How to Cook Sliced Ham

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: May 22, 2020

Ham slices cook much faster compared to other types of ham because of how thin it is. How you cook it depends on the type of cut you have: country ham, center cut, steak, or spiral cut. Of the different types of cut, spiral cut ham will take the longest because it is all one piece. Once you know the basic process of cooking ham, you can experiment with different types of seasonings, glazes, and flavors.

Ingredients

Fried Country Ham and Center Cut Slices

Country ham or center cut ham slice
Oil, if needed

Serves 1

Fried Ham Steak^{[1]
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8-ounce (227-gram) bone-in fully cooked ham steak
5 tablespoons (75 grams) butter, cubed
5 tablespoons (62.5 grams) brown sugar

Serves 2

Baked Ham Steaks^{[2]
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2 slices ham steak

Sauce

1 cup (240 milliliters) water
3 tablespoons (37.5 grams) brown sugar
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) Worcestershire sauce
5 whole cloves

Serves 2

Roasted Spiral Cut Ham^{[3]
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6 to 7-pound (2.7 to 3.2-kilogram) bone-in half spiral ham
10 to 12 sprigs fresh thyme

Glaze

1/2 cup (100 grams) dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (90 grams) honey
Zest of 1 orange
1/4 cup (60 milliliters) fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
6 to 8 scrapes of fresh nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste

Serves 8 to 10

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Fried Country Ham and Center Cut Slices

1
Trim the skin off of the slice. Place the ham slice down on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife and small cuts to trim the skin away from the edges of the ham. Leave the fat behind; you will use this to help you cook the ham.
- Remove saltiness from country ham by soaking it in water for 6 to 8 hours. You can also simmer it in 1 to 2 cups (240 to 475 milliliters) of hot water for 1 to 2 minutes.
2
Pat the slice dry with a paper towel. Place a paper towel on top of the ham, and gently pat it to soak up any excess moisture. Flip the ham slice over, and pat the back with another paper towel.^{[4]
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3
Heat a pan over medium heat. Place a pan large enough to fit a ham slice on the stove, and turn the heat up to medium-high. Wait for the pan to get hot enough to sizzle a drop of water.^{[5]
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- If your ham slice is lean and has little to no fat on it, add some oil to the pan before you start to heat it.
4
Add the ham slice to the pan. You can add more slices of ham if the pan is large enough; make sure that there is space between each ham slice, otherwise they will not cook evenly. leave about ¹⁄₂ to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 cm) of space between each slice.^{[6]
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5
Fry the ham, turning it often, until both sides are browned. How long this takes depends on how thick the ham was cut. Use the fat on the ham as a guide: the ham is ready when the fat turns clear.^{[7]
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- Do not overcook the ham, otherwise it will turn out too dry and tough.
6
Trim the fat off of the ham before serving it. Slide the ham off of the pan and onto a cutting board. Use a fork to hold the ham steady as you trim the fat off with a knife. Serve the ham while it is still hot.^{[8]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Fried Ham Steak

1
Brown the ham steak in a large skillet. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once it is hot enough to sizzle water, add the ham steak. Cook the steak for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, turning once.
2
Remove the ham and drain the skillet. Use tongs the remove the ham from the skillet and transfer it to a plate. Drain the fat from the skillet into a can. Dispose of the fat in the trash or save it for cooking.
3
Melt the butter and brown sugar in the skillet. Add the butter to the pan and allow it to melt over medium heat. Stir in the sugar. If the butter starts to splatter, reduce the heat to medium-low or low.
4
Add the ham and cook for another 10 minutes. Place the ham steak back into the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the ham to cook for 10 minutes, turning often. It is ready when it is heated through and the sugar has dissolved.
5
Serve the ham immediately. Use tongs to transfer the ham from the skillet to a plate. Pour the melted sugar-butter over the ham, or save it for another recipe. Serve the ham while it is still hot.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Baked Ham Steaks

1
Preheat your oven to 375 °F (191 °C). Make sure that the rack is placed in the center.
2
Mix the sauce ingredients in a baking dish. Pour the water into a baking dish big enough to fit both ham steaks. Add the brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and 5 whole cloves. Stir everything together until combined; the sugar needs to be dissolved.
- Make sure that the ham steaks are not touching when placed into the dish. Check the size before preparing the sauce.
3
Place the ham steaks into the baking dish and coat them with the sauce. Arrange the ham steaks in the baking dish. Use a spoon to scoop up the sauce and pour it over the ham steaks. If the ham steaks are not covered, transfer everything into a smaller baking dish; you can also just add more water.
- If you are using a smaller baking dish, make sure that the ham steaks are not touching.
4
Bake the ham steaks in the oven for about 35 to 45 minutes. They are ready when they become tender. There is no need to turn the ham because you are not roasting it; the ham is covered by water.
5
Serve the ham while it is still hot. Use tongs to remove the ham from the baking dish. Place the ham steaks on a platter and serve them.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Roasted Spiral Cut Ham

1
Preheat your oven to 325 °F (163 °C). Ensure that the rack is in the middle of the oven.
2
Mix together the glaze ingredients. Pour the brown sugar into a bowl. Add the honey, orange zest, orange juice, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg. Add some salt and pepper to taste, then stir everything together.
- Use fresh nutmeg. Scrape it against a rasp grater, or any fine grater.
3
Set the ham on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Tear off a large enough sheet of aluminum foil to completely cover the ham. Place the foil on top of a flat surface, then set the ham on top. Make sure that the ham is face down on the cut side of the last slice.
4
Tuck a sprig of thyme between every other slice. How many sprigs of thyme you use depends on how many slices are cut into your ham. Plan on using about 10 to 12 sprigs of thyme for a 6 to 7-pound (2.7 to 3.2-kilogram) bone-in half spiral ham.
- Remember, tuck the sprigs between every other slice, not every slice.
5
Cover the ham with glaze, then wrap it up tightly. Make sure that you pour the glaze evenly over the slice and allow it to sink in between the slices. Set the rest of the glaze aside for later, then wrap the aluminum foil tightly around the ham.
6
Place the ham on a wire rack in a roasting pan filled with water. Fill a roasting pan with about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water. Set a wire rack into the pan, then place the foil-wrapped ham on top.
7
Roast the ham in the oven until it reaches 140 °F (60 °C) inside. How long this takes depends on the size of the ham. Stick a meat thermometer into the ham after about 2 hours. If it reads 140 °F (60 °C), the ham is ready. If it reads below 140 °F (60 °C), the ham needs to be cooked longer.
- In general, it will take about 20 minutes per pound (454 grams) for the ham to cook.
8
Heat the rest of the glaze. Pour the rest of the glaze into a small saucepan. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat, whisking often. As soon as the bubbles appear, take the glaze off of the stove and allow it to rest.
- The glaze will rest during the next step.
9
Increase the oven to 400 °F (204 °C) while the glaze rests. As soon as you finish cooking the glaze, turn the oven up to 400 °F (204 °C). During the time it takes for the oven to heat up, the glaze will rest and thicken.
10
Pour the rest of the glaze over the ham. Carefully take the ham out of the oven. Use tongs to peel back the foil enough to expose the top of the ham; leave the bottom and sides covered. Pour the thickened glaze over the top of the ham.
11
Roast the ham, uncovered, for 15 more minutes. Carefully place the ham back into the oven; do not wrap it back up in foil. Allow it to roast for 15 more minutes, then turn the oven off.
12
Allow the ham to rest before cutting and serving it. Keep the ham in the oven with the heat turned off for about 20 to 30 minutes. Once the time is up, take the ham out of the oven. Finish slicing it all the way through, then serve it. You can discard the sprigs, or leave them as a garnish.
13
Finished.