Grilled Ham Steak

Grilled ham steaks are a welcome deviation from traditional grilled fare. A simple rosemary maple dijon glaze brings this meal to life. Use fresh or cured ham steaks and enjoy an easy yet incredibly flavorful dinner!

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If you’re sick of the usual burger, steak or chicken on the grill, I highly recommend grabbing a ham steak next time you’re at the store for easy grilling.

Ham steaks are underrated and lost somewhere between pork chops and a traditional ham, not getting nearly as much attention as they deserve.

When you hear “ham” you probably don’t think about using the grill but this grilled ham steak recipe features great smoky flavor and a mouth-watering rosemary maple dijon glaze that takes it next level and makes for a deliciously easy dinner.

What Is Ham Steak?

Ham steaks are just a slice from a whole ham roast (leg or shank). The steaks range in thickness from usually about 1/2″ to 2″ and can be bone-in or boneless. They’re a great way to enjoy ham outside of a holiday when you don’t want to cook an entire roast.

Are Ham Steaks Fresh or Cured?

Ham steaks come both ways.

Cured and smoked versions are usually found in the grocery store refrigerated section where you would find whole ham roasts. Cured ham steaks are often quite salty from processing but this will vary from brand to brand.

Fresh ham steaks (which are pictured in this post) are less popular in the grocery store but more typically found when buying pork in bulk.

We recently purchased half a pig from a local farmer and instead of getting a ham roast, I asked the processor to turn it into ham steaks. Think of a fresh ham steak like a big pork chop.

When grilling a ham steak, you may use either fresh or cured.

Ingredients to Make Grilled Ham Steaks

• 1 pound ham steak (bone-in or boneless)
• olive oil
• dijon mustard
• maple syrup
• garlic cloves
• rosemary
• lemon juice
• salt & pepper

Just like a glaze transforms oven baked ham, the glaze for these grilled ham steaks is what truly makes them taste outstanding. Using fresh lemon juice, garlic cloves and rosemary is preferred but prepared or dried versions of each can be used in a pinch.

How To Grill a Ham Steak

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high (375°F-425°F). If the ham steak is fresh, season with salt and pepper. Cured ham steaks do not need additional salt.

Whisk together all the glaze ingredients in a small bowl until well combined.

Once hot, transfer the ham steak to the grill over a direct flame and brush the glaze on the top. Grill for about 4 minutes until grill marks appear on the bottom then flip the steak and brush the other side with additional glaze.

Reserve any leftover glaze.

Grill for another 4-5 minutes. Fresh ham steaks are done when the internal temperature reaches 145°F. Cured ham steaks are typically pre-cooked (check the label though as each brand is different) so they just need to be warmed through on the grill. Timing will vary based on the type and thickness of ham steak.

Transfer the ham steak to a cutting board and let rest. Brush with remaining glaze before serving.

If using fresh ham steaks, divide the glaze into separate bowls after whisking together. Use one for brushing the ham while on the grill and the other for serving. This is to avoid contamination between the raw meat and cooked ham steak.

Why Make a Ham Steak?

Ham steaks provide the perfect portion size when you’re craving ham but don’t want to cook an entire ham roast or spiral ham.

If you need chopped or cubed ham for a recipe like soup, ham salad or mini ham and cheese spinach breakfast pies, ham steaks are a great cut for that.

They’re also an economical and very accessible cut. They can easily be found in any grocery store. Fresh ham steaks are more typically requested from the butcher or your local farmer if buying in bulk.

Best Tips for Cooking Grilled Ham Steaks

• Look for bone-in ham steaks as they’re typically more tender and flavorful than boneless varieties.
  
• Pre-cooked ham steaks are injected with a solution to keep them moist but they can still be overcooked. Keep an eye on the grill. The steaks should have defined grill marks and a smoky flavor but not cooked too long until dried out.
  
• If using fresh ham steaks, you can use the glaze as a marinade also. Double the batch and let the ham steak marinate for a couple of hours with half the glaze before grilling.

What to Serve with Ham Steaks

To complete this simple grilled meal think about easy side dishes like these air fryer baby potatoes and crispy air fried cabbage.

If you like sauerkraut with your pork, fermented red cabbage is a great tangy addition.

Grilled green beans or Instant Pot asparagus are deliciously easy sides to consider as well.

And if you find yourself with leftover ham from this recipe, use it in these roasted sweet potato apple ham sandwiches for lunch the next day.

4.93 from 57 votes

Grilled Ham Steak

By: Gina Matsoukas

Servings: 4 servings

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 8 minutes mins

Total: 5 minutes mins

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A simple rosemary maple dijon glaze transforms these grilled ham steaks into a deliciously easy meal.

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 pound ham steak, fresh or cured about 1″ thick (*see note)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• ▢ 1 large sprig fresh rosemary, de-stemmed and minced
• ▢ juice from 1/2 a lemon
• ▢ 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ salt & pepper to taste

Instructions 

• Preheat grill to medium-high heat (375-425°F).
• Place the ham steak in a large baking dish and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Whisk all the remaining glaze ingredients together in a small bowl.
• Once hot, place the ham steak on the grill over direct heat and brush the top with the glaze. Cook for about 4 minutes then flip over and brush the other side with the glaze. Reserve extra glaze and set aside.
• Cook for about another 4 minutes until internal temperature of the ham steak reaches 145°F (for fresh ham steaks) or until heated through to your liking for cured steaks. (**see note)
• Remove the ham from the grill and let rest. Brush with remaining glaze before serving. (***see note)

Notes

*Thinner ham steaks will need less time on the grill. Adjust according to the thickness of your steak.

**Fresh ham steaks are not cooked or cured and should be grilled to an internal temperature of 145°F for medium. Cured ham steaks are already cooked through and just need to reheat on the grill.

***If using fresh ham steaks, divide the glaze in the beginning reserving half for serving. This ensures the brush doesn't come into contact with the raw meat and the cooked meat.

Nutrition

Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 240kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 26gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 1320mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

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Gina Matsoukas

Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.