Delicious Brown Sugar Ham Glaze Recipe
Published December 10, 2021. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This tasty brown sugar ham glaze comes together in minutes and will perfectly elevate the flavor of your ham. The addition of orange marmalade in this recipe takes things over the top.
I believe a good sauce or glaze can enhance whatever it is that you’re cooking. Whether it’s a simple tzatziki sauce or a homemade BBQ sauce, don’t shy away from adding something that can complement your food.
This Brown Sugar glaze with hints of orange does a really good job of balancing out the umami and salty flavors in the ham making it a delightful combination. You can substitute the orange for lemon for a brighter more acidic flavor. Don’t forget to check out my recipe video tutorial below which shows step-by-step instructions on how to make this.
Brown Sugar Ham Glaze Video
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Ingredients for Brown Sugar Ham Glaze
- Brown Sugar – Light brown sugar should be used and be sure to pack it in tight.
- Orange Marmalade – This gelatinous sweet marmalade is like jam or jelly with pieces of orange peel. You can find this in the jam and jelly aisle.
- Orange Juice – I prefer no pulp fresh squeezed orange juice.
- Maple Syrup – Use grade-A real maple syrup for this.
- Cinnamon – Either freshly ground or pre-ground cinnamon will work.
- Butter – I finish every sauce and glaze that I ever make with a little bit of cold whole unsalted butter.
How to Make a Brown Sugar Glaze for Ham
- Add the brown sugar, orange marmalade, orange juice, syrup, and cinnamon to a small to medium size pot and mix.
- Bring the glaze to a boil over high heat and then turn it down to low heat and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Finish the glaze by stirring in some butter until it is melted and incorporated. Glaze away or store until ready to use.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 3 days ahead of time. If you are using this during a large holiday meal, I recommend making it ahead of time.
How to Store: Transfer to a container and keep it in the refrigerator until cool. Add on a lid and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. This glaze will freeze well, once cool, in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to thaw it before reheating and using.
How to Reheat: You do not have to reheat this glaze to use it, but if you want it warm, add it to a small size saucepot and heat over low heat until hot.
chef notes + tips
- If you can’t find marmalade at your local grocery store then you can replace with orange jelly, preserves, or the zest of 1 orange.
- Do not keep this recipe at a rolling boil, it will boil up over the pot as well as having the possibility to burn.
- You can replace the maple syrup for honey on a 1 to 1 ratio.
- Be sure to check out my glazed ham recipe to understand when to use the glaze.
- Feel free to add 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves for a mild spice addition.
More Sauce Recipes
Video
Delicious Brown Sugar Ham Glaze Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup orange marmalade
- 1 cup orange juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
- Add the brown sugar, marmalade, orange juice, cinnamon, and syrup to a small to medium size sauce pot and stir to combine.
- Bring them mixture to a boil over high heat and then turn the heat down to low and cook for about 10 minutes or until it has slightly thickened. It should be like a syrup.
- Finish by stirring in the butter until mixed in and use or store.
We made this recipe last year and loved it. We were going to make it again, but my niece can’t have anything with orange, so we went with the honey Dijon glaze. I can’t tell you how delicious both of these are. We don’t make ham often, but we will make the glazes again for other things. Or with just a spoon. Next we will have to try the Pineapple.
Didn’t have orange marmalade, used pineapple preserves instead–still delicious!
Followed “Easy Glazed Ham Recipe”–the family couldn’t stop raving about how good the ham tasted.
I love it!