Double Smoked Ham With An Orange Bourbon Glaze

Just a few simple steps is all it takes to learn how to make double-smoked ham for the holidays. The extra smoke along with a homemade orange Bourbon glaze makes this ham the showcase of any holiday table with minimal effort for the chef.

📝 Why This Works

✔️Simple | We’re smoking a pre-cooked and pre-smoked ham you can find at butcher shops and in grocery stores. Just 2-3 minutes of prep is all you need before smoking.

✔️Perfect for Holidays | Put this smoked ham recipe on the top of your holiday main dishes list. If you need a show-stopper meal for Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year’s, or Easter, this one never disappoints.

✔️Flexible Glaze | Whether you like this orange Bourbon glaze or have a tried and true Grandma’s favorite, learning the techniques of twice smoking is all you really need to make this family favorite.

⏲️ Equipment and Tools

✅Smoker or Grill – We usually rely on the Big Green Egg or the Traeger. Other models such as Camp Chef, Char Broil, Costco Smoker, or Masterbuilt will get the job done. You can even use a pellet grill, a gas grill, or a charcoal grill as long as they are equipped with a smoker box.

✅Cast Iron Skillet – This is the most used tool in my BBQ kit. They are inexpensive and last forever! If you don’t want to clean up afterward, use a disposable aluminum pan instead. When you are done, just throw it away.

✅Wood Chips – I recommend sticking with a fruitwood like apple or cherry, but if you have smoked ham before, and want to try something more robust, you can go for hickory, pecan, or even mesquite. Refer to our free smoking wood chart for more options.

🐖 Ingredients

🛒Ham | Check if your ham is labeled as “pre-cooked” or “ready to eat” to make sure you are getting a true precooked cut. If you feel the smoked hams from Costco and other grocery stores are too salty, lighter versions can be found at local butchers and online.

Note: You can smoke a boneless, bone-in ham, or even a spiral-cut ham. You wouldn’t cross-hatch a spiral-cut ham, but I would consider tenting it with aluminum foil as there are so many places for it to dry out.

For bone-in, there are two types of hams: shank hams and butt end hams. The butt end ham often sold as a “half ham bone-in” is fattier and more flavorful. The T-shaped bone makes it more difficult to cut around.

🛒Apple Juice & Orange | The ham will smoke on a bed of orange slices and apple juice. It will keep it moist as it smokes, and infuse a mild, fruity flavor that goes so well with ham.

The oranges in this recipe will infuse a subtle flavor to the bottom of the ham where it rests on the cast iron skillet. If you want a stronger orange flavor, substitute the orange juice for the apple juice that is called for.

🛒Bourbon | We love to use Bourbon in our recipes as it gives them a nice sweet flavor with a little punch. If you don’t want to use bourbon, leave it out and use apple or orange juice instead.

🛒Orange Juice & Zest | This is the liquid we chose for the glaze as it caramelizes nicely. The zest is optional – it adds an extra citrusy punch I find very enjoyable.

🛒Brown Sugar & Cinnamon | The brown sugar and cinnamon add a warm sweetness to the glaze, complementing the rich, smoky taste of the ham.

🔥 Instructions

🥣 Glaze

👉Step 1: Combine the brown sugar, bourbon, orange juice, cinnamon, and orange zest into a bowl and stir.

👉Step 2 (Optional): If you want it thicker, heat it in a small saucepan over medium heat on the stove. Bring it to a boil and let it cool. Once it is cooled, the glaze will thicken.

We love it thin as it sneaks into all the crevices on the ham so I don’t boil mine. It’s all up to you.

🍖 Double Smoked Ham

👉Step 1: Heat the smoker to 225°F. Add the smoking wood chips or chunks. I used apple wood this time.

👉Step 2: Lay the orange slices in the bottom of the cast iron skillet. Pour in the apple juice.

👉Step 3: Remove the ham from its packaging and pat it dry with paper towels. Cross hatch the ham in a diamond pattern about 2 inches deep. Skip this step for spiral-sliced ham.

👉Step 4: Place the ham on top of the orange slices. Transfer the cast iron to the grill, insert the thermometer probe, and smoke for about 2 hours.

Note: If you would be smoking this ham directly on the grill grates, it would have to be on indirect heat. With our method, the cast iron which is an excellent heat conductor will cook the ham but also shield it from direct heat. The orange slices and apple juice will keep it moist as it smokes.

👉Step 5: After 2 hours, increase the temperature of the smoker to 300°F. Continue to smoke the ham until the meat thermometer reaches about 115-120°F degrees. This will take another 1-2 hours.

👉Step 6: At this point, start brushing the ham glaze several times as it will get sticky and pack on the flavor.

👉Step 7: Remove from the smoker when the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140°F. Tent it with aluminum foil and rest for 10-15 minutes.

❗ Expert Tips

📌Room Temperature Ham | Rest the ham on the counter for 1 hour before smoking. This step allows for even cooking so plan accordingly and don’t skip it!

📌Other Methods To Smoke Ham | Another way to smoke the ham is on a rack placed on a baking sheet or even directly on the grill grates. We love how the orange slices in the cast iron skillet flavor the ham and keep it moist, but feel free to experiment with these different smoking methods!

📌Calculate Servings | A ham can feed many, but I’m sure you’re looking for a more exact answer to the question: how much ham per person?

For bone-in ham, a regular serving is 1/2-3/4 pound per person. The 8-pound ham we used yielded about 16 servings.

The serving size for boneless ham is 1/4-1/3 pound per person.

Use the low end if you’re serving other main dishes, or the high end if ham is the only one or you want leftovers.

🌶️ Additions and Substitutions

👍Thicker Glaze | For a thicker glaze, use honey or maple syrup instead of brown sugar or bourbon. The ham glaze will be thicker and will stick to the ham easier.

👍Tangier | Add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard to the glaze for some extra tanginess. The mustard really complements the sweetness of the bourbon and brown sugar.

A few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar will work in a similar way.

👍Richer | Add some melted butter to the glaze for a richer flavor.

🍱 Storage And Reheating

Leftover double-smoked ham is amazing to have! You might be wondering how long does ham last in the fridge.

❄️Fridge | Keep the leftover ham in a covered airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

🧊Freezer | For long-term storage, freeze them in a freezer-safe bag for up to two months.

I like to cut single serving sizes, wrap them in Saran, and add them to a large freezer-safe Ziploc bag. When I want to use the leftovers, I can easily grab the amount I want from the freezer bag and reheat them for sandwiches or stir-fries.

Notes: You can also freeze a whole, cooked ham, and it can be enjoyed at its best for 3-4 months.

When you cut the ham for storing, make sure that each portion has a little bit of the skin. That is the most flavorful, smoke-infused section.

🍖 Ham Bone Storage | That marrow adds a tremendous flavor to soups, so don’t discard it. Wrap the ham bone tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.

For longer storage, freeze the ham bone in a freezer bag for up to 4 months. When ready to use, there’s no need to thaw; you can directly add the frozen ham bone to your cooking pot to enrich your dishes.

🍴 Serving Suggestions

⭐Potato Sides | Since this is a great holiday treat, smoked whole sweet potatoes or smoked baked potatoes are the perfect side dishes to pair it with. These are extremely easy and will sit right on the grill grate as you are making the double-smoked ham.

⭐BBQ Sides | Pair it with some out-of-this-world smoked mac and cheese or a smoked potato salad if you’re not counting calories.

⭐Grilled Veggies | This is also a good opportunity to make some grilled broccolini or grilled roasted root vegetables. Here are some more BBQ sides to inspire you!

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