Crock Pot Ham – Spend With Pennies

December 2, 2024

Crock Pot Ham is a set-it-and-forget-it kind of meal!

With just minutes of prep, and a simple and delicious glaze, ham is slow cooked to tender perfection for an easy holiday favorite.

It needs just minutes of prep time.
Since crockpot ham cooks low and slow, it’s tender and juicy every time.
Making ham in a slow cooker saves oven space for other dishes.
It’s so easy that it practically cooks itself.
This crockpot ham recipe is perfect for a holiday dinner or a Sunday supper all year.

What You’ll Need

Ham: Choose a fully cooked ham up to 10 lbs for a 6qt slow cooker. Bone-in or spiral ham will work in this recipe— I prefer spiral ham as it’s easy to serve. If your ham is not spiral cut, score the meat (per recipe notes) to allow the glaze to seep in.
Glaze: Use a bit of jelly and brown sugar for sweetness, Dijon mustard for a little depth of flavor, cider vinegar to balance the sweetness, and seasonings for flavor.
Swaps:
- Replace apple jelly with apricot preserves
- Swap the glaze below for brown sugar glaze.

How Much Ham To Buy

¼ – ⅓ lb. per person of boneless ham
⅓ – ½ lb. per person of bone-in ham

adding ingredients together to make glaze for Crock Pot Ham

How to Make Crock Pot Ham

Making ham in the crockpot is SO easy.

Sprinkle a bit of brown sugar in the slow cooker. Add the ham according to the recipe below.
Prepare the glaze & pour it over the ham.
Cover and cook until heated through. Easy Peasy!

Pro Tips for Perfection

A smoked ham should be cooked to a temperature of 140°F on a meat thermometer. This will take 4-5 hours on low for an 8-10lb ham. Slow cookers can vary so check it early.
Purchase a fully-cooked spiral ham for this recipe. If using a ham that isn’t spiral cut, score it by running a knife diagonally about 1/8-inch deep.
For the best flavor, discard the glaze packet with the ham and use the glaze recipe below.
Add up to ½ cup of pineapple juice if desired. Liquid should not be added to the slow cooker, and the ham will release juices.

What to Serve With Ham

This easy crock pot ham recipe is perfect for Christmas or Easter dinner. Slice the ham, place it on a platter, and garnish with herbs or additional rosemary. Here some of our favorite side dish recipes.

Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Find my favorite leftover ham recipes here.

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Crock Pot Ham

Crock Pot Ham is the perfect holiday ham recipe. It takes just 5 minutes of prep and the slow cooker does all of the work!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

For the glaze, in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the apple jelly. Whisk in the remaining glaze ingredients. Bring to a boil and let boil for 1 minute while stirring.
In the bottom of a 6 to 7-quart slow cooker, sprinkle ¼ cup of brown sugar.
If the ham has a plastic disk in the center, remove the disk and discard it. Use a knife to score the top of the ham, ⅛-inch deep, in a criss-cross pattern if it is a spiral ham.
Before putting the ham in the slow cooker, separate the layers of ham and brush them with glaze. Place the ham into the slow cooker and pour remaining glaze over the top.
Add rosemary sprigs, cover slow cooker (see note), and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until the ham reaches 140℉.

Ham: Be sure to check your package to ensure that the ham is smoked/ fully cooked. The package will tell what temperature the ham needs to reach. If using a ham that is not a spiral ham, I recommend scoring the ham.
Substitution: Apple jelly can be substituted with apricot jam/jelly/preserves, apple butter, or even orange marmalade.
Ham Size: If the ham is too large for the lid to close completely, cover the slow cooker with foil and place the lid on top of the foil to seal in the heat.
Temp Check: Slow cookers can vary, check the ham early using an instant-read thermometer to ensure it doesn’t overcook.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Ham, Main Course, Slow Cooker

Cuisine American

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