Double Smoked Ham

Why You’ll Love This Double Smoked Ham

Here’s a quick rundown of why this double-smoked ham recipe is such a treat. The wood chips add that extra kiss of hardwood smoke, enhancing the smoky flavor profile to perfection. Then, the sweet ingredients in the glaze, made up of honey, brown sugar, and a hint of yellow mustard, caramelizes on top of the ham, creating an irresistible, shiny crust.

The sweet and tart fruitiness from the bourbon old fashioned flavors complement the salty pork perfectly. While I did omit the bitters from the savory glaze, it still hits all the right notes. The sweetness from the brown sugar and cherry preserves, the tartness from the orange zest and juice, and the complexity of the bourbon are the perfect pairing for this salty, juicy protein.

For more ham, check out my Cherry Chipotle Pineapple Glazed Ham, Smoked Pulled Ham Sandwiches, and Cherry Chipotle Ham Steak and Eggs.

​Double Smoked Ham Ingredients

• Ham: We’ll use a 6-8 pound smoked cured ham as our protein. The smoky flavor and juicy meat are what make this dish truly special.
• Yellow mustard: This ingredient will act as the adhesive for our glaze, helping the rub adhere to the ham. 
• Maple Bourbon Rub (or one of your favorite BBQ rubs): The rub is crucial for adding that smoky, savory, and slightly sweet flavor to the double smoked ham. It creates the perfect crust and infuses the meat with rich, aromatic spices, highlighting the ham’s smokiness. 
• Bourbon Old Fashioned Glaze: These ingredients might be the best parts of our double smoked ham. We’ll make our epic glaze with unsalted butter, light brown sugar, cherry preserves, orange zest, lemon zest and bourbon. 

How To Make Double Smoked Ham

Prepping The Ham

Without further ado: here’s your next level double smoked ham recipe! 

First thing, you’ll want to unwrap your spiral-cut ham on a clean workspace. Throw away the packet of glaze that generally comes with any store-bought ham. Seriously, throw it right in the garbage. The bourbon old fashioned glaze is way better for our double smoked ham recipe. 

Dry off the surface of the ham with some paper towels. Then, remove any loose extra pieces or anything that might dry up and burn while cooking from the ham.

Next, rub a thin coating of yellow mustard all over the ham. This binder will help the rub adhere to the meat during the smoking process, and it helps create a great color without really adding any flavor to the finished double smoked ham. Mustard is also better than an oil-based product, as oil might cause the rub to not stick as well. If you’re in a pinch and don’t have yellow mustard, you could use Dijon mustard instead. 

Once you’ve slathered the ham with mustard, apply a heavy coating of my Maple Bourbon Seasoning (or your favorite BBQ rub) to all surfaces of the meat. 

Smoking Double Smoked Ham, Round One

Leave the meat to sit on the counter to let the rub sweat and adhere to the ham while you fire up your smoker to 275 degrees F.  The type of wood you use is completely your preference, but I suggest something more mild. Any fruit wood, or even pecan make a great choice for pork smoke flavor. 

Place your ham on the smoker and let the ham cook for 3-4 hours. After about 2 hours, you’ll want to spritz the ham to help prevent the exterior from drying out. Anything sweet will do, such as apple juice or apple cider vinegar. You could even add a little bourbon and cherry juice to a spray bottle and use that.

Making the Bourbon Old Fashioned Glaze

While you’re cooking ham, assemble the ingredients for your glaze — unsalted butter, light brown sugar, cherry preserves, zest from an orange and lemon, and bourbon — in a cast iron pan. We’re using a fair amount of bourbon as some will cook out, and you want those flavors to come through at the end in the double smoked ham. 

Place the cast iron pan in your smoker to cook while your ham smokes. This can be in your smoker as long as you like, so long as it doesn’t render down too much and start to burn. I put mine in around the 2-hour mark. 

Smoking Double Smoked Ham, Round Two

When the internal temperature of the ham reaches 130 degrees, remove the ham and the glaze from the smoker. Place your ham in a deep roasting pan and stir up the glaze to combine all the ingredients. 

Next, pour about half of the glaze over the ham and then return the ham and the excess glaze to the smoker. This will allow that glaze to tack up and really penetrate deep into the meet. You’ll let this go for about another 30 minutes, until the internal temperature of the ham hits 140 degrees.

Serving the Double Smoked Ham

Once the ham hits 140 degrees, remove from the smoker and pour the remaining glaze over it while it rests. You’ll want to let the ham rest for about 30 minutes before slicing.

Reserve all the juice and glaze at the bottom of the pan (there should be plenty!) and pour over all of the slices before serving. Then sit back and enjoy all the smiles and praise this ham will surely bring each guest at your table. 

What to Serve with Double Smoked Ham

Basically, any of your favorite side dishes from holidays past and present would be freakin’ delicious with this double smoked ham. Scalloped or mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, buttermilk biscuits or dinner rolls, a festive green salad with candied nuts — so many possibilities!

Leftovers and Reheating

Store leftover ham in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months. 

To reheat, preheat your oven to around 325F. Then place the cooked ham in an oven-safe dish or on a baking sheet. I like to add a little liquid to the baking sheet, such as water, broth, or juice, to the dish to help keep the ham moist. Cover the ham with aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out. Then, heat it in the oven for about 10-15 minutes per pound. Check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer; it should reach 140F. Finally, remove the ham from the oven, let it rest for a few minutes, then slice and serve.

For more Maple Bourbon Flavoring

Spatchcock Turkey

BBQ Maple Bourbon Ribs

Pork Belly Burnt Ends With Maple And Bourbon

Maple Bacon Bourbon Salmon Bites

Bourbon Bacon Pecan Salmon

Sriracha Bourbon Pork Belly

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