Easiest Ham Recipe for a Crowd — It Never Fails
The Main Event Has Arrived — And It’s Wearing Pineapple Juice
Every single Easter, this easiest ham recipe is the centerpiece of my table — and it has never once let me down. I’ve been making ham this way for years, and the moment I tell people how simple it is, they don’t believe me. Three ingredients. Tight foil. About ten minutes per pound. That’s it. This year I made a nearly 13-pound spiral ham for 30 people at Easter lunch, and every single slice was juicy, tender, and absolutely perfect.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase through my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting StephanieCooksForACrowd.com!
Tools & Ingredients I Recommend for This Recipe
- Green Floral Apron (Shop on Amazon) — This is the exact apron Stephanie wears in this video! The green floral pattern is so pretty in the kitchen and the pockets are a lifesaver when you’re cooking for a crowd.
- Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil (Shop on Amazon) — The tight foil seal is the secret to a juicy ham. Don’t skip it and don’t go thin — Reynolds Wrap is what Stephanie always keeps on hand.
- Aluminum Foil Pans 9×13 30 Pack (Shop on Amazon) — A sturdy pan that holds all those juices is essential. These disposable pans are perfect for holiday cooking and potlucks — no dish to haul home!
- Need to stock your pantry? Find all the basics — flour, sugar, salt, and more — in the Stock Your Pantry section of my Shop My Kitchen page!
Easiest Ham Recipe for a Crowd — It Never Fails
Ingredients
Method
- Place ham in a sturdy baking dish — shallow is fine, but it needs to hold the juices.
- Pour pineapple juice all over the ham, getting it into the crevices of a spiral ham.
- Press whole cloves into the outside of the ham.
- Cover very tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake at 325°F for approximately 10 minutes per pound.
- Remove cloves before serving.
Video
Notes
Why This Easiest Ham Recipe Works Every Single Time
The secret to this easiest ham recipe is pineapple juice and patience. The pineapple juice does double duty — it adds a gentle sweetness and keeps the meat incredibly moist while it warms through. I save my pineapple juice whenever I make Pineapple Casserole the day before, so nothing goes to waste. The whole cloves go in around the outside of the ham, and as it bakes they perfume the whole kitchen with the most incredible holiday smell. Then you cover it tightly with foil — and I mean tightly — and let the oven do all the work.
This works on any ham. Spiral cut, bone-in, boneless — it doesn’t matter. Spiral ham is what I reach for most often because the slices are already done for you, which is a huge help when you’re feeding a crowd. According to the USDA, spiral-cut cooked hams should be reheated at 325°F to an internal temperature of 140°F — about 10 minutes per pound is the guideline, which is exactly what I follow.
A few tips to make it perfect:
Pour the juice all over. Don’t just pour it in the bottom of the pan — tip the ham and get pineapple juice into every crevice, especially if it’s spiral cut. Those slices will soak it right up.
Press the cloves in firmly. You want them to stay put while it bakes. Stick them all around the outside — they’re easy to spot and pull out with a fork before serving.
Cover it tight. This is non-negotiable. The foil traps all that steam and juice and keeps your ham from drying out. Use heavy duty foil and seal the edges down well.
Plan 10 minutes per pound. My nearly 13-pound ham went in at 325°F for about 130 minutes. Start checking the internal temperature around the 2-hour mark so you don’t overshoot it.
This is the recipe I reach for every Easter, every Christmas, every time I need a main dish that feels special without requiring me to spend the whole day in the kitchen. When you’re feeding a crowd, you need something reliable. This easiest ham recipe has earned its place at my table — and I think it will earn a place at yours too.
Find the Green Floral Apron and all the tools I use in my kitchen on my Shop My Kitchen page!
More Crowd-Pleasing Holiday Main Dishes
If this ham earned a spot on your table, here are a few more recipes that disappear just as fast when you’re feeding a crowd:
- Poppy Seed Chicken — The casserole Stephanie is literally not allowed to skip at a potluck. Creamy, crunchy, and gone in minutes.
- Carne Guisada Tacos — The crockpot dinner that feeds a crowd with almost zero effort. Rich, tender beef that’s ready when you are.
- 4 Ingredient No-Peek Chicken and Rice — Jason’s mom’s recipe. Four ingredients, one pan, zero peeking — and the whole family asks for it every week.
Want crowd-friendly recipes like this one in your inbox every Saturday? Join Stephanie’s weekly newsletter — it’s free, it’s fun, and there’s always room at the table!
Easiest Ham Recipe — About Stephanie’s Recipes
Stephanie’s recipes are a little bit of everything — treasured old family recipes passed down through generations, dishes she has developed and made her own over the years, great finds from church ladies (because if you want a good recipe, ask a church lady!), and inspiration from food bloggers and corners of the internet. Sometimes she flexes her culinary muscles and creates something spectacular. But most of the time? Quick, easy, and absolutely delicious. Because at the end of the day, Stephanie cooks for her family and her people — and the best recipe is the one that brings everyone to the table, keeps them there a little longer, and leaves them happy and full.
