Ham Slow Cooker Recipe
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Need a simple ham recipe? I’ve got you covered with this Ham Slow Cooker recipe. Made with just 4 ingredients, this crock pot ham is perfect for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even just Sunday dinner.
Holiday dinners are always a special occasion and for us, it isn’t a celebration if there isn’t a maple glazed ham on the table. This slow cooker ham recipe takes just 10 minutes of prep work before putting it into the slow cooker to warm through and add a ton of additional flavor.
In addition to ham on the holiday table, we love to serve roasted turkey breast and beef tenderloin as well, something for everyone.
Ingredients for Maple Glazed Ham
Just a few simple, household ingredients is all that you will need to make this ham in the slow cooker.
- Ham– a bone-in whole, pre-cooked ham works best with this recipe. We aren’t using a spiral sliced ham in this slow cooker recipe.
- Cloves– whole cloves are placed all around the outside of the ham and boy o’ boy do they add a ton of flavor to this maple brown sugar glazed ham
- Maple– I like to use pure maple syrup. You can use pancake syrup in a pinch if that is what you have on hand. I find that Costco has the best price on pure maple syrup.
- Brown Sugar- when cooked with maple syrup, this makes a sticky, sweet brown sugar glaze that is so delicious on the outside of the ham.
- Apple Juice– the slow cooker needs some liquid when cooking so the apple juice works double duty as a sweetener and liquid for the slow cooker.
Tips to Make Slow Cooked Ham
- Make sure your ham will fit into the slow cooker. If you purchase a ham that is too big, you can slice off some of the ham so it fits, or make a foil tent over the slow cooker to keep the moisture inside.
- Buy enough ham for your guests. I like to plan for about 1/2 pound of ham per person if I am only serving ham. If there are other protein options, you can plan for 1/4 pound per person.
- Baste the ham while cooking. Baste the ham with the maple brown sugar glaze in the slow cooker about 3-4 times during the cooking process. This will help to ensure that all of the ham gets covered with the sweet maple glaze.
Quick Tip
For a crisp, outer crust; brush on some of the brown sugar glaze from the slow cooker and place the ham in a pan under the broiler for 1-2 minutes.
How Long to Slow Cook Ham
It takes 4-6 hours in the slow cooker to cook ham. This recipe is for a 7 pound, bone-in ham, if you have a smaller ham, plan for 3-4 hours.
You can overcook ham in the slow cooker and it will dry out and be tough to eat, so be sure to check the temperature with an instant read thermometer. The internal temperature of the ham should reach 140º F.
Best Ham to Cook in Slow Cooker
For this recipe, you will need a bone-in butt end or shank end ham. The butt end is more rounded and has more bone than the shank end. The shank end has just one straight bone in the center of the ham.
Be sure to read the package when picking out a ham, you need a cooked ham that is not spiral sliced.
Got Leftover Ham?
Store any leftover ham in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Ham is also great to freeze for up to 4 months to use in future recipes.
Easily reheat ham by wrapping it in foil and placing it in a 275º F oven for 10-15 minutes.
We love to use ham leftovers in frittatas, sandwiches, soups, salads and so much more.
What to Serve With Ham
Some of our favorite ham side dishes are salads, vegetables, potatoes, and even cornbread. Here are some of our favorite ham sides:
- Easy Scalloped Potatoes– layers of potatoes, cream and cheese make this an irresistible side dish
- Berry Cheesecake Fluff Salad– there isn’t a holiday that goes by where this salad is not requested
- Creamy Corn Casserole– this is one of those recipes that you wonder how it works, but dream about it after it’s gone! So good!
- Garlic Butter Broccoli– such an easy side dish that is bursting with so much flavor. You’ll wonder how you ever ate broccoli without this recipe before.
- Oven Baked Asparagus– a super simple and flavorful vegetable side dish that will have everyone eating their greens.
- Savory Potato Tart– from A Latte Food, this tart is a delicious, savory side that will disappear in a flash.
Slow Cooker Ham Recipe
Ingredients
- 7-8 pound whole bone-in ham
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup apple juice
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
Instructions
- Prepare ham by scoring the outside with a sharp knife making diamond shapes by cutting one direction and then the opposite direction.
- Press the cloves into the points of the diamonds.
- Combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, and apple juice.
- Place the ham into the slow cooker and pour the glaze over the ham.
- Cook 4-6 hours or until 140℉ when measured with a thermometer.
- Baste the ham 3-4 times during the cooking process.
- Pour on additional glaze and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until crisp
Notes
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is just an estimate
- Basting the ham will help to keep moisture in the ham as it cooks
- If your ham is too big for your slow cooker, make a tent with foil to fully cover the top of the slow cooker, sealing the ham and heat inside.
- Use at least a 7 quart slow cooker for this recipe and size of ham
