Double Smoked Ham

With this easy double smoked ham recipe (a.k.a. twice-smoked ham), you’ll get a fancy restaurant quality meal for a fraction of the cost.

Let’s face it. The Holidays can be stressful. I promise you that making twice smoked ham is 100% stress free with this method.

The extra kiss of smoke and the sweet and sticky glaze are the perfect combo to make your double smoked ham (and you) the star of the show.

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I honestly can’t think of another main dish recipe that gives such amazing results for so little effort, although my juicy smoked turkey recipe is probably a close second. If you’re also making a turkey for this special occasion, be sure to check out my turkey rub.

Of course, you don’t need to wait for Christmas or Easter to smoke a spiral ham. Seasonal sales are nice, but they’re available all year for a reasonable price.

How to Double Smoke a Ham

I’ve followed some top recipes out there for twice smoked spiral ham in the past. I hate to say it, but while the results have been good, the outer edges of the meat can dry out and be quite tough.

We are going to avoid those problems by wrapping the ham to start. This is NOT considered a standard practice, but it does give superior results in my opinion. When the time comes, we’ll get some good smoke on our ham while the hot honey Dijon glaze gets nice and happy. The results are to die for.

I like to use my Weber Kettle grills for this, but you could use a pellet grill, kamado, or any smoker that allows for indirect cooking.

Oh yes I almost forgot one of the best parts…the ham gravy!

We’ll mix up the pan drippings with a quick and easy roux for an amazing gravy to serve with our ham.

While the smoker gets fired up, let’s cover some essentials.

Double Smoked Ham FAQ

What type of ham for double smoked ham?

While there’s lots of amazing hams out there, we are going to use a bone-in half ham that’s been wet cured and smoked, also called a City Ham. The label will say something like “ready to eat” “fully cooked” “ready to serve” etc.

I prefer hams that have been spiral cut, but you could certainly go uncut if you like. The spiral cut hams cook a bit faster and allow for a bit more flavor to penetrate. They’re also easy to serve.

If you don’t have a large crowd, or you don’t want leftovers, this recipe works very well with boneless spiral cut quarter hams, but those will cook even faster.

Why is it called double smoked?

The term “double smoked” just means that we’re cooking ham that’s already been smoked and adding just the right amount of extra smoke flavor.

What’s the smoked ham done temp?

The USDA recommends heating a cured and smoked ham that’s been packaged in USDA inspected plants to 140 °F.

Many people believe that since the ham is cured and ready to eat cold, that they are being overly cautious.  I’ve tested only heating to 120 °F, but since I wrap my ham to start, it turns out better going to 140 degrees.

What type of wood for double smoked ham?

This is a matter of personal preference, but I like fruit woods such as cherry or apple. Maple is nice but not readily available in many parts of the country. My other choice would be hickory, or a mix of a fruit wood with hickory.

The ham we are double smoking has already been smoked once and doesn’t need a ton of extra smoke. This works out great since we are wrapping the ham to start.

One large, or two medium-sized chunks of wood is plenty…but if you like a bit more, the ham can take it.

One final note…for whatever reason I find that getting an accurate probe (internal) temperature can be difficult with spiral cut hams.

Maybe it’s the proximity to the bone or maybe it’s the cuts.

Whatever the reason, it’s critical to have both a decent probe thermometer, and a reliable instant-read thermometer. Here are my choices, which are very affordable.

ThermoPro TP25 650FT Wireless Meat Thermometer with 4 Probes, Bluetooth Meat Thermometer for Cooking, BBQ Oven Food Smoker Thermometer Rechargeable

Professional 3X Faster 0.5sec Instant Read Meat Thermometer Digital, High Accuracy ±0.5°F, IP67 Waterproof, Auto Wake/Sleep & Rotate Display, NSF & NIST Certified, Backlight Fry Oil Candy Thermometer

If you’re new to grilling and smoking and would like some pointers, I would love it if you checked out my ultimate guide for grilling tips and tricks.

Double Smoked Ham

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author: The Kettle Guy
• Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
• Yield: 12 servings 1x

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Description

If you’re thinking about making a double smoked ham, it’s probably going to be for a special occasion or holiday (though it certainly doesn’t have to be). If you follow this recipe, I promise you the results will have you feeling proud and your guests amazed. 

The cherry hot honey glaze is out of this world and the ham gravy is the perfect way to set off the flavors in this easy, but impressive meal. 

You can use any type of smoker for this recipe, but if you’re using a Weber Kettle grill, look for the Kettle below for detailed instructions!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 Bone-In Spiral Cut Half Ham (7–12 lbs)

For The Glaze

• 1/2 cup Hot Honey (or regular honey if preferred)
• 1/2 cup Cherry Preserves (see note 1)
• 3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar (Light or Dark)
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
• 1 Teaspoon Rubbed Sage (or 1/2 teaspoon ground sage)
• For The Gravy
• 2 cups Pan Drippings
• 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt (to taste)
• 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper (to taste)

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Instructions

1. Start preheating your smoker to 250 °F
2. Unwrap your ham and remove any packaging. Rinse thoroughly with cold water, allowing some water to get in between the spiral cuts. If your ham is already glazed, be sure to rinse it off well. 
3. Place the ham cut side down (flat side) in an aluminum half-pan, oven-safe baking dish, or dutch oven
4. Insert a temperature probe in to the thickest part of the ham, without touching the bone
5. Tightly wrap the pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Since the ham will be wrapped to start, we won’t need to worry about adding extra smoke yet
6. When the smoker has reached 250 °F, place the pan on the smoker away from direct heat
7. After the ham goes on the smoker, it’s time to prepare the glaze. Mix all of the glaze ingredients in a medium bowl until well incorporated and set aside at room temperature
8. Cook the ham until the internal temperature reaches 110 °F (about 90 minutes, but times will vary depending on exact cook temp, weather, and the size of the ham)
9. Carefully remove the pan from the smoker and unwrap the ham
10. Brush the ham with 1/2 of the glaze (about 3/4 cup). Place the ham in the pan back on the smoker uncovered. Now that the ham is unwrapped, we’ll be smoking it for the rest of the cook. If your smoker requires the addition of wood chunks, add them now
11. Cook until the ham reaches 125 °F internal. Brush the ham with the remaining glaze. Now is a good time to double check the internal temperature with your instant-read thermometer in a few different spots
12. Cook until the internal temperature of the ham reaches 140 °F. Carefully remove the pan from the smoker and set aside. Remove the ham from the pan and place on a cutting board or carving platter. Reserve the liquid in the pan for gravy

Preparing the Gravy

1. Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter on medium heat in a medium frying or sauce pan
2. Add the 3 tablespoons of flour a little at a time, whisking constantly. This is known as a roux. Continue whisking and cooking for 2-3 minutes. If it seems like the roux is in danger of burning, reduce heat to low or remove from heat entirely while still whisking
3. Add 2 cups of pan drippings we reserved earlier a little at a time, still whisking vigorously until all the liquid as been incorporated. (see note 2) Bring to a low boil and cook on medium heat for 2 more minutes while whisking occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon each is perfect for me). See note 3

Weber Kettle Instructions

Because this is a bit of a longer cook, we’ll be using the snake method. Whether you’re cooking on a 22″ or a 26″ kettle, you’ll want to make a 2×1 charcoal snake. In either case, light 15 coals in a chimney to start. When they are mostly ashed over (about 15 minutes) place them carefully at the head of the snake

Place a thermometer probe on the grill grate away from the lit coals. Use either a clip, a ball of foil, or a small potato to keep it in place

Follow steps 2 through 5 above

As the grill approaches 250 °F, the temperature will likely want to keep going up a bit. We’ll get ahead of it by closing either the top or bottom vent by 3/4 when the probe temp reads 245 °F. Any cooking temp between 225 and 275 will be fine. Once the ham goes on, the temp should settle in somewhere in that range. You shouldn’t need to adjust the vent much, but you can open it up if you need to raise the temp some

Follow the rest of the steps above. During step 10 we’ll add our smoking wood chunks. One large or two medium sized chunks will be enough

Notes

I really like the flavor and color of the cherry preserves, but other fruits work really well too, especially apricot and peach.

You should have plenty of drippings in the pan to make 2 cups. If not, you can use any leftover glaze, chicken stock/broth, Better Than Bouillon Ham Base, fruit preserves, water, or apple juice to make up the difference.

You may want to taste the gravy before adding any salt and pepper.

If you want to go easy mode, you could start the ham in the oven at 250 °F until it reaches 110 °F internal and then just finish on the smoker. Don’t worry, it’ll be our secret.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Smoking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 3 oz
• Calories: 150
• Sugar: 8g
• Sodium: 890mg
• Fat: 7g
• Saturated Fat: 2.5g
• Unsaturated Fat: 4.5g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 10g
• Fiber: 0g
• Protein: 14g
• Cholesterol: 50mg