How to Determine the Right Cooking Time for Your Ham

Cooking a holiday ham takes time and preparation. Be sure to plan ahead for the right cooking duration — a whole, bone-in ham (uncooked) could require over four hours, depending on its size.

Here, you'll find precise cooking times and temperature recommendations for baking a ham in the oven, based on guidance from FoodSafety.gov. Before starting, check your ham’s label to determine if it's bone-in or boneless, pre-cooked or uncooked, and its weight. (We also provide cooking times for country ham or fresh ham below.)

It’s easy to overcook ham, thinking it’s underdone. To avoid this, we recommend using an instant-read thermometer to ensure your ham reaches the proper internal temperature.

Smoked Ham, Pre-Cooked

Most hams found at the grocery store are smoked and pre-cooked, so you just need to reheat them. Simply place the ham in an oven preheated to 325°F and warm until it reaches an internal temperature of 140°F.

Type	Weight	Cook Time
Whole, bone in	10 to 14 lbs.	15 to 18 min/lb.
Half, bone in	5 to 7 lbs.	18 to 24 min/lb.
Arm picnic shoulder, boneless	5 to 8 lbs.	25 to 30 min/lb.
Vacuum packed, boneless	6 to 12 lbs.	10 to 15 min/lb.
Spiral cut, whole or half	7 to 9 lbs.	10 to 18 min/lb.

Smoked Ham, Uncooked

If you're preparing a smoked ham that is uncooked (often labeled 'cook before eating'), bake it at 325°F until the internal temperature reaches 145°F.

Type	Weight	Cook Time
Whole, bone-in	10 to 14 lbs.	18 to 20 min/lb.
Half, bone-in	5 to 7 lbs.	22 to 25 min/lb.
Arm picnic shoulder, boneless	5 to 8 lbs.	30 to 35 min/lb.
Shoulder roll (butt), boneless	2 to 4 lbs.	35 to 40 min/lb.

Country Ham

Most store-bought hams are city hams (wet-cured), not country hams, which are dry-cured and typically sold uncooked. Country hams are very salty and need to be soaked before cooking. The longer they soak, the less salty they will be. After soaking and boiling, roast your ham at 400°F until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.

Type	Cook Time
Whole or half	1. Soak for 4 to 12 hours in the refrigerator. 2. Cover with water, then boil 20 to 25 minutes per pound. 3. Drain the ham and cook at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes to brown.

Fresh Ham, Uncooked

Fresh hams, though not as common, are the uncured rear legs of a pig, always sold uncooked. To prepare, cook at 325°F until the internal temperature reaches 145°F.

Type	Weight	Cook Time
Whole leg, bone in	12 to 16 lbs.	22 to 26 min/lb.
Whole leg, boneless	10 to 14 lbs.	24 to 28 min/lb.
Half, bone in	5 to 8 lbs.	35 to 40 min/lb.