My wife’s family is coming over for Easter. And my wife, the ham fanatic, insisted on a double smoked ham from Sherman Provision.
Lucky for her, I ordered two – one for Easter dinner, and another for this blog post. One strange thing about blogging is that you get two holiday meals: the real one and the one you make a few weeks early for the blog. This is not good when I have to cook the dish several times before it turns out right. “Daaad, do we haave to have Thanksgiving turkey agaaain?” Grilled Ham with Honey Bourbon Glaze[feast_advanced_jump_to].
This time I got it right. My wife and kids started circling as I brought the glistening ham in from the grill. I had to push them away with my grill spatula to get the pictures for this post. While I was setting up the camera, they kept trying to pick off pieces of crust. Once I had my pictures, I started carving, and for a while I couldn’t keep up with them. Before I put down the knife and asked if we could sit down to eat, about a quarter of the ham had already been eaten. They slunk off and set the table. When I turned my back, my wife grabbed another piece of ham.
So, here is my easy grilled ham, glazed with honey, bourbon, and mustard. Slowly cook it until the ham is warm again. Brush it with a few layers of glaze, then cut it up and serve.
Cooking a ham on a charcoal grill may not be the most common way to prepare this tasty meat but it can result in an incredibly moist smokey, and flavorful main dish perfect for any occasion. With the right preparation and techniques, you can infuse your ham with that quintessential charcoal-grilled flavor while keeping the interior tender and juicy.
Here is a step-by-step guide to grilling a mouthwatering ham on a charcoal grill
Choose the Right Ham
The first step is selecting the right type of ham to grill. Choose a bone-in, fully cooked ham that doesn’t have any glazes or seasonings on it already. The bone adds extra flavor as the ham cooks. An unseasoned ham allows you to control the flavors yourself. Good choices include a smoked, spiral-cut, shank end or butt end ham.
Prepare the Ham
Take the ham out of any packaging and rinse under cold water. Pat it completely dry with paper towels. Allow the ham to come to room temperature before grilling for more even cooking. If desired score the fat cap and outer surface by making crisscrossing diagonal cuts in a diamond pattern. This helps the ham better absorb any glazes and marinades.
Speaking of marinades, at this point you can choose to marinate the ham overnight in the refrigerator. A marinade with a touch of acidity from citrus juice or vinegar helps tenderize the meat. Or, you can opt for a straight dry rub of spices and herbs massaged directly onto the ham.
Fire Up Your Charcoal Grill
While the ham sits, prep your charcoal grill for indirect heat. Pile charcoal into one side of the grill, leaving the other empty. Place a drip pan filled with water on the empty side. Ignite the charcoal and allow it to burn until covered in grey ash. Push the hot coals to create a single heat zone. The drip pan will help regulate temperatures and add moisture.
Add Smoky Flavor
If you want, you can add hardwood chips or chunks to the charcoal right before you put the ham on the grill. Soak them for 30 minutes in water first, then spread them out over the hot coals. Before adding the ham, close the grill lid and let the wood smoke for a while. Choices like hickory, apple, cherry, pecan and mesquite make great smoky additions.
Grill and Glaze
Put the ham directly over the drip pan, away from the coals. Close the lid, with vents open for airflow. Maintain a temperature between 300-350°F, monitoring it closely with a grill thermometer. Cook for roughly 15-20 minutes per pound, rotating occasionally.
In the last 30 minutes of grilling, start glazing the ham with your homemade or store-bought glaze. Brush it on thickly and let it caramelize. Apply another layer or two until the ham is fully heated through and glazed.
Check for Doneness
Test for doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the ham without touching bone. It should reach 140-145°F when ready. If needed, move the ham directly over the coals for a few minutes to brown and caramelize the outside.
Rest and Carve
Let the cooked ham rest for 10-15 minutes tent loosely with foil before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute evenly. Use a sharp knife to carve, cutting across the grain. Serve the charcoal-kissed ham still warm alongside your favorite sides and enjoy!
Grilling a ham over charcoal adds such depth of flavor you won’t get from oven baking alone. Follow these simple steps for a tender, juicy ham with a subtle smoky essence. Experiment with different wood chips, marinades and glazes to make it your own. A charcoal grilled ham makes for an incredibly impressive entrée at your next barbecue or holiday feast.
Grilled Ham with Honey Bourbon Glaze
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star
4.9 from 8 reviews
- Author: Mike Vrobel
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 12–16 1x
This recipe for grilled ham with honey bourbon glaze makes a crispy ham with a sweet honey bourbon glaze that is great for Easter.
- 10 to 12 pounds of bone-in ham butt half (preferably smoked “ham” or “ham with natural juices”).
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup bourbon
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- Before you cook the ham, take it out of its package an hour ahead of time and pat it dry with paper towels. Make a diamond-shaped cut in the ham’s skin that’s about ¼ inch deep. Set the ham in the aluminum foil pan.
- Set the grill up for 300°F indirect medium-low heat. The heat should be on the sides of the grill and not in the middle. For my Weber Summit, I preheat the grill with all burners on high for 15 minutes, then turn off all but the outside burners (burner #1 and #6), leaving the middle of the grill with no lit burners.
- While the grill is heating up, melt the honey in a small saucepan over medium heat while whisking the ingredients for the glaze together. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Put the pan with the ham in the middle of the grill so that the lit burners are not directly below it. This will help the ham cook. Close the lid and cook the ham for about 3 hours, or until it reaches 135°F in the middle. Our 10 pound ham was cooked this way. (It should take 18 minutes for every pound of ham, but thickness is more important than weight.) There is a probe thermometer that you should use right now. If you don’t have one, check the temperature every hour. ) Brush the ham with the warm glaze every ten minutes for the last thirty minutes of cooking.
- To serve, carefully move the pan from the grill to a cutting board or cookie sheet. Allow the ham to rest for 15 minutes. Move the ham from the foil pan to a cutting board. Cut it up and serve.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
Ham, scored and ready for the grill Grill setup – outside burners lit Done – ready to carve and serve
- That way, all the juices will leak out while the ham is heating up, so don’t use a spiral-sliced ham with this recipe. Because of this, most spiral-sliced hams say to serve them straight from the fridge.
- I suggest bone-in ham because that’s how I like my ham, and it means less processing. The least processed meats are “ham” and “ham with natural juices.” At my local grocery store, “ham with natural juices” is the best I can get. After that comes “ham with water added,” and the worst case is “ham and water product,” which looks like a square loaf. (I’m picky about ham because I like my pork barely processed.) This recipe will work with any ham, though.
- The bad thing about bone-in ham is that it’s hard to carve around the bone. Most hams have the bone on one side, so I start by cutting the other side into big pieces. Then I cut the rest of the ham off the bone into chunks that are about the size of a fist. I either carve these chunks or save them for ham salad or pea soup later. ).
- Check out my “Rotisserie Ham with Orange and Honey Glaze” for indirect medium-low setup ideas if you want to cook the ham on a charcoal grill. Then, put the grill grate back on and move on to step 4: Cook the ham.
- For a simple recipe, don’t add the glaze or score the dough. Then you can reheat your ham on the grill instead of the oven, which can be helpful if the oven is already full of Easter side dishes.
How to cook Ham on the Grill
FAQ
How to cook a fully cooked ham on a charcoal grill?
How do you keep a ham moist on the grill?
How do you grill a ham on a Weber charcoal grill?
How long does it take to cook a spiral ham on a charcoal grill?
How do you cook a Ham on a grill?
01 Allow the ham to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour before grilling. 02 Prepare the grill for indirect cooking over medium-low heat (about 325°F). 03 In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat on the stove, melt the butter and cook until it begins to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Immediately add the remaining glaze ingredients.
How to cook a Ham on a charcoal grill?
Slice the ham into thin or thick slices, depending on your preference, and arrange them on a platter. The combination of smoky char and succulent meat will surely impress your guests. So next time you want to switch things up on the grill, consider cooking a ham on a charcoal grill.
How do you cook a cowboy apple ham on a charcoal grill?
If you have a kettle-style charcoal grill, heat your Cowboy Apple Hardwood Briquets in a chimney starter for 10-15 minutes. Dump the coals into the grill and push to one side. Place the ham in the pan on the grill over the indirect heat (the side without coals). Adjust the vents to maintain a temperature of 250F degrees.
Can You Grill a fully cooked ham?
Yes, using indirect heat is recommended when grilling a fully cooked ham. This means placing the ham on the side of the grill away from the direct flame to allow for gentle and even cooking. How do I know when the fully cooked ham is done grilling?