12 of Our Best Easter Ham Recipes

This Easter ham recipe from chef Sarah Grueneberg uses saba—a sweet and slightly acidic syrup made from cooked-down grape must (similar to aged balsamic)—in the glaze, as well as Dijon mustard and salt. The ham is baked on a bed of carrots and shallots so the drippings flavor the vegetables in the oven.

The secret to this super-tender ham is keeping it wrapped in foil while it's cooking and resting, letting it reabsorb any moisture released during the cooking process. "If you can't pick up the foil-wrapped ham without burning yourself, then it's not done resting!" says pork pro Kevin Gillespie, chef at Revival in Decatur, Georgia.

In this ham recipe, a simple glaze of dark stout and brown sugar develops a malty, caramel-like bittersweetness in the oven. Irish ham is a bit less salty than American ham and has a thin layer of fat, which absorbs the flavors of the glaze.

Pulling off an impressive holiday ham at home takes just a few simple steps. Start with a good-quality, bone-in spiral-cut ham—make sure it is unglazed. Coat it with this deliciously sweet apple cider glaze featuring light brown sugar, honey, and Dijon mustard. Brushing the glaze onto the ham in 15-minute intervals during the last 30 minutes of baking creates a wonderfully sticky and caramelized crust. Serve any leftovers on biscuits with a slather of mustard.

To make the glaze for this ham recipe from chef Akasha Richmond, simmer store-bought jalapeño jelly with pomegranate juice and lemon juice. Then, add in some Dijon mustard, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger and simmer the mixture for a few more minutes. The glaze goes on the ham in two stages, pre-roast and then after the initial roast for a boost of flavor and some caramelization.

The legendary Julia Child was a longtime Food & Wine contributor—and a champion of ham. For this recipe, she was inspired by a dish called jambon à la morvandelle, the signature dish of Alexandre Dumaine, one of France's most famous chefs in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. Child called the dish, featuring ham steaks basted in a mushroom and Madeira sauce, one of her "fast entrées for fancy people." She recommended serving them with steamed spinach and mashed potatoes.

Chef Ryan Farr likes to brine fresh ham in a chile-spiked liquid. While it roasts, the pork skin turns wonderfully crackly in the oven. Pair the ham with a full-bodied white wine like a Chenin Blanc.

Ham steaks make a quick and low-key Easter dinner. Sear them until golden brown and dress them with a simple sauce made with peas, leek, fresh tarragon, and butter, with some salt and pepper for seasoning.

Most smoked hams are sold fully cooked, so "why bake them again?" meat master Bruce Aidells asks, before answering his own question: to improve the texture and add a homemade glaze—in this case, one made with Dr Pepper soda and prunes—for extra flavor. After the ham is cooked, Aidells reduces the pan juices and tosses in prunes to make a sauce. "Glazes flavor only the outside of the ham," he says. "But you can spoon pan sauces over every slice."

Chef Linda Japngie roasts this ham for nearly six hours, starting at 400°F for 45 minutes and then roasting it low and slow for another five hours at 275°F. Japngie serves the ham with a rum sauce and pepper-banana sauté. Pair the dish with a medium-bodied, spicy red with acidity and low tannins, such as Zinfandel or Shiraz.

To achieve the perfect holiday ham, chef Jonathon Sawyer makes the sauce that becomes a sweet-sticky glaze and the spicy pepper jelly a few days in advance. On Easter Sunday, the only thing left to do is to bake the ham.

Any pickled pepper will work in this recipe, but former F&W editor Grace Parisi loves hot Peppadew peppers for their fruity flavor and sweet-and-sour brine. Since the heat level of pickled peppers can vary greatly, you might want to add them gradually while making the glaze.