Smoking a fresh ham on a pit boss pellet grill

This Double Smoked Ham Recipe makes the perfect ham, complete with a sweet and sticky brown sugar maple glaze. It is out of this world delicious and perfect for any occasion, any time of year. Impress your guests with this succulent sweet and savory smoked ham; everyone will be wondering how you created such a masterpiece! The beautiful glaze is so enticing; you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful!

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This double smoked ham is one of the best things I have ever made in my life….it is SO good!

There are just so many amazing things about this ham. It is easy to make, is perfect for Christmas, Easter, or anytime, even a summer BBQ. The glaze is so good you could eat it with a spoon. (I did that, and I am not ashamed).

You don’t need to buy expensive hams to get the perfect ham. Just a kiss of additional smoke is all you need.

Another great pellet grill recipe is Smoked Turkey, a fantastic recipe that you should try.

This smoked ham will be the star of any holiday meal, served alongside Oven-Roasted Potatoes, roast buttercup squash, Carrot Salad, and topped off with Smoked Pumpkin Pie or Easter Egg Cheesecake. Check out more holiday recipes here.

Jump to:

• What is double smoked ham?
• What are the best wood pellets to smoke ham?
• Why a pellet grill?
• How long to cook twice smoked ham on pellet grill?
• How much ham do I need per person?
• Is bone-in ham or boneless ham better?
• Why you will LOVE this twice-smoked ham
• Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
• How to cook double smoked ham on the pellet grill
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Top tips for twice smoked ham on pellet grill
• What is a good side dish to serve with double smoked ham?
• What to serve with leftover double-smoked ham?
• Related Recipes
• 📋 Recipe
• Food safety
• More Recipes
• 💬 Comments

What is double smoked ham?

When you purchase a ham, it is already pre-cured and smoked. It is thus “double smoked” by cooking it on the smoker. It is also known as “twice-smoked” ham.

Double smoking the ham gives it a nice smoked flavor, not overpowering in the slightest. I was expecting a robust smoke flavor, but that wasn’t the case.

The ham is cooked on low heat, so the moisture level increases. In addition, the ham has a delicious crusty exterior covered with a sweet glaze. In my opinion, this is the BEST way to cook a ham.

What are the best wood pellets to smoke ham?

Maple, apple, hickory, and cherry wood are the best wood pellets to smoke ham. Some people like fruit wood the best.

The Competitions Blend has a mixture of maple, hickory, and cherry, also a good blend.

Why a pellet grill?

We had heard fantastic reviews about wood pellet grills for the past couple of years, but we didn’t think it was worth the added expense. We already had a natural gas BBQ; why buy something else that would do the same thing?

When our gas grill quit working, we decided to buy a pellet grill. We looked at Traeger grills and Pit Boss grills. The Pit Boss smoker happened to be on sale, so that’s what we decided to buy.

We purchased a Pit Boss 8-1 grill that uses 100% wood pellets as fuel instead of gas and propane.

From the first time we used it, we loved it! It added so much flavor and was so easy to use! The best part was that it was electric, you just set your temperature dial, and that’s where the temperature stayed. It was so cool! (BTW, this is not a sponsored post; we loved it that much.)

Every piece of meat I have made on this pellet grill has turned out fantastic! Actually, everything I have made has turned out great, not just the meat!

You can make a smoked ham on any grill, a pellet grill, gas grill, Big Green Egg, or charcoal grill. This smoker recipe for how to cook a ham on a pellet grill is my favorite recipe that always turns out 100% of the time 🙂

How long to cook twice smoked ham on pellet grill?

I like to smoke a ham low and slow for optimal juiciness. At a temperature of 225 degrees F, the cook time will be about 3-4 hours to cook, depending on the size of your ham, if it has a bone, and how hot your smoker is. It takes about 20-30 minutes per pound to cook a smoked ham.

If you are cooking a half ham, you will reduce the time. So use an instant read thermometer to know when it is cooked.

How much ham do I need per person?

If you figure about ½ pound per person with a bone-in ham and ⅓ pound per person if it is a boneless ham, you will have enough to feed everyone and some leftovers if you are lucky.

Is bone-in ham or boneless ham better?

I prefer a bone-in ham ALL the time. The bone gives the meat so much more flavor. The boneless is easier to cut, but the bone-in will have SO much flavor.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

You can prepare this delicious, juicy, flavorful smoked ham recipe with basic ingredients you can find at any grocery store.

• Pre-cooked cured ham or spiral cut ham. I used a frozen ham that I defrosted, and it was not seasoned. You can pick up a fresh ham at the grocery store.
• Olive oil. You can also use butter or avocado oil.
• BBQ rub. Use your favorite spice rub, or use my homemade BBQ rub. It contains brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, roasted garlic and peppers, chili powder, seasoning salt, and black pepper.
• Orange juice. I used prepared orange juice. You could also use pineapple juice. This keeps the ham super moist the entire time it is smoking. DO NOT skip this ingredient.

For the Sweet Glaze:

• Pure maple syrup. I used pure maple syrup, imitation just doesn’t have the same depth of flavor.
• Brown sugar. I used light brown sugar, you could also use dark brown sugar, cane sugar, or raw sugar.
• Ketchup. I used organic tomato ketchup.
• Dijon mustard. I used Dijon mustard. It has so much more flavor than prepared mustard.
• Apple Cider Vinegar. Just a little will do. It packs a real flavorful punch!
• Ground Cinnamon. This adds fantastic flavor to the glaze.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Variations

Change the flavor of the ham by changing the spice rub ingredients. So go ahead, have some fun with it!

• Spicy – add cayenne pepper or chili pepper flakes
• Sweet – Add extra brown sugar to the spice rub.
• Less Sweet – Decrease the amount of brown sugar in the BBQ rub and the glaze.
• Thick maple bourbon glaze: Make a savory glaze by adding in a bit of bourbon for great flavor!

Note: Sugar will turn a dark color on the ham as it cooks. If you don’t want a dark color, leave the sugar out.

Equipment

Smoker: Our smoker is an electric smoker, a Pit Boss smoker 8-1 grill that uses 100% wood pellets as fuel instead of gas or propane.

Wood pellets: We like the Competition Blend, Hickory Blend, and Applewood Blend.

High-quality temperature probe: This is a must-have item if you own a smoker. We invested in this ThermoPro Wireless Digital Cooking Food Meat Thermometer with Dual Probes as soon as we bought the smoker; it’s an absolute necessity!

Storage

Fridge: Leftover smoked ham can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Freezer: Leftover smoked ham can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. We love using a Foodsaver to freeze our food; it keeps longer!

If you have lots of leftovers, slice up the ham and place it in a Ziploc bag, and pop it in the freezer for meal prep for school or work lunches.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Top tips for twice smoked ham on pellet grill

• Invest in a reliable meat thermometer. We use the ThermPro-Wireless Digital Meat Thermometer. For instance, you just set the probes in the meat, set what kind of meat it’s for, and it will let you know when it reaches that temperature. In fact, it is not advisable to open the lid during the cooking process, so you don’t need to until the meat is cooked if you use a temperature probe.
• Cook with the thermometer, not the clock. All grills cook differently, and there are so many variables that play a part in the cooking time, such as weather, different types of grills, etc.
• Make sure you add your wood pellets before you start the grill. Check during the cooking time to make sure you don’t run out.
• Use a disposable aluminum pan to make cleanup a breeze!

What is a good side dish to serve with double smoked ham?

This double smoked ham is the perfect holiday ham for Christmas or Easter. Our favorite side dishes to eat with double-smoked ham are Extra Crispy Oven-Roasted Potatoes, Carrot Salad, Coleslaw, Baked Beans, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots, Mustard Beans, and of course, a fresh green salad with homemade dinner buns. Don’t forget dessert! Try The Easiest Crustless Pumpkin Pie Recipe (Gluten-Free) or a Smoked Pumpkin Pie!

What to serve with leftover double-smoked ham?

If you are lucky enough to have leftover ham, use it for breakfast the next day in Oven-Baked Omelet Casserole, an easy recipe that feeds a crowd.

Leftover double smoked ham is excellent in Instant Pot Ham and Potato Soup, Spinach And Mushroom Omelet, or breakfast sandwiches served with fried eggs on my popular Air Buns the next day.

Related Recipes

• Maple Glazed Salmon
• Smoked Chicken Thighs
• Best Smoked Salmon on Pellet Grill
• The Best Chili Lime Chicken (Smoked)
• Easy Smoked Queso
• Smoked Stuffed Peppers
• Smoked Corn on the Cob

A double smoked ham is a must-have during the holidays. Whether hosting a Christmas party or just a family gathering, this dish will be a hit!

I hope you enjoyed this Double Smoked Ham Recipe with Brown Sugar Maple Glaze. If you try it out and like it, I would appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave a star rating below. Also, please leave a comment below saying how much you enjoyed it and what other types of recipes/ingredients would be interesting for me to write about in the future.

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Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 140 °F
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended

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• Author: thatguywhogrills.com
• Published: 12/12/2021
• Review: 2.26 (89 vote)
• Summary: Get your smoker rolling smoke. · I set my Pit Boss smoker at 225 degrees with a p setting of P7. · Once your smoker is at temperature and rolling …
• Matching search results: For monitoring the ongoing temperature of ham without having to open the smoker use a good digital thermometer, like the Thermoworks Smoke Unit. It has a wireless monitor and you can see two zones, the ambient temperature of the cooker, and the …