Traeger Smoked Ham

By Todd Martin October 28, 2024 7 mins read 76 Views

This is by far the juiciest ham I have ever had. It was smoked on my Traeger pellet grill, and there was a bit of sweet heat in every bite.

Adding a glaze to your ham allows you to add some amazing flavor, and that’s exactly what our pineapple bourbon glaze does, with its combination of pineapple preserve, bourbon, and BBQ rub with a hit of chili.

Cooked ham is one of those foods you typically associate with holidays. But there’s no reason why you can’t smoke a ham any time of the year, and it’s pretty simple, especially if you’re doing it on a pellet grill.

Traeger Double Smoked Ham

Ingredients you’ll need

Ham – I used an eight-pound bone-in-half ham Karabuta ham from Snake River Farms. Their hams are bred from 100% Berkshire hogs and really taste like ham should.
BBQ rub – I used Smoke Kitchen Pitmasters Pick rub. It has a good amount of chili flakes which go nicely with sweet, or you can make a batch of our bbq pork rub
Olive oil
Pineapple preserve – I used a 10.5oz can, but you can go up to 12oz.
Bourbon – Use your favorite bourbon or whiskey, I used Knob Creek.
Brown sugar
Dark molasses
Red wine vinegar

Equipment you’ll need

Sharp knife – Our Smoke Kitchen 6″ boning knife is ideal.
Smoker – I used a Traeger Timberline XL, but any pellet grill or smoker will work.
Temperature probe – or instant read thermometer
Sheet pan
Wire rack
Aluminum foil
Heat proof gloves
Saucepan
Basting brush

Temperature and time

When reheating ham on the pellet grill, the temperature is not so important. It’s more about how fast you want your ham done. I set my temperature to 300°F-325°F.

If you have more time and want to develop even more smoke flavor, you can drop the temperature down and smoke at 225°F for a couple of hours before bumping the temperature up for the final stage of the cook.

When I cook a ham, I always plan 15 minutes per pound. This 8-lb ham took just under 2.5 hours.

How to make a double smoked ham on the Traeger

Any ham you pick up from a butcher or grocery store will have already been smoked, so it’s been precooked.

All we’re doing is warming them up, adding layers of extra smoke flavor, and adding that delicious glaze to help the fat get nice and crispy.

1. Prep the sheet pan

The glaze can get kind of messy, so I like to line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. This way, there is a lot less to clean inside the smoker.

2. Prep the ham

Remove the ham from the packaging. Make sure you remove the small bit of protector on the bottom of the ham bone.

removing the protective piece of packaging from bone

I like to score my ham if it’s not already spiral cut. You get more glaze on that ham by the time it seeps into all the cuts, and the diamond bits get nice and caramelized, which means more sweet and spicy goodness.

To score the ham, take a sharp knife and make one-inch crisscross cuts all over the skin. You don’t want to cut too deep, just shallow cuts through the skin and underlying fat.

Rub about one tablespoon of olive oil all over the outside of the ham. This will help the BBQ rub to stick.

Sprinkle the BBQ rub generously over the ham, being sure to coat it nice and thick.

Jeff sprinkling seasoning all over the outside of the ham

Give it a good pat to ensure that the rub is firmly stuck on. Then, place it on the sheet pan and let it sweat a bit while the smoker heats up.

3. Fire up the smoker

Fire up the smoker to 300°F-325°F.

I’m using my Traeger Timberline XL to smoke this ham. This is a great smoker, and it also has an induction plate right on the pit, which means I can prep the glaze in one spot without running into the kitchen. Always a bonus.

4. Smoke the ham

Place the sheet ham on the wire rack in the center of the pit.

I like to get a probe in the middle of the ham because that will give me its coldest spot. Just make sure you keep it a couple of inches away from the bone, as bones heat differently, and you can get odd readings.

a seasoned ham with a probe sticking out of it

You’re looking at smoking the ham until it reaches an internal temperature of 135°F.

Every 25°F temperature increase, rotate the tray 180° to ensure even temperatures throughout the ham. Make sure you wear heat-proof gloves when rotating the pan; it’s going to be hot.

Once the ham reaches an internal temperature of 110°F, it’s time to get onto your glaze.

5. The glaze

Put the BBQ rub, pineapple preserve, bourbon, brown sugar, dark molasses, and red wine vinegar into a saucepan over medium to low heat. Give it a really good mix, or it will start to burn.

Bring it to a gentle simmer. If it’s a bit thick or starts to stick to the pan, add some extra bourbon – who’s going to complain?

a hand holding a spoon stirring glaze in a pot

It should only take a few minutes for the sugars to melt and everything to blend together. Turn off the heat and leave the glaze to one side.

I like to keep a little of the glaze to one side to drizzle over the ham once I have sliced it up. This is purely optional.

6. Glaze it

Once the internal temperature reaches around 115°F-120°F, you want to give it the first coat of glaze. Brush it all over, covering all the skin. Then, give it another coat every 15 minutes.

checking the internal temperature of the ham

Three coats are ideal, as it adds a ton of flavor.

Note: If your ham is quite large, you’ll want to wait until the internal temperature reaches 125°F so the glaze doesn’t get too dark or crystalize.

Once the ham reaches around an internal temperature of 135°F, pull that pig out of the pit.

the finished smoked ham beomg placed on a wooden board

Lightly tent it with aluminum foil and let it rest for about 30 minutes. This will ensure that the heat evens out throughout the ham.

After 30 minutes, slice and serve with reserved glaze.

What to serve with this double smoked ham?

Ham works great as a main meat with all your typical holiday side dishes. I love eating it with bread, especially our Brioche Buns. This pairs wonderfully with our Southern-style slaw.

You also can’t go wrong with our smoked potatoes, or a nice pasta salad would also work.

Twice Smoked Traeger Ham Recipe

Enjoy this easy Traeger Smoked Ham with your family, and then give this recipe a 5-star rating if you loved it. Pop into the comments section and let me know what Bourbon you used.