Jamón con piña is Puerto Rican-style glazed ham with pineapples. It’s sweet and savory and absolutely delicious! In Puerto Rico, we make a glaze with pineapple and cherry juices and then decorate the ham with pineapple slices and cherries. This glazed ham is a must-have at holiday parties and special events alongside, arroz con gandules, macaroni salad or potato salad. Save this recipe for the next time you have a family gathering, this delicious jamón con piña will not disappoint!
In my family, my uncle Miguel always cooks jamón con piña anytime we get together for special occasions. Tio Mickey is the king when it comes to cooking this dish. His glazed ham is always juicy and delicious and highly requested by all!
Ingredients for making jamón con piña:
- 8-10 lb bone-in shank half or butt half
- Sliced pineapples, with juice
- Maraschino cherries, with juice
- Brown sugar
- Cloves
- Mustard
How to make Puerto Rican ham?
First, take the ham out of the refrigerator at least 40 minutes before baking to allow it to come to room temperature. This will help cut down the cooking time. Remove ham from its packaging and rinse under cold water to remove excess salt. Next, place the ham in a roasting pan.
In a small saucepan, add the pineapple juice, maraschino cherry juice, brown sugar, cloves, and mustard. Stir until well combined and cook until it bubbles. Add a cornstarch slurry to thicken it. Remove from heat and set aside. Pour about 1 cup of the glaze over the ham until evenly coated. If using a spiral cut ham, making sure to coat each slice with the glaze.
Decorate the ham
Place the pineapple slices on the ham using the toothpicks to hold them in place. First, add the toothpick to the ham. Then place the pineapple slice right over the toothpick, (like playing ring toss.) Add a cherry to the center of each pineapple slice by pinning it right onto the toothpick that holds each one. Create a beautiful pattern all around the ham.
Cook the ham
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover the ham with aluminum foil. Place ham in the oven and cook for 1 hour. After an hour, remove the ham from the oven and baste with its juices from the pan. Cover and continue cooking for 30 more minutes. If you want the glaze to caramelize on the outside of the ham, brush the ham with glaze and crank up the heat to 425 degrees F. Cook the ham uncovered for about 5-8 minutes. Keep a close eye on it, so it doesn’t burn. Sugar tends to burn very easily! Remove them ham from the oven, cover with foil and allow to rest 20-25 minutes before slicing. Ladle the pan juices over the ham when serving. Enjoy!
What to serve with jamón con piña?
I like to serve jamón con piña with arroz con gandules, potato salad, or macaroni salad, and a vegetable like green beans or asparagus. Glazed ham also pairs well with cheesy scalloped potatoes or mashed potatoes and gravy.
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Jamón con Piña (Glazed Ham with Pineapples)
Equipment
- 1 Roasting pan
- Aluminum foil
- Toothpicks to hold pineapple slices and cherries
Ingredients
- 8-10 lb bone-in shank half, butt half or spiral cut ham
- 2 cans sliced pineapples 20 oz each (reserve the pineapple juice)
- 1 jar maraschino cherries 10 oz (reserve the cherry juice)
Glaze
- 2 cups pineapple juice from canned pineapple slices
- 1 cup maraschino cherry juice from jar of maraschino cherries
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 6 whole cloves optional
- 2 tbsp mustard optional
Instructions
Prep ham
- Take the ham out of the refrigerator at least 40 minutes before baking to allow it to come to room temperature. This will help cut down the cooking time.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Remove ham from packaging and rinse under cold water. Place the ham in a roasting pan.
- In a small saucepan, add the pineapple juice, maraschino cherry juice, brown sugar, cloves, and mustard. Stir until well combined and cook until it bubbles. Add a cornstarch slurry to thicken it. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Pour about 1 cup of the glaze over the ham until evenly coated. If using a spiral cut ham, making sure to coat each slice with the glaze.
- Place the pineapple slices on the ham using the toothpicks to hold them in place. First, add the toothpick to the ham. Then place the pineapple slice right over the toothpick, (like playing ring toss.) Add a cherry to the center of each pineapple slice by pinning it right onto the toothpick that holds each one. Create a beautiful pattern all around the ham.
Cook ham
- Add 1 cup of water to the pan so the ham doesn't dry out. Cover the ham with aluminum foil. Place ham in the oven and cook for 1 hour.
- After an hour, remove the ham from the oven and baste with its juices from the pan. Cover and continue cooking for 30 more minutes.
- If you want the glaze to caramelize on the outside of the ham, brush the ham with glaze and crank up the heat to 425 degrees F. Cook the ham uncovered for about 5 minutes. Rotate the ham, if necessary, to get an even caramelization. Keep a close eye on it, so it doesn't burn. Sugar tends to burn very easily!
- Remove them ham from the oven, cover with foil and allow to rest 20-25 minutes before slicing. Ladle the pan juices over the ham when serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Tips for Juicy Ham:
You may choose shank half, butt half, or spiral cut ham but the spiral cut ham tends to dry out more easily than the others. Cook ham face side down and cover with aluminum foil to retain the moisture. This will prevent the ham from drying out. Also, cook at a low temperature like 325-350 degrees F. After slicing, place the ham back in the pan with its juices and keep covered.Check out more holiday recipes!
Coquito (Vegan Coconut Eggnog)
Pastelón de Maduro (Plantain Lasagna)
Aceite de Achiote (Annatto Oil)
Jamón con Piña (Pineapple Glazed Ham)
Ensalada de Coditos (Macaroni Salad)
Ensalada de Papa (Potato Salad)
Pastel al Horno (Easy Pasteles)
Arroz con Gandules (Rice and Pigeon Peas)
Pavochón (Puerto Rican Style Turkey)
Pollo al Horno (Baked Chicken)
English 
Spanish 
This recipe for Jamon con Piña turned out absolutely fantastic! The combination of the sweet pineapple with the savory ham was divine. The glaze provided the perfect balance of flavors. Thank you for sharing such a delightful and easy-to-follow recipe – it’s such a banger!