This slow cooker spiral glazed ham recipe is simple, easy, and perfect for the holiday season. Serve this tender and juicy ham drizzled in a homemade pineapple, honey and brown sugar icing sauce for your favorite meetings or events!
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure here.
What type of
ham
to use Start with whether you plan to buy a fresh ham or a cured, smoked and precooked ham. Fresh hams are not so common. Most people prefer cured hams, so that’s what you’ll typically find in grocery stores, especially during the holidays. Once purchased, all you need to do is reheat and add amazing enamel.
I like to use bone-in hams because they have more flavor. You can also use leftover ham bone that can be used in other recipes to add flavor, such as my slow-cooker ham and potato soup.
If you’re not a fan of carving, spiral sliced hams work great! They also save time. The smoked ham is placed on a spit and turned against a blade while moving longitudinally so that it is cut in a spiral, to the bone. You will still have to cut along the bone to remove its slices, but the hard part is already done and the presentation is beautiful. The slices fall directly from the bone.
When buying ham, be sure to read the labels. Some hams are artificially filled with water or solutions, but this dilutes the taste. Look for one without water or added juices. The label should only say “ham”, not ham, added water or ham with natural juices. Check out this complete guide to buying hams.
How to rate
ham
Hams are very thick, so marking a ham before cooking is necessary to help the ham glaze penetrate the meat. The score will also make the ham beautiful and very presentable. You will make diagonal cuts in the ham.
I don’t write down spirally sliced hams because they’re already cut and you can spread the frosting on the cut sections of the meat.
While scoring, use a sharp knife and cutting board. Start at one end of the ham, and near the bottom cut about 1/3 inch into the ham and in a complete line through.
Continue to make cuts and lines similar to an inch apart.
Rotate the ham and repeat the diagonal lines to form a crisscross pattern.
How to make ham
icing
I like to use a combination of ham juices when cooking, pineapple juice, brown sugar or brown sweetener, honey, cinnamon, ground cloves, and cornstarch (as a thickener) to make the glaze. Combine the ingredients in a saucepan on the stove until thickened.
How to make slow cooker spiral ham
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found on the recipe card at the bottom of this post
.
- Add ham, pineapple juice, and brown sugar or sweetener to the slow cooker
- Slow cooking.
- Once the ham has been cooked, pour the liquid from the bottom of the slow cooker into a saucepan or pan over medium heat to make the ham glaze.
- Add honey, cinnamon and ground cloves. Stir.
- Add cornstarch and water to a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the cornstarch slurry mixture to the glaze. Stir as you pour in and add slowly. Stir until enamel thickens.
- Pour the glaze over the ham.
.
Crockpot” />
What size slow cooker/crockpot to use My 7-quart Crockpot
can fit on an 8 1/2-pound spiral sliced ham with the lid on. If your ham is too big for your slow cooker, you can cover the top with aluminum foil while cooking.
Cooking time / How long to cook
Cook the ham for 3-4 hours over low heat
.
How much ham should you estimate
per person
Calculate about 1/2 pound per person
.
Can you get ahead of yourself?
For Christmas celebrations, I prefer to make ham in the morning. It always tastes best when freshly cooked. You can make the ham up to 3-4 days in advance if you prefer.
How to store it
The ham can be stored in the fridge hermetically sealed and covered for up to 3-4 days
.
Tips
for freezers
You can freeze leftovers (hermetically sealed) for 1-2 months for optimal freshness. This is only for quality, as frozen hams remain safe to eat indefinitely.
and icing” />More Southern Baked Ham
Recipes
withPineapple Ham Potato and vegetable soup PaniniAir Fryer ham and cheese Honey glazed hamHocks and beans Bring
smoked ham More
slow cooker recipes Slow cooker Slow cooker Make in advance Mashed potatoes Slow cooker Crockpot Candied Sweet potatoes Slow cooker Crockpot Bone in Turkey Breast Slow cooker Crockpot Bulltail Slow cooker Crockpot Neck Bones Slow cooker Crockpot Black Eyed Peas Slow cooker Crockpot Cheeseburger Slow
cooker Chili Mac Slow cooker Crockpot Chicken FajitasSlow cooker Crockpot Gumbo
