Bourbon Glazed Double Smoked Ham

What’s better than a ham sandwich? A ham sandwich made with Bourbon Glazed Double Smoked Ham! The sweet bourbon glaze combined with the salty ham is magical.

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I enjoy a good ham sandwich. But do you know what makes that ham sandwich better? Using smoked ham. And do you know what makes a smoked ham sandwich better? Using a double smoked ham…that has been brushed with a bourbon glaze!

This Bourbon Glazed Double Smoked Ham makes for some epic ham sandwiches! And the best part? It’s surprisingly easy to make. We start with a pre-cooked ham (spiral sliced) from the store. There are a bunch of different brands, so just pick your favorite. (This is a great recipe to make around Easter or Christmas when hams are on sale!) But instead of just heating that spiral-sliced ham in the oven, we’re heating it on the grill. That’s right. Another round of smoky flavor gets infused into that ham. 🤤

Bourbon Glazed Double Smoked Ham

So while this is a twice smoked ham, it’s really only one round of work at home. We love smoking spiral-sliced hams at home. We’ll make ’em several times a year and eat the ham in sandwiches or other recipes. Bonus Tip: Save the ham bone from that bone-in ham! Freeze that ham bone and pull it out in the middle of the winter when you’re making a meaty soup. The smoky ham flavor will get infused throughout the soup. So good!

Let’s break this recipe down into two parts: the Smoked Ham and the Bourbon Glaze.

Smoked Ham

When it comes to cooking ham at home, I recommend grabbing a spiral-sliced ham from the store. The fact that it is already sliced is (1) easier and (2) allows more smoke flavor to infuse into the ham. Using a smoker is the easiest way to smoke a ham at home, but I recognize that not everyone has a smoker. This can be done on a charcoal or gas grill, too!

The key to infusing food with smoky flavor is grilling that food over indirect heat. Indirect heat means not directly over the flames. If you have a smoker or pellet grill, then you likely have an insert for indirect grilling. Just add some chunks of wood (I used cherry wood this time) directly on top of the charcoal, add that insert and let the smoke turn from white to clear. Once the smoke is clear, you’re ready to add the ham.

If you have a charcoal grill without a smoking insert, the process is still very similar. However, the difference is you’ll create two piles of charcoal on either side of the grill. The ham will go into the middle so that it is not over direct flames. 1-2 chunks of wood can get placed directly on top of the charcoal to create the smoky taste.

And finally, if you have a gas grill, you can still make this smoked ham at home. Just turn the outside burners on and leave the center burner off. Place the ham over the burner that is turned off. You can get a smoker box for use on gas grills – just use wood chips instead of wood chunks. (On a side note, that smoker box works well on charcoal grills, too.)

Bourbon Glaze

The other part of this Bourbon Glazed Double Smoked Ham recipe is the brown sugar glaze itself. Let’s take a look at the glaze ingredients:

• American Whiskey. Feel free to use your favorite bourbon, although I recommend picking up a “standard” shelf bottle. Don’t reach for that special release or high-end bottle. I recommend using Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Jack Daniels or Buffalo Trace. You know that saying about only cooking with wine that you’d actually drink? Same goes for bourbon.
• Light Brown Sugar. The sugar adds a sweet flavor that compliments the saltiness of the ham. It also helps caramelize the edge of the ham so you end up with a nice shiny crust.
• Honey. Similar to the brown sugar, the honey adds a different type of sweetness that pairs particularly well with ham.
• Dijon Mustard. Mustard adds a tangy flavor that balances the sweetness from the brown sugar and honey. It creates a more unique depth of flavor.
• Apple Cider Vinegar. Similar to the mustard, vinegar in a ham glaze balances the sweetness and creates a more complex taste to the smoked ham.

The bourbon glaze gets brushed onto the ham ~halfway through the smoking process and then again right near the end. I like to pull the slices apart a bit and let the glaze drip down in between the pieces of ham. As it cooks at that low temperature (~250°F), the glaze will caramelize and create a ton of added flavor to the smoked ham.

How to Store Leftovers

This Bourbon Glazed Double Smoked Ham can be served warm, but we actually prefer it in ham sandwich form. Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Leftovers can also be placed in a freezer bag and stored in the freezer for up to 4 months. Speaking of freezing, don’t throw the ham bone away! Freeze it and toss it into the pot in the winter when you’re making a meaty soup or stew.

If you’re looking for a fun and tasty smoked ham recipe, then try brushing it with this bourbon glaze. The sweet glaze combined with the salty ham is absolutely delicious! Happy Smoking!

Did you make this Bourbon Glazed Double Smoked Ham recipe at home? Leave a comment or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!

Bourbon Glazed Double Smoked Ham

What's better than a ham sandwich? A ham sandwich made with Bourbon Glazed Double Smoked Ham! The sweet bourbon glaze combined with the salty ham is magical.

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 varies based on size of ham

Calories: 223kcal

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Ingredients

For the Ham

• 2 Tbsp black pepper
• 2 Tbsp mustard powder
• 1 12-14 pound cooked, spiral-cut ham (bone-in or shank), unflavored
• large disposable aluminum pan

For the Bourbon Glaze

• 1 cup American whiskey I recommend Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Woodford, etc.
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions

For the Ham

• Preheat grill or smoker to indirect low heat (~250°F). See note below.
• Using a small bowl, combine the pepper and mustard powder. Rub this spice mixture over entire ham.
• Place the ham in the disposable aluminum pan and place pan on grill/smoker. (Note: If using a gas or charcoal grill, pan should be placed over indirect heat.)
• Grill for 2 hours.
• Brush ham generously with the bourbon glaze, but save enough glaze for another round of brushing later.
• Continue grilling for 1-1 ½ more hours, or until internal temperature of the ham reaches 140°F.
• Brush remaining glaze on ham. Let cook for another 20 minutes.
• Tip the foil pan and drain off any of the juices that have collected there.
• Serve warm or cold.

For the Bourbon Glaze

• Using a medium bowl, whisk together the whiskey, brown sugar, honey, mustard and apple cider vinegar.

Notes

Indirect cooking on a grill is the opposite of cooking over direct flame. Most ceramic grill/smokers have inserts for indirect grilling. If you have a gas grill, you can set it up for indirect grilling by turning the two outside burners on medium or medium-low. Then just leave the middle burner(s) off. This method is called “M-O-M,” or medium-off-medium. You will place the ham in the pan over the middle (off) portion of the grill. For charcoal grills, simply pile equal amounts of charcoal on either side of the grill but leave the center portion without any charcoal. You will place the ham over the middle (no charcoal) portion of the grill.

Looking for more smoked recipes? Check out these other favorites, too: