Slow Cooker Spiral Ham

This slow cooker spiral cut ham is one of my favorite ham recipes to make. It is so easy to prepare and serve and it stays moist and full of flavor. The glaze is super simple to make and helps flavor the ham and keep it moist. The best part is that it is a great recipe that frees up your oven and requires so little fuss and hands-on time. Preparing a spiral cut ham means, quicker cooking times because the heat reaches the center faster, easy application of glaze between slices for ultimate flavor and zero carving skills required. Baking a ham might seem like a huge undertaking but it is actually couldn’t be easier to make. It is often thought of just for holidays but it’s also great for potlucks, gatherings of all kinds and also for weekend prep.

Slow Cooker Spiral Ham Recipe Ingredients

• HAM: For this recipe you will need a pre-sliced and fully cooked, cured or smoked bone in spiral ham. 7-9 pounds or one that fits your slow cooker. Not only does spiral bone-in ham have a natural and preserved fresh flavor, it’s also a lot easier to cut. Even though the bone is still there, you have clear cutting lines to follow while slicing.
• BROWN SUGAR: I usually use light brown sugar for the glaze. It creates a thick, sticky, and caramel-like coating that adds a rich, molasses-forward sweetness. It caramelizes under heat, helping glazes adhere to the ham while providing a glossy finish and deep amber color.
• HONEY: Honey helps do the same thing as the brown sugar and also adds depth of flavor. Feel free to use maple syrup in its place.
• BUTTER: We use unsalted butter. Butter in a ham glaze adds richness, helps create a silky texture, and creates caramelization for a shiny, sticky, and deeply flavored exterior
• MUSTARD: We like to use Dijon mustard but yellow mustard is great here too. It helps balance the sweetness of ingredients like brown sugar or honey, providing a tangy, acidic flavor that cuts through the fat and creates a savory, “sweet-and-sour” flavor.
• GARLIC: Adds flavor to the glaze. Use as much or as little as you prefer.
• WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE: Worcestershire sauce in a ham glaze adds savory depth, umami, and saltiness, which balances the high sugar content of the glaze
• SPICES: We use a pinch of ground clove in the glaze but other common ham glaze spices include cinnamon, or ginger. Feel free to add a pinch of them too if you want extra flavor.
• PINEAPPLE JUICE: Pineapple juice provide a sweet-and-tangy flavor profile that perfectly balances the savory, salty, and smoky flavors of the ham. Feel free to use apple juice or orange juice either you prefer.
  
  

Variations

• Try using orange juice or apple juice instead of pineapple juice, and rubbing the ham with sweet orange or pineapple marmalade.
• Try adding some heat with crushed red pepper flakes, sriracha or even chili crisp whisked into the glaze.
• Add more flavor and caramelization with a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
• Add a can of pineapple chunks right on top of the ham before slow cooking. Serve with pineapple rings on top for presentation
• Make the glaze a little boozy by adding and stirring in some bourbon or rum.
  
  

How To Cook Ham In the Slow Cooker

1. Make Glaze: Combine all the glaze ingredients into a small saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and reserve ½ cup of it for after the ham cooks
2. Glaze & Cook Ham: Glaze ham all over and between slices (reserving half cup). Cook ham on LOW for about 3-4 hours. Cook time may vary depending on size. We DO NOT recommend cooking on High heat as it could easily dry out the ham.
3. Baste Ham: Baste with the juices from the bottom of the slow cooker 1 or 2 times while it is cooking.
4. Use Meat Thermometer: To ensure that the ham is heated thoroughly you can use a meat instant-read thermometer. It will need to read around 140 degrees.
5. Remove From Slow Cooker: Once heated thoroughly, remove ham from crockpot and place on cutting board or platter. Carve around bone and slices will all release. Place on a platter.
6. Pour Over Reserved Glaze & Serve: Spoon or pour over reserved glaze and serve.
   
   

Tips For Making Slow Cooker Ham

• Know how much ham you need: You’ll need between ⅓ to ½ pound of ham per person. So if you’re planning on feeding 10 people, look for a ham that’s around 5 pounds etc. If you want leftovers you will want to go larger.

• Know the size of your crockpot & chose a ham that is as close to the size as possible only requiring minimal trimming: If you are going to cook a ham in your slow cooker, you need to make sure the ham fits inside the slow cooker! This can be a little trickier because of the shape of the ham, so if you can, take a few measurements of the inside of your slow cooker, and take a tape measure to the grocery store. That being said you can always trim portions off and refit them on the sides of the crockpot. And worse case scenario you can also use heavy duty foil to seal off the crock pot if you aren’t able to close the lid on it. Seal it off tight with the foil and you are good to go.

• Leave ham out to room temperature so it cools evenly and won’t dry out: Take Ham Out of Fridge Prior to Heating 1-2 hours on the countertop to help with even heating and preventing a dry exterior, especially for large, bone-in hams. This helps the center warm through before the outside overcooks while in the crock pot.
  
  

Slow Cooker Ham Make Ahead, Storage, Freezing & Reheating:

• MAKE AHEAD: I usually like to prepare this recipe the day I’m serving it because it is so easy and so convenient to make, but here are some make ahead suggestions. You can make the glaze a couple days ahead and store in and airtight container in the fridge, reheat before using cause the butter will cause it to solidify when chilled. If you want to make it ahead or you plan on having ham out all day - cook the ham as directed then remove slice off bone, put all the slices back in the crockpot and set in the juices and set your crock pot on “keep warm” setting - you don’t want it cooking. Pull slices out as needed and serve with the glaze on the side.
• STORAGE: Store leftover holiday ham in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3–5 days.
• FREEZING: Freeze smaller portions, slices, or the bone, tightly wrapped in plastic or foil, and in air tight container/bag for later use in soups or meals For best quality, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, foil, or vacuum-seal it to prevent freezer burn. Leftover cooked ham lasts 1–2 months in the freezer
• REHEATING: To reheat leftover slices of ham you can do so in the microwave or in the oven. Cover slices in a little chicken broth or if you have any leftover glaze or cooking liquids to maintain moisture, wrap it in foil or cover with microwave safe cover if microwaving, and heat at 325°F until warmed through, about 10 minutes in the oven and just 1-2 minutes in the microwave. The little bit of liquid will help reheat it without drying it out too much.
  
  

Leftover Ham Tips & Suggestions

• Freeze the entire ham bone in a ziplock bag, and make soup later. I recommend a good split pea soup
• Cut the ham off the bone, chop in small pieces, and freeze for a frittata, a breakfast casserole, Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole, or Savoury Baked French Toast
• Chop up leftover ham and make these delicious baked beans
• Make a pan of ham and cheese sliders or Asparagus Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Bundles that everyone will love!
• Add some leftover sliced or chopped ham to your next baked Mac and cheese or even your Chicken Tetrazzini
• Add it to casseroles
• Enjoy it in a classic ham and cheese sandwich with mustard or chow chow
• Add it to pizza - would be great on Hawaiian pizza
• Pan fry it and serve it with your eggs
• Perfect in savory ham and cheese scones as well
  
  

More Roasts You Will Love:

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• Roasted Lamb and Potatoes
• Greek Lamb Chops
• Marmalade Glazed Ham
• Oven Roasted Rotisserie Style Chicken
• Greek Style Skillet Roast Chicken With Crispy Potatoes
• Easy Roasted Tarragon Chicken With Vegetables
• Rosemary Orange Spatchcock Chicken