Bourbon Praline Smoked Ham Recipe

This Smoked Ham with the Bourbon Praline glaze is the star of the show. For this recipe you’ll double smoke a carving ham – and it’s so simple anyone with a smoker can create this smoked ham masterpiece.

If you haven’t tried a smoked ham, you’re really missing out.

For this recipe I’m starting out with a fully cooked boneless Carving Ham weighing about 10lbs. Carving Hams are perfect for your Easter Diner because there’s no bone to deal with, and there’s no waste. You get beautiful slices, perfect for serving; and it makes a really spectacular centerpiece on the dinner table.

Like most hams found in the super market, these are fully cooked. On the package you’ll find directions for re-heating and most of them come with some sort of glaze pack. You can toss that aside because I have a quick glaze that’s really going to set off this smoked ham.

Take the ham out of the cryovac package and let any juice drain off. There’s no prep on this recipe all you need is a full size steam pan and a wire rack to keep the ham off the bottom of the pan.

Go ahead and fire up your smoker and bring it to 250⁰. I used my Ole Hickory Ace MM but any smoker or grill set up for indirect cooking will do the job.

This smoked ham takes about 15 minutes per pound, so we’re looking at a total time of 2 ½ hours. Once the smoker is up to temp, throw on a chunk of cherry and hickory wood.

Remember the ham is already smoked, so you don’t need too much. We’re bringing it up to serving temperature in a smoked environment hence the “double-smoked”.

You’ll want a good probe thermometer to keep from over-shooting internal temperature; I suggest the Themoworks Chef Alarm.

Place the smoked ham on the cooker and insert the probe into the thickest area, and set the alarm for 128⁰.

While the smoked ham is enjoying a smoke bath, it’s time to make the glaze. Here’s what you’ll need:

1 Stick of Butter
1 Cup of Brown Sugar
½ Cup of Chopped Pecans
2oz Bourbon
2oz Apple Juice

Melt half of the stick of butter in a small sauce pot over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and as it starts to melt, pour in the bourbon. The mixture needs to cook for several minutes to cook off the alcohol.

Once it starts to gently boil remove it from the heat and fold in the pecans. It will start to thicken at this point, so add the remaining butter and the apple juice. This will smooth out the glaze and give it a syrup-like consistency.

Set the glaze aside until the smoked ham reaches 130⁰ which should take about 2 hours of cook time.

When the alarm sounds, spread the glaze over the outside of the smoked ham. It needs to cook for 20 more minutes. Bump the setting on the chef alarm up to 140.

Once internal temperature reaches 140⁰ the ham is ready to come off the pit. Let it cool for 10-20 minutes before carving.

You can also smoke the ham ahead of time and hold it in dry cooler for a couple hours. Just cover it with aluminum foil and throw in a couple old towels to take up some air space in the cooler.

When you’re ready to serve; simply carve the smoked ham into slices. There’s no bone to deal with, so you really can’t mess up here. I start at the larger end and hold the knife a little on the bias to give the slices height. ¼” slices make perfect serving size portions.

This smoked ham could also be cooked in the oven, but I’m telling you the double smoke process is the way to go. The smoker gives it even more flavor and your family will think it’s the best ham they’ve ever tried.