How to Reheat Honey Baked Ham

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Microwave

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Pan-Frying

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Oven

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Video

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Tips

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Warnings

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Things You'll Need

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If you have honey-baked ham over the holidays, you might be left with more leftovers than you know what to do with. While pre-cooked ham can be safely eaten cold from the refrigerator within 5 days, if you want hot ham once again, you’ll need to reheat it without drying it out. Reheat your honey baked ham in the microwave, oven, or in a frying pan for a delicious meal or snack.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Microwave

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1
Place the ham slices onto a microwave-safe plate. Arrange 1 or more slices of ham in a single layer so that none of them overlap. Space the ham apart so that each slice can heat evenly.^{[1]XResearch source}
- For best results, only reheat 1 slice of ham at a time.
- In place of a microwave-safe plate, you could also use a paper plate, glass container, or even a microwave-safe plastic container.
2
Cover the ham with a damp paper towel. Place a paper towel over your ham so that it’s completely covered. Use a spray bottle, or wet your hands and shake them over the paper towel, to dampen it slightly. This will help prevent the ham from drying out as you reheat it.^{[2]XResearch source}
- If your microwave-safe plate or container has sides, you can also put in around 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water to stop the ham from drying out.
- Plastic wrap may also work for this, but increases the chances of melted plastic on your ham. Never use aluminum or tin foil in the microwave.
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3
Microwave the ham for 30 seconds at a time, flipping each time. Place the ham in the microwave and heat it for around 30 seconds. Use a pair of tongs or a fork to flip the ham over and return it to the microwave for another 30 seconds. Repeat this process until the ham is warmed through.^{[3]XResearch source}
- The amount of time it takes for the ham to heat through will depend on its thickness. Check the temperature of your ham by touching it, or by tearing off a small chunk and eating it to see if it’s warmed through.
4
Remove the ham from the microwave and uncover it. Be careful when picking the plate or container up from the microwave, as it may be very hot. Use oven mitts or a dry tea towel to lift the plate from the microwave and remove the damp paper towel. Your ham should now be reheated and ready to eat.
- If you added a little water to the plate before microwaving, be careful not to touch it as you remove the ham. Any water left on the plate will likely be very hot.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Pan-Frying

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1
Place an oiled frying pan over medium heat. Pour 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of any cooking oil, such as vegetable, canola, or olive oil, into a frying pan. Put the pan on your stovetop over medium heat and allow it to warm up.^{[4]XResearch source}
- When the pan is at the right temperature, the oil should move freely as you tilt the pan even slightly.
2
Lay the slices of ham in the frying pan. Carefully lower the slice or slices of ham you want to reheat into the pan, dropping the edge away from you last to prevent oil splattering on your hand or body. If you are reheating multiple slices of ham, make sure they are evenly spaced and not overlapping.^{[5]XResearch source}
- For extra safety, use a pair of tongs to lower the ham into the frying pan.
- It may help to move the slices of ham around slightly after putting them in the pan. This will stop them from sticking as easily.
3
Cook the ham for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until it's warm. Leave the ham to sit in the frying pan for 3 to 4 minutes to cook on one side. Use a fork or a pair of tongs to flip the ham over, allowing the other side cook for a further 3 or 4 minutes.^{[6]XResearch source}
- If you want to cook the ham further and add marinades, you could also look at cooking ham steaks with your leftover ham.
4
Serve the ham immediately. Once your ham has been given time enough to warm through in the frying pan, use tongs or a fork to lift it out and onto a plate. Serve the ham immediately so that it is still warm when you eat it.
- Make sure to turn off the heat beneath the frying pan once you take the ham out.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Oven

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1
Preheat the oven to 325 °F (163 °C) and prepare a baking tray. Turn your oven onto a bake setting and set the temperature to around 325 °F (163 °C). As the oven preheats, line a rimmed baking tray with baking paper.^{[7]XTrustworthy SourceFoodSafety.govOnline portal combining food safety information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionGo to source}
- Instead of baking paper, you could also use a small amount of cooking oil, such as canola, vegetable, or olive oil, to grease the tray. This will also stop the ham from sticking, but may be more difficult to clean.
2
Spread the ham slices over the baking tray. Lay your slice or slices of ham on the baking tray, making sure to evenly space them and keep them from overlapping. Spread the slices around the center of the tray to make sure they are evenly heated from all sides of the oven.^{[8]XTrustworthy SourceFoodSafety.govOnline portal combining food safety information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionGo to source}
- To keep your ham slices moist, cover the tray with a sheet of aluminum foil.
- You could also add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water to the base of the rimmed tray to prevent the ham from drying out.
3
Cook the ham for 10 minutes, or until heated through. Place the baking tray with the ham on it in the oven and leave it to cook. After around 10 minutes, use your hands or tear off a small chunk of the ham to check if it is warmed through. The amount of ham and the thickness of the slices will change the amount of time it takes to cook.^{[9]XTrustworthy SourceFoodSafety.govOnline portal combining food safety information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionGo to source}
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the ham for extra safety. Ham should be reheated to a temperature around 140 °F (60 °C).
- Flip the slices of ham over every 5 minutes or so to help them heat through evenly.
4
Remove the ham and serve it. Once the ham is hot, use a pair of oven mitts or a tea towel to protect your hands as you remove the tray from the oven. Set it on a heat resistant surface and use tongs or a fork to lift the ham off of the tray and onto a plate.
- Serve the ham immediately so that you may eat it while it’s still hot.

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Tips

Ham can be reheated multiple times, but may not taste as good after the first reheating.
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Reheating your ham in the microwave will be faster than doing so in the oven or in a frying pan, but it won’t heat it as evenly. Microwaves are also more likely to dry out your ham.
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Warnings

Do not reheat ham that has been sitting in the refrigerator for more than 1 week. After around 5 days, the ham will have gone bad and needs to be thrown out.
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