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. 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
How to make Puerto Rican ham?
First, 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, and cloves. Stir until well combined and cook until it bubbles. Remove from heat and set aside. Pour about 1 1/2 cups of the glaze over the ham until evenly coated. Then, cover the ham with plastic wrap and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for two hours.
Decorate the 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. 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 325 degrees F. Cover the ham with aluminum foil. Place ham in the oven and cook for 1 hour. In the meantime, heat up the remaining glaze and add a cornstarch slurry to thicken it. Use 1 tsp cornstarch and 1 tsp of cold water. Stir until well combined and the glaze thickens.
After an hour, remove the ham from the oven and pour the remaining glaze over the ham. Cover and continue cooking for 1 more hour. If you want the glaze to caramelize on the outside of the ham, uncover for the last 15 minutes and crank up the heat to 425 degrees F. Keep a close eye on it, so it doesn’t burn. Sugar tends to burn very easily! Allow the ham 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
- Toothpicks to hold pineapple slices and cherries
Ingredients
- 8-10 lb bone-in shank half or butt half
- 1 can sliced pineapples 20 oz (reserve the pineapple juice)
- 1 jar maraschino cherries 10 oz
Glaze
- 2 cups pineapple juice (1 cup from canned pineapple slices)
- 1 cup maraschino cherry juice from jar of maraschino cherries
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 6-8 whole cloves
Instructions
Prep and marinate ham
- 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, and cloves. Stir until well combined and cook until it bubbles. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Pour about 1 1/2 cups of the glaze over the ham until evenly coated. Cover the ham with plastic wrap and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for two hours.
- 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.
- 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
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Cover the ham with aluminum foil. Place ham in the oven and cook for 1 hour.
- In the meantime, heat up the remaining glaze and add a cornstarch slurry to thicken it. Use 1 tsp cornstarch and 1 tsp of cold water. Stir until well combined and the glaze thickens.
- After an hour, remove the ham from the oven and pour the remaining glaze over the ham. Cover and continue cooking for 1 more hour.
- *If you want the glaze to caramelize on the outside of the ham, uncover for the last 15 minutes and crank up the heat to 425 degrees F. Keep a close eye on it, so it doesn't burn. Sugar tends to burn very easily!
- Allow the ham to rest 20-25 minutes before slicing. Ladle the pan juices over the ham when serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Tips for Juicy Ham:
Choose shank half or butt half. Spiral cut ham tends to dry out very quickly. 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 300-325 degrees F. After slicing, place the ham back in the pan with its juices.Check out more Latin recipes!
Carne Guisada (Puerto Rican Beef Stew)
Churrasco with Chimichurri Sauce
Alcapurrias (Puerto Rican Fritters)
Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas)
Ensalada de Coditos (Puerto Rican Macaroni Salad)
Puerto Rican Potato Salad (Ensalada de Papa)
Puerto Rican Corned Beef (Carne Bif)
Puerto Rican Meatballs In Sofrito Sauce
Puerto Rican Beans (Habichuelas Guisadas)
Easy Black Beans (Habichuelas Negras)
Pollo al Horno (Baked Chicken)
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!