Ham cooking time calculator
Most hams are already cooked and only need reheating. Pick your ham, enter the weight, and get the time at 325°F and the temperature to stop at.
Bake at 325°F (163°C) for
1 hr 20 min to 1 hr 50 min
10–14 minutes per pound. Take it out at 140°F (60°C).
- Servings
- 10 people
- Per person
- ¾ lb bone-in
- Glaze
- Brush on in the last 20–30 minutes; raise the oven to 400°F for the final 10 if you want it lacquered.
How long to cook a ham
The label tells you which kind you have. “Fully cooked” or “ready to eat” hams (including nearly all spiral-sliced hams) only need warming to 140°F. “Cook before eating” hams are cured and often smoked, but must reach 145°F. Fresh ham is uncured raw pork leg and roasts like a pork joint, also to 145°F with a 3-minute rest. These times follow the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service ham chart.
| Ham | Typical weight | Minutes per lb | Stop at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spiral-cut, fully cooked | 7–9 lb | 10 to 14 | 140°F |
| Fully cooked, bone-in whole | 10–14 lb | 15 to 18 | 140°F |
| Fully cooked, bone-in half | 5–7 lb | 18 to 24 | 140°F |
| Fully cooked, boneless | 3–10 lb | 15 to 20 | 140°F |
| Cook-before-eating, whole | 10–14 lb | 18 to 20 | 145°F |
| Cook-before-eating, half | 5–7 lb | 22 to 25 | 145°F |
| Fresh ham (raw), whole leg | 12–16 lb | 22 to 26 | 145°F |
| Fresh ham (raw), half | 5–8 lb | 35 to 40 | 145°F |
Spiral ham cooking time
A spiral-sliced ham is fully cooked, so the goal is to warm it through without drying the slices. Wrap it tightly in foil or put it cut side down in a covered roasting pan with ¼ cup of water, and heat at 325°F for 10 to 14 minutes per pound until 140°F. An 8 lb spiral ham takes about 1½ to 2 hours. Spiral hams can also be served cold.
Keeping ham moist
- Cover with foil for most of the time and only uncover to glaze.
- Put the ham cut side down so the exposed face doesn’t dry out.
- Use a thermometer in the thickest part, away from the bone, and stop at the target. Ham overcooks fast once it passes it.
- Rest 10–15 minutes under foil before slicing.
Timing an Easter ham? The holiday moves every year because it lands on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring; ahaboo’s walk-through of lunar phases shows why that full moon drifts.
Hams packaged outside a USDA-inspected plant, or leftover cooked ham, should be reheated to 165°F.
Questions cooks ask
How long do I cook a 10 lb fully cooked ham?
About 2½ to 3 hours at 325°F (15–18 minutes per pound), until it reaches 140°F in the centre.
How long to cook a spiral ham per pound?
10 to 14 minutes per pound at 325°F, covered, until 140°F.
Can you eat a fully cooked ham cold?
Yes. Fully cooked and spiral hams from a USDA-inspected plant are safe to eat without heating.
Should I cover ham with foil?
Yes for most of the time, to keep it moist. Uncover for the last 20–30 minutes to glaze.