 30-40 minutes @ room temperature”
So its done after that? Or do I put it back in the oven to be able to eat it hot?
Hi Jess, thank you! Sorry it is confusing. It’s ready to go after resting. Sorry about that! I’ve updated the recipe to clarify it. Sorry again! – Meggan
I followed the glaze recipe to a tee and I had little chunks of mustard still in the liquid after simmering and reducing. I stirred and trying to break them up but it still didn’t dissolve.
Hi Lilmomma, so sorry about that. Did you use prepared regular Dijon mustard and not dry powdered mustard? – Meggan
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 don’t know if it will taste exactly the same, but it can’t be TOO far off, I wouldn’t think! Do you have a Baking dish with a cover that you could use instead (I’m 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. I’ll 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!
Can I substitute orange juice,using pineapple juice? Thx.:)
Hi Stacie, YES! Sounds great! Might be better than orange juice, actually. Thanks! -Meggan
Very interesting, indeed! I will have to give this a try. I stumbled on to your blog, thanks to a poppyseed dressing recipe search (which was very good, btw) and have enjoyed thumbing through. I also add a soda into a baked ham sometimes, but It’s Vernor’s Ginger Ale. Ham is warmed with some under, then a simple syrup/ginger ale mix is glazed on with a lil light clove love. Thanks for the recipes and great work! -z
Can I use spicy mustard instead of dijon mustard?
Hi Anne! Yes! Definitely. You can actually use whatever mustard you want as long as you like it. Spicy and dijon are pretty close in flavor in my opinion anyway. Thanks for the question and please let me know if you need anything else!
Can you use a boneless ham?
Hi Heather, yes absolutely! No problem at all!
Question. ….after adding glaze fort time do I reseal the bag or leave it open?
Hi Teresa! After you add the glaze you leave the bag open. If you have a chance to see the video in the post (and want to) you can see it. But yes! Leave it open! Thanks for the question. Take care!
A nice ham always feels special, but adding a tasty glaze takes it to the next level. What a wonderful idea, Meggan. And so so American, as always, which is what I love about your blog! :-)
My great grandma always makes a big ham for easter. I will have to try this recipe out! I do not eat much ham but when i do I like it to be sweet and sticky like this one looks.
And also, happy birthday to your mom :)
That glaze is calling my name!
Yummy and so easy.