Grilled Ham with Orange Mustard Glaze

By Christie Vanover | Published March 19, 2016 | Last Updated February 14, 2023

Smoking a pre-cooked ham

When preparing a grilled ham, I almost always use pre-cooked spiral-sliced hams, because they’re so much easier. You don’t have to worry about making sure the ham cooks all the way through, and you don’t have to struggle to cut pretty, uniform slices.

The only thing you have to do is add flavor and keep it moist. To do that, I heat the ham over indirect heat in a pan of liquid and a kiss of smoke using my favorite Cowboy Charcoal products.

• Spiral Sliced Cooked Ham: This recipe is for pre-cooked ham, not raw ham. Look for ones that are pre-sliced to make serving easy.
• Dijon Mustard: You can also use yellow mustard, but Dijon is a little smoother and creamier.
• BBQ Rub: Choose your favorite rub for pork. I recommend my award-winning Pork Rub.
• Fruit Beer, Soda or Juice: Grapefruit beer is a fun choice. When I’m not using beer, I like to use a subtle soda like Squirt or Sprite. If you use juice, apple juice is a good choice.
• Orange Marmalade: To me, the marmalade makes this grilled ham the star. It’s tangy and sweet, and goes so well with the salty, smoky ham.
• Soy Sauce: This adds a touch of umami to the glaze.
• Hot Sauce: I like a little heat to contrast with the sweet. If you don’t you can leave this out.

Set your grill up to cook ham

There are several types of grills out there, and the good news is that you can make this recipe on any of them. The key is to grill the ham slowly over indirect heat at 250F for 3 hours. Then, finish it with a glaze for 30 extra minutes. Follow the steps below according to the type of grill you have. 

Cooking Ham on a Gas Grill

If you have a 3-burner gas grill, turn the outer burners on and leave the middle burner off. Adjust the dials, until the grill temperature is 250F degrees. That will probably be somewhere between medium and low. Add Cowboy Apple Wood Chips in a smoke box on the grill over the direct heat (where the burner is on). The heat of the grill should ignite them. Place the ham on the grill in the pan over the indirect heat.

If you have a 2-burner gas grill, turn one burner on and leave the other burner off. Rotate the ham during the cook, to ensure it cooks evenly on both sides. 

How to Smoke a Ham on a Pellet Grill

Pellet grills are perfect for cooking pre-cooked hams on the grill, because they can maintain a steady temperature with little fuss, and they are setup with a diffuser plate, so the cook is automatically over indirect heat. Load your hopper with Cowboy Apple Wood Pellets and simply set the grill to 250F degrees. Add the ham to the grill in the pan and follow the rest of the instructions.

How to Cook A 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. 

If you have a ceramic cooker or drum smoker: Fill the bottom basket with Cowboy Hardwood Lump Charcoal. Light it and let the coals heat for 10-15 minutes. Place the plate setter or diffuser over the coals and add the grill grate. Place the ham on the grate in the pan. Adjust the vents to maintain a temperature of 250F degrees.

I’m a proud Cowboy Charcoal ambassador.

1. STEP ONE: Mustard and ham go great together. So start by placing the ham in an aluminum half pan and rubbing it down with mustard and your favorite BBQ rub. My Spiceology Pork Rub is a great dry rub for ham. It contains a blend of garlic, honey and molasses to amplify the ham’s natural sweetness.

The amount of mustard and rub you need will depend on the size of your ham. A 10-pound ham uses about 1/4 cup mustard and 2 tablespoons of rub.

2. STEP TWO: For moisture, pour a can of beer into the pan around the ham, being careful not to pour off the rub you just applied. Fruit beers or ciders go fantastic with ham, but you can also use soda, juice or water, if you prefer.

3. STEP THREE: Place your seasoned ham on your prepared, pre-heated grill and smoke for 3 hours.

4. STEP FOUR: Throughout the cook, you’ll want to baste the ham with the pan juices. This is going to help guarantee each slice will be super juicy. 

5. STEP FIVE: After about three hours of heating the ham slow and low with a kiss of smoke, you’re going to add the sexy glaze. It’s a simple mix of orange marmalade, more mustard and soy sauce. The soy sauce cuts the sweetness by adding umami. I like to add a few dashes of hot sauce, too, but that’s totally optional.

Pour on the glaze and let the grilled ham cook for 30 more minutes. And voilà, the star of your dinner is ready.

How to serve grilled ham

Once the ham is warmed through and the glaze is nice and tacky. Carefully, remove it from the grill. The pan will be full of juices, so I like to set it on a baking sheet for added stability.

Remove the ham from the pan and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.

Then, slice the ham, cutting from the top down, working your way around the bone. Continue slicing it until you removed as much meat from the bone as possible. Save the ham bone for making a pot of greens or bean soup.

Storage

Cooked ham can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it for up to six months, but it will taste its best if you eat it within 1-2 months.

You can enjoy leftover ham cold or reheat it in the microwave or in a skillet. Leftover diced ham can also be worked into many dishes, such as omelets and pasta salads.