How to Reheat Honey Baked Ham

If you have honey-baked ham over the holidays, you might be left with more leftovers than you know what to do with. While pre-cooked ham can be safely eaten cold from the refrigerator within 5 days, if you want hot ham once again, you’ll need to reheat it without drying it out. Reheat your honey baked ham in the microwave, oven, or in a frying pan for a delicious meal or snack.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Microwave

  1. Image titled Reheat Honey Baked Ham Step 1
    1
    Place the ham slices onto a microwave-safe plate. Arrange 1 or more slices of ham in a single layer so that none of them overlap. Space the ham apart so that each slice can heat evenly.[1]
    • For best results, only reheat 1 slice of ham at a time.
    • In place of a microwave-safe plate, you could also use a paper plate, glass container, or even a microwave-safe plastic container.
  2. 2
    Cover the ham with a damp paper towel. Place a paper towel over your ham so that it’s completely covered. Use a spray bottle, or wet your hands and shake them over the paper towel, to dampen it slightly. This will help prevent the ham from drying out as you reheat it.[2]
    • If your microwave-safe plate or container has sides, you can also put in around 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water to stop the ham from drying out.
    • Plastic wrap may also work for this, but increases the chances of melted plastic on your ham. Never use aluminum or tin foil in the microwave.
    Advertisement
  3. 3
    Microwave the ham for 30 seconds at a time, flipping each time. Place the ham in the microwave and heat it for around 30 seconds. Use a pair of tongs or a fork to flip the ham over and return it to the microwave for another 30 seconds. Repeat this process until the ham is warmed through.[3]
    • The amount of time it takes for the ham to heat through will depend on its thickness. Check the temperature of your ham by touching it, or by tearing off a small chunk and eating it to see if it’s warmed through.
  4. 4
    Remove the ham from the microwave and uncover it. Be careful when picking the plate or container up from the microwave, as it may be very hot. Use oven mitts or a dry tea towel to lift the plate from the microwave and remove the damp paper towel. Your ham should now be reheated and ready to eat.
    • If you added a little water to the plate before microwaving, be careful not to touch it as you remove the ham. Any water left on the plate will likely be very hot.
    5. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Pan-Frying

  1. 1
    Place an oiled frying pan over medium heat. Pour 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of any cooking oil, such as vegetable, canola, or olive oil, into a frying pan. Put the pan on your stovetop over medium heat and allow it to warm up.[4]
    • When the pan is at the right temperature, the oil should move freely as you tilt the pan even slightly.
  2. 2
    Lay the slices of ham in the frying pan. Carefully lower the slice or slices of ham you want to reheat into the pan, dropping the edge away from you last to prevent oil splattering on your hand or body. If you are reheating multiple slices of ham, make sure they are evenly spaced and not overlapping.[5]
    • For extra safety, use a pair of tongs to lower the ham into the frying pan.
    • It may help to move the slices of ham around slightly after putting them in the pan. This will stop them from sticking as easily.
  3. 3
    Cook the ham for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until it's warm. Leave the ham to sit in the frying pan for 3 to 4 minutes to cook on one side. Use a fork or a pair of tongs to flip the ham over, allowing the other side cook for a further 3 or 4 minutes.[6]
    • If you want to cook the ham further and add marinades, you could also look at cooking ham steaks with your leftover ham.
  4. Image titled Reheat Honey Baked Ham Step 8
    4
    Serve the ham immediately. Once your ham has been given time enough to warm through in the frying pan, use tongs or a fork to lift it out and onto a plate. Serve the ham immediately so that it is still warm when you eat it.
    • Make sure to turn off the heat beneath the frying pan once you take the ham out.
    5. Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Oven

  1. Image titled Reheat Honey Baked Ham Step 9
    1
    Preheat the oven to 325 °F (163 °C) and prepare a baking tray. Turn your oven onto a bake setting and set the temperature to around 325 °F (163 °C). As the oven preheats, line a rimmed baking tray with baking paper.[7]
    • Instead of baking paper, you could also use a small amount of cooking oil, such as canola, vegetable, or olive oil, to grease the tray. This will also stop the ham from sticking, but may be more difficult to clean.
  2. Image titled Reheat Honey Baked Ham Step 10
    2
    Spread the ham slices over the baking tray. Lay your slice or slices of ham on the baking tray, making sure to evenly space them and keep them from overlapping. Spread the slices around the center of the tray to make sure they are evenly heated from all sides of the oven.[8]
    • To keep your ham slices moist, cover the tray with a sheet of aluminum foil.
    • You could also add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water to the base of the rimmed tray to prevent the ham from drying out.
  3. Image titled Reheat Honey Baked Ham Step 11
    3
    Cook the ham for 10 minutes, or until heated through. Place the baking tray with the ham on it in the oven and leave it to cook. After around 10 minutes, use your hands or tear off a small chunk of the ham to check if it is warmed through. The amount of ham and the thickness of the slices will change the amount of time it takes to cook.[9]
    • Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the ham for extra safety. Ham should be reheated to a temperature around 140 °F (60 °C).
    • Flip the slices of ham over every 5 minutes or so to help them heat through evenly.
  4. Image titled Reheat Honey Baked Ham Step 12
    4
    Remove the ham and serve it. Once the ham is hot, use a pair of oven mitts or a tea towel to protect your hands as you remove the tray from the oven. Set it on a heat resistant surface and use tongs or a fork to lift the ham off of the tray and onto a plate.
    • Serve the ham immediately so that you may eat it while it’s still hot.
    5. Advertisement

Warnings

  • Do not reheat ham that has been sitting in the refrigerator for more than 1 week. After around 5 days, the ham will have gone bad and needs to be thrown out.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
Advertisement

Things You’ll Need

Reheating Ham in a Microwave

  • Microwave
  • Microwave-safe plate or container
  • Paper towel
  • Water
  • Fork or tongs
  • Oven mitts or tea towel

Pan-Frying Ham to Reheat

  • Stove or hotplate
  • Frying pan
  • Cooking oil
  • Tongs or a fork

Reheating Ham in the Oven

  • Oven
  • Baking tray
  • Baking paper or cooking oil
  • Tongs or a fork
  • Oven mitts or tea towel

You Might Also Like

How to
Cook Ham Hocks
How to
Cook Pork Neckbones
Tenderize Pork
How to
Tenderize Pork
How to
Cook Pork Belly
How to
Check That Pork Is Cooked Through
Desalt Ham
How to
Desalt Ham
Make Prosciutto
How to
Make Prosciutto
Cook Pork
How to
Cook Pork
How to
Cook Chorizo
Cook Pig Feet
How to
Cook Pig Feet
How to
Cook Pork Loin Steaks
How to
Cook Smoked Gammon
Reduce Salt in Cooked Ham
How to
Reduce Salt in Cooked Ham
Heat Fully Cooked Ham
How to
Heat Fully Cooked Ham
Advertisement

References

  1. ↑ https://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--754/microwaving-ham.asp
  2. ↑ https://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--754/microwaving-ham.asp
  3. ↑ https://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--754/microwaving-ham.asp
  4. ↑ https://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--750/frying-ham.asp
  5. ↑ https://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--750/frying-ham.asp
  6. ↑ https://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--750/frying-ham.asp
  7. ↑ https://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/ham.html
  8. ↑ https://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/ham.html
  9. ↑ https://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/ham.html

About This Article

wikiHow Staff
Co-authored by:
wikiHow Staff
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 71,275 times.
How helpful is this?
Co-authors: 4
Updated: September 14, 2022
Views: 71,275
Categories: Pork
Article SummaryX

To reheat honey baked ham without drying it out, place the slices onto a microwave-safe plate and cover it with a paper towel. Heat the ham for 30 seconds at a time, flipping it each time, until the ham is warmed through. Alternatively, to reheat your ham in the oven, line a baking tray with foil or coat it with a small amount of cooking oil. Spread the ham slices over the baking tray and cover the tray with a sheet of foil to keep the meat moist. Cook the ham for 10 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, flipping it halfway through so it heats evenly. To learn how to reheat your ham by pan-frying it, keep reading!

Did this summary help you?
Advertisement