Name: Grilled Ham with Apple Cola Jalapeno Glaze
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 180 min
Ingredients: 8 lb pre-cooked, spiral-sliced ham; 1 cup water; 1 1/2 cups cola; 3/4 cup apple juice; 1 cup brown sugar; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1 jalapeno (sliced); 1 tsp kosher salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper

Ham is the cornerstone to many holiday meals. Learn how to grill one to perfection with this how-to video and recipe for apple cola jalapeno glaze.

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By Christie Vanover | Published March 28, 2018 | Last Updated February 16, 2023

spiral sliced ham on wood platter with carrots to left

At Girls Can Grill, my goal is to share the basics of grilling while providing you with mouthwatering, easy-to-replicate recipes. When the holidays roll around, people new to grilling are sometimes scared to try to cook the main protein outdoors.

They worry that if they mess it up, the family will never let them live it down.

With this recipe, you can’t fail, and you don’t need a fancy, expensive grill.

It’s all cooked on a basic Weber kettle, which you can usually pick up for around $99.

The key is to start with a pre-cooked, pre-sliced ham. That way, all you have to do is heat it up.

How you heat it up matters.

If you were to put the ham directly over the charcoals, the heat would get too hot under the ham, and it would heat too fast, drying it out.

Instead, you want to light your coals, let them ash over and then push them to one side of the grill. (Watch the below video to learn how I light the coals).

Once the coals are ready, place the ham in a disposable aluminum pan with one cup of water. This added moisture will keep your ham juicy.

Cover the grill, adjust the vents so it stays between 325-350F, and cook it for 45 minutes while you make the glaze.

Great ham is made better with sticky, yummy glaze

This glaze uses a combination of ingredients that are really easy to find – cola, apple juice, brown sugar, soy sauce and jalapeno. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and heat.

Boil the glaze ingredients in a pot for about 25 minutes. You want it to reduce and thicken, so it sticks to the ham.

After the ham has cooked for 45 minutes, apply the glaze, and repeat every 20 minutes, sopping up some of the pork drippings. It will take another 1 1/2 to 2 hours for the ham to reach an internal temperature of 140F degrees.

During the last 20 minutes, you can use the direct side of the grill to cook up some sides like Grilled Asparagus with Lemon-Caper Vinaigrette or Grilled Carrots with Orange-Maple Glaze. Add a bowl of Mashed Potatoes or a batch of Tender Buttery Flaky Southern Biscuits, and you’ll be asked to grill every holiday meal.

Click to learn how to grill a holiday turkey on a Weber kettle grill