Jump to Best Country Smoked Hams 2024

For many people, a smoked country ham is the taste of the holidays. But you may wonder if there’s a country ham, does that mean there is a city ham? Yes. The difference is in how the meat is cured and aged (dry aged or wet aged) and for how long. Both the curing and drying method, as well as time, will determine both the taste and texture of your ham.

The country ham is dry cured. Think of the dry curing process as similar to the process of dry-aging prime beef. First the ham is rubbed with salt and seasonings and hung to dry cure in a smoke house. These hams are aged anywhere from 30 days to a year or more. The longer drying and curing process results in a denser, meatier, more richly flavored, and, yes, saltier ham. The time-intensive nature and rich flavor of the country ham makes it a favorite at holiday meals.

By contrast, the ham many of us are most familiar with is “city ham” or just ham—the type of mild ham you find in your grocery store, or you enjoy thin-sliced and piled on a sandwich. This type of ham is wet-cured, which means the pork has been either submerged in or injected with a brine made of salt, sugar, seasonings, and curing agents, and then fully cooked. This gives the meat a milder, juicy flavor. The wet cured city hams are what you see most often in the grocery stores around the holidays, and that’s why they are appreciably less expensive.

What Are Spiral Cut Hams?

Spiral cut hams are also known as “party hams” because these pre-cut hams make it easy for guests to serve themselves. Spiral hams are pre-sliced to the bone in one continuous spiral. This leaves the meat on the bone in its original shape, and saves you the trouble of carving the ham. This results in consistent slices of ham. Some argue whole, unsliced hams are less prone to drying out when cooked, but we’ve found spiral-sliced hams remain just as juicy when heated through.

Country Smoked Ham

A quick word on smoked country hams: Hickory smoke may be too strong for some palates. Some say hickory smoked ham has the lingering scent and taste of a smoky campfire. Cherry and apple woods and corn cobs produce milder smoke. If “smoke” or “liquid smoke” is listed in the ingredients, the ham has been injected with smoke flavor, not smoked. No worries. You won’t find any injected flavor in the options below.

Estimating serving sizes: Country hams are denser and richer in flavor than city hams so 4 to 5 ounces per serving should cover you. And of course plan a little extra to enjoy ham on a warm country biscuit or ham with your eggs in the morning.

Here, for your convenience, are some of the best country holiday hams to order online.

Fossil Farms Bone In Smoked Berkshire Ham, New Jersey

A special find: A fully cooked, bone-in, uncured, hardwood smoked Berkshire ham. What makes this ham so special? Berkshire is a non-genetically modified breed that is renowned for producing the finest quality pork. Though this ham is “uncured” in fact it has been cured using only turbinado sugar, sea salt and celery powder which contains naturally ocurring nitrates. This means you experience the full flavor of the ham without any artificial additives or preservatives. Finally, the ham is smoked to perfection over natural hardwoods.

The taste of this minimally processed ham reflects the commitment to quality. Expect firm but fork-tender slices with a light, smoky flavor. A generous fat cap and balanced marbling ensures your ham will naturally baste while baking which results in a juicy and flavorful ham from the oven, and irresistible leftovers when enjoyed as part of a charcuterie board or in ham sandwiches.

Whether buying for your holiday table, or as a gift for a very lucky recipient, this is a ham that is destined to become part of your family’s holiday tradition.

Shop Fossil Farms Hams Now »

Cajun Ed’s Honey Glazed Ham, Tulsa, OK

Benton’s Smokey Mountain Country Ham, Tennessee

Benton’s Hams are hickory smoked using salt, brown sugar, and sodium nitrite and are typically aged 9-10 months, though hams are available 1 year and older. This time-honored practice dates back to a time when the preparation and preservation of meat was a way of life and sustenance. Benton’s Hams has upheld the traditional dry-curing process that produces world-class gourmet country hams and bacon. Hams are available smoked and unsmoked. You can also order thick-cut smoked bacon.

A couple of tips: Don’t let the clunky website fool you. The ham is worth the extra effort of navigating the not-so-great website, and if you are ordering for a holiday order well in advance. Benton’s Hams are in high demand year round, but get even harder to claim around major holidays. In fact, the website currently says “Most orders are taking 5 to 10 business days to be shipped after the order is placed, regardless of choice of shipping services.” You’ve been warned.

Pricing: Whole Hickory Smoked Hams (15 – 17 lbs) start at $88—that’s before shipping costs. However even if your shipping costs run $50, this is still one of the best values on our list if you truly love a true country ham. 4 one-pound packs of bacon start at $30. Annoyingly, you do have to input your credit card information before seeing shipping costs.

Order a country ham online at Benton’s Country ham

Spiral Cut Honey Glazed Holiday Ham, Kansas

The Spiral Cut Honey Glazed Holiday Ham is a “city ham,” meaning it is not slow-aged like the country hams on this list. Instead it is lightly smoked and slowly baked over hickory embers for 28 hours until the honey glaze turns golden.

This is a milder, sweeter ham that people are more familiar with, and it contains less salt than a traditionally cured country ham. These Holiday Hams have been named one of the best mail order hams by Ladies Home Journal, Cuisine, and Real Simple.

If you’re not sure what type of ham to send as a gift, this may be your answer.

Pricing: Whole and half-sized hams are available in sizes from 7 pounds ($82 with free shipping) to 16 pounds ($131 with free shipping).

Shop Ham Online ! Order a Honey Glazed spiral cut ham online from Holiday Hams on Amazon with free Prime Shipping.  Or order your ham online directly from the Holiday Ham Company.

Colonel Bill Newsom’s Aged Kentucky Country Ham, Kentucky

Kentucky owned, Kentucky cured Newsom’s ham is a traditional smokehouse country ham handcrafted by Nancy Newsom Mahaffey, a.k.a. “the Ham Lady.” Mahaffey uses a centuries-old family recipe, preserving a meat-curing method used by her father Bill Newsom, grandfather H.C. Newsom, and English ancestors who originally settled in Surry County, Virginia, in 1635. Newsom’s is among the finest dry-cured hams the world has to offer.

For a milder ham, consider the smokey BBQ “Preacher’s Ham.” For those more experienced with ham who want to cook it themselves, a limited number of free-range, aged, uncooked hams are available. Newsom’s also offers nitrate-free smoked bacon and sausage.

Like a few of sites in this category, the Newsom’s website isn’t fancy and it’s clunky to navigate, but don’t be put off. Their product is everything you want it to be. You may even want to call them to place your order: 270-365-2482. The extra effort is well worth it.

Pricing: 7 – 9 lb ham start at $79. Shipping is calculated before you enter your credit card number.

Take me there!: Buy a smoked country ham online at Newsom’s Country Ham.

Edwards Virginia Smokehouse Ham, Virginia

This family-run smokehouse has been selling hams since 1926 when S. Wallace Edwards built his first smokehouse in Surry, Virginia. Now celebrating 90+ years in business, Edwards has added smoked bacon, sausage, poultry and lamb to their offerings. Order a petite, boneless, fully-cooked hickory smoked ham with free shipping for $90.

Pricing: A 10+ lb bone-in ham is $136 with free shipping included.

Order Ham online! Order a large glazed country ham online at Edwards Virginia Ham.

Burgers’ Smokehouse Country Ham, Missouri

E.M. Burger smoked his first country ham in 1927 using his mother’s age-old curing recipe brought over from Germany. Today Burgers’ Smokehouse in Missouri is owned and operated by the third and fourth generations of the Burger family.

The selection offered by Burgers’ hams is impressive. Choose from whole or spiral sliced country hams, attic-aged hams (fresh ham that’s hand-rubbed with a simple salt, sugar, black pepper mixture, then cured & aged for over 210 days resulting in a bold flavor that’s distinct from their country ham), and honey glazed city hams. Purchase hams in whole or half sizes, unsliced or spiral cut.

Pricing: Prices begin at $60. Conveniently you can input the delivery address to see shipping prices before you put in your credit card information. Often shipping is free.

Buy Country Ham Online: Order a spiral cut country ham online at Burger’s Smokehouse. You can also shop Free Shipping from Amazon Burgers’s storefront on Amazon.

Neuske’s Spiral Cut Ham, Wisconsin

Pricing: A 7-8 lbs old-fashioned bone-in ham starts at $63.

Take me there! Order a smoked country ham online at Nueske’s

Harrington’s Ham of Vermont

Spiral sliced hams are also referred to as “party hams” because it is easy for guests to serve themselves. Harrington Hams of Richmond, Vermont offers fully cooked, pre-sliced hams cured using Vermont Maple Syrup, then slowly corn cob smoked for a milder taste.  Serving Sizes: the 7 – 8 lb. spiral sliced party ham serves 8 – 12 at dinner, or up to 20 at a party. The 8 – 9 lb. ham will serve 12-16 at dinner, or up to 24 at a party. The whole ham will serve 16 – 24

Pricing: $90 and up.

Take me there! Order a spiral cut ham online at Harrington’s of Vermont.

Montana Valley Hams, Helena, Montana

Montana Valley Hams are seriously good—tender, juicy and not only worthy of a holiday table but brace yourself for the delicious ham sandwiches to follow. Price-wise these hams are one of the best values on this list.

The good news is if you live in the northwestern part of the country, shipping won’t be so bad, but when we checked, the 2-day shipping rate to the east coast added about $80 to the cost of the half ham—which is nearly double the price of the ham itself! Ouch. Note, this shipping expense is not unique to Montana Valley Hams. Two-day rush shipping is required for all perishable mail order foods that need to be kept at a safe temperature. The weight of cold packs and additional packing material adds up. If shipping costs aren’t an issue to you, order with confidence. These delicious hams are worth it.

Pricing: $99 for a 4 – 6 lbs half ham.

Shipping: Only ships on Mondays and Tuesdays

Take me there! Order a gourmet country ham online at Montana Valley Hams