Hickory Smoked Ham with Maple-Mustard Sauce

A fully cooked ham gets transformed on the grill with soaked hickory wood chips and a two-ingredient maple-mustard sauce. The indirect heat and steady hickory smoke turn a standard supermarket ham into something that tastes like it came from a proper smokehouse.

The setup is classic indirect grilling: coals banked on either side with a drip pan of water in the center. The ham sits over the pan, never directly over the coals, and cooks low and slow while hickory smoke circulates under the closed lid.

The maple syrup and Dijon mustard sauce is equal parts sweet and sharp, and it glazes the ham beautifully during the last stretch of grilling.

Chef Tips

• Soak the hickory chips for at least 30 minutes before using. Dry chips burn up fast and give you bitter smoke instead of the mellow, sweet kind.
• Add a few briquettes to each side every hour to maintain consistent low heat. Temperature swings dry out the ham.
• Add more soaked hickory every 20-30 minutes. Constant light smoke is better than one big burst at the beginning.
• The ham is already cooked, so you’re just heating to 140°F (60°C) internal and adding smoke flavor. Don’t overcook it.

Variations

• Use apple or cherry wood chips instead of hickory for a fruitier, milder smoke.
• Add a pinch of cayenne or smoked paprika to the maple-mustard sauce for a spicy glaze.
• Brush the sauce on during the last 30 minutes of grilling so it caramelizes without burning.