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๐Ÿ Home ยป Recipes ยป Pork | Ham and Bacon Recipes

How to Cook Ham Steak

Published: Jan 25, 2025 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan ยท 10 Comments

Jump to Recipe
Total Time: 15 minutes mins

Learn how to cook ham steak on the grill, fried on the stovetop, or broiled in the oven for a delicious dinner for two or more. This recipe requires only 5 minutes of prep time and about 10 minutes of cooking time. Add the delicious brown sugar glaze for an easy dinner for two.

๐Ÿ–Ingredients

Ham steakโ€”precooked ยฝ to ยพ inch thick
Butter or oil
Optional Brown Sugar Glazeโ€”brown sugar, mustard, butter, and apple cider vinegar. Optional additions: ground cloves (suggested) and ground cinnamon. Honey may be substituted for brown sugar.

Glazed ham steak on a sandwich.
Jump To (scroll for more)
  • ๐Ÿ–Ingredients
  • ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐ŸณHow to Cook Ham Steakโ€”Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
  • ๐Ÿ–Ingredient options and variations
  • โœ”๏ธTips to make it right every time
  • ๐Ÿฝ๏ธWhat to serve with glazed ham steak
  • โ„๏ธHow to store leftover glazed ham?
  • ๐Ÿค”What is ham steak?
  • โš•๏ธHam Steak Safety
  • โ“FAQs
  • ๐Ÿ“–The Recipe Card
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quote mark
Featured Comment by Andi:
"I just made this ham steak sauce, and we both loved it. It was easy to make and very tasty, a keeper for sure."

I loved honey-baked ham during the holidays. This economical, fast, and easy recipe for ham steaks allows us to enjoy it anytime with pantry ingredients for the glaze and a ham steak from any market.

Ham steaks (ham slices) are perfect for a dinner for two. They are thick slices of ham, the right size for two servings. They can be scaled up or down, simple to prepare, and the leftovers are versatile and easy to store.

Check out some other ham recipes, like Smaller Crock Pot Honey Glazed Ham, Scalloped Potatoes and Ham, and What to Do With Leftover Ham.

๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐ŸณHow to Cook Ham Steakโ€”Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

cleaning and oiling grill grates.

1. For the grill, preheat the grill to a surface temp of 400ยฐ to 450ยฐ.
For the stovetop, use a large skillet with butter over medium heat.
For the oven broiler, use an oiled broiling pan or a pan lined with foil and a rack.

Trimming a ham steak.

2. Pat dry with a paper towel and trim any trimmable fat. Cut the steak into half for easier handling.

Mixed brown sugar glaze.

3. Optional glaze: Mix brown sugar, butter, dry ground mustard, cider vinegar, and ground cinnamon or cloves. Microwave, stirring every 10 seconds, until the mixture is liquid.

Brushing the ham steak with brown sugar glaze.

4. Brush the ham with the optional the glaze or vegetable oil.

Glazed ham steak on the grill.

5. Cook to a good color, 140ยฐ, and brown someโ€”about 4-5 minutes per side. Be sure to cook to 145ยฐ if the ham steak is not labeled as fully precooked.

Glazed ham steak on a sandwich.

6. For a great meal, serve it in a sandwich, salad, or plate with side dishes. It also makes a great breakfast meat.

For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.

๐Ÿ–Ingredient options and variations

Choose a ham steak that is about ยฝ to ยพ-inch thick. Trim and cut in half to make handling easier during cooking.

If the ham is 1 inch thick or more, cook it for a few minutes on each side before applying the optional glaze.

If you don't want the glaze, skip it, bush it with oil, and cook it to add some taste from a Maillard reaction.

If you want, you can use honey to replace the brown sugar, using about ยพ of the volume of brown sugar. If using maple syrup, use the same volume as the brown sugar.

You can replace the dry mustard with prepared mustard (such as yellow or Dijon mustard). The ratio is 1 teaspoon of dry mustard to 3 teaspoons of prepared mustard.

โœ”๏ธTips to make it right every time

Do not try to "cook faster" by using high heatโ€”the ham can quickly dry out, and the sugar will burn if you use a glaze.

Use a generous amount of oil to prevent the sugar from sticking as it browns.

If not using the glaze, brush the ham with oil or butter.

Buy vacuum-sealed ham steak with a long expiration date to keep in the refrigerator for a quick meal.

Cooking time will vary by the thickness of your ham steak and cooking temperature. So, use the final internal temperature as the endpoint. For precooked steaks, cook to 140ยฐ; for raw ham steak, cook to 145*, then rest for 3 minutes.

๐Ÿฝ๏ธWhat to serve with glazed ham steak

You can serve glazed ham steak on a plate with side dishes, a salad, as breakfast meat, or on a sandwichโ€”I like it in a sandwich with tomato and mayo.

The best side dishes for ham steak are like an Easter meal, including Easy Dinner Rolls, Crock Pot Cheesy Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus, Green Beans with Almonds, and Corn on the Cob.

โ„๏ธHow to store leftover glazed ham?

Store leftovers in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 4 days or freeze for 4 months.

Use leftovers in a sandwich, on a salad, a main dish, breakfast meat, or with eggs in an omelet.

๐Ÿค”What is ham steak?

ham steak is an almost perfect "cooking for two" meat, weighing about a pound and making about 2 large servings. It is a slice of ham cut through the center of the ham. weighs about a pound and is usually ยฝ to ยพ-inch thick and frequently has a ring of bone.

They are generally vacuum-sealed and located in the meat department of your supermarket. This makes them excellent meat for a quick meal in your refrigerator. They generally have a long shelf life in the fridge.

Most are pre-cooked, but some are smoked or cured. Which type you choose affects how you should process and consume the ham for safety.

โš•๏ธHam Steak Safety

Ham steak may come precooked; they are safe to eat out of the package. If they say "smoked" or "cured" but do not say precooked, consider it raw.

If the ham is raw or does not say precooked, the USDA recommends cooking it to 145ยฐ and resting for 3 minutes after cooking for safety.

โ“FAQs

Do I have to cook ham steak?

No, not if it is precooked. You may eat them just as they are out of the package. However, cooking, especially with a glaze, will enhance the flavor.

However, any ham steak that does not explicitly state it is fully pre-cooked, even if smoked or cured, must be cooked to 145ยฐ and rest for 3 minutes for safety.

How to prevent drying of the ham steak when cooking?

There are two keys. First, use some oil or butter if cooking without the glaze.

The second is to not cook at too high of temperature or too long. Cook to 140ยฐ if precooked and 145ยฐ otherwise.

Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect.

๐Ÿ“–The Recipe Card

grilled ham steak on a sandwich with a tomato slice.

How to Cook Ham Steak

4.60 from 52 votes
From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Learn how to cook ham steak on the grill, fried on the stovetop, or broiled in the oven for a delicious dinner for two or more. This recipe requires only 5 minutes of prep time and about 10 minutes of cooking time. Add the delicious brown sugar glaze for an easy dinner for two.
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings #/Adjust if desired 2

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Ingredients

US Customary - Convert to Metric
  • 1 pound ham steak - ยพ to 1-inch thick
  • vegetable oil or butter

Optional Glaze

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ยฝ teaspoon dry ground mustard
  • ยฝ teaspoon cider vinegar
  • โ…™ teaspoon ground cloves and cinnamon - optional

Instructions
 

  • cleaning and oiling grill grates.
    For the grill, preheat the grill to a surface temp of 400ยฐ to 450ยฐ.
    For the stovetop, use a large skillet with butter over medium heat.
    For the oven broiler, use an oiled broiling pan or a pan lined with foil and a rack.
  • Trimming a ham steak.
    Pat the steak dry with a paper towel and trim any trimmable fat. Then, cut it in half for easier handling.
  • Mixed brown sugar glaze.
    Optional glaze: Mix brown sugar, butter, dry ground mustard, cider vinegar, and ground cinnamon or cloves. Microwave, stirring every 10 seconds, until the mixture is liquid.
  • Brushing the ham steak with brown sugar glaze.
    Brush the ham with the optional the glaze or vegetable oil.
  • Glazed ham steak on the grill.
    Cook on a 400ยฐ grill, large skillet with butter over medium heat or under a broiler. You are cooking to a good color, 140ยฐ, and heated throughโ€”about 4-5 minutes per side. Be sure to cook to 145ยฐ if the ham steak is not labeled as fully precooked.
  • Glazed ham steak on a sandwich.
    For a great meal, serve it in a sandwich, salad, or plate with side dishes. It also makes a great breakfast meat.

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips

  1. If you are worried about burning the sugar, you can brush it on the last few minutes.
  2. If your ham steaks are not pre-cooked, cook them to 145* for safety.
  3. You can replace the brown sugar with honey or maple syrup. ย 
  4. As discussed in the post, the dry mustard may be replaced with prepared mustard.
  5. Great served straight up or like a BLT.

Your Own Private Notes

Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect.

To adjust the recipe size:

You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories : 381 kcal (19%)Carbohydrates : 17 g (6%)Protein : 41 g (82%)Fat : 18 g (28%)Saturated Fat : 8 g (40%)Polyunsaturated Fat : 0.2 gMonounsaturated Fat : 2 gCholesterol : 152 mg (51%)Sodium : 2411 mg (100%)Potassium : 56 mg (2%)Fiber : 0.1 gSugar : 17 g (19%)Vitamin A : 200 IU (4%)Vitamin C : 0.3 mgCalcium : 10 mg (1%)Iron : 2.2 mg (12%)
Serving size is my estimate of a normal size. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

ยฉ 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors.

Editor's Note: Originally published September 3, 2010. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

Molly and Lilly in the yard.

More Ham and Bacon Recipes

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    Crock Pot Ham and Bean Soup
  • ham on a white plate
    Leftover Ham and Turkey Storage and Recipes
  • candied bacon on a tray
    Candied Bacon Recipe
  • Cut ham with pineapple honey glaze on a white plate
    Small Crock Pot Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

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  1. Diane says

    December 13, 2020 at 8:19 pm

    We left dry mustard out & I was still delicious! We didnโ€™t have that on hand. The ground cloves was a nice addition! We doubled the recipe of the glaze & served on baked. sweet potatoes. Great pairing with a white wine too. ๐Ÿ˜Š

    Reply
  2. Angie says

    July 31, 2019 at 2:45 pm

    By ground mustard do you mean dry mustard or like the stone ground liquid mustard?

    Reply
    • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says

      July 31, 2019 at 3:48 pm

      Hi Angie,
      Welcome to the blog.
      That is dry ground mustard. I updated the ingredient list to be more specific.
      Dan

    • Angie says

      July 31, 2019 at 5:11 pm

      Thanks!

  3. Betsy Beecher says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:17 pm

    I used this glaze a few weeks ago but neglected to print it so just spent 1/2 hour desperately trying to find it again. I loved the glaze as did everybody else. We concluded it's the ground clove that gives it the great flavor. Am making it again tonight and will use a little more than 1/8 tsp. .

    Reply
    • DrDan says

      July 23, 2014 at 10:02 pm

      Thanks for the note. This was one of my first just dive in and do it recipe.
      DrDan

  4. Andi says

    July 17, 2014 at 7:47 pm

    I just made this ham steak sauce and we both loved it. It was easy to make and very tasty a keeper for sure Thanks Andi

    Reply
    • DrDan says

      July 21, 2014 at 9:38 am

      Thanks for the comment
      DrDan

  5. Smokingmeat says

    February 07, 2012 at 5:23 pm

    I use Dizzy Dust on my Ham Steaks..and they come out excellent!!

    Reply
  6. Dr Dan says

    September 04, 2010 at 12:52 pm

    Thanks, I though it add a nice taste simply.
    The rating system something I would like to see on most cooking blogs. All recipes can't be wonderful.

    Reply

DrDan imageHi, I'm DrDan.
Welcome to 101 Cooking for Two, the home of great everyday recipes with easy step-by-step photo instructions.
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