Don’t waste oven space — make this Crockpot Ham Recipe for the holidays instead! This spiral ham is loaded with sweet flavor from an easy brown sugar and pineapple glaze, and it’s ready to go anytime your guests arrive!
Table of Contents
- What Makes This Spiral Ham Recipe So Good?
- What is a Spiral Ham?
- Recipe Ingredients
- How to Cook a Spiral Ham
- How to Get Crispy Brown Sugar Edges on Your Crockpot Ham
- Tips for Success
- Crockpot Spiral Ham FAQs
- Serving Suggestions
- How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Can I Freeze Crockpot Ham?
- More Easy Ham Recipes
- Get the Recipe
What Makes This Spiral Ham Recipe So Good?
This crockpot ham recipe is so incredibly simple to put together, and it makes hosting a family holiday dinner just a little bit easier. Here are a few more reasons why I love this ham dinner so much:
- Perfect Texture: This juicy ham is coated in a sweet glaze made with tangy pineapple juice, honey, and caramel-y brown sugar. It comes out moist and tender on the inside and perfectly crispy around the edges!
- It Saves Space: Making this crockpot ham recipe saves you valuable oven space for cooking other things over the holidays. If you have a large ham cooking low and slow in the oven, where do you cook all of your casseroles and side dishes? That’s exactly where the crockpot comes in to save the day.
- Easy: All you really need to do today is mix the glaze together, get the ham situated in the crockpot, and then wait for everything to finish cooking. Pretty simple!
A quick note: If you love this pineapple glazed ham recipe, you’re going to want to try this Baked Ham With Orange Glaze (also made with a spiral ham) or this Air Fryer Ham. They’re also perfect for an easy yet impressive holiday dinner!
What is a Spiral Ham?
A spiral ham is exactly what it sounds like: a ham (usually bone-in) that has been sliced into a spiral shape by a butcher. Thus, once you have cooked your ham in the crockpot, you will have clear lines that will show you where to fully cut the ham into thin, precise slices. (It is worth noting that a spiral ham has actually already been cooked, so what we’re really doing is just reheating and glazing it.)
Recipe Ingredients
You only need a few ingredients for this crockpot ham recipe. If you’re looking for exact measurements, you can find them in the recipe card below.
- Ham – You will need an 8-10 pound spiral ham for this recipe.
- Butter – Unsalted and salted butter both work, use whichever kind you like.
- Brown Sugar – The toffee-like notes in brown sugar add a rich sweetness to the ham that makes it next-level delicious.
- Honey – If you would prefer to use maple syrup, that will work too.
- Ground Cloves – This spice adds a touch of bitterness that balances out the sweetness in the glaze.
- Pineapple Slices – Make sure to save the juice that they come in as well, as this is a key ingredient that keeps the ham from drying out! If you are not a fan of pineapple, you will want to find a substitute that will still help with the flavor and the tenderization of the ham. If you need, I recommend trying apple cider vinegar or orange juice in place of the pineapple juice/rings.
How to Cook a Spiral Ham
Alright, now let’s get into the step-by-step process of cooking a crockpot spiral ham. The following is a basic guide, but you can find the full set of directions in the recipe card below:
- Add the ham to the crockpot. Make sure that the spiral cut side faces downward.
- Mix the glaze ingredients together. Then, press the glaze into the top of the ham.
- Cook the ham. Cover the ham (with the lid, or foil if needed) and cook for 3-4 hours.
- Baste the ham with juice. Finally, let the ham rest for 10 minutes before serving.
How to Get Crispy Brown Sugar Edges on Your Crockpot Ham
Worried you will miss those crispy brown sugar edges on the ham? I won’t lie, I was worried about the same thing when I pulled my crockpot ham out of the pot for the first time. Then, I had a brilliant idea! Right before serving, add a little more brown sugar and pop it under the broiler for a minute or two. Guess what? It was perfect!
Here’s how you can crisp up the edges of the ham without needing to cook the entire thing in the oven:
- Heat the broiler on your oven. Next, remove the ham from the crockpot and place it in an oven safe dish, or on a large cookie sheet.
- Press additional brown sugar onto the edges of the ham. Broil for about a minute or two, watching very closely. You just want the edges to start bubbling, which means that the brown sugar is crystallizing!
- Then, remove everything from the oven. Serve immediately!
Tips for Success
That’s pretty much all there is to it, as far as the cooking process is concerned! I do have a few general tips to share with you on this crockpot ham recipe, though, before you begin:
- Use a Large Oval Slow Cooker: Because of the size and shape of a ham, you will need a large oval slow cooker in order to cook it properly. My slow cooker is 8 quarts and it fit a 9 pound ham.
- Don’t Slice the Ham in the Slow Cooker: To serve, remove the ham from the pan and place it on a serving platter. It is easier to cut and serve slices of ham from a serving platter than from the slow cooker.
- Give the Ham Time to Absorb the Extra Juice: Baste your ham before serving with all of the good juices in the crockpot, and then let it rest for 10 minutes. This ensures that the ham stays as moist as possible right up until you serve it.
- For Crispy Edges: Follow the directions above if you want the crispy edges that you get in an oven baked ham. It’s definitely not necessary, but it is a nice touch!
Crockpot Spiral Ham FAQs
You will need to use a large oval crockpot for a large ham to be able to fit. I was able to fit a 9 pound spiral ham in my crockpot with no issues. However, if your ham happens to be too tall, you can use foil in place of your crockpot lid. Just tent the foil over the ham and firmly seal it around the edges of the slow cooker.
I like to cook my ham for 3-4 hours on the low setting (using the high setting will dry it out). It may take a little longer, though, depending on your slow cooker. The best way to know if your ham is done is to use a thermometer, so you can tell when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
If you include the pineapple juice, it shouldn’t! Both the glaze and the reserved pineapple juice help to keep the ham nice and moist as it cooks.
Serving Suggestions
Wondering what to serve with your ham? I’ve got you covered! These are some side dishes that go perfectly with a crockpot spiral ham:
- Green Bean Casserole: Made with creamy mushroom soup, this Green Bean Casserole is a holiday side dish staple in my house.
- Mashed Potatoes: Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes will complement your tender ham perfectly.
- Stuffing: What’s a Christmas dinner, or any feast, really, without a classic Homemade Stuffing recipe?
- Cranberry Sauce: Sweet Apple Cranberry Sauce will fit right in with your fruity pineapple-brown-sugar glaze!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Definitely make sure you save leftover ham for later should you have any! There’s so much that you can do with it (sandwiches, etc.). Here’s how to properly store it:
- To Store. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should last for up to a week in there.
- To Reheat. You can just reheat slices of ham in the microwave! If you want, you can also reheat your ham in a baking dish in the oven for 10-15 minutes (or until warmed through), but the microwave should work just fine.
Can I Freeze Crockpot Ham?
Yes! You can also freeze any leftover ham in an airtight container for a month or so. Be sure to let it thaw in the fridge before reheating!
More Easy Ham Recipes
If you are looking for ways to use up leftover ham, below are my favorite recipes using ham or ham bones!
- Creamy Ham Casserole
- Slow Cooker Ham & Bean Soup
- Baked Mustard, Ham & Cheese Sliders
- Rosemary Ham Bean Soup
Crockpot Ham
Ingredients
- 8 to 10 pound spiral ham
- ¼ cup 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 can, 20 oz pineapple slices, drained – reserve juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Coat inside of crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Place ham, cut side down into crockpot.
- Combine melted butter, brown sugar, honey and cloves until a paste forms.
- Cover ham with brown sugar mixture gently pushing mixture into ham. Add pineapple slices on top of ham, secure with toothpicks if necessary.
- Pour reserved pineapple juice over ham.
- Add lid to crockpot if possible, if the lid doesn’t fit, cover tightly with foil.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until an internal temperature of 145°F is reaches.
- Baste with juice and let ham rest for 10 minutes before serving. Store any leftovers in refrigerator in airtight container
Notes
- For Crispy Edges: To get crispy brown sugar edges on your ham like you would if it has been baked in the oven:
- Heat the broiler on your oven.
- Remove ham from crockpot and place on an oven safe dish or on a large cookie sheet.
- Press additional brown sugar onto the edges of the ham.
- Broil for about a minute or two, watching very closely. You just want the edges to start bubbling and crystallizing the brown sugar!
- Remove from oven and serve immediately!
- To Store. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should last for up to a week in there.
- To Reheat. You can just reheat slices of ham in the microwave! If you want, you can also reheat your ham in a baking dish in the oven for 10-15 minutes (or until warmed through), but the microwave should work just fine.
- To Freeze. You can also freeze any leftover ham in an airtight container for a month or so. Be sure to let it thaw in the fridge before reheating!
Nutrition
Categories:
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
