Brown Bag Baked Ham produces an unbelievably juicy ham that's holiday-table ready. All you need is a ham and a bag!
“The reviews are in: Best Ham Ever! My kids could not stop commenting on the ham. It’s crazy good. And crazy simple.”
When it comes to my family’s Christmas and Easter menu, we don’t change things up too much from year to year.
There’s always Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole in the morning, followed by a feast including Party Potatoes Deluxe or Gluten Free Scalloped Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Wild Rice Stuffing, plus Fruit and Marshmallow Holiday Salad — plus Brown Bag Baked Ham.
Now THIS is a holiday staple if I’ve ever met one!
What is Brown Bag Baked Ham?
Brown Bag Baked Ham is as simple as the name implies: throw a ham in a brown bag then bake it. HA! My Mom, and her Mom before her have been making our holiday hams using this method for decades, and it yields the most delicious, juicy ham you’ll ever slice into.
Plus, like I said, it’s a no-brainer: bag + ham + bake. No glazing, no broiling, no brushing – just ham in all its juicy, porky glory. Amen.
What Kind of Bag to Use
For my entire life we’ve placed our hams inside a brown paper bag from the grocery store before baking. The first time my husband saw my Mom doing this, he about fell out of his chair thinking the house was going to burn down.
That said, the bag does not come close to the top, bottom, nor sides of the oven. Additionally, in recent years, we’ve made the move to using parchment paper roasting bags due to concerns over the materials, binders, and ink that modern-day grocery store paper bags may contain.
Good news: the parchment paper bags deliver the same ultra-juicy ham, and is just as easy to use!
Whole Ham vs Spiral Cut
One of the most common questions I get about this recipe is: Can I use a spiral cut ham?
We always use a whole, uncut ham for brown bag baked ham, which results in the juicy results you see in these photos. I’ve had many people use spiral cut hams and get the same results, though a small handful have reached out to say theirs turned out dry.
For a fool proof, super juicy, brown bag baked ham, I recommend using a whole, uncut ham.
Use Leftover Ham in Ham & Bean Soup
How to Make Brown Bag Baked Ham
Start with a bone-in smoked ham. We adore Amana hams, made in Amana, IA.
Plan on 1/2lb ham per person which sounds like a lot, but that’s figuring in the weight of the bone plus any fat that will be trimmed away.
Next, cut the handles off a brown paper grocery bag. Then, wait for it….
Put the ham in the bag. Told you it was easy! Again, if you don’t care to use a recycled bag with ink, you can use a parchment paper roasting bag.
Curl the top of the bag down then place the ham in the bag on a cooling rack set atop a 9×13″ baking pan and press the bag down around the ham.
Move the oven racks to the very top and very bottom of your oven (or remove the top rack entirely if you have a place to store it,) then place the ham inside and bake for 18 minutes per pound at 325 degrees.
For example, a 2lb ham should bake for 36 minutes. Be sure the bag isn’t touching the racks, back of the oven, or oven door.
Ta da!
As soon as you press the ham, the juices start flowing. Truly, the brown bag baking method makes The. Best. Ham. EVER. You’ve got to try it!
Slice the ham then serve it up with your choice of sides. Like I said, we usually go the party potatoes and green bean casserole route, but the ham will be the star.
Don’t forget to save the ham bone to include in Ham and Bean Soup!
From our family to yours – enjoy!
What to Make with Leftover Ham
- Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Rice Skillet
- Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup
- Cheesy Ham and Hash Brown Casserole
- Ham and Bean Soup
- Ham and Gnocchi Mac and Cheese
- Mini Ham and Cheese Quinoa Cups
Equipment
Ingredients
- Smoked, bone-in ham (1/2lb per person)
Directions
- Place oven racks in the lowest and highest positions (remove top rack entirely if you have a place to store it) then preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place a cooling rack on top of a 9×13" baking dish then set aside. Cut the handles off a paper grocery bag, or open a parchment paper baking bag if using, then place the ham inside.
- Roll the opening of the bag down then press the bag around the ham and place on top of the cooling rack. Bake for 18 minutes per pound (bake a 2lb ham for 36 minutes, for example) then let the ham sit in the bag for 20-30 minutes to steam. Remove the ham from the bag then slice and serve.
Notes
- Be sure the bag is not touching the sides of the oven, back of the oven, or baking racks.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I did a 7 pound ham on Easter everyone was making fun of me. Until they ate it. Now people that weren’t even there are asking me for the recipe. *eyeroll* :)
HA! Looks like you got the last laugh – love it!
Do you bake your other sides at the same time? How does that work with racks high/low?
Our Easter brown bag ham turned out perfectly juicy and tender. Our guests were a little freaked out when they saw the bag, but like others said, I just told them your mom had been doing it this way for decades. Who’da thunk it? I now have a new way to cook holiday ham. Thanks, Kristin and Kristin’s mom!!
So glad to hear it, Karla! Love that you’ve got a fun new holiday tradition! ;)
Made this today so so juicy!!! Impressed myself thanks so much Iowagirleats!!
Yess!! So glad to hear it Robin – thanks so much for coming back to leave feedback!! :)
I would really like to try this, but looking at other sites on the internet, I have found that they say to use a bag with no printing on it. What are your thoughts on this? I notice your bag is from Hy Vee, so you obviously have printing on yours. I have searched online for bags with no printing, but it is not an option as I don’t want to purchase 50 bags. Please comment and thanks for all of the great recipes.
I asked my Mom about this too and she said she’s always used printed bags.
I am going to try it in the bag from the grocery store. If your mother, & you have done it for all these years, I am sure it will be fine, printing and all. Looks amazing, and we are looking forward to Easter Ham cooked in a brown grocery bag!
Thanks!
Wow, this sounds great! The ham looks way more moist than mine turn out smothered in foil. Gonna try it out for sure. Thanks!
So, so moist – I hope you love it, Mary!
Is the cooking method and time the same for a non-smoked ham? Love ham and love the leftover even more!
I don’t think we’ve ever tried cooking a non pre-cooked ham in a bag – I’ll ask my Mom though!
I am going have to try this. Have done it with a chicken and a turkey but never thought abut doing it with a ham.
To make sure the bag doesn’t touch the upper rack; I just remove it from the oven all together and I place the lower rack to the lowest level in the oven
WHAT!? I definitely thought this may be an April Fool’s joke. As a firemens daughter, I cannot imagine putting paper in the oven! How does that not cause a fire?!
The paper doesn’t touch any heat source, and paper doesn’t ignite until it reaches 480 degrees. I know it sounds crazy if you’ve never done it, but like I said my Mom’s never had an issue!
Amana hams are SO GOOD! Another reason to be glad we live in Iowa! Gonna try this recipe Sunday; thanks!
Agreed – I look forward to eating them every year! I hope you love using this method, Karla!
This brings me back to Christmas!! I LOVE baked ham. I was always more of a ham fan than turkey!
Same! Turkey is so meh in flavor compared to a nice salty ham!
Yum! I love this idea
This looks great! Who KNEW you could bake a ham in a brown bag?!? Will you be sharing the recipe for the cauliflower gratin? Has that been on the blog in the past and I missed it? It looks so delicious and would be a great substitute for cheesy potatoes!
You bet – coming up Wednesday! :)
I’m not always a big ham person, but this looks SO delicious! It looks so simple too, thanks for the recipe!