Quick & Easy Crock Pot Ham

This easy crock pot ham is coated in a sweet and simple orange, brown sugar glaze and cooks perfectly tender and juicy right in the slow cooker. This crowd-pleasing main dish is perfect for your next holiday get-together!

Easy Slow Cooker Ham

• This crock pot ham recipe is SO simple! It’s perfect for beginner cooks. The ingredient list is short and sweet and it requires little to no technical cooking skills at all!
• It’s a great way to free up the oven if you cook a big feast! Whether you’re having guests over for the holidays or just making a hearty Sunday dinner, cooking the main protein in the crock pot is a great way to free up the precious real estate of oven space.

Ingredients for Crock Pot Ham

• Spiral Cut Ham: You can use bone-in or boneless for this recipe. Spiral-cut ham is the easiest because it’s sliced and ready to go once it comes out of the slow cooker.
• Orange Juice or Pineapple Juice: Use your favorite sweet fruit juice for this recipe. We usually have orange juice on hand, so I typically use that, but pineapple juice also adds a delicious flavor.
• Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is going to add sweetness and help create the thick texture of the glaze.
• Honey: Honey adds sweetness as well and helps create a thick glaze.
• Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard is going to add depth of flavor but the ham won’t come out tasting like mustard, don’t worry!
• Balsamic Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar adds a tang to the glaze and also a bit of sweetness as it reduces in the slow cooker.
• Cornstarch: A quick cornstarch slurry is the easiest way to create a thick glaze to brush over your ham and serve alongside it.

How to Make Ham in the Crock Pot

Pour juice into the bottom of a 7-8 quart crock pot. Combine brown sugar, honey, Dijon mustard, and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl until smooth.

Pour the glaze over the top of the ham, using a spatula to gently guide it and spread it over the surface of the ham. Put ham into the slow cooker, flat side down.

If the ham sticks out of the crock pot a bit, cover the crock pot insert with a triple layer of foil and tuck it under the edges of the crock pot insert. Then place the insert into the slow cooker and gently place the lid on top. Give the insert a little push so that it’s all the way inside the slow cooker. 

Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours or until tender. Strain juices from the crock pot into a saucepan over medium heat, combine with cornstarch slurry, and simmer until thickened. Brush glaze over the ham and serve!

Tips for Making the Best Ham

• The cooking time will vary depending on your slow cooker. All crock pots cook slightly differently so keep a close eye on the ham and check it throughout the cooking process to ensure it’s cooked through without drying out. Most hams come fully cooked so you’re really just heating it through but it does take a while to heat an 8-pound ham, especially if it still has the bone in it.
• Let the ham rest for a bit after cooking. This is the perfect time to simmer that glaze and let the juices in the ham redistribute to keep it moist and juicy.

How to Cut a Spiral Ham

I could try to describe how to slice the ham, but honestly, I think watching someone do it might be the easiest and quickest way to learn! Here are two videos that describe different ways that you can slice spiral-cut ham off the bone:

1. Slice around the bone (skip to 1:18 for slicing demonstration)
2. Slice along the natural fat lines

Bone-In or Boneless?

It’s totally up to you! Some think that bone-in hams are juicier and make for a more beautiful presentation. While others argue that boneless are just as juicy and cook more quickly and evenly. This crock pot recipe can be made with either type and will still turn out delicious.

FAQ

Can you heat up a fully cooked ham in a crock pot?

Yes! And it might be the best way to cook it! The crock pot traps moisture and uses it to heat the ham. In this recipe, the moisture comes from the orange juices and then the brown sugar glaze. So while the ham is heating through it’s also being infused with that orange, brown sugar flavor for a juicy, tender, delicious ham with minimal prep work!

Is ham better in the oven or crockpot?

I prefer to cook it in the crock pot. It frees up oven space for side dishes or appetizers and it cooks up perfectly moist and tender right in the slow cooker. Oven-baked ham has a tendency to dry out more as well.

Do I put liquid in with ham?

Yes! The best way to keep ham super moist and tender is to add liquid to the slow cooker. In this slow cooker ham recipe, we use orange juice as the cooking liquid. This infuses the ham with flavor while heating it through and keeping it juicy.

Make-Ahead Instructions

You can prep this ham up to 24 hours in advance – add the orange juice to the crock pot insert and cover the ham with the glaze – and then store it, covered, in the fridge until you’re ready to heat it through.

Storing Leftover Ham

Store leftover ham in an airtight container for up to a week. Store the glaze mixture in a separate container for up to a week as well.

Freezing Ham

Freeze leftover ham in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Reheating Slow Cooker Ham

Reheat leftover ham in a 325-degree oven until warmed through. Place ham in a baking dish, brush with glaze if desired, cover with foil, and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the ham is warmed through. You can also reheat it in the microwave if you prefer.

Make it a Meal!

Serve this crock pot spiral-cut ham along with:

• slow cooker mac and cheese
• cheesy potato casserole
• garlic mashed potatoes
• broccoli cheese casserole
• green bean casserole
• roasted herb baby potatoes
• cheesy corn casserole
• broccoli cheese twice baked potatoes
• balsamic glazed Brussels sprouts
• cornbread casserole
• air fryer zucchini
• air fryer green beans
• air fryer asparagus
• air fryer baked potatoes

Try these family favorites next!

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