Holiday ham · Work backward from dinner
What time does the ham go in?
Pick the kind of ham on the label and when you want to eat. You get the size to buy, the oven time, the minute to start checking and the temperature that counts for your ham.
Where the times come from
Every number is from the USDA's ham guide.
We use the timetable in the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service guide Hams and Food Safety (last updated January 15, 2025), for a 325 °F oven.
| Ham | Weight | Min per lb |
|---|---|---|
| Spiral cut, whole or half | 7–9 lb | 10–18 |
| Half, bone in | 5–7 lb | 18–24 |
| Whole, bone in | 10–14 lb | 15–18 |
| Vacuum packed, boneless | 6–12 lb | 10–15 |
| Ham | Weight | Min per lb |
|---|---|---|
| Half, bone in | 5–7 lb | 22–25 |
| Whole, bone in | 10–14 lb | 18–20 |
| Ham | Weight | Min per lb |
|---|---|---|
| Half, bone in | 5–8 lb | 35–40 |
| Whole leg, bone in | 12–16 lb | 22–26 |
How the calculator reads those tables
- Size. USDA allows ⅓–½ lb per serving for bone-in ham and ¼–⅓ lb for boneless. We plan with the larger amount, rounded up to a whole pound. Above the heaviest row for your type, we suggest two or more equal hams.
- Which row. The first row your weight fits under; on a shared edge, the lower row. A weight between two rows (an 8 lb bone-in ham) uses the next row up, and we say so. Times scale by the pound, so they still apply, but check early.
- Oven time. Weight × the longest minutes per pound, rounded up to 5 minutes, so the ham is never late. We tell you when the shortest time is up so you start checking.
- Temperature. Fully cooked hams packaged in a USDA-inspected plant: 140 °F. Leftovers and hams repackaged anywhere else: 165 °F. Cook-before-eating and fresh hams: 145 °F with at least a 3-minute rest.
- Out of the oven. 15 minutes before dinner. USDA asks for 3 minutes of rest at 145 °F; the rest is time to glaze and carve. That 15 minutes is our choice, not a USDA figure.
- Buying ahead. USDA's storage chart keeps a fresh ham 3–5 days and a cook-before-eating ham 5–7 days (or its use-by date) in the fridge. We use the shorter end. Fully cooked hams: follow the use-by date.
- Not covered. Country ham (soaked and boiled, not roasted), canned ham, picnic shoulder, frozen hams, slow cookers and smokers.
Quick answers
How much ham per person?
USDA allows ⅓ to ½ pound per serving for a bone-in ham and ¼ to ⅓ pound for boneless. For 12 people that is a 4–6 lb bone-in ham or a 3–4 lb boneless one. Want leftovers? Enter a bigger weight.
How long do I cook a 10 lb ham?
At 325 °F: a fully cooked whole bone-in ham takes about 15–18 minutes per pound, so 2½ to 3 hours. A cook-before-eating whole ham takes 18–20 minutes per pound, 3 to 3⅓ hours. A spiral-sliced ham takes 10–18 minutes per pound.
Is my ham already cooked?
Read the label. “Fully cooked” or “ready to eat” hams only need warming, or can be served cold. “Cook before eating” and fresh (uncured) hams are raw and must reach 145 °F.
Do I have to heat a spiral ham?
No. USDA says spiral-cut cooked hams are safe cold and best served that way; heating can dry the slices and melt the glaze. To warm one, wrap the whole ham in heavy foil and heat at 325 °F, about 10 minutes per pound, to 140 °F.
What temperature for leftover ham?
Reheat leftovers, and any cooked ham repackaged outside the processing plant, to 165 °F. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of serving.
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