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.
Love this family tradition passed down from your mom and grandma. It is genius how the bag locks in all that porky juiciness without any fuss. Swapped in a parchment roasting bag for safety and baked my 4lb Amana ham at 325 degrees F for exactly 72 minutes.
Amazing!! So glad you enjoyed, Dev!
planning to try this. it’s just the 2 of us so I bought a 2# ham but no bone. it’s pretty small. still think 18 min. per pound? also, hoping to bake my scalloped potatoes at the same time. does the rack HAVE to be on the very bottom or is that to accommodate for a larger ham?
Yes, 18 minutes per pound is the general guideline even if the ham is small! The oven rack only needs to be on the bottom to accommodate a larger ham. Whether you’re using a brown bag or parchment paper roasting bag, you just need to ensure it doesn’t touch the top, back, or sides of the oven. :)
My parents did it this way, and I’m pretty sure their parents before them! So, now I do it this way too! Honor thy father and mother, right? Makes the best ham EVER, and ya’ don’t even have to get the kitchen dirty! ðŸ¤
My plan is to take a hunk of my ham and make your Ham & Bean soup! It’s COLD outside, and some warm soup would just hit the spot! https://iowagirleats.com/ham-and-bean-soup/
Thanks for the recipes!
Sounds like a fantastic plan, Shell! So glad to find a fellow brown bag baked ham enthusiast!! ;)
This is my favorite way to do ham. We have done it with a spiral ham, but I do it 15 min/pound and it’s fine.
I’m so glad you love this method, Tina! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
My mom used to do this but I’ve been leery, not knowing what’s in the brown paper bag. I had no idea there were parchment paper bags! Ordering right now! Thanks for sharing that tip!
Yes! Isn’t that great!! We use those exclusively now and it works perfectly.
We cook our turkey for thanksgiving this way every year.
Such a good way to do it!
How does one make ham gravy with this method? No drippings?
That’s right, Edith! There is never many drippings from this recipe since there is no baste and all the juices stay within the ham.
WE HAVE BEEN COOKING HAM FOR GENERATIONS IN MY FAMILY IN A PAPER BAG. WE LOVE IT. THANKS FOR THE RECIPE AND DIRECTIONS. I HAVE BEEN COOKING IT LOWER AND LONGER. I’M GONNA TRY YOUR DIRECTIONS THIS TIME.
I hope you love it, Carl!
I put a rack in the bottom of a large cast iron pan and place the ham on it. I then put the ham and skillet inside a paper bag and bake at 325. This method goes all the way back to my grandmother and I am 77! Works great and I get all those good drippings in the skillet.
That’s a great idea, Susan!! And so nice to be able to collect any drippings right in the pan.
It is not safe to cook in grocery bags, especially now a days with recycling. Please use parchment paper bags or a pan with a lid. (I’m a retired personal chef)
Here’s what the USDA says: Grocery bags are not intended or formulated for cooking foods and should not be used. Levels of components such as metal fragments, glue and chemicals may be present at higher-than-acceptable limits and can migrate into the food. These bags may not necessarily be sanitary, particularly since they may be stored under a variety of conditions. https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/Is-it-safe-to-use-grocery-bags-for-cooking
P.S. Recycled paper towels used in microwaves are also not safe, for the same reasons.
Hi Gail, this is why I include the note that if you aren’t comfortable with this method then of course don’t use it. I also have a link in the post about the parchment paper bag to use as an alternative.
hello I’m trying to cook my ham in a parchment bag could I have your link n if possible could u tell me if any liquid goes inside the bag
Hi Tasha! Here is the link for the parchment paper bags. https://amzn.to/3UUH6do There is typically not enough juices in the bag to make a gravy.
So no baking pan for the ham. Just a ham in a bag on the lower rack of my oven?
Definitely read the post and recipe in its entirety before before attempting! The ham in the bag sits atop a cooling rack on a baking dish so it never touches the oven racks.
While I have not tried baking a ham in a paper bag, I have a very old recipe for apple pie which is baked in a paper bag. Turns out beautifully. Golden brown, with any drips being caught in the bag.
Yes! I have always wanted to try baking an apple pie in a paper bag!
I made this for Christmas, wow!! So easy and so good!
I’m thrilled you loved it, Jodi! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!