Traeger Smoked Ham – Easy Glazed Ham

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This Traeger smoked spiral ham is about to become your go-to recipe for impressing family and friends at any gathering. The combination of smoky flavors and a glossy caramelized glaze transforms an ordinary spiral ham into something truly extraordinary.

Whether you’re planning an Easter dinner, a Christmas feast, or a special Sunday meal, this recipe delivers.

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Easy Traeger Smoked Ham

Move over, store-bought glazed ham – I love that this homemade version delivers deeper flavors and better value for when I am feeding a crowd. The low and slow temperature of my Traeger helps to get that coveted smoke ring while the sweet and savory glaze caramelizes to perfection. The spiral cuts allow the seasonings to penetrate every slice, creating consistent flavor.

This smoked ham is perfect for Easter and Christmas, but don’t limit yourself to special occasions. It’s excellent for meal prepping since it provides days of delicious leftovers and makes an impressive centerpiece for dinner parties.

What You’ll Need to Cook

Spiral-Cut Ham: Choose a quality ham that’s fully cooked, saving cooking time while allowing smoke to penetrate and enhance flavor. Look for minimal added water content for better texture.

Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar works best with its milder molasses flavor that won’t overpower the meat. It also helps form that coveted crispy exterior crust.

Dijon Mustard

Whole Cloves: These aromatic spices are traditionally studded into ham’s scored surface, releasing warm, sweet, and slightly bitter notes that complement the smoke.

Orange Juice: Keeps the ham moist during smoking and adds subtle fruity sweetness that complements wood smoke. The natural acids help tenderize the meat surface.

Glaze Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup Orange juice
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Ingredient Substitutes

Brown Sugar → Maple Syrup: Replace with equal amounts of pure maple syrup for deeper, more complex sweetness. This adds rich maple notes that pair beautifully with smoke flavors, though it may result in a slightly stickier glaze.

Dijon Mustard → Whole-grain mustard: This provides a similar tangy flavor with added texture from mustard seeds. It creates a more rustic appearance while maintaining the essential flavor balance.

Orange Juice → Pineapple Juice: Offers natural enzymes that help tenderize meat while adding tropical sweetness. Works particularly well if you enjoy Hawaiian-style flavors.

Whole Cloves → Ground Cloves: If you don’t have whole cloves, mix 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves into the rub. The flavor won’t be as intense, but you’ll still get that warm, aromatic spice note.

How to Make Traeger Smoked Ham

Step 1: Prepare Your Traeger and Ham

Preheat your Traeger to 225°F using apple or cherry wood pellets for the best flavor combination. Remove your ham from all packaging and pat it completely dry with paper towels.

Step 2: Apply the Seasoning

In a bowl, combine brown sugar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Work this mixture thoroughly into every spiral cut, using your fingers to really get the rub deep between the slices. The pre-cut nature of spiral ham makes this step easier and more effective than with a whole ham.

Since your ham is already spiral-cut, there’s no need for additional scoring. Instead, insert whole cloves between the spiral cuts, spacing them about 1 inch apart throughout the ham. The existing cuts provide perfect pockets for the cloves and will hold them securely during smoking.

Step 3: Set Up for Smoking

Place your seasoned ham cut-side down in a disposable aluminum pan and add about 1/2 cup of water to the bottom. This water helps maintain moisture during the long smoking process and prevents the bottom from burning.

Position the pan on your Traeger’s main cooking grate, ensuring there’s adequate space for air circulation around the ham.

Step 4: Begin the Smoking Process

Smoke your ham for 3-4 hours at 225°F, checking the internal temperature periodically with a meat thermometer. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 140°F before applying the glaze.

During this time, resist the urge to open the lid frequently, which releases heat and smoke, extending your cooking time. The ham will develop a beautiful mahogany color as the smoke works its magic.

Step 5: Prepare and Apply the Glaze

While your ham smokes, mix the glaze with brown sugar, honey, orange juice, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring this mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring for about 5 minutes until it thickens slightly.

Once your ham reaches 140°F internal temperature, brush this glaze generously over the entire surface, getting it deep into the spiral cuts where it will caramelize beautifully.

Step 6: Final Cooking and Caramelization

After glazing, increase your Traeger temperature to 275°F to help caramelize the glaze and create that beautiful, shiny finish. Continue cooking for 30-45 minutes, applying additional glaze every 15 minutes if desired.

The ham is finished when it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F and the glaze has formed a gorgeous, caramelized crust that’s slightly crispy to the touch.

Step 7: Rest and Serve

Remove the ham from your Traeger and tent it loosely with aluminum foil. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes before slicing – this resting period allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.

Since it’s spiral-cut, slice along the existing cuts for perfect, uniform portions. Don’t forget to scrape any caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan to drizzle over the slices.

How To Store Leftovers and Reheat

Allow your smoked ham to cool completely before refrigerating. Remove whole cloves before storing, as they can become overpowering in leftovers. Store in airtight containers for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, or freeze portions for up to 3 months.

When reheating, place ham slices in a baking dish with a tablespoon of apple juice to prevent drying out. Cover with foil and heat at 325°F for 10-15 minutes until warmed through. For individual portions, microwave on 50% power for 30-60 seconds.

My Favorite Wood Chips for Ham

Apple Wood is my top recommendation for smoking ham. It provides a mild, sweet smoke flavor that perfectly complements ham’s natural saltiness. Apple wood burns clean, creating a beautiful golden-brown color without becoming bitter during long smoking sessions.

Cherry Wood offers a slightly stronger flavor than apple, with a hint of tartness that balances beautifully with sweet glazes. Cherry produces a stunning deep red color, making your ham look as good as it tastes.

What To Serve With Smoked Ham

Baked Sweet Potatoes

Grilled Garlic Bread

Bacon Mac and Cheese

➡️ More Sides for Smoked Ham

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Traeger Smoked Ham

Charlie

This Traeger smoked spiral ham delivers deep, smoky flavors with a caramelized glaze that penetrates every pre-cut slice. The convenient spiral cuts ensure even seasoning and perfect portion control for effortless serving.

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, christmas, Dinner, Drinks, holidays, lunch, main, Main Course, thanksgiving

Cuisine dinner, holidays, lunch

Servings 12 serves

Calories 385 kcal

• 8-10 lb spiral-cut ham
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 20-25 whole cloves

For the Glaze:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• Preheat Traeger to 225°F using apple or cherry wood pellets.

• Pat ham dry and insert whole cloves between the spiral cuts, about 1 inch apart throughout the ham.

• Mix brown sugar, mustard, and all dry spices to create a rub.

• Apply rub generously over entire ham surface, working deep into the spiral cuts.

• Place ham cut-side down in aluminum pan with 1/2 cup water.

• Smoke for 3-4 hours until internal temperature reaches 140°F.

• Combine all glaze ingredients in saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes.

• Brush glaze over ham and increase temperature to 275°F.

• Continue cooking 30-45 minutes until glaze caramelizes and internal temperature reaches 145°F.

• Rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Keyword Ham, Smoked Ham, traeger ham, traeger recipes

Smoke On!

Charlie

Author: Charlie Reeves
Hi, I’m Charlie, I have been meat-smoking and grilling for the past 15 years. I have an array of different smokers, thermometers, and have a love for finding the right wood and charcoal combo My favourite recipes are my EXTRA CRISPY smoked pork belly, juicy pulled pork, smoked brisket, duck poppers, and ANY SEAFOOD I grill).

I loves sharing his tips with beginners, helping them navigate the world of smoking. I find it’s not just about cooking; it’s a quest for that perfect smoky flavor.

You will usually find me playing with the kids, perfecting my brisket bark, or sipping beers with boys around the fire. Can’t wait to share all my delicious smoking and grilling recipes with you!

You can read more about me on our About Us page.

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