Boneless Ham (Fully Cooked) (2024)

FAQs

Boneless Ham (Fully Cooked)? ›

Cook-before-eating hams or fresh hams must reach 145°F, with a 3-minute rest time, to be to be safely cooked before serving. Cook in an oven set no lower than 325°F. Hams can also be safely cooked in a microwave oven, other countertop appliances and on the stove. Consult a cookbook for specific methods and timing.

Preheat oven to 325°. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Allow 20 minutes per pound when calculating how long to bake a fully cooked ham. For example, if the ham weighs 8 pounds, the cooking time would be 2 hour and 40 minutes.

No. Both whole or half, cooked, vacuum-packaged hams packaged in federally inspected plants and canned hams can be eaten cold, right out of the package. However, if you want to reheat these cooked hams, set the oven no lower than 325 °F and heat to an internal temperature of 140 °F as measured with a food thermometer.

Cook all raw fresh ham and ready-to-eat ham to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F (62.8 °C) as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming.

If the ham is labeled "fully cooked" (does not require heating), heat it in the oven for about 10 minutes per pound, or to an internal temperature of 140 F. If the ham is labeled "cook before eating," heat in an oven set no lower than 325 F to an internal temperature of at least 145 F.

To reheat a spiral-sliced ham in a conventional oven, cover the entire ham or portion with heavy aluminum foil and heat at 325 °F for about 10 minutes per pound. Individual slices may also be warmed in a skillet or microwave.

Both whole or half, cooked, vacuum-packaged hams packaged in federally inspected plants and canned hams can be eaten cold, right out of the package.

Cooked canned ham and cooked vacuum-packaged ham, both from federally inspected plants, can be eaten right out of the package. All of these along with spiral-cut cooked ham are safe to eat cold or can be warmed to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C), as they are already fully cooked.

Let it sit before baking: Let the ham come to room temperature before cooking to ensure juicer, more evenly cooked meat. Cook it cut-side down: Place the ham cut-side down in your pan to prevent it from drying out while baking.

Cooking Temperature and Time

If the ham is a half ham weighing five to seven pounds, it should heat at 325°F for 22-25 minutes per pound. If it is a whole ham weighing between 10 to 14 pounds, heat the ham at 325°F for 18-20 minutes per pound. The internal temperature should be 140°F.

Does ham get more tender the longer you cook it? ›

Editor's Tip: For a fall-apart tender ham, let it cook longer; 10 to 12 hours on low. This method is perfect for families who prefer a more casual dinner of shredded hot ham and roll sandwiches.

If you are baking a precooked, bone-in spiral cut ham, the great news is it's already cooked and you're just basically reheating. The bad news is if you over bake it, you can dry it out easily. Since it's already sliced, it really doesn't take much to dry it out.

In the oven:

Preheat your oven to 325°F and bake for 30 minutes per pound or until heated through. Remove ham from oven. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

But, if it's a ready-to-eat ham, you can heat it to a lower temp, you just want it to be warm enough to eat. The higher the internal temp, the more risk there is of drying out the ham. So the guideline here is 110°F to 120°F, but heat it to a higher temp if you want.

Slimy, super-wet, or oily textures on the outside of your ham might indicate bacteria growth. Juice can just be congealed oils, so use your senses to see if anything else is off. Slimy ham that's growing bacteria will usually have a smell that indicates spoilage.

OVEN METHOD FOR HEATING HAM

BAKE AT 325 DEGREES F FOR 16-20 MINUTES PER POUND, UNTIL A MEAT THERMOMETER REGISTERS 135 DEGREES F. UNWRAP THE HAM AND APPLY THE GLAZE; INCREASE THE HEAT TO 400 DEGREES F AND BAKE FOR 15-20 MINUTES LONGER UNTIL THE GLAZE IS BURNISHED.

The Difference Between Boneless & Bone-In Ham

Boneless hams, on the other hand, cook a little quicker and are easier to slice (we'll get into carving ham a little later on).

If you don't cover your ham while cooking it will quickly dry out. Instead: Put some aluminum foil over your ham while it's cooking. It is recommended that the ham is covered for at least half of the cooking process and only removed during the last half when you glaze it.