You open the freezer a day before dinner and find the ham sitting there like a pink bowling ball covered in frost. A small ham may be ready by tomorrow, but a large holiday ham can take several days to thaw in the refrigerator. Getting the timing right matters because the outside softens long before the thick center loses its ice.
If you are wondering how long to thaw ham, allow about 4 to 6 hours per pound in the refrigerator. A 10-pound ham may need roughly 40 to 60 hours, while a 15-pound ham can need about 60 to 90 hours. For a faster thaw, keep the ham in a leak-proof package and submerge it in cold water for about 30 minutes per pound, changing the water every 30 minutes.
Ham Thawing Time by Weight
The easiest way to estimate your thaw is to start with the weight printed on the package. Refrigerator thawing gives you more flexibility, while cold water can rescue a meal when the ham stayed in the freezer longer than intended.
| Ham Weight | Refrigerator Thaw Time | Cold-Water Thaw Time |
|---|---|---|
| 4 lb | 16 to 24 hours | About 2 hours |
| 5 lb | 20 to 30 hours | About 2 1/2 hours |
| 6 lb | 24 to 36 hours | About 3 hours |
| 8 lb | 32 to 48 hours | About 4 hours |
| 10 lb | 40 to 60 hours | About 5 hours |
| 12 lb | 48 to 72 hours | About 6 hours |
| 15 lb | 60 to 90 hours | About 7 1/2 hours |
| 18 lb | 72 to 108 hours | About 9 hours |
| 20 lb | 80 to 120 hours | About 10 hours |
These are estimates. A refrigerator running close to 35°F can thaw meat more slowly than one running close to 40°F. A thick bone-in ham may also seem frozen near the center after the outer meat has softened.
How Long to Thaw Ham in the Refrigerator
Allow approximately 4 to 6 hours for every pound of ham.
Put the frozen ham on a rimmed tray or inside a shallow pan. Leave the original wrapping in place unless the package tells you otherwise.
Set the ham on a lower refrigerator shelf so any escaping liquid stays away from other foods.
Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below.
A five-pound ham may need around one day. An eight-pound ham may need around a day and a half to two days. Once you reach the 12- to 15-pound range, start thinking in days rather than hours.
How Long to Thaw a 5 Pound Ham
A five-pound ham needs roughly 20 to 30 hours in the refrigerator.
If dinner is Saturday evening, moving it into the refrigerator Friday morning gives you a comfortable window.
For cold-water thawing, allow about 2 1/2 hours.
Keep the package submerged in cold tap water and replace that water every 30 minutes.
How Long to Thaw an 8 Pound Ham
An eight-pound ham needs around 32 to 48 hours in the refrigerator.
For a Sunday dinner, moving it from freezer to fridge Friday is a sensible choice.
Cold-water thawing takes about 4 hours.
Do not use one sink full of water for the entire four hours. Replace it every 30 minutes so it stays cold.
How Long to Thaw a 10 Pound Ham
A 10-pound ham needs roughly 40 to 60 hours in the refrigerator.
That works out to about two to two and a half days.
If the meal is Sunday afternoon, move the ham into the refrigerator Thursday night or Friday morning.
For a quicker cold-water thaw, allow approximately 5 hours.
How Long to Thaw a 12 Pound Ham
A 12-pound ham can take about 48 to 72 hours in the refrigerator.
Give yourself two to three full days.
For a holiday meal on Thursday, moving the ham to the refrigerator Monday is a comfortable schedule.
A cold-water thaw takes around 6 hours.
How Long to Thaw a 15 Pound Ham
A 15-pound ham may need about 60 to 90 hours in the refrigerator.
That is roughly two and a half to nearly four days.
If you are serving a 15-pound ham on Sunday, moving it into the fridge by Wednesday or Thursday gives you far less stress than discovering an icy center on Sunday morning.
Cold-water thawing takes around 7 1/2 hours.
How Long to Thaw a 20 Pound Ham
A large 20-pound ham can need approximately 80 to 120 hours in the refrigerator.
That works out to roughly three and a half to five days.
This is the kind of ham that should move out of the freezer early in the week for a weekend meal.
Using cold water would take about 10 hours, with fresh cold water every 30 minutes.
How to Thaw Ham Fast in Cold Water
Cold water is the main fast-thaw method for a whole ham.
Keep the ham inside an airtight or leak-proof package. If you see a torn seam or damaged wrapping, put the entire ham inside a clean leak-proof food bag.
Submerge it in cold tap water.
Replace the water every 30 minutes.
Allow roughly 30 minutes for each pound.
A six-pound ham takes about three hours. A 10-pound ham takes around five hours. A 15-pound ham takes roughly seven and a half hours.
Once the ham has fully thawed through cold water, cook it right away.
Why Do You Change the Water Every 30 Minutes?
The frozen ham cools the water around it. After some time, the water also changes temperature as it sits in the room.
Replacing it every half hour keeps the thaw moving at a steady pace while the ham stays surrounded by cold water.
Do not switch to warm or hot water to shave time from the clock.
Can You Thaw Ham in Hot Water?
No. Cold tap water is the better choice.
A large ham thaws from the outside inward. Hot water can warm the surface while a heavy frozen core remains in the middle.
You may end up with warm outer meat and several pounds of frozen ham underneath it.
Use cold water and budget 30 minutes per pound.
Can You Thaw Ham on the Counter?
Do not leave a frozen ham on the kitchen counter to thaw.
A large ham may stay frozen in the center for hours while the outer layers become much warmer.
The same problem applies to leaving ham in a garage, car, porch, basement, or outdoors.
Use the refrigerator, cold water, or microwave instead.
Can You Thaw Ham in the Microwave?
A microwave can thaw ham, but it is usually practical only for smaller pieces.
A full holiday ham may be too large to fit or rotate properly.
If the ham fits, remove wrapping that is not microwave-safe and follow your microwave’s defrost setting based on weight.
Turn the ham as directed so one section does not receive all the heat.
Some areas can begin warming or cooking during microwave thawing.
Cook microwave-thawed ham immediately.
How Long to Thaw a Spiral Ham
Use the same basic refrigerator estimate of about 4 to 6 hours per pound.
An eight-pound spiral ham may need around 32 to 48 hours. A 10-pound spiral ham may need 40 to 60 hours.
Spiral slicing does not mean the center will thaw in only a few hours. The slices still sit tightly together around the bone.
For a large holiday spiral ham, moving it into the refrigerator two or three days before serving is far easier than trying to rush it on the morning of the meal.
How Long to Thaw a Bone-In Ham
Bone-in ham follows the same weight-based timing, but the section around the bone can be one of the last places to lose its ice.
Check the thick center before assuming the entire ham is ready.
A 10-pound bone-in ham still needs roughly 40 to 60 hours in the fridge or about five hours in cold water.
How Long to Thaw a Boneless Ham
Boneless ham also follows the 4- to 6-hour-per-pound refrigerator estimate.
Some boneless hams are compact and dense, so do not assume they will thaw much faster just because there is no bone.
A five-pound boneless ham may need 20 to 30 hours. An eight-pound ham may need 32 to 48 hours.
How Can You Tell If a Ham Is Fully Thawed?
Press the thickest section through the wrapper.
A fully frozen ham feels rigid. As it thaws, the meat begins to give under gentle pressure.
Check near the center and around the bone if there is one.
The outside can feel completely soft while a solid icy section remains deep inside.
If the middle is still hard, leave it in the refrigerator longer or finish the thaw with cold water.
What If My Ham Is Still Frozen the Day I Need It?
You have two workable choices.
If you have several hours, switch to cold-water thawing. Keep the ham sealed, submerge it, and count about 30 minutes per pound.
If there is not enough time to thaw completely, ham can be cooked from a frozen state in an oven. Expect cooking to take roughly 50 percent longer than it would for a fully thawed piece of meat.
Use a food thermometer instead of relying only on the clock.
Can You Cook Ham From Frozen?
Yes. Frozen pork can be cooked in an oven without thawing first.
The main downside is time. A frozen ham may need about half again as long as a thawed ham.
A frozen ham is also harder to glaze early because frost and ice can stop the glaze from sticking.
If possible, begin heating the ham and add glaze later once the outside has softened.
Check the product label before cooking because ham can be sold fully cooked, cook-before-eating, or fresh and uncooked.
Do You Have to Thaw a Fully Cooked Ham?
No. A fully cooked frozen ham can be reheated from frozen, though it takes longer.
Thawing first makes the heating time easier to predict and helps the center warm at a pace closer to the outer meat.
It also makes scoring and glazing easier.
How Hot Should a Fully Cooked Ham Be?
A cooked ham that was vacuum packed in a federally inspected plant can be reheated to 140°F.
Cooked ham that has been repackaged elsewhere, along with leftover cooked ham, should be reheated to 165°F.
Use a food thermometer in the thickest section and keep the probe away from the bone.
What About Fresh or Cook-Before-Eating Ham?
Fresh ham and ham labeled “cook before eating” need full cooking rather than simple reheating.
Whole pork cuts should reach at least 145°F and then rest for at least three minutes.
Read the package before turning on the oven. The label tells you whether your ham is already cooked or still needs full cooking.
How Long Can Thawed Ham Stay in the Refrigerator?
The answer depends on the kind of ham and whether the package is open.
A fully cooked whole ham can commonly stay refrigerated for up to seven days. A cooked half ham generally has a three- to five-day refrigerator window.
Spiral-cut ham and leftovers are commonly kept for three to five days.
Fresh uncooked ham can generally stay refrigerated for three to five days.
For packaged ham, also check the date and storage directions printed on the label.
Can You Refreeze a Thawed Ham?
Ham thawed in the refrigerator can be frozen again if it stayed properly chilled.
The eating quality may drop a little because another freeze-and-thaw cycle can pull more moisture from the meat.
Ham thawed in cold water or the microwave should be cooked before another freeze.
How Far Ahead Should You Thaw Ham for a Holiday?
Work backward from the meal.
For a six-pound ham, give yourself about one to one and a half days.
For an eight-pound ham, start about two days ahead.
For a 10- to 12-pound ham, start two to three days ahead.
For a 15-pound ham, three to four days gives you breathing room.
For a 20-pound ham, move it into the refrigerator four to five days before the meal.
Starting slightly early is much easier than trying to speed-thaw a huge ham on a holiday morning.
How Long to Thaw Ham for Easter
If Easter dinner is on Sunday, check the ham weight several days before.
A 10-pound ham should move into the refrigerator by Friday morning or even Thursday night.
A 15-pound ham is better moved by Wednesday or Thursday.
A 20-pound ham can go into the refrigerator as early as Tuesday or Wednesday.
Once thawed, keep it cold until cooking time.
How Long to Thaw Ham for Christmas
For a Christmas Day meal, count backward from December 25.
A 10-pound ham can start thawing around December 22 or 23.
A 15-pound ham is better moved into the refrigerator around December 21 or 22.
A very large 20-pound ham may need to come out of the freezer around December 20 or 21.
The refrigerator does the work while you take care of the rest of the meal.
Common Mistakes When Thawing Ham
One common mistake is assuming one night in the refrigerator will thaw any ham. That may work for a small piece, but a large holiday ham needs days.
Another mistake is using warm or hot water. Cold water is the correct fast method.
Leaving the ham on the counter for most of the day is another poor shortcut.
People also forget to count thaw time before the cooking time. A ham that needs three days to thaw and several hours in the oven must leave the freezer well before the day of the meal.
Another easy mistake is checking only the outside. The thick middle and the meat around a bone can remain icy long after the surface feels soft.
Frequently Asked Questions About How Long to Thaw Ham
How many hours per pound does it take to thaw a ham?
Allow about 4 to 6 hours per pound in the refrigerator or about 30 minutes per pound in cold water.
How long does a 10 lb ham take to thaw?
A 10-pound ham needs about 40 to 60 hours in the refrigerator or roughly five hours in cold water.
How long does a 12 lb ham take to thaw?
Plan on about 48 to 72 hours in the refrigerator or approximately six hours in cold water.
How long does a 15 lb ham take to thaw?
A 15-pound ham needs roughly 60 to 90 hours in the refrigerator or about seven and a half hours in cold water.
Can I thaw a ham overnight?
A small ham may thaw overnight, but medium and large hams usually need more time. Use the 4- to 6-hour-per-pound estimate.
Can I put a frozen ham directly in the oven?
Yes. Expect it to need about 50 percent more cooking time than a fully thawed ham, and use a food thermometer to check the center.
Can I leave ham out overnight to thaw?
No. Thaw it in the refrigerator, cold water, or microwave instead.
What is the quickest way to thaw a large ham?
Use cold water. Keep the ham in a leak-proof package, submerge it in cold tap water, replace the water every 30 minutes, and allow roughly 30 minutes per pound.
Does spiral ham thaw faster?
Do not count on a much shorter thaw. Spiral hams are still thick pieces of meat, and the slices remain tightly packed around the center and bone.
How early should I take a frozen ham out for Sunday dinner?
For a 10-pound ham, Thursday night or Friday morning works well. For a 15-pound ham, Wednesday or Thursday gives you more room.
The Easy Way to Time a Frozen Ham
For refrigerator thawing, remember one simple number: 4 to 6 hours per pound.
A five-pound ham needs roughly a day. A 10-pound ham needs around two days. A 15-pound ham can need three days or more, and a 20-pound ham may need as many as five days.
If the calendar gets away from you, cold water cuts the wait sharply. Keep the ham sealed, use cold tap water, change it every 30 minutes, and allow about 30 minutes for each pound.
Do not count only the cooking time when preparing a holiday ham. The frozen center is the hidden clock. Give that thick middle enough time to soften, and the rest of the meal becomes much easier to time.