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Wondering how to cook ham steak? Cooking a ham steak is incredibly easy and takes just minutes to prepare. Whether you’re making it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, this simple recipe shows you exactly how to cook ham steak to perfection, making it an ideal meal for one.
Juicy, slightly sweet, and full of savory goodness, this dish brings together a delightful brown sugar glaze and a succulent ham steak that cooks in just 10 minutes on the stove top. It’s the perfect portion for one and can be dressed up or down for any occasion.
Looking to use up leftover ham? Check out our single serving ham recipes including Crustless Spinach Quiche, hearty Split Pea Soup, Ham and Cheese Sliders, and small batch Ham and Cheese Scones.
Why You’ll Love This Ham Steak Recipe
- Quick and Easy: Ready in just 10 minutes.
- Minimal Ingredients: Requires only a handful of pantry staples.
- Perfect for One: Scaled down to serve just one person.
- Customizable: Easy to adapt based on your personal preferences.
- Balanced Flavors: The homemade glaze perfectly complements the savory ham.
Ingredients
For complete measurements and step-by-step instructions for this brown sugar ham steak recipe, please scroll to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
- Ham steak: Opt for a fully cooked, 8-ounce ham steak, which can typically be found in the meat section of your grocery store, sometimes near breakfast meats like bacon. The packaging should clearly indicate terms like “fully cooked,” “cured,” or “hickory smoked.” Avoid uncooked versions for safety reasons. My go-to brand of ham is Smithfield Ham.
- Butter: Use 1 tablespoon of salted butter to sear the ham steak, enhancing its flavor. If you only have unsalted butter, that works too; just consider adding a pinch of salt.
- Cinnamon and brown sugar: These key components transform melted butter into a rich glaze for the ham. The brown sugar adds sweetness while cinnamon gives it a warm spice, making the ham irresistibly delicious.
Recipe Variations
Ham steak is incredibly versatile, and you can tailor the dish to suit your taste preferences or dietary needs. Here’s how:
- Spicy Glaze: Swap out the brown sugar and cinnamon glaze for a spicy version. Use a mixture of hot sauce and maple syrup for a kick.
- Mustard Glazed Ham Steak: Add a little Dijon mustard to the brown sugar and cinnamon mix.
- Pineapple-Topped: Give your ham steak a tropical twist by cooking it with pineapple slices or rings. The sweet and tangy flavors work incredibly well with ham.
What Is A Ham Steak?
A ham steak is essentially a thick slice of ham from a whole ham. It offers all the flavors you’d expect from a ham but in a more manageable size, making it perfect for single servings or small households.
How To Cook Ham Steak
For a visual guide on how to cook a ham steak and prepare the sweet glaze, check out the step-by-step photos and directions below. Ingredient quantities and complete recipe instructions can be found in the recipe box below.
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat.
- Sear the ham steak for about 4 minutes. Then, flip the steak over and cook for 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and cover.
- Melt butter in the same skillet. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook, stirring frequently for about 30 seconds to 1 minute – just enough time for the sugar to dissolve. Pour over ham steak and enjoy!
What To Serve With Ham
When it comes to enjoying your single serving ham steak, there are a plethora of delicious sides that make this main course a meal to remember. Here are some detailed recommendations:
- Classic Mashed Potatoes: These are the ultimate comfort food side and a perfect match for ham steak. Go all out with a dollop of butter and a sprinkle of chives or keep it simple; either way, mashed potatoes are a must.
- Green Beans Almondine: Fresh green beans sautéed with almonds offer a nutty crunch and vibrant color, making your meal as visually appealing as it is tasty.
- Potato Salad: A warm and tangy German potato salad can offer a refreshing contrast to the rich, meaty ham steak.
- Cornbread: A slice of homemade cornbread adds a Southern touch to the meal. Drizzle with a little honey for an extra burst of sweetness.
Expert Tips
- Before you start cooking, make sure to read the entire recipe, including the Ingredient Notes section, and examine the process photos. This detailed guide will help you understand how the recipe unfolds, ensuring your ham steak turns out perfect every time. All the information you need is found within the body of this recipe post, so don’t miss a thing!
- Bring Ham to Room Temperature: Allow the ham steak to sit out until it reaches room temperature (about 15 minutes). This ensures even cooking.
- Preheat Your Skillet: Always start with a hot pan for a perfect sear on your ham steak.
- Optional Brown Sugar Glaze: The ham glaze is optional; you can cook the ham steak as per the recipe and enjoy it unglazed if you prefer.
- Stock Up and Freeze: If you come across a sale on ham steaks, go ahead and stock up. They can be frozen for up to 3 months when properly stored.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can substitute with honey, maple syrup, or regular granulated sugar.
Store this brown sugar glazed ham steak in the refrigerator, covered for 3-4 days.
Absolutely, just double the ingredient amounts.
Some readers have told me that their glaze hardens in the pan. This should not happen and as you can see from our video and from photos, the butter melts, and the brown sugar dissolves. This process can take anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on the level of heat. If the glaze hardens, it is likely because the heat was too high or the sauce was cooked for too long.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you would like additional information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page. For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
RELATED: Single Serving Comfort Food Recipes
If you’ve tried this glazed ham steak or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Ham Steak For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter , divided
- 1 (8-ounce) boneless, fully cooked ham steak
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat.
- Place the ham steak in the pan and cook for 4 minutes. Then, flip the steak over and cook for 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and cover.
- Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook, stirring frequently for 30seconds to 1 minute, until the sugar disolves. Pour over ham steak and enjoy!
Notes
- Before you start cooking, make sure to read the entire recipe, including the Ingredient Notes section, and examine the process photos. This detailed guide will help you understand how the recipe unfolds, ensuring your ham steak turns out perfect every time. All the information you need is found within the body of this recipe post, so don’t miss a thing!
- Bring Ham to Room Temperature: Allow the ham steak to sit out until it reaches room temperature (about 15 minutes). This ensures even cooking.
- Preheat Your Skillet: Always start with a hot pan for a perfect sear on your ham steak.
- Optional Brown Sugar Glaze: The ham glaze is optional; you can cook the ham steak as per the recipe and enjoy it unglazed if you prefer.
- Stock Up and Freeze: If you come across a sale on ham steaks, go ahead and stock up. They can be frozen for up to 3 months when properly stored.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Perfect for my husband when I’m not that hungry…canned sweet potatoes in oven, corn and a salad. Perfect!
My glaze hardened as well. Most likely because I over cooked it. The brown sugar wouldn’t melt though. I couldn’t imagine putting a grainy sauce on the ham. What did I do wrong please?
This should not happen and as you can see from our video and from photos, the butter melts, and the brown sugar dissolves. This process can take anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on the level of heat. If the glaze hardens, it is likely because the heat was too high or the sauce was cooked for too long.
I made the ham steak and the corn bread with honey butter. It is one of my favorites!
We really enjoyed the flavor…but like Linda’s my sauce caramelized and turned hard like candy…I could spoon the butter part of the sauce over the ham…but the brown sugar mixture turned into lumps…those lumps were tasty…thanks for sharing your recipe[s]…
I’m so glad you both enjoyed the ham, Teresa. If the ham glaze hardens, it was likely cooked too long. Please take a look at our ham steak video, we show the step-by-step process for making the ham glaze.
This is nice but I really like a glaze I found a few year’s ago that is a heaping spoonful of cherry preserves loosened up with some balsamic vinegar and heated through and poured on top.
Can’t wait to try some of the recipes.
Hi love you recipes, I use many of them since I live alone
I like the ham steaks but I find them a bit salty after freezing them???
I also to pour a small amount of
Maple pancake syrup on the ham steak and cook it those few minutes on low heat.
Why did my glaze get hard like candy but harder. Do you not cook at medium heat? I even stirred constantly.for the 2 minutes.
It sounds like the glaze may have simmered for too long.
I see you have green beans on the plate (a perfect side). What is the other side in the picture (possibly sauteed mushrooms would be my guess)? The plate looks fantastic!
Kathy, fried apples are on the plate along with the green beans. It’s a delicious addition. Here is the link to the fried apples recipe – https://onedishkitchen.com/fried-apples-recipe/
Hello Joanie,
Your recipes are just the thing for me. I’m 80 years old, a widow and I don’t need much and your site has been perfect for me. Have saved a lot with your recipes and just downloaded the ham steak for one. One can make a number of meals with this, omlets, slider sandwiches, salads etc.
deviled eggs will be fantastic. Thank you so much for sharing all your wonderful recipes with all of us who need so much help now-a-days.
God bless you and take care and stay safe in our times.
Phyllis Smith
Great idea. Next on my list to try!