Preparing a whole ham, especially one as large as an 11-pound ham, may seem understandably daunting, and many people are also mostly confused about the appropriate cooking time. However, this traditional holiday main dish is as simple as it is stunning, provided that you understand a few tricks and tips to get you going.

In this article, you’ll learn all you need to know about cooking an 11-pound ham for holidays such as Christmas and Easter. Also, learn about the appropriate cooking times and helpful tips to make this process easy and fulfilling.

Ham Nutrition Facts

Tips for Cooking Ham

When cooking up ham recipes, you’ll be needing the following tips:

Choosing a ham – There are various sorts of ham available at the market. Spiral sliced hams, bone-in unsliced hams, and boneless hams are the three forms.

Unsliced hams with the bones allow you to cut slices to your desired thickness. The bone is removed from boneless hams, and the ham is pushed back together during the curing process to achieve a uniform shape. Boneless hams can sometimes have a different texture than typical hams.

Many people prefer spiral sliced hams when choosing a ham to cook. They’re simple to make because they come pre-sliced in sizes that are excellent for sandwiches or serving, and it’s also a lovely centerpiece for your dinner table. Seasoning packets are frequently included with spiral sliced hams, but you could make your own glaze instead.

Let the ham sit at room temperature – Allow the ham to come to room temperature for a few hours before cooking; otherwise, the inside will be cold when the outside is adequately cooked.

Ensure that you don’t overcook the ham – Even though many package instructions say to cook the ham to an internal temperature of 140°F, that’s just asking for a dry ham. Remember, the ham is already cooked!

Follow the cooking instructions on the package – Do this if you’re working with a partially cooked or uncooked ham rather than a ready-to-eat ham; most packages recommend cooking a partially cooked ham to 150°F.

Wrap a spiral-cut ham securely in foil before cooking – If you use a spiral-cut ham and don’t wrap it securely enough in foil, the outer regions of the ham can dry out.

How to Store – Leftover ham can keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days if wrapped well, and it can be frozen for 3 to 4 months if wrapped and sealed in a zip-top bag or an airtight container.

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Cooking Time for 11 LB Ham

Before estimating the cooking time for your ham, you must first determine if the ham is bone-in or boneless, whether it has already been fully cooked or if the package label says to cook it before eating. Uncooked hams must be cooked to 145°F for food safety, regardless of the bone. For food safety, the already cooked hams just need to be heated to 140°F.

The guidelines below are meant to give you an idea of when your 11 lb ham will be done, but you should check the internal temperature of each ham with a food thermometer.

Ham type	Timing and temperature
Pre-Cooked and Bone-In Ham	Heat the ham at 325°F for 15-18 minutes per pound. Let the internal temperature reach 140°F
Pre-Cooked and Boneless Ham	Heat at 325°F for 10-18 minutes per pound. Make sure that the internal temperature reaches 140°F.
Uncooked and Bone-In Ham	Cook full bone-in hams weighing between 10 and 14 pounds for 18 to 20 minutes per pound at 325°F. Ensure that the internal temperature reaches 145°F

Glazed Baked Ham (12 servings)

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Instructions

Remove the ham from the refrigerator a few hours before you plan to cook it (still wrapped) to allow it to get to room temperature. It will warm up more evenly as a result of this.
Preheat your oven to 325°F.
Place the ham in a foil-lined roasting pan, fat side up.
With a sharp knife, score a diamond pattern in the fat, about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch deep, with parallel lines about 1 1/2-inches apart. (If you’re using a spiral cut ham, you won’t need to do this.)
Only score the fat and any skin, not the meat itself. You can score the fat all the way down to the point where it touches the meat. You can remove any remaining skin from the ham if you wish to, but it isn’t necessary.
If you’re using cloves with the Sweet Honey Mustard Glaze, you can add them before or after the glaze. They look better if you apply them afterward, but putting them in first allows you to see the lines in the ham as a guide for placement.
To make a lovely pattern around the top and sides of the ham, place the cloves in the middle of the diamonds (or along the edges of some of the precut slices if using spiral cut).
In a separate bowl, combine the mustard and brown sugar if using the sweet honey mustard glaze.
If using the honey thyme glaze, combine the thyme and hot melted butter in a small bowl and let aside for a few minutes. Reduce the cider vinegar from 1/4 cup to 1 tablespoon in a small saucepan over high heat, then remove from heat. Combine the butter and thyme in a mixing bowl. Combine the honey, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce in a mixing bowl.
Brush the ham with the glaze of your choice using a pastry brush. Only approximately a third of it is used (reserve the rest for later in cooking). Work the glaze into the scored lines as much as possible.
Place the ham in the oven. (If using a spiral cut ham, cover it securely with aluminum foil before cooking so it doesn’t dry out.)
Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours (check after 1 hour; it will take longer if the ham is not at room temperature to begin with), or about 10 minutes per pound, until a meat thermometer reads 110°-120°. (Keep in mind that the ham is already cooked when you buy it; all you’re doing is reheating it for consumption.)
If you’re using a non-spiral cut ham, baste it with the glaze a few times while it’s cooking.
Baste the ham once more after it has reached the right temperature. (Open up the foil to uncover the ham before basting, if using a spiral cut ham)
Place the ham in the broiler for a few minutes, regardless of which ham you’re using, to get some good browning on the top. Remove the pan from the oven and brush the ham with the pan juices all over. Before serving, cover with aluminum foil and set aside for 15 minutes.
To slice a bone-in ham, start by cutting around the bone. Then chop off sections surrounding the bone with a long, sharp knife.

Notes

Another approach to slice the ham is to start with a wide slice to create a level surface. Then, starting at the wide end, stand the ham upright and cut slices down the side, moving around the bone.

If you need more recipe ideas on how to cook an 11lb ham, then you should check out this video recipe.

Author: Bobby

How Long To Cook 11lb Ham