While the kids hunt for pastel-hued colored eggs, and neon-colored plastic eggs that pop open to reveal candy, stickers, or tiny toys inside, the adults usually look forward to Easter brunch or family dinners that traditionally include glazed spiral ham or rack of lamb, potato salad, crisp green beans and roasted asparagus. Our Easter ham uses a bone-in spiral ham, which is precut for easy carving and is already cooked. Simply heat in a low oven for a couple of hours, and brush with our sweet and savory No-Soy Island Teriyaki for an all-in-one sauce without the brown sugar, soda, or syrup used in other ham glazes. This two-ingredient Easter ham recipe provides a show-stopping centerpiece for any holiday meal. 

Why Do We Eat Ham on Easter?

Sweet, salty, and savory, Easter ham provides a delectable main dish that serves a crowd. It pairs well with young spring green vegetables like asparagus or a baby gem lettuce salad, snappy green beans or buttered sweet peas, and the salty, savory flavor of the ham accentuates the creaminess of potato salad.

Flavor aside, why do we tend to eat ham on Easter? The tradition appears to date back to the sixth century in Europe, where pig farmers would slaughter, cure, and hang pigs during the fall. Ham would be one of the few meats available to eat by early spring, the timing of which conveniently matched that of the Easter holiday of Christianity. It’s reasonable to believe that early settlers in America brought these traditions with them.

Easter Ham

Ingredients

• 1 spiral ham (8–10 pounds)
• 1 bottle Primal Kitchen No-Soy Island Teriyaki Sauce

How to Cook an Easter Spiral Ham

Time: 2 hours 35 minutes

Servings: 20

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 250ºF.
• Remove packaging on the ham, and remove any plastic disk that may be on the underside of the ham bone.
• Place ham in a shallow roasting pan, cut side down.
• Bake ham for about 1 hour and 40 minutes (for an 8-pound ham), or 2 hours and 10 minutes (for a 10-pound ham).
• Remove ham from oven and baste with Primal Kitchen No-Soy Island Teriyaki Sauce. Apply several coats of the teriyaki sauce to the ham. Place ham back in the oven to bake for another 20 minutes.
• Total bake time for spiral ham: Bake ham for about 15 minutes per pound until the internal temperature reaches 140ºF (about 2 hours for an 8-pound ham, and 2 hours and 30 minutes for a 10-pound ham; these times are estimates, and your oven may differ.).
• Remove ham from oven once the internal temperature reaches 140ºF. Spoon juices over top of the ham, and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.
• Let ham rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving.

How to Cut a Spiral Ham

Spiral hams come with one continuous cut from one end to the other. Because of this remade cut, spiral hams are easy to slice when hot or cold. Simply cut away the ham slice from the center bone when you’re ready to serve it.

Nutrition Info (per serving):

Calories: 461

Carbs: 11 grams

Fat: 28 grams

Protein: 45 grams

Build your Easter menu with this Easter ham recipe as well as any of these other dishes:

• Potato Salad
• Leg of Lamb with Pistachio Pesto 
• Green Bean Casserole 
• Gluten-Free Penne with Pesto, Broccoli & Asparagus

• Mixed Greens Flower Salad 
• Spinach Deviled Eggs 
• Cauliflower Gnocchi 
• Lemon Turmeric Roasted Potatoes