How to Cook a Canned Ham in the Crockpot

This astonishing Crockpot Ham is the BEST slow cooker ham recipe! It's cooked in pineapple juice with a brown carbohydrate glaze featuring Dijon, balsamic vinegar, and honey for an EASY holiday dinner that practically makes itself!

The Best Crockpot Ham with text overlay.

If you're looking for fabulous side dishes to accompany this Crockpot Ham, I think you'll enjoy Cream Cheese Corn Goulash, Green Bean Goulash with Bacon, or Brand-Alee Garlic & Herb Mashed Potatoes!

This delectable Crockpot Ham has been the top holiday recipe on my site since 2014. Literally millions of happy readers have fabricated it over the years, returning to this post time and time once more!

So today, I've decided it'due south high time I update my wearisome cooker ham recipe with some new step-past-step photos, tips, and tricks! I'm keeping the main photos the aforementioned, however, because I want this post to be recognizable to anyone returning to make the "Chocolate-brown Sugar Slow Cooker Ham" that they've grown to know and love on previous holidays. 😉

To be honest, cooking ham in the crockpot is perhaps one of the most brilliant holiday cooking decisions I've ever made! Every bit we all know, when preparing a holiday repast, oven space is at a premium. There are a ton of side dishes to bake, not to mention homemade rolls, desserts, and more. That'southward why it's e'er nice to ensure that some of your dishes don't rely on said oven.

And that's too why this Crockpot Ham recipe has been so popular with so many people for so many years! Not merely is it effortless to throw in the dull cooker, merely it's also so oral fissure-watering-ly succulent that endless reviewers have commented that they'll never cook their hams in the oven again!

Ingredients

Another beautiful quality of this slow cooker ham is that it requires just a scattering of bones ingredients.

Ham. What say we chat about the star ingredient commencement?!
- You're going to want to beginning with a fully cooked ham, and this recipe will but serve to oestrus it to a safe temperature and glaze it.
- The almost standard ham at the grocery store will probably be cured only not smoked. However, you lot may choose cured or uncured, plain or smoked...it's really just a matter of personal preference.
- The ham in these photos was actually uncured, which is why it's a lighter color than deep pink, cured ham.
- If your ham includes a flavor/coat bundle -- or if it has a plastic cap over the end of the os -- be sure to discard those before cooking.
- Whorl downwardly for even more commonly asked FAQs related to the ham you choose for this recipe!

Labeled ingredients to make fully cooked ham in crockpot.

In addition to the ham itself, this Crockpot Ham requires merely a few boosted ingredients for deadening cooking and glazing:

Pineapple juice. I only buy pinepple juice a few times a yr...and information technology'south e'er for this recipe! Ha. It's true, though...the flavour that pineapple juice lends to this slow cooker ham tin can't be beat out. That being said, if you don't care for pineapple juice or don't have any on mitt, I have successfully subbed apple juice and the ham still turns out delicious. I call back you could even swap in another type of juice, so long as yous bask its flavor and wouldn't mind it in a glaze. For instance, a pineapple juice combo (such as pineapple orange juice) would be lovely.
Brown sugar. This is the primary ingredient for the paste that later turns into the glaze. Dark brown sugar or light brown sugar will work, though obviously your resulting coat will be lighter or darker as a issue.
Dijon mustard. Dijon is recommended, but another type of mustard can exist substituted if you wish. Commenters accept reported success using spicy brownish mustard, dearest mustard, or even regular yellow mustard.
Balsamic vinegar. I think the balsamic vinegar contributes key season to this recipe, so I'd be hesitant to substitute information technology. Merely if I plant myself making this recipe without any balsamic on mitt, I'd choose red vino vinegar every bit the closest all-time swap.
Dearest. Maple syrup would work as well.
Cornstarch + cold water. When you lot mix together these ii ingredients with a fork, they form a slurry that is used to thicken the coat.

The above ingredients melt downwardly into the about tantalizing glaze. And once thickened, it's served aslope (or drizzled all over) the ham.

The glaze is honestly my favorite office of this recipe! Let'due south just say I ~~have eaten~~ could eat it with a spoon. 😉

How to Melt a Ham in a Crockpot

(The below photos are intended to exist helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this mail for FULL DIRECTIONS.)

Well, we've rounded upwards the ingredients. Now you won't believe how easy it is to prepare your vacation meal by cooking a ham in the crockpot!

Slow Cook the Ham

Remove the ham from the packaging, discarding any plastic cap and/or glaze or flavoring packet.

Boneless ham for crockpot being removed from packaging.

Pour the pineapple juice into the bottom of a big slow cooker.

Pouring pineapple juice into slow cooker.

In a medium basin, mix the dark-brown saccharide, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, and dear until a paste forms.

Glaze ingredients for crock pot brown sugar ham.

Mixing brown sugar with other ingredients to make glaze.

Spread the brown sugar mixture all over the ham. Place the ham (apartment side down) in your boring cooker.

Cover the crockpot and set to LOW. Melt your ham for 4 to 6 hours or until the meat is tender and the internal temperature reaches 140°F.

If desired, you may flip and baste your ham halfway through cooking fourth dimension, and once more almost an hour earlier information technology'due south washed. Merely this step is optional.

Once your ham is done, remove information technology to a platter and tent it with foil to keep information technology warm.

Then it's fourth dimension to...

Make the Glaze

Skim whatever fat and and so strain the juices from the crockpot into a saucepan. Identify the pot on the stove over medium heat and bring the juices to a simmer.
In a modest bowl, use a fork to stir the cornstarch into the water until smooth. Slowly pour this slurry into the pot of simmering ham juices while whisking. Allow the mixture to chimera and thicken for a minute or two, stirring occasionally. (For a thicker sauce, make and stir in additional cornstarch slurry.)

Subsequently it's rested for about 15 minutes, slice your ho-hum cooker ham and serve it warm. You lot may offer the coat on the side or spoon it on top.

Final results for how to cook ham in a crock pot.

What Kind of Ham Works Best in the Crockpot?

Here's the thing about this recipe: it's very forgiving. It can be adjusted to just about any cutting and whatsoever size of ham, provided you can fit it in the crockpot. But of course, keep in heed that the specifics of the item ham y'all choose are going to dictate its ultimate cooking fourth dimension.

Yous may use a bone-in ham or boneless...whole or spiral-sliced...cured or uncured...smoked or non...shank, butt, or shoulder.

Every bit with virtually cuts of meat, a os-in ham is more probable to stay juicy, merely boneless will work, likewise.

And while a sprial-cut ham is convenient for serving and certainly adapts to this recipe, know that it may dry out a bit faster than a whole, uncut ham. To prevent this every bit much every bit possible, baste all over the spiral slices a few times throughout the cooking time. And exist sure not to overcook...serve equally shortly equally the internal temperature of the ham tests done.

What Size Ham Do I Need?

The size of ham you purchase depends on how many people y'all are going to feed. You can get with a large ham for a big group. Or I've halved this recipe and reduced the cooking time to use as small as a 2-pound petite ham half equally an everyday, weeknight meal for my family.

To make up one's mind number of servings, estimate approximately ½ pound of boneless ham per person, or ¾ pound of bone-in ham per person.

I would recommend upwardly to an viii-pound ham every bit the size that will near readily fit in a large (vii- to 8-quart), oval crock pot. But of course, that also depends on the shape of the ham!

Aerial view of Crockpot Ham recipe on platter.

What If My Ham is Too Big for My Crockpot?

If you put your ham in the crockpot and information technology extends in a style that the chapeau won't fit snugly, yous have two choices:

You lot can either trim off a piece of your ham to make information technology fit; or
Y'all tin use a triple-layer of heavy-duty foil to cover your dull cooker with a tight seal. (And then I would nonetheless residue the hat on top of the foil!) Just beware of very hot steam escaping when you remove the foil.

How Long Does Information technology Have to "Cook" a Fully Cooked Ham?

The FDA recommends reheating a fully-cooked ham to 140°F.

And so depending on how hot your crockpot runs, a very small ham may reach that bespeak within ii to 3 hours assail low.

A big ham should be to that temperature by iv to 6 hours on low.

Just go along in heed that each time you remove the slow cooker's lid, you may take to compensate for lost rut with a fleck of additional cooking time.

And while you lot're welcome to endeavor it at your own risk, I do not recommend slow cooking a ham on high estrus. Information technology's only too probable to dry out the ham.

Can I Make My Tiresome Cooker Ham Savory (Not Sweet)?

If you relish more of a savory ham versus sweet, it'south piece of cake to adapt this recipe.

Merely eliminate both the pineapple juice and the brownish sugar from your ingredient list. Instead, pour a chicken or vegetable broth in the bottom of your slow cooker. This volition ensure that the ham stays moist while information technology cooks.

If you lot like, you could even add crushed black peppercorns, minced garlic, and/or a little white wine to your broth besides.

For the coating mixture (which won't really be a paste without the chocolate-brown sugar), increment the mustard, balsamic vinegar, and honey (assuming yous can handle a *fiddling* bit of sweetness) to 2 tablespoons each. Combine and smear all over the ham. Then follow the same directions as far as cooking time.

How to Reheat Leftover Crockpot Ham

Identify leftover ham in a baking dish (cut side downwards). Add a couple tablespoons of h2o or broth, and tightly encompass with heavy duty foil (or two layers of regular foil).

Reheat in a 325°F oven, anticipating 10 to 15 minutes of reheating fourth dimension per pound of ham. The FDA recommends that you reheat any blazon of leftovers to an internal temperature of 165°F, so that's what you should test for.

Alternatively, you may reheat private servings of ham in the microwave.

Helpful Tips & Tricks

Make sure you accept a tight seal on your slow cooker and avoid opening the hat unless necessary. Allowing the steam escape while cooking can issue in a dry ham.
Be certain not to skip the tenting and resting part of this recipe. Y'all desire to give your ham fourth dimension to redistribute its flavorful juices. If you lot piece into information technology straight out of the deadening cooker, those juices will leak correct out.
One time it'southward done, if you'd like for your Crockpot Ham to have an oven-baked outcome, yous may castor the entire ham with thickened glaze. Then simply popular information technology under the broiler for virtually v minutes (watch closely!) before serving.
To carve your ham, place it on a cutting board, flat-side down. Then piece against the grain for the most tender slices.

Using a slow cooker is truly the easiest, virtually succulent mode to cook a ham. In fact, for no less than ten years now, I've looked forwards to making this recipe every time Easter and Christmas (and even Thanksgiving) curlicue around! I sometimes fifty-fifty use this technique with a small ham for an effortless dinner whatever twenty-four hour period of the year.

Crockpot Ham is a fabulous staple recipe to have in your armory. I hope you have a chance to try it presently if you haven't already. And, well-nigh importantly, I hope y'all love it as much as we practice! 🙂

Recipes to Utilise Up Leftover Ham

Slow Cooker Ham & Bean Soup
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Ham
Cordon Bleu Casserole
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Thick slices of Crockpot Brown Sugar Ham.

▢ Fully-cooked ham, approximately 7 to 8 pounds (*see Notes below)
▢ 2 cups pineapple juice

For the paste/coat:

▢ 2 cups brown sugar
▢ 1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
▢ 1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
▢ i ½ tablespoons dear

For the slurry (to thicken the coat):

▢ 2 tablespoons cornstarch
▢ 2 tablespoons water

Melt Manner Prevent your screen from going dark

Remove ham from the packaging and discard whatsoever flavoring packet. If using a bone-in ham, cheque the end of the bone for a plastic cap and, if present, discard.
Pour the pineapple juice in bottom of a big (6- to 9-quart), oval slow cooker.
In a medium bowl, mix the brown sugar, Dijon, balsamic vinegar, and dearest into a paste. Spread brownish sugar mixture all over ham and place, flat side downwardly, in slow cooker.
Embrace dull cooker with lid and set to LOW. Cook ham for four to six hours or until the meat is tender and the internal temperature reaches 140°F. If desired, flip and baste the ham halfway through cooking time and again about an hr before the ham is done.
Once ham is done, remove to a platter and tent with foil to proceed warm and rest for 15 minutes. Skim any fat and strain the juices from the crock pot into a bucket. Place the pot on the stove over medium heat and bring the juices to a simmer.
In a small-scale bowl, use a fork to stir the cornstarch into the h2o to brand a slurry. Slowly pour the slurry into the pot while whisking the ham juices. Allow the mixture to bubble and thicken for a minute or ii, stirring occasionally. If yous want a thicker sauce, yous may make and stir in a flake more cornstarch slurry.
Serve the ham warm, with the sauce on the side or spooned on top.

You may employ a os-in ham (recommended) or boneless, whole or spiral cut, cured or uncured, smoked or not, shank, butt, or shoulder.
To determine number of servings, approximate approximately ½ pound of boneless ham per person and ¾ pound of bone-in ham per person.
A ham that's less than 7 or 8 pounds will probably accomplish 140° sooner than 4 to half-dozen hours. The ham is already cooked, and so all you lot are doing is heating it through to a safe temperature and allowing it to absorb the flavors of the glaze. For example, a pocket-size iii-pound ham will probably be washed in 2 ½ to 3 hours. Overcooking will lead to a tough, dry ham, even in the crock pot! You may also desire to halve the other recipe ingredients if cooking a ham that's smaller than 4 pounds.
Try to ensure that your ham is going to fit in your crock pot before ownership information technology. Even so, if your ham is particularly big or of a shape that will not let the lid of the boring cooker to properly close, trim off a clamper of ham to go far fit. As a terminal resort, you may embrace the wearisome cooker with a tightly-sealed, triple layer of heavy duty foil instead. Beware of hot steam when yous remove the foil!
If you prefer an oven-cooked ham consequence, you may brush the entire ham with the thickened glaze and pop information technology under the broiler for about five minutes (watch it closely!) before serving.
When thickening your glaze, exercise not add together straight cornstarch to the hot liquid or information technology volition clump, and do not over stir the sauce once the cornstarch has been added or it may non thicken properly.

Postal service originally published on April four, 2014, and republished on March 22, 2019, and December vii, 2021.

beggspany1973.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.fivehearthome.com/slow-cooker-brown-sugar-ham-easter-dinner-from-the-crock-pot/