Double Smoked Ham With Orange Honey Glaze

Last Updated June 15th, 2023 at 09:53 pm by Lisa

Make a twice smoked spiral cut ham just like a smokehouse pit boss. This holiday meal classic has an amazing smoky flavor with an apple cider orange honey glaze!

The double smoking of this holiday ham cook is great for Easter dinner, Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner, or anytime during the year. You will save space in your oven for other dishes, and be rewarded with a glorious ham.

Nothing like a long low and slow cook on a lazy weekend, with smoke drifting up and out as you brush on the sweet glaze...

Why Double Smoke A Ham?

Okay here is the deal. Since hams are cured, smoked, baked, and “pre-cooked” why would we double smoke a ham? Well, the answer is simple, we are chasing that perfect smoky flavor!

The entire process takes time, but you will be rewarded with incredible flavor that will never come out of the spiral ham package and a basic brown sugar glaze...

PRO TIP: Plan on about ½ pound of bone-in spiral ham for each guest.

How To Make A Double Smoked Ham

• 1 large spiral-cut ham (smoked and bone-in)

Smoked Ham Glaze Recipe

• ¼ cup melted butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 whole orange zest and orange juice
• 2 cups apple cider
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Heat The Smoker

1. The first step is to pull your ham from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature while you get everything else done. It helps to not put cold meat in your smoker.
2. Preheat your smoker, this recipe is not tested on a gas grill.
3. Cook indirectly at low heat smoke temperature of 250-275 degrees, using hardwood lump charcoal and a couple of small chunks of fruitwood like cherry or apple.
4. If using a BGE see notes below for more tips and details.

Prepare Glaze

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter, add the brown sugar, honey, Dijon mustard, orange zest and juice, apple cider, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves. Cook over medium heat to medium high heat, keep stirring the glaze ingredients with a whisk just until it comes to a boil. Remove from the heat immediately.
2. If it gets too thick, add a tablespoon or two of some warm water or more apple cider to get to a brush-able consistency.

Smoke The Ham

Place ham flat side down on a baking rack on a sturdy pan filled with ½ an inch of warm water in the bottom of the pan.

PRO TIP: The rack allows the smoke to get all the way around. I used a deep dish round pizza pan, but a shallow low roasting pan or a large cast iron skillet will work too.

Control Your Smoker & Meat Temperature

Set up your smoke alarm or wireless probe thermometer if using one in the center but not touching the ham bone.

Once your smoker temperature reaches 250 degrees, open up the smoker and place the ham inside, close the lid, and smoke for 1 hour.

Brush the glaze all over the top of the ham at the 1-hour mark and every 30-45 minutes.

How Long To Smoke A Ham?

Smoke the ham for 20 minutes per pound. The size of the ham will determine the cooking smoke time.

A 10-pound ham will take about 3.5 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F on a meat thermometer.

How To Freeze Leftover Ham

To store leftover ham, slice off from the bone using a sharp knife and use the meat within 3-5 days. Freeze and use within 2 months in zip-top bags or a food saver vacuum sealer.

Cut it into cubes for use in ham salad, omelets, or casseroles. And flat slices for sandwiches and for a traditional ham dinner.

One of the best things is you will have leftovers to use in all kinds of ways...

Variations & Swaps

Create your own savory glaze the way you like it! Here are a few ideas to mix it up. Then get basting and brushing on the outside of the ham while it slowly smokes...

• pineapple juice instead of apple cider
• maple syrup in place of honey
• orange marmalade in place of orange zest and juice
• Rootbeer, Coca Cola, or Dr. Pepper in place of apple cider

PRO SMOKE TIP: Air equals higher heat. Lower air equals lower heat. The more air coming into the flames will grow in your fire, and so you want to adjust the vents to control the airflow and thus the cooking temperature.

Can I Smoke A Ham In My Grill?

Okay, let's clear this up, this recipe is for a smoker, but so many people have figured out how to smoke on the indirect heat side of the grill very successfully. The smoking process will work on either a gas or charcoal grill.

There are many good recipes out there for that smoking technique, and I say go for it! I have smoked on my grill, it has a small tray for wood chips and I have experimented with it a great deal, just not on this particular recipe.

A good reference book for smoking is Project Smoke by Steven Raichlen, a very comprehensive book loaded with tips and techniques.

You will find everything from the different kinds of smokers available with their pros and cons, the different woods for a kiss of additional smoke, fire-starting tips, and many smoke recipes you can do!

The book literally encourages you to smoke everything including cheese, salt, drinks, and more.

What Kind Of Gear Do I Need?

• a smoker - pellet grill smoker, electric smoker, water smoker "aka bullet", ceramic cooker, upright barrel smoker, or offset smoker.
• lump hardwood charcoal - easy to find at any big box hardware store
• tumbleweed firestarters - these are inexpensive and get that fire going!
• smaller pieces of fruit wood - cherry wood, apple, or pecan are really nice, and maple, and hickory wood or wood smoker chips - apple, cherry, hickory, etc. The type of wood you choose can change the smoke flavor.
• sturdy shallow metal pan - I found a foil pan or aluminum pans or a foil pan were not sturdy enough to hold the rack on top.
• silicone brush and sauce pot for glaze
• BBQ gloves or silicone mitts
• wireless bluetooth smoke thermometer or instant read thermometer

Smoking On A Big Green Egg or Kamado Grill 

• Use hardwood lump charcoal with 3 smaller pieces of apple or cherry fruitwood. These are easily available at big box hardware stores.
• Never use charcoal briquettes or lighter fluid! It will give an off-taste to your cook in ceramic grill smokers.
• Open all the vents all the way at the top and bottom, light the hardwood lump charcoal, and once the heat reaches around 300 degrees, you will then set up for a long slow smoke. 
• Close the bottom vent to just a ⅛" opening, and the daisy wheel almost all the way closed after heat up to keep the temperature at 250-275 degrees F throughout the smoke.

Water Pan Tips & Advantages

Cook with a water pan when smoking gives you the benefit of creating humidity. Simply use a larger pan as I did. Put the rack on top or fill a small aluminum pan off to the side.

A water pan keeps the smoker's temperature lower and more consistent throughout the smoke chamber. Helping the process of low and slow smoking. As the water reaches its boiling point, it begins to evaporate. Then it turns to steam rather than heat up any further and removes hot spots in your smoker. In other words, evens out the temperature.

The end result is the humidity from the water pan will make the meat even juicier! And will help the smoke adhere to the meat during the cook, giving flavor!

Best Tool For Monitoring Ham Temperature

Use a Wireless Bluetooth Meat Thermometer for the best temperature accuracy while smoking. You can have the wireless receiver nearby in the shade or in the house. And monitor your temps both in the smoker and the meat in your cook on your phone. A great advantage so you don't have to get up and open up your smoker! These are what the competitive BBQ Pit Masters use...

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Ham Smoke FAQ

My Other Holiday Ham Dinner Recipe

If you are a ham fan, try my baked ham recipe. This Kahlua Pineapple Glazed Ham has a juicy pineapple right alongside while it cooks. The surface of the ham has a gorgeous Kahlua glaze. Absolutely incredible...

More Pork Recipes

For something fancier, this Cherry Balsamic Pork Loin takes minutes to prep and is a gorgeous presentation. I have served this holiday meal for New Year's Eve with rave reviews.

Super popular Pulled Pork (made low and slow in the oven. And you can use the leftovers for these Cuban Pulled Pork Sliders which are perfect for lunch or dinner.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork made with pork loin is so juicy. Top with coleslaw, pickle chips, and tangy BBQ sauce all on a golden bun.