Convection Cooking Times & Temps for a Ham

Since convection ovens allow your food to cook more quickly than a conventional oven, you'll need to do some adjusting on that holiday ham you're planning. When cooking ham in a convection oven, you generally need to reduce the recommended cooking temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit and the cooking time by about 25 percent. This should just serve as a guideline though, and times can vary, so always check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer before consuming the ham.

If you're using a cooked smoked ham that's been packaged in a federally inspected plant, you can consume it cold. If served hot, heat the ham to an internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit before serving. Hams that don't originate from a federally inspected plant should be heated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, which means you may need to tack on a couple of extra minutes to the recommended cooking time. Preheat your convection oven to 300 degrees F. Whole bone-in cooked hams should be heated for 11 to 13 minutes per pound. Half bone-in hams require 13 to 18 minutes per pound. Boneless canned ham should be heated for 11 to 15 minutes per pound. Vacuum-packed boneless ham require seven to 10 minutes per pound. Whole and half spiral-cut hams need seven to 13 minutes per pound. A boneless arm picnic shoulder requires 19 to 22 minutes per pound.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends heating uncooked smoked hams to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. These hams will take a bit longer to heat in a 300-degree oven than a cooked smoked ham. A whole bone-in smoked ham requires about 13 to 15 minutes per pound to reach that point. A half bone-in ham should cook for 16 to 19 minutes per pound. A bone-in shank or butt should cook for 26 to 30 minutes per pound, while a boneless arm picnic shoulder requires 22 to 26 minutes per pound. A boneless shoulder roll should cook for 26 to 30 minutes per pound.

Uncooked fresh ham also must be heated to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F before serving. In a 300-degree oven, a whole leg bone-in fresh ham should cook for 16 to 19 minutes per pound. A whole leg boneless fresh ham requires 18 to 21 minutes per pound, while a half bone-in fresh ham should be cooked for 26 to 30 minutes per pound.

Always make sure to test the internal temperature of your ham before serving, particularly ones that were previously uncooked. Convection ovens are designed to brown items very quickly, so keep an eye on the ham while it's cooking. If the outside of the meat appears to be browning too quickly, tent a piece of foil over the ham to keep it from burning.

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