A humble store-bought spiral gets a delicious upgrade with this air fryer spiral ham, coated in an orange, brown sugar glaze. The glaze comes together in 2 minutes, with simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, and no cooking required! Served with a classic holiday turkey, homemade creamy mashed potatoes and sweet and savory cornbread, you've got the perfect holiday meal!

Jump to:
👩🏽🍳Why This Recipe Works
No-cook glaze: You do not need to boil down the glaze for this ham, to get that sticky exterior that we all know and love. All you need to do is mix everything up, and brush onto the ham.
Nostalgic flavors: There is something so classic about an orange marmalade glaze. While the glaze is simple, it is comforting and classic.
Air fryer recipe: No need to turn on the whole oven for this ham - the air fryer works just as well. This is perfect for smaller gatherings, when you aren't buying a massive ham.
🥘Ingredients
- Cooked spiral ham: These hams are generally easier to find around the holidays. They are pre-cooked, and spiral-cut. They usually come with a packet of glaze attached to them - but a homemade one is just as easy to bring together. I like to use a boneless spiral ham, as they heat through quicker and are smaller in size.
- Dijon & grainy mustard: Both dijon and grainy mustard balance out the sweetness of the marmalade and brown sugar, with a good amount of tang and acidity.
- Orange marmalade: Orange marmalade is a fancy word for orange jelly. It will generally have bits of orange peel in it, which is perfectly edible. If you can find smooth orange marmalade, that is all the better!
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
📖Substitutions
- Spiral cut ham: This glaze will work well with a larger pork picnic roast as well, if you are feeding a larger crowd. You can also use a bone-in ham, if you are feeding a larger crowd and have the time.
- Orange marmalade: You may use some orange juice concentrate in place of orange marmalade. A good substitute is canned frozen orange juice puree.
- Dijon/grainy mustard: Feel free to use all of one type of mustard, if that is what you have on hand.
🔪Variations
- Brown sugar: Omit the orange marmalade and make this a mustard brown sugar ham
- Retro: Top with rings of canned pineapple for a retro twist!
- Peach: Instead of orange marmalade, opt for peach preserves for a different, fruity twist.
⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep Work Before Cooking
Collecting all your ingredients - This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
In a mixing bowl or liquid measuring bowl, mix together the ingredients for the orange glaze. [photo 1]
Transfer the ham to the air fryer basket, and liberally spread the ham with the glaze. Try and get the glaze into the spiral cuts as well, for extra flavour. [photos 2&3]
Air fry the ham for 30 minutes at 375°F. Monitor the ham while cooking, as depending on your air fryer the glaze may brown faster. [photo 4]
💭 Expert Tip
To prevent burning: Feel free to cover the ham with foil if it is browning too fast. The glaze has a good amount of sugar in it, so caramelization is likely.
🍽 Make Ahead & Storage
- This ham keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days, in an airtight container.
- You can also freeze any leftovers for up to 6 months, as long as it is stored in an airtight, freezer-safe container or plastic bag.
- Reheat in the air fryer or in the oven, covered in foil.
⭐ Recipe FAQs
The key difference between spiral ham and regular ham, is the way it is cut. Spiral ham refers to the way the ham is pre-sliced, but not all the way through.
Yes, spiral hams come pre-cooked. This means that you are generally just heating up the ham, and allowing the glaze to caramelize.
📝More Holiday Recipes
Looking for more meal inspiration? Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly recipe roundups, straight to your inbox! Follow us on our socials, on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook! If you try one of our recipes, let us know how it was by rating and commenting!
Air fryer Spiral Ham {Orange Brown Sugar Glaze}
Ingredients
- 3 lb Spiral ham cooked
- 1 cup Brown sugar
- 1 cup Orange marmalade
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Grainy mustard
- 2 teaspoon Sea salt
- 2 teaspoon Garlic powder
Equipment
Instructions
- Make the glaze: In a mixing bowl, mix together the ingredients for the orange glaze.1 cup Brown sugar, 1 cup Orange marmalade, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon Grainy mustard, 2 teaspoon Sea salt, 2 teaspoon Garlic powder
- Glaze the ham: Transfer the ham to the air fryer basket, and liberally spread the ham with the glaze. Try and get the glaze into the spiral cuts as well, for extra flavour.3 lb Spiral ham
- Air fry: Air fry the ham for 30 minutes at 375°F. Monitor the ham while cooking, as depending on your air fryer the glaze may brown faster.
Video
Notes
- To prevent burning: Feel free to cover the ham with foil if it is browning too fast. The glaze has a good amount of sugar in it, so caramelization is likely.
Comments
No Comments