Twice Smoked Spiral Ham

By Todd Martin October 19, 2025 8 mins read 6 Views

If you’re looking for an easy way to elevate a store-bought spiral ham, this twice-smoked method delivers serious payoff with minimal effort.

Because spiral hams are already fully cooked, the goal here isn’t to start from scratch; it’s to layer on rich smoke flavor and finish with a sweet, sticky glaze that caramelizes beautifully on the outside.

This is a no-fuss, high-reward centerpiece that’s perfect for feeding a crowd without the stress of a raw roast. Whether you’re cooking for a holiday, Sunday dinner, or planning for leftovers, this ham earns its spot on the smoker.

Why you’ll love this twice smoked spiral ham

Smoky, sweet, and caramelized: Adds flavor and texture you can’t get from the oven.
Effortless holiday hero: No brining, basting, or advanced prep required.
Feeds a crowd: Spiral hams are big, budget-friendly, and easy to slice and serve.
Leftover gold: Perfect for sandwiches, hash, or soup after the big meal.

up close shot of the slices of a double smoked spiral ham

What you’ll need

Spiral ham – I used a 10lb, bone-in. You could also use this recipe with a regular ham.
Binder – I used mustard. You can use any yellow or Dijon mustard you have on hand, just enough to coat the surface lightly without it dripping off. Oil is another option.
Rub – I used our BBQ pork rub. It’s sweet, smoky, and perfectly balanced with just the right touch of heat and pairs perfectly with ham. Store-bought will work just fine.
Glaze – Honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, butter.
Smoker – For this recipe, you can use any style of smoker or pellet grill, as long as it can maintain a steady temperature of 250°F for three hours.
Wood – I used Bear Mountain Cherry pellets. You want to choose a mild, sweet wood for smoking ham; apple or maple also works well. Avoid mesquite, as it’s too harsh.
Saucepan – Or a vessel you can put on the smoker to make the glaze in.
Basting brush

Pro tip – If you opt for a store-bought rub, look for something with brown sugar, paprika, mustard, or chili powder in it.

What is a spiral ham?

A spiral ham is a bone-in or boneless ham that’s been pre-cooked and sliced into even, thin spirals around the bone. The slicing is done using a special machine, so you get uniform cuts that are easy to pull apart and serve, no carving skills needed.

Spiral hams are typically cured and smoked before you buy them, which means they’re fully cooked and safe to eat straight out of the packaging. But that also makes them perfect for reheating with added flavor, especially on the smoker.

a smoked spiral ham on a wooden board — We got our spiral ham from Porter Road

How to cook a twice smoked spiral ham

1. Fire up the smoker

Preheat your smoker to 250°F

I used my Traeger Timberline for this cook with Bear Mountain cherry pellets.

Pro tip – Using an offset smoker or a pit that runs dry? Add a small water pan near the firebox to increase humidity. This helps keep the exposed slices of the spiral ham from drying out during the cook.

2. The binder

Apply a thin layer of mustard all over the ham to help the rub stick. There are two ways you could do this:

With your hands: Pour a small amount of mustard directly onto the ham and rub it all over, getting into the slices and around the bone. This method gives you more control, especially on those inner cuts. Gloves are probably a good idea with this option.
With a brush: Use a silicone or basting brush to spread the mustard evenly over the surface. This method is a little tidier and works well if your ham is cold and firm.

Pro tip – Be gentle when working around the spiral cuts so you don’t separate the slices too much. You want them to stay intact so the ham stays juicy during the cook.

a smoked spiral ham covered in a mustard binder — The binder adds no noticeable flavor once cooked, but it ensures the seasoning holds to those spiral slices and forms a flavorful crust.

3. Season

I like to use a shaker when applying the rub. It makes it easier to get even coverage across the whole ham, which is especially helpful with spiral-sliced cuts.

Give the ham a good seasoning all over. Make sure to season a few of the slices inside for an even deeper flavor.

a spiral ham covered in seasoning. — A shaker also helps you avoid over-seasoning. Too much rub in one spot can turn salty fast, especially once the glaze goes on and starts to caramelize.

4. Smoke

Here, I share some post-smoking knowledge that will make handling the ham and cleanup way easier. Place the ham on a wire rack over a foil-lined tray or sheet pan!

Place the ham into the smoker and close the lid.

When cooking a big piece of meat like this, I like to insert a wireless meat thermometer like the ThermoPro TempSpike at the beginning of the cook. It takes the guesswork out of knowing when it’s time to baste and when your ham is done. An instant read thermometer would be another option.

a spiral ham in the smoker with a temperature probe stuck in it — The smoking time for this type of ham is 15-20 minutes per pound. This ham was 10lb and took almost three hours.

Leave the ham alone for about 2¼ hours, then check the internal temperature. When the internal temperature reaches 130°F, it’s time to baste it.

Pro tip – If using a pellet grill, start at 225°F for more smoke flavor and raise it to 245–250°F after the first hour.

5. The glaze

To make the glaze, combine the brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, and butter in a saucepan. Stir everything to incorporate it well, then place it on your stovetop or smoker and bring it to a simmer. Cook, stirring now and then, to reduce and thicken the sauce, about 15 minutes.

a pot of ham glaze on the smoker — If you want extra glaze to serve alongside the ham, double the recipe.

Glaze variations

You can use the glazes from our other smoked ham recipes for this spiral ham.

Maple and mustard – maple syrup, mustard, brown sugar, cinnamon, and allspice.
Smoked cranberry – whole cranberry sauce, brown sugar, orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes.
Pineapple and Bourbon – BBQ rub, brown sugar, Bourbon, dark molasses, red wine vinegar, and pineapple preserves.
Peach – peach preserves, BBQ seasoning, and butter
Hot honey and Bourbon – hot honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, BBQ seasoning, and Bourbon.

6. Baste

With a basting brush, apply a few layers of the glaze all over the ham, and try to get it into the open slices as well.

Let it tack up and set until it reaches an internal temperature of 140-145°F, then remove it from the smoker.

a double smoked spiral ham on a wooden board — Give the ham another layer of glaze once it has finished smoking.

7. Slice and serve

Unfortunately, there really is no pretty way to slice spiral ham.

You can carefully turn the ham on its side, cut around the bone, and then pull the pieces of ham away.

Sometimes, the ham detaches itself from the bone after it’s been cooked, and minimal cutting is required. Wearing cotton glove liners and latex gloves, you can separate the ham from the bone without burning your hands.

Twice smoking a spiral ham is an easy way to take a pre-cooked classic and turn it into something special. It’s a low-effort, crowd-pleasing centerpiece that’s perfect for holidays, gatherings, or even just stocking up on flavorful leftovers.

Did this twice smoked ham steal the show on your table? Let us know in the comments below, and leave a rating.

Main event meats for feeding a crowd

Double Smoked Ham with Maple-Mustard Glaze

Cajun Smoked Turkey

Traeger Smoked Ham with Pineapple Bourbon Glaze

Smoked Whole Turkey

Twice Smoked Spiral Ham

This twice smoked spiral ham adds wood-fired flavor and a sticky-sweet glaze to a pre-cooked ham, creating a juicy, caramelized holiday centerpiece.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3 20

Servings

Calories 621kcal

Author Jordan Hanger

Ingredients

10 lb Smoked spiral ham
½ cup BBQ Pork rub or as much as needed per size of ham
¼ cup mustard Dijon or yellow

Glaze

½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup honey
½ stick butter

Instructions

Fire up your smoker to 250°F.
Apply a thin layer of Dijon mustard all over the entire ham.
Using your rub, season the ham liberally on all sides. Place the ham on a wire rack over a foil-lined tray or sheet pan. Put it in the smoker, close the lid, and let it smoke for 2¼ hours.
At the 2¼ hour mark, start checking the internal temperature. When the ham reaches 130°F, it's time to apply a good slathering of glaze all over. Make sure to get into all the open slices.
Finish smoking the ham until the internal temperature reaches 140-145°F.
Remove from the smoker and apply another coating glaze if you have some left over.

Glaze

Combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring now and then, until the sauce reduces, and thickens, about 15 minutes.

Notes

Applying the rub -I like to use a shaker when applying the rub. It makes it easier to get even coverage across the whole ham, which is especially helpful with spiral-sliced cuts.

Wood – Choose a mild, sweet wood for smoking ham; cherry, apple, or maple work well. Avoid mesquite, as it’s too harsh.

Using an offset smoker or a pit that runs dry? Add a small water pan near the firebox to increase humidity. This helps keep the exposed slices of the spiral ham from drying out during the cook.

If using a pellet grill, start at 225°F for more smoke flavor and raise it to 245–250°F after the first hour.

Smoking time – It will take about 15-20 minutes per pound.

The glaze – double the recipe if you want some to serve alongside.