Smoked Ham on the Big Green Egg produces a tender, smoky ham with a sweet bourbon glaze. Here you'll find complete instructions and a recipe for the flavorful glaze. This method is specifically for hams that are not spiral-sliced.
These directions and glaze recipe are ideal for smoked ham on the Big Green Egg (or other smoker) when you have an old school ham, not the spiral sliced version so popular these days.
Our top new recipe of 2024 was Maple Bourbon Glaze and it's amazing on this ham. One reader's comment - "How yummy! I could eat this glaze with a spoon it's so good!"
We realized there was a need for this when we wanted to smoke a ham on the Egg and could find very little in the way of recipes, tutorials or instructions except for those designed for spiral sliced hams.
We are honored that Big Green Egg has chosen our recipe to be featured on their official website. Thanks BGE!
Update: We have moved and the new owner of our house is now loving our Egg smoker. At the new place we decided to try a Kamado Joe and we are as crazy about it as we always were the BGE. Order your own Joe here!
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Why not spiral sliced?
We enjoy a spiral sliced ham - love them, in fact. But a spiral sliced ham is really meant to be eaten cold, or just warmed up. Being pre-sliced makes it subject to dry out if you do anything else.
Also, as the glaze seeps down between the slices it gives a completely different flavor to the ham. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but different from a ham like I grew up eating - and probably you too.
Sometimes I like to have a ham that I can cut big thick slices from. Using leftovers for dishes like a frittata, are easier with a ham that you can cut up however you like.
So, for those reasons and more, we like to occasionally have the good old fashioned version, and smoking a precooked ham is a great way to get it.
It gives a smoky flavor like no other, and you can still glaze for a little sweetness on the outside. A big benefit is you can have that grill master cook the meat and leave your oven free for other dishes like Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Carrots, Aged Gouda Potato Gratin, Roasted Carrots and Green Beans, corn soufflé casserole or Macaroni & Cheese. One of our favorite sides for this main is Fried Apples.
If you love all things smoked you'll want to make Smoked Deviled Eggs, Smoked Mac & Cheese and Smoked Baked Beans too. It's really cool that you make the mac & cheese it all in one pan or skillet and start with uncooked noodles. They cook as you smoke it.
With just a little space left on the smoker you can toss on a piece of fish. Use it to make the most amazing Smoked Fish Dip you've ever tasted. You can also use that space to make smoked butter. It goes great on so many things!
Ingredient notes
- As mentioned before, you'll want a pre-cooked half ham (butt or shank portion) that has not been spiral sliced.
- Apple juice or some other type juice for your smoker pan. Cranberry, orange or pineapple juice would all be good.
- Fresh fruit that has been cut up. Again, use what you have on hand. We like apples, oranges and pineapple, but lemons, limes or pears would work.
- Brown sugar for the glaze - light brown is what we keep on hand, but you could use dark brown.
- Black pepper - freshly ground is always best.
- Bourbon - We've always got it handy, but if you don't you can use another type whiskey or rum. If you don't have any liquor just use some of the unsweetened fruit juice that you used in your pan.
- Syrup - Cane syrup is best. Alternates are maple syrup or molasses.
How to Smoke Ham on the Green Egg (or other smoker like Kamado Joe)
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- Start out by soaking wood chips (we like applewood) in water at least 4 hours, up to overnight.
- With a sharp knife score the fatty side of a ham (shank or butt portion, 7-12 lbs.) in a checkerboard pattern. Make the cuts about 1 inch apart and about 1 inch deep. (there's a photo below of the cooked ham that illustrates)
- Build a charcoal fire in your Big Green Egg. When it becomes hot scatter the wood chips.
- Fill a pan about 1 inch deep (we use a disposable aluminum pan) with apple juice if you have it, water if not. Add cut up fruit for more flavor. Here we used apples and oranges.
- Set a plate setter in the Big Green Egg. (This is an essential tool for indirect cooking (smoking) on the Big Green Egg.) We covered ours with foil.
- Place the pan filled with juice and fruit on the plate setter.
- Allow the heat to reach 275 degrees.
- Over that place the grill, and this is where you'll set your ham.
- Cook for approximately 1 hour for every two pounds of weight of the ham, maintaining as close to 275 degrees as possible. Brush with glaze, like this Maple Bourbon Glaze, during the last hour. Ham should reach an internal temperature of 155 - 160 degrees for best flavor, but ham is cooked and fully safe at lower temperatures.
You can see what I mean about scoring the fatty side from this photo of the completed ham. These cuts help the ham absorb the smoke, but without drying it out.
During the last hour or so we like to put a basket of Smoked Vegetables on for a unique side dish. You can use whatever is fresh and that your friends and family love.
If your smoker is large enough and you've got a crowd coming you'll want to consider making Smoked Beef Short Ribs too.
For a side that complements the ham perfectly we like to make this Salad with Grapefruit and Champagne Vinaigrette.
This recipe made the suggested list for the Backyard BBQ Menu Ideas. You'll want to visit for lots of other recipes as well as tips, tricks and planning help for your cookout.
FAQs about smoking a ham on the Big Green Egg
It's not ideal. Like with the spiral sliced version a boneless ham would dry out before little, if any smoke flavor actually reached the meat.
You can certainly leave the glaze off if you prefer. It gives a level of sweetness that many people like, but it's not necessary.
You could use just water. The fruit and juice adds a bit of flavor, but the majority of the flavor comes from the wood used for smoking.
Storing the smoked ham
You can keep your entire ham covered tightly in aluminum foil in the fridge for 5-6 days. You can also slice it and store the slices in the same way.
To freeze we recommend slicing and then double wrapping first in plastic wrap and then in foil. The ham slices will keep for up to 3-4 months this way.
📖 Recipe
Smoked Ham on Big Green Egg
Ingredients
- 1 7-12 pound ham, fully cooked not spiral sliced
- 3 cups apple juice water or other juice can be used
- 2 cups cut up fruit apples, oranges or other fruits
Glaze for Ham
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup bourbon
- ¼ cup syrup
- 2 Tablespoons brown mustard
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients together.
- Let sit for 2-3 hours and then stir again before glazing ham.
Smoked Ham on Big Green Egg
- Score fat portion of ham in checkerboard pattern, making cuts approximately 1 inch apart, and 1 inch deep.
- Build charcoal fire and when it becomes hot (red glowing coals) add soaked wood chips on top of hot coals.
- When temperature reaches 275 degrees set plate setter in grill and put pan filled with juice and fruit on top of plate setter.
- Put grill over plate setter and place ham on the grill.
- Cook for approximately 1 hour for every two pounds of weight, maintaining temperature as close to 275 degrees as possible by adjusting Big Green Egg vents.
- During last hour of cooking brush ham with glaze.
- Take ham off when it reaches an internal temperature of approximately 155-160 degrees.
Notes
- The number of servings will vary with the size of your ham.
- This recipe is not for a fresh ham or a spiral sliced ham, but a pre-cooked ham.
Nutrition
A few items you will need for your Smoked Ham on the Big Green Egg:
- Plate Setter (accessory for Big Green Egg that creates an indirect heat atmosphere)
- Wood Chips (we like applewood for ham)
- Aluminum pans for juice or water and fruit
- Good sharp knife for scoring fat and slicing ham
We are confident that you'll love smoked ham on the Big Green Egg. Be sure to leave us comments or questions if you have them, and tag us when you post your photos on Instagram and Facebook.
A classic side dish for your ham is Baked Beans with Bacon and you'll love this version. Want something a little fancier? Look no further than Green Bean Bundles Wrapped in Bacon. They're easy, delicious and make a beautiful presentation.
Planning your Easter or other holiday meal will be a snap with the ham, green bean bundles and Garlic Herb Deviled Eggs.
Wanda says
In the recipe for glaze it says to add 1/4 cup syrup. What kind of syrup?8
Pam says
Wanda, We use cane syrup because it's what we usually have on hand. However, maple syrup or corn syrup would be fine too.
Dean Charlier says
I am using this recipe this weekend for Easter on my Primo Oval Xl, it looks amazing!
I am concerned as the smallest cooked Ham they had was 18lbs and it said it was a bone in smoked Hillshire Ham. They recommend 13-15 min per pound at 300 degrees, about 4.5 hours. If I do it for 1 hour for every 2 lbs it will be on for 9 hours at 275 degrees. I understand low and slow and the benefits of a Kamado style grill but that is twice as long as the package recommends in the oven with a 25 degree temp difference. They do suggest pulling it out of the oven at an internal of 120 degrees, I would follow your recipe though. I just don't want the ham done hours before the guest arrive.
Pam says
Wow, that's a big ham! If you want to go by the recommended internal temperature of 120 for your ham it would certainly cut down on the time it's in the smoker, though I'd only be guessing at how much - maybe two hours? As far as it being done hours before your guests arrive - We're cooking ours on Saturday and then will wrap it in foil in the fridge overnight. Not sure if we'll warm it back up or serve cold, but the extra time for that smoke flavor to permeate the meat is a plus, in my opinion. Hope you enjoy!
Dean says
Thanks Pam! I will just watch my temps and pull it when its done, reheat if needed!
I'll let you know how it goes!
Luke says
Thank you. Easter morning and I just finished making the glaze which taste pretty darn good. Peach wood chips are soaking while my Big Green Egg is clean and waiting for the fire to start in about an hour or so. Looking forward to the finished product!
Pam says
I bet it turned out great! Happy Easter!!!
Rich says
Pam,
Only had my Green Egg since last Saturday. Smoked an 8 pound ham today for Easter. Followed your recipe. Turned out great, no left overs as well.
Thanks
Rich
Pam says
That's great, Rich. Thanks for letting us know. (you are going to love your BGE!)
Pagona says
Hello,
I have an uncooked boneless 8 lb ham I want to smoke in the green egg. How long should I smoke it for and at what temperature? I dont want to dry it out by over smoking before the guests get to eat it.
Pam says
Pagona, Our recipe is for a fully cooked ham. If yours is uncooked I would check what internal temperature it needs to reach to be done. The beauty of smoking on the Big Green Egg is that you are cooking over indirect heat and with moisture so that keeps the ham from drying out. But again, I would make sure the internal temperature gets to the recommended level for safety.
William Vanderbloemen says
I’m cooking Thanksgiving for 25. Doing two medium turkeys on the BGE and considering this as well (small ham).
If I did the ham the day before, and served cold, do you think the flavor would hold?
I’m concerned about cook space and different temps. I have an XL bge.
Pam says
Yes, I do, William. In fact, having the ham wrapped up for a day should just intensify the flavors. Cook luck!
Benny says
Made the ham today for Easter lunch it turned out wonderful just did it on my regular grill with my wood on one end and my ham on the other end. Did my ham last night and I took mine off at 135 and wrapped in foil and served the next day at room temperature it was really good.
Pam says
Sounds awesome! We like cooking it the day before and letting it sit to get those good smoke flavors throughout.
Patrick says
I tried this recipe today and it was hands down the best ham I have ever tasted! So good! I will definitely use this recipe again. I used Jim Beam honey bourbon and snuck a little honey in the glaze to the ingredients and it turned out fantastic.
Pam says
Wow! So happy it turned out great! Thank you for coming back and letting us know. Hope y'all had a great Easter.
Bart says
Followed the recipe and our ham was a hit! The glaze... YUM!
Pam says
Thanks for letting us know, Bart! Hope y'all had a great Easter.
Billy Dixon says
Why would you resmoke a smoked ham? I buy a fresh or "green" ham and do all the smoking myself.
Pam says
Hi Billy and thanks for stopping by. Not all cured hams are smoked, but truthfully we love adding more smoke flavor even to the ones that are. I'm sure yours is fabulous too. Hope you have a happy Thanksgiving!
Jan says
What is an alternative to the Boutbon? Or another glaze suggestion? Bought the ham today, looking forward to smoking it for a Thanksgiving!
Pam says
Jan, any type whiskey would work instead of the bourbon. If you don't want to use any alcohol you might try a couple of spoonsful of vanilla and balance that with water or apple juice, though we have not tested it that way. Come back and let us know how it turns out. Happy Thanksgiving!
Jan says
Thank you I will! 🙂
Darin says
Everyone in my household loves this!!! We use a generous amount of cherrywood smoking sticks (hearts) plus 1 can of del monte gold pineapple rings. 10/10 every time.
Pam says
That's so great to hear. Thanks for letting us know, Darin!
Josh says
This recipe never disappoints... made it for at least the fourth time this weekend for New Year’s and it turned out great although it only took about 45-50 mins per 2 pounds on our 10.8 pound ham.
Dean Charlier says
I have made this recipe at least 4 times and absolutely love it! My daughters brought their boyfriends over for dinner for the first time together and they devoured it. The crazy thing, is they both said after they never liked ham before, it always seemed dry to them with little or no flavor. Seriously, if followed exactly, this is one of my favorite recipes to make on my smokers. Tons of flavor and very tender!
Pam says
yay! Thanks so much for stopping by to let us know Dean!
K says
Hello! I have wood chunks from Blues Hog that do not require any soaking... about how many chunks should I do?
Pam says
That's hard to say without knowing the size K.
K says
Also wondering … do you use a pit thermometer? Or just going by the thermometer that is on the egg?
Pam says
We just use the egg thermometer.