This barbecue version of the Christmas classic will be an instant hit around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Smoked over cherry wood and finished with a sweet and tangy glaze, there’s nothing quite like this double-smoked spiral ham.
If you want something a little different than a store-bought honey glazed ham, then this spiral smoked ham is for you. This is a quick and easy incense recipe for the holidays.
It has a sweet, gooey glaze that offers a hint of spice. I cook in my drum smoker for the perfect smoked cherry finish.
How to smoke double twisted ham
Most spiral hams are pre-cooked, which is fine for this recipe. We’ll just heat it up in our smoker, hence what we call double smoking.
At the end of our asada, we glaze them with a sweet sauce for a lovely finish that complements any holiday dish.
Meat preparation
We’ll use a 10lb spiral cut ham from your local butcher or grocery store (even places like Walmart tend to stock decent cuts so they’re pretty easy to find).
Remove all packaging and protective film from the bottom of the meat. Be careful: it comes pre-cut so it can easily lose its shape if not handled carefully.
Place the ham on the chicken rack, then return to the baking sheet. At this point, we don’t use sheets, sauces, or fancy condiments. We just heat it up with smoke and bring it up to temperature.
Grill setup
Heat your smoker with smoker wood of your choice. I like to use cherry wood here as it pairs so well with pork and offers a sweet, delicate flavor (see our guide to the best woods for smoking ham). for more information). Since the ham has already been smoked, we only need to use a mild flavor instead of something strong like oak or hickory. It also gives the ham a slight red tint when it’s done, which WILL be a treat at the table.
Heat defined smokers at 275°F. We’re going for a slightly higher temperature than our usual default setting of 225F since the ham is already cooked. Here we smoke twice to give it a little more flavor and achieve an internal temperature of 140°F. Since we don’t have to extract the fat or collagen ourselves (this has already been done), we can be a bit more aggressive with our heat levels.
Let cook for about two hours. Open your smoker and use a meat probe to check that the internal temperature is close to 140°F. Also look for good signs such as moisture on the meat surface and good color development.
How to make the icing
When your ham is about 30 minutes away, use that time to make the glaze.
For the frosting, we’re only going to use two very simple ingredients. One is Apple Jelly and the other is Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce .
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add 1 cup apple jelly. Let the gelatin mix (it only takes 3-5 minutes). Once the gelatin has completely broken down, add 1 cup of the Chipotle Raspberry BBQ Sauce.
Mix the two together and bring the heat to a simmer. Keep the sauce hot until your ham is done.
When your ham is ready, open the smoker and transfer the ham to a shallow pan. Using a pastry brush, apply the glaze to the ham. Make sure all cracks and crevices along the surface of the ham are covered. Any runoff should be collected in the shallow pan.
Smoke the ham in the pan for another 30 minutes.
Service
When the frosting is done, the frosting should settle on the outside of the ham and develop a nice red color.
Remove the ham from the smoker and let it rest on a cutting board for about 10 minutes.
Using a carving knife, cut the ham in half, being careful to follow the seams along the surface of the ham. The ham should break down easily and have consistently juicy flesh with a nice pink color.
Quick tips
If you notice the ham slices falling apart, simply use some toothpicks to hold the ham together. Holding them with toothpicks should prevent them from falling apart and tending to dry out the meat.
My goal is to serve about 1 pound per person. I used a 10lb ham for this recipe, which might seem like a lot, but the leftovers are so good it’s worth cooking more than you need!
When grilling, use a tray. Some people like to expose the ham to the smoke below, but I find that the ham exhaust directly causes more trouble than it’s worth. Using a pan when grilling should help catch it, and an aluminum pan once you’ve applied the frosting will catch the frosting and prevent it from falling onto the coals and causing problems like flare-ups.
Use a sweet wood. I used cherry here because I love its mild flavor and the red color it gives to the ham, but you can also try walnut or apple. Conversely, just stay away from heavy woods like oak or hickory. They carry a lot of flavor and may not pair well with the flavors from when the ham was first cooked.
Use a chicken bowl. This will make transferring the ham much easier without disturbing it. As it is supplied pre-cut, the slightest movement could cause the whole thing to fall apart. Also, be sure to place the ham cut-side down to best keep the ham in one piece as it cooks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is double smoked ham?
Many purchased hams are already smoked. This is also the case with spiral ham. This makes them a lot easier to prepare and just means we have to smoke them to an internal temperature of 140°F and add a glaze flavor.
In this recipe we also smoke the ham over cherry wood to give it a sweet flavor and a touch of colour.
How long does it take to smoke a spiral cut ham?
It only takes about 2.5 hours in total. As the ham comes pre-cooked, all we need to do is set the internal temperature to 140F and apply our glaze.
At what temperature do you cook the ham?
140°F spiral cut ham can safely be eaten cold ( source ), but if cooked whenever they reach 140°F to pass the danger zone and be safe to eat. Do not exceed this temperature as the ham will begin to dry.
Which wood is best for spiral cut ham?
cherry wood. Since the ham has already been smoked, woods such as oak or hickory are too strong and overpower the flavors of the ham. I like to use cherry wood because it’s softer and gives the ham a nice sweetness.
Writer & content creator. BBQ fanatic!
