Smoked Carver Ham

Move over spiral-cut ham, there’s a new ham in town! Smoked Carver Ham is meaty, licked with a touch of smoke, and the glaze on top is going to rock your world! Pull out this ham for Easter or whenever you want to impress and watch everyone gobble it up!

Spiral-cut hams took the culinary world by storm, but they’re big, have a giant bone in them – which you get to pay for – and can dry out. Sure, they look nice, but you’ll be stuck with ham for days if you don’t have to feed a crowd.

What’s A Carver Ham?

Boneless carver hams are good-quality smoked hams that are smaller in size and that are meant to be sliced. You can carve the ham at the table or carve it ahead of time and serve it on a lovely plate or platter. Carver hams, like every ham, are already cooked from the smoking process. But, I’ve ladled on a thick, sweet and spicy glaze and popped it onto the smoker for an extra dose of smoky goodness. This double-smoked ham is so good you’ll never want it any other way!

Ingredients

• Carver ham – About 3-4 pounds. This will easily feed 6 people with some leftover ham.
• Brown sugar
• Maple syrup – Use real syrup.
• Cider vinegar
• Dijon mustard
• Ground Cinnamon
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Ground cloves
• Chipotle powder

How To Make The Best Smoked Carver Ham

Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.

Begin by removing the ham from the refrigerator about 2 hours before smoking. Allowing it to warm up slightly will help reduce the cooking time and can help prevent the ham from drying out.

Preheat your smoker to 300°F according to the manufacturer’s instructions. A Traeger smoker works well for this recipe, but any smoker can be used.

While the smoker is heating, combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, cinnamon, onion powder, garlic powder, ground cloves, and chipotle powder in a small saucepan. Cook the mixture over low heat until it becomes bubbly and the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.

Using a sharp knife, score the top of the ham in a cross-hatch pattern, spacing the cuts about 1 inch apart. Cut through the fat layer and slightly into the meat.

Place the ham in a smoker-safe container and spoon the glaze evenly over the top, allowing some of it to settle into the scored cuts.

Transfer the ham to the smoker and cook at 300°F for about 2 hours, or until it is heated through.

Once the ham is hot and ready to serve, slice it and drizzle the extra glaze over the top.

Serve and enjoy!

Chef Jenn’s Tips

• I keep a stack of recyclable/disposable foil containers on hand for smokes like this, so I don’t have to worry about smoke residue on my good dishes.
• Like it spicy? Double the chipotle powder.
• You can use honey instead of maple syrup for this Traeger smoked ham recipe.
• Cut slices as thin or thick as you like!
• Save the leftovers for eggs Benedict, sandwiches, or just snacking.

Make It A Meal

Storage

Store any leftover smoked ham in your fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can also freeze ham. I like to freeze it in meal-sized portions and vacuum seal it to freeze it longer. It’ll keep for months this way.