This Crockpot Spiral Ham takes just 5 minutes to prep, then the slow cooker does the rest. A simple glaze of brown sugar, maple syrup, and pineapple juice keeps the ham moist and sweet — and since it’s not in your oven, you’ll have all the space you need for the rest of your holiday meal.
Being a mom of 8, I have become an expert of making delicious Crockpot Pork Recipes. With this crockpot ham recipe, my holiday cooking got a whole lot easier. With only minutes of prep work, you will have the ham cooking in no time. The results are tender, the perfect amount of sweetness and your save oven space too!
If your family is anything like mine, we love to make easy meals for the holidays. Make sure to check out these other meat recipes you can cook in the slow cooker to save your holiday dinner. Slow Cooker Turkey Breast or Slow Cooker Bone-In Turkey Breast are just some of our favorites.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
- Frees up your oven – The crockpot does the work so your oven is free for rolls, casseroles, and everything else on the holiday table.
- Only 5 minutes of prep – Unwrap, top with brown sugar and juice, and walk away. No basting marathon required.
- Budget-friendly centerpiece – At about $2.39 a serving, this feeds a crowd without blowing the holiday budget.
- Kid and grandparent approved – This is the ham my family of 8 asks for at every holiday, and it never lasts long enough for leftovers to go to waste.
Ingredients
- Spiral Cut Ham – Feel free to use a bone-in ham
- Brown Sugar – We used light brown sugar or dark brown sugar
- Maple Syrup – Substitute with Honey
- Pineapple Juice – Use any citrus juice
For the full list of ingredients and recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card.
How to Cook a Spiral Ham in the Crock Pot
Step 1 – Place the Crock Pot Spiral Sliced Ham flat side down like the picture above. If you prefer, you can spray the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 2 – Once your precooked ham is in the crockpot. Smother it with brown sugar and pour maple syrup and pineapple juice over it.
Step 3 – Cook on low for 4 hours.
Step 4 – Baste ham with the juices from the bottom of the slow cooker occasionally while it is cooking and right before you serve it.
Step 5 (Optional) – For a caramelized, glossy finish, transfer the ham to a foil-lined sheet pan after cooking. Brush with the warm juices from the slow cooker and broil on high for 3-5 minutes, watching closely, until the edges are sticky and slightly charred. This step is optional but makes a big difference if you’re serving for a holiday or special occasion.
Best Side Dishes for Slow Cooker Ham
We normally make ham for the holidays and adding our favorite side dishes are a must. We love this Easy Twice Baked Potatoes in only 4 steps!, The BEST Cheesy potato casserole, Crockpot Green Bean Casserole, Crockpot Funeral Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole with Bacon and Cheese, Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole, Crock Pot Potatoes, Au Gratin Potatoes Crock Pot Recipe, Green Bean Casserole with Cream of Chicken, Loaded Baked Potato Casserole and Roasted Tomato & Mozzarella Salad. You also need to try these Homemade Crescent Rolls, Slow Cooker Dinner Rolls and Empty Tomb Rolls.
Check out all our Best Side Dishes for Ham.
Storage and Reheating Tips
- Fridge – Store the leftover ham in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer – Freezing ham is a great way to save money and use the ham to make another meal. Check out Can You Freeze Ham? to learn how.
- Reheat – This is ham is easy to reheat by placing the oven. You want to place your oven on low heat of 275 degrees. Then cover the ham with foil. I usually use this method if I have a lot of ham leftovers. If it is a small serving, then I will just place in the microwave for a minute to heat with my other sides.
Best Leftover Recipes for Ham
There are so many different ways to use leftover ham. Ham is a great option to add to soups, casseroles and more. These are some of our favorite recipes.
- Ham and Bean Soup Crock Pot Recipe
- Crock pot ham and cabbage recipe
- Crockpot Ham and Potato Soup Recipe
- Ham Salad Recipe
- Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
- Instant Pot Ham and Potato Soup
- My kids love Ham & Cheese Omelets the next day.
- Make a Ham Sandwich.
Frequently Asked Questions
Orange juice works great and gives the fully cooked ham great flavor. We have used this before when I forgot to buy pineapple juice and it was good.
Spiral hams are generally precooked making this process even easier. Make sure to read the label to ensure that the ham you are choosing is precooked.
We like to use a spiral ham. They are amazing in the crockpot and taste delicious. In my opinion, the spiral ham is the perfect ham to cook in the crockpot.
For a bone-in spiral ham like this one, plan on ½ to ¾ pound per person. If you love leftovers (we do!), round up to a full pound per person so you have enough for sandwiches and soup the next day.
If the lid won’t close, use a sharp knife to trim a bit off the bottom or top of the ham until it fits — you can tuck the trimmed piece right in next to the ham so nothing goes to waste. If it’s just barely too tall, cover the slow cooker tightly with a double layer of foil instead of the lid to hold the heat in.
Yes! Unwrap the ham, place it in the slow cooker insert, and top it with the brown sugar, syrup, and pineapple juice the night before. Cover and refrigerate the whole insert overnight, then let it sit out to come to room temperature before you start cooking the next day.
More Easy Ham Recipes
If you make this Slow Cooker Spiral Ham Recipe, make sure to leave us a comment. We love hearing from you.
Crockpot Spiral Ham
Equipment
- A 6-8 quart oval slow cooker works best for a 7-8 lb ham.
Ingredients
- 7-8 lb Spiral Sliced Ham
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Maple Syrup or Honey
- 1 cup Pineapple Juice
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Unwrap a 7-8 lb ham and place flat side down in a large slow cooker. Throw away glaze packet and any plastic pieces that cover the bone.
- Rub 1 cup of brown sugar over the sides.
- Pour ½ cup of syrup and 1 cup of pineapple juice.
- Cook on low for 4 hours.
- Baste ham with the juices from the bottom of the slow cooker occasionally while it is cooking. Use a meat thermometer to check that the center of the ham reaches 140°F before serving.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Pineapple – If you love pineapple, toss in a few slices or chunks. Pineapple rings would also work placed on top of the ham. Plus, it would look pretty.
- Pineapple Allergy – If someone in your family can’t have pineapple, swap the pineapple juice for white grape juice with a small splash of vinegar. It gives a similar sweet-tart balance.
- Crushed Pineapple – Want pineapple chunks with your ham? Use crushed pineapple, juice and all, in place of the pineapple juice.
- Brown Sugar – The brown sugar can easily be substituted with maple syrup, honey, or raw sugar. It may change the consistency so make changes to what you prefer.
- Change Ham – Even though we love the flavor of the spiral ham, feel to cook the ham that you prefer. There are many options to choose from especially during the holidays.
- Cook on Low – Once you have placed your ham in the crock pot set it on low. It will need to cook for about 3-4 hours. Cook time could vary.
- Use Meat Thermometer – To ensure that you ham is heated thoroughly you can use a meat thermometer. It will need to read around 140 degrees.
- Remove From Slow Cooker – Once heated thoroughly, remove ham from crockpot and place on a platter.
- Heat Juices – I like to pour the juice that is in the bottom of my crockpot into a saucepan. Then bring the juices to a simmer for about 6-8 minutes.
- Pour Juices – Then pour the juices over the ham. Doing this just brings all the juices and ham together.
- Thicker Glaze – If you prefer a thicker glaze. You can mix about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2-3 tablespoon of water together. Then pour into the ham juice.
- Cooking on High – Stick to low. High heat cooks the outside faster than the inside and dries out the meat.
- Adding Water – Don’t add extra liquid beyond what’s listed. The ham releases its own juices, and too much liquid waters down the glaze.
- Skipping the Baste – Basting every hour is what pulls the glaze into the meat instead of leaving it pooled at the bottom.
OMG, I’ll never put a ham in the oven again. This crockpot spiral ham recipe is amazing. Delicious, moist and very flavorful.
Kathy – So glad it turned out great and you enjoyed! We love using the slow cooker too!
Can I put it together the night before
Yes, definitely! Refrigerate it and then let it come to room temperature before cooking in the crock pot.
can i use crushed pineapple & the juice
Leveta – Yes, I think that would be delicious in this recipe!
Do you pre-soak the ham to draw off some of the salt?
Linda – No, I have never pre-soaked the ham and it still tastes great!
I used OJ, due to an allergy to Pineapple and it received rave reviews! Delicious and filled my home with a warm yummy scent!
Hey Linda – That sounds delicious and so glad you tried it. Thanks for sharing!
Recipe was explained and easy to follow. Ham tasted wonderful.
I’m so glad you you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for sharing and for the positive review!
What would you recommend for a pineapple juice substitute for a family member with a tree fruit allergy?
Additionally – if intending to also use the glaze packet that comes with the ham, would I follow your recipe and then also put the glaze on before serving? Would it make sense to then pop it in the oven briefly so the glaze can caramelize? My ham is a brown sugar one
Alicia – I would use a white grape juice with a little vinegar instead of the pineapple juice if they are about to have that with their allergy. I generally don’t use the glaze packet that comes with the ham but I would put the ham back into the oven before serving so the glaze can caramelize properly. I hope you enjoy it!