Double Smoked Ham

A double smoked ham is just a store bought ham. It is already smoked and cooked, and we are putting it on the smoker for a second smoke to build a crust with the rub and a glaze on top. The binder today is honey mustard. The rub is PS Seasonings Notorious P.I.G., and it smokes for about 3 hours at 275°F to an internal temp of 145°F. The glaze is PS Seasonings Thai Fighter ginger teriyaki, on for the last 10 minutes, and it sets into a sticky coat. The only thing I do differently is the cut. The ham is spiral cut, but only partway, so I cut the slices all the way to the top before it goes on. It looks nicer on the serving board and the slices fall right off. If you just want to glaze your ham, check out my Smoked Spiral Ham Recipe.

Quick Look: Double Smoked Ham

This is a holiday ham, a family gathering ham, or a backyard cookout ham when you want something big on the table without a long cook. The ham does the hard part at the plant. Your job is the crust, the glaze and the smoke, and the whole thing is about 3 hours of mostly leaving it alone. Buy a bone-in spiral cut ham that says fully cooked on the label. That is the only kind this recipe is written for.

Why This Recipe

• It is already cooked. When you buy a ham that says smoked, it is already cooked. We are adding another layer of smoke, a crust and a glaze. You cannot overcook it, but you can dry it out if you leave it on too long.
• Cutting it through. Cutting the slices all the way through gives the rub and the smoke more surface to work on, and you lift slices off when it is time to serve.
• Honey mustard. It holds the rub on the meat and leaves a little flavor under the glaze.
• Glaze at the end. There is sugar in teriyaki. Ten minutes gives you a nice glaze. More than that and it burns.
• Drippings. The ham sits on a sheet pan to catch everything that runs off the glaze. That goes in a bowl at the table.

For the rest of the table, my Baked Mac and Cheese on the Grill can go on the smoker once the ham comes off to rest, and if you are doing a bird too, my Smoked Turkey Breast is the one I would put next to it.

Key Ingredients

Four things. The ham, the binder, the rub and the glaze. There is no brine, no injection and nothing to mix, so the shopping is the whole prep.

For the Ham

• Spiral cut ham, bone in, about 8 to 10 lb. Fully cooked. It will say so on the package. Smoked, too, which is why this is a double smoked ham and not a smoked one.
• Honey mustard, 1/4 cup or so. Enough to cover the ham. It is the binder, so it only needs to be a thin coat that the rub can stick to.
• PS Seasonings Notorious P.I.G. rub. As much as you want on there. This is our pork rub. Any pork rub you like works.

For the Glaze

• PS Seasonings Thai Fighter Ginger Teriyaki sauce, 1/2 to 1 cup. Sweet and savory with ginger up front. Goes on at the end of the cook, and more goes over the slices in the dish.

If you want to make your own glaze, check out my Cherry Cola Glazed Smoked Ham.

Substitutions or Additions

The ham, the temp and the glaze timing stay the same. What goes on the ham is open.

• Any rub. Any pork or BBQ rub works. You can even go savory. The honey mustard and the glaze bring the sweet, so the rub does not have to. I would still pick one with some color in it, since the rub is the crust.
• Any glaze. Any teriyaki that is on the thicker side. A sweet chili sauce. Or honey thinned with some of your drippings. Whatever it is, it goes on for the last 10 minutes, and a thin one will run off the ham and into the pan, which is fine, because the pan is going to the table anyway.
• Pineapple. Add pineapple juice to the pan and top the ham with pineapple. That is my Smoked Pineapple Ham with Pineapple Chutney.
• Boneless ham. Yes. It cooks quicker, so start checking the temp sooner. I would start probing at 2 hours.
• Oven. Sure. You will not get the second smoke, which is half the reason for doing this, but 275°F on a rack over a sheet pan takes about the same time.
• Leftovers. Smoked Turkey and Ham Cheese Rolls.

How to Make Double Smoked Ham (Step by Step)

Because the ham is already cooked, we only want to bring it up to temp. The USDA says to reheat a fully cooked ham from a USDA inspected plant to 140°F, and any other ham to 165°F. I pull mine at 145°F. Always probe the thickest part of the ham, away from the bone. The 3 hours is a guide, not a rule. A bigger ham, a colder ham, or a smoker that runs low all push it, and the thermometer is the only thing that knows when it is there.

Tips From Miguel

Storage and Reheating

• Fridge: 3 to 5 days, sliced, in an airtight container. Keep the drippings in their own container and reheat the slices with some of them.
• Freezer: Up to 2 months, slices wrapped flat so they thaw fast.
• Reheat: Oven at 300°F, covered, with a little of the drippings so the slices do not dry out. A couple of slices can go in the microwave.
• Make ahead: Cut the slices through, binder and rub the night before, and keep the ham covered on its sheet pan in the fridge. It goes straight onto the smoker the next day.
• Save the bone. It is great for beans. Check out my Smoked Baked Beans with Bacon and Hot Dogs.
• Leftovers: Ham and cheese rolls, breakfast with eggs, or cold on a sandwich with some of the glaze as the spread.

More Ham Recipes to Try

Double Smoked Ham FAQs

What is a double smoked ham?

A fully cooked, smoked ham that you smoke again at home. Most of the time it is a holiday ham. The second smoke adds more smoke flavor, a crust from the rub and a glaze on top. You are reheating it, not cooking it.

How long should I smoke a double smoked ham?

Since it is already smoked and cooked, you only need to heat it through. For me that takes about 3 hours at 275°F for an 8 to 10 lb bone-in ham. The size of the ham and how cold it is coming out of the fridge both change that, so go by the thermometer.

What temp is a double smoked ham done?

Once it hits 145°F in the thickest part, pull it off and let it rest. The USDA says 140°F for a fully cooked ham. Go over 150°F and it starts to dry out.

When should I glaze a double smoked ham?

The last 10 minutes of the cook. Once the temp is within 10 degrees of done, put the glaze on, let it set for another 10 minutes, then pull it and let it rest.

Do you need to cut a spiral ham all the way through?

It is not required, but it is better. A spiral cut ham is only cut about halfway in. Cutting the slices through lets the rub and the smoke get further into the meat, and the slices lift right off when it is done.

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