Crockpot Spiral Ham
This crockpot spiral ham is tender, sweet, and ready in about 4 hours with only 5 minutes of hands-on prep. It's the easiest way to serve ham for the holidays without giving up oven space.
Servings: 16
Cost: $38.26 Recipe, $2.39 per Serving
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
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 1/2 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.
Video
Notes
Slow cooker ham is perfect for the holidays and frees up your oven.
Variations Ideas
- 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.
How Long to Cook a Ham in the Slow Cooker
- 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.
Nutrition
Serving: 16g | Calories: 577kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 2360mg | Potassium: 618mg | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1.9mg
