The Best Fresh Ham Roast Recipe (Easy)
Updated May 17, 2025, Published Dec 13, 2022
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This easy fresh ham roast is perfectly seasoned with herbs, spices, and a hint of brown sugar. This easy method will give you a juicy ham roast with a delightfully crispy outer layer. It’s an lovely dinner that the whole family will love!
Looking for an even quicker and easier ham recipe? Try my baked spiral ham with an easy brown sugar glaze.
Quick Look at This Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
- Servings: 12 people
- Dietary Info: Gluten Free & Dairy Free
- Method: Oven Baked
- Technique: Score the ham and season with a herb rub. Roast at a higher temperature for a brief time, then lower the temperature and roast until cooked through. Tent with foil and rest, then slice and enjoy.
- Flavor & Texture: This fresh ham roast has a delightfully crispy skin, tender meat, and a wonderful herb and orange flavor that everyone will love.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
This easy ham roast recipe is the best way to cook fresh ham. For the money, fresh ham is the most delicious cut of pork available!
There is something to love for everyone in this recipe: the crackling fat crust on the outer layer and the herby, salty, and sweet flavor with a slight orange aroma to the tender fresh ham meat. We cook it low and slow to break down the tough parts of the ham and make it super tender so the meat is cooked to perfection.
Serve it for special occasions, or make it a family dinner night favorite! Enjoy with roasted potatoes and a beautiful orange fennel salad. Use leftovers in Baked Ham and Cheese Pasta.
Made With Amore,
“Made this for Easter Sunday dinner to rave reviews. If you make it, don’t skip the pan gravy, it’s delicious and worth the effort. Thank you for the recipe!”
– Donnie
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Fresh Ham Roast
The star of the show is the fresh ham roast. The other ingredients are simple and only highlight the flavor of the delicious ham meat.
- Fresh Raw Ham: Choose a good quality, raw ham that’s not cured or smoked. You can buy fresh ham in almost any grocery store. I think that a bone-in ham has more flavor, but boneless works well. (Don’t have ham available? Try this oven baked pot roast recipe instead!)
- Fresh Herbs: You’ll need a combination of fresh thyme and rosemary, along with other basic seasonings, to bring an incredible flavor to the ham.
- White Wine: Adding a splash of white wine to the pan helps flavor the drippings, which will make a wonderful gravy later.
- Oranges: Although the oranges are optional, they add an incredible citrus flavor and brightness to the meat and drippings!
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Spices: If you want to add more traditional American flavors to this fresh ham roast, try adding cloves to the spice rub.
- Sweet: You can add more brown sugar to make it sweeter or even a bit of maple syrup to make it a maple spice glaze. Alternatively, you can use honey to make a honey glaze. A little soy sauce to the honey glaze would add a nice touch. I love this fresh ham more savory than sweet, but you can customize it as you, please.
- Pineapple Juice: Add instead of the wine for a sweeter sauce.
- Whole Cloves: Poke in the outer layer of the skin for added taste.
How to Make a Fresh Ham Roast
This fresh ham roast is so easy to make! Follow these step-by-step photos and see the recipe card for more instructions.
- Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Score ham in a diamond pattern (criss-cross) of ½-inch-deep cuts about 1½ inches apart.
- In a small bowl, combine salt, brown sugar, pepper, and thyme, pinching the thyme until it becomes fragrant. Pat mixture all over the ham and into scores on the ham roast.
- Place orange slices on the bottom of a roasting rack in a large roasting pan (optional). Place ham fat side on the rack on the bed of orange slices. Pour water and white wine into the bottom of the pan.
- Roast for 30 minutes at 425°F, then turn the heat down to 300°F. (We want to cook it low and slowly to tenderize the meat. If needed, add water to the pan to keep pan juices from burning.)
- Bake until the internal temperature of the ham reaches 140°F, about 3 to 3½ hours. The top will be a nice golden brown, and the interior will be tender.
- Tent the fresh ham roast with aluminum foil and let the roast rest for 30-45 minutes. Save pan drippings to make pan gravy, or spoon over the meat.
- Slice the rested ham into slices. (If you wish to make pan gravy, degrease the pan juices, thicken them with about 1½ tablespoons of flour, and add a bit of stock.) You can also pair this ham with my Brown Sugar Ham Glaze!
- Serve the ham with the gravy and your favorite side dishes. It’s an epic dinner that the whole family will love!
Recipe FAQs
A ham roast is not pre-cooked like a typical precooked ham variety, spiral-cut ham, ham steaks, country ham, city ham, or cured ham. A fresh ham roast is a raw ham called “fresh” because it is uncured, uncooked, and unsmoked. Fresh ham is not processed in any way. It can be compared to other varieties of roasts, such as rump roast and pork shoulder roast. Ham roasts are very tender and come from a leaner cut of pork. Ham roast comes from the hind leg of the pork with a nice fat layer.
No, it is not the same as your standard ham. A fresh ham is an uncured leg of pork. Fresh ham will have the term “fresh” in the product’s title. The term fresh signifies that the product has not been cured in any process. Fresh ham is also not pre-cooked. It is raw ham.
For fresh, unsmoked ham, a bone-in whole leg cooks for 22-26 minutes per pound. A boneless whole leg cooks for 24-28 minutes per pound. Half the bone-in cut cooks for 35-40 minutes per pound. The internal temperature of the baked ham should reach 150-160 °F (with a 30-minute rest time at least). Cook in an oven set no lower than 300 °F.
A general rule for cooking fresh ham is to remember that the ham roast will have carryover cooking. This means the meat continues to rise in temperature as the roast rests (about 10º). This means that you will take it out when it is about 10º below your desired doneness based on this chart.
The final temperature (after resting) for medium done ham is 150º F. This means you take it out at around 140º F. After letting it rest for about 30 minutes, it will reach 150º F.
The BEST way to check for doneness is to use an instant-read thermometer. This will ensure that it is cooked perfectly, no matter the size of your fresh ham roast.
If you have leftovers, store the sliced ham in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Enjoy the leftover ham in sandwiches with our focaccia bread. You can also use the leftovers to make Baked Ham and Cheese Pasta (with White Sauce) or this Bean Soup with Ham.
Serving Suggestions
Cut the fresh ham roast into thin or thick slices, depending on your preference, and serve with a side of good quality Dijon mustard.
Enjoy this ham roast with side dishes like Brussels sprouts, Creamy Cauliflower Bake, Crispy Potatoes, Italian Mashed Potatoes, or sauteed frozen green beans. Make sure to get some ciabatta bread or rolls for the sauce. You can also pair it with this Fresh Cranberry Relish!
Serve it on your holiday table along with this Beef Tenderloin Recipe!
My Pro Tips
Expert Tips
- Let your fresh ham roast come to room temperature on the counter before roasting in the oven. The roast will be largely overcooked around the outside, with only a tiny ring of perfectly cooked meat in the very center if it is cooked straight from the fridge. Take it out a couple of hours before cooking for the best results.
- Keep an eye on your fresh ham while it cooks. During the roast, be sure that the liquid in the bottom of the pan doesn’t dry out (add more water if needed).
- Let it rest! The resting time is crucial for flavor. Be patient; let it rest; you’ll be happy you did when you cut into your succulent fresh ham roast.
Other Meat Main Courses You’ll Love
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Fresh Ham Roast
Equipment
- Large Roasting Pan with a rack
Ingredients
- 1 10 pound bone-in or boneless fresh ham, not precooked or cured
- 1½ tablespoons kosher salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3-4 oranges, cut into 1-inch slices
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
- 2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup white wine
Instructions
- Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Leave the fat layer on the ham. Score ham in a diamond pattern (criss-cross) of ½-inch-deep cuts about 1½ inches apart.
- In a small bowl, combine salt, brown sugar, pepper, thyme, and rosemary, pinching the herbs until they become fragrant. Pat mixture all over the ham and into scores on the ham roast.
- Place orange slices on the bottom of a roasting rack set inside of a large roasting pan. Place ham fat-side up on the bed of orange slices on the rack. Pour water and white wine into the bottom of the pan.
- Roast for ½ an hour at 425°F, uncovered.
- Turn the heat down to 300°F. We want to cook it low and slowly to tenderize the meat. If needed, add water to the pan to keep pan juices from burning. Cook uncovered unless the skin starts to brown more than you like; then, you can tent it with aluminum foil.
- Bake until a meat thermometer is pressed into the thickest part of the ham and the internal temperature reaches 140°F, about 3 to 3½ hours (see notes). The top will be nice and golden brown, and the interior will be tender.
- Tent the fresh ham roast with aluminum foil and let it rest for 30 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife. Save the pan drippings to make pan gravy, or spoon it over the meat before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- For food safety, ensure your ham reaches at least 150-160°F. If you cook a bigger ham roast, you may need to increase the cooking time.
- The best way to check for doneness is to use an instant-read thermometer. This will ensure that it is cooked perfectly, no matter the size of your fresh ham roast.
- The ham roast will have carryover cooking. This means the meat continues to rise in temperature as the roast rests (about 10º). This means that you will take it out when it is about 10º below your desired doneness. For example, the goal temperature for medium done ham is 150°F, so take it out when it reaches 140°F; after it rests for 30 minutes, it will reach 150°F.
- How long will my ham roast take to cook? A fresh, unsmoked bone-in ham cooks for 22-26 minutes per pound. A boneless whole leg cooks for 24-28 minutes per pound. Half the bone-in cut cooks for 35-40 minutes per pound.
- If you wish to make pan gravy, degrease the pan juices, thicken with about 1½ tablespoons of flour and add a bit of stock.
- Leftover sliced ham will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m going to make this recipe for Christmas. The ham I’m getting will have the bone removed and no rind. Should I still cook it uncovered for the first 30min, then cover with foil for the duration of the cook??
Yes, that is correct! Enjoy!
will this recipe work on a bone in cured ham
Yes, but you may also like my glazed ham with glaze recipe that is specifically for that!
really good recipe
Thank you so much. I am glad you enjoyed it!
Made this for Easter Sunday dinner to rave reviews. If you make it, donโt skip the pan gravy,
itโs delicious and worth the effort.
Thank you for the recipe!
Yes! The pan gravy really makes it stand out. I am happy you loved it!
Question, can/should you brine this first? I’m trying to get away from nitrates and looking to do a ham for Easter. thank you!
Hi! I you do not need to brine, just follow this recipe and it will be tender and delicious. All the best, Elena.
My ham is considered a ‘Picnic Ham’ from a 1/2 pig. Can I cook the same as this recipe? I am not too familiar with fresh meat…..
Thank you! I am going to cook it tomorrow!!!
Yes, you can use the same method! You can also use my traditional ham recipe with glaze- if you prefer. Enjoy!
I bought a fresh ham and the processor already removed the skin. Will this impact the recipe?
You will want to tent it while cooking if it gets too brown. Enjoy!