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Crockpot ham has a quick prep and requires minimal effort. Covered with a brown sugar glaze, it’s our favorite way to make a holiday ham!

Served with Funeral Potatoes and Rolls, you can’t go wrong with this simple slow cooker recipe. It’s perfect for family get-togethers.

Crockpot ham sliced and served with fresh herbs and lemon slices.


Holiday ham

Ham is one of those foods that we don’t typically have on an average weeknight. Sometimes we’ll have it for Sunday dinners, but you better believe it ALWAYS makes an appearance at holiday dinners!

Whether it’s Easter dinner, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, I can count on enjoying my Aunt Georgie’s crockpot ham.

It is the juiciest, sweetest, and tender ham you’ll ever try. With a delicious glaze made from brown sugar and pineapple juice, it’s impossible not to love it! The best part? It’s SO easy to make!!

Most of it is done in the crock pot, which makes this slow cooker ham recipe even better!

A ham in a slow cooker, ready to heat.

how to cook a ham in a crock pot

This ham is made in the slow cooker which translates to EASY!!

PREP. Add your ham to a greased slow cooker, cut side down.

SEASON. Rub 1 cup brown sugar all over the ham, then pour the syrup and pineapple juice over the top.

COOK. Heat in a slow cooker on LOW for 3-4 hours. Remove the excess liquid in the slow cooker into a separate pot. Make the glaze (recipe below) and pour it over the sliced ham in the crock pot. Cook on warm/low for an additional 30 minutes to an hour.

SERVE. Remove this easy crock pot ham to a platter, and garnish with fresh herbs.

How much ham per person

  • Bone-in ham – ½ pound per person, or 1 pound per person if you want lots of leftovers!
  • Boneless ham – ¼ to ⅓ pound should do the trick.

Depending on the size of your crockpot, it might only be able to fit 7-8 pounds of ham. If you need more than that to feed your guests, you may need to borrow an extra crock pot or two!

Pouring brown sugar pineapple glaze over crockpot ham.

Brown Sugar Glaze For Ham

This glaze might be simple, but it packs a lot of flavor! It’s perfectly sweet, to compliment the flavors of the meat. All it takes is three ingredients:

  • leftover juices from cooked ham
  • brown sugar
  • pineapple juice

COMBINE. Just mix the ingredients in a saucepan on the stove.

BOIL. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally.

GLAZE. Pour the sauce over the ham, cook in the crock pot a little longer, and you’re set.

This brown sugar ham glaze is amazing! If desired, try adding additional spices to taste: ginger, ground cloves, cinnamon, or nutmeg.

Pouring juices over ham.

Recipe Tips

Making ham in the crockpot is a cinch! These tips can help it turn out perfectly moist and delicious.

Crock pot tips. This spiral ham is already cooked through, so using the slow cooker is to add flavor, and warm it up. Some crock pot cooking tips:

  • Don’t put frozen meat in a crock pot. Even though this ham is already cooked, you still need to make sure to thaw it beforehand.
  • Plug in the pot, and start heating it up while you prepare the ingredients for the dish.
  • HIGH on a crock pot is about 300°F. LOW is about 200°F. One hour on high equals about two hours on low.
  • Use the right size crock pot. The ham should fill the pot between ½ and ¾ of the way. 
  • Avoid removing the lid. It takes 20 minutes for the pot to return to the set temperature. 

Spiral cut ham. This type of ham is really convenient because the precooked ham has been pre-sliced as well. A butcher begins making a continuous cut from one end of the ham to the other. (It makes me think of using a vegetable peeler to peel an apple in one continuous spiral.)

These pre-cut, even, slices make it easier to serve the ham at dinner. Spiral ham can come in both bone-in and boneless forms.

  • Bone-in: like the name states, it still has the ham bone intact and is supposedly more flavorful than boneless.
  • Boneless: doesn’t have a bone, which allows for easier cutting and serving.

side dishes for Ham

This crockpot ham recipe leaves plenty of oven space for all of those delicious sides! Here are some of our favorites:

Sliced crockpot brown sugar ham served with fresh herbs and lemon slices.

Storing info

STORE any leftover slow cooker ham in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

FREEZE. Once cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and tinfoil, or freezer bags, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Leftover crockpot ham recipe is great for sandwiches, soups, casseroles, or bakes. If you know you’re going to use it in a recipe that calls for diced ham, like Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham, Creamy Ham and Bean Soup, or Ham Potato Corn Chowder, dice it up before putting it in the freezer – for convenience down the road!

To reheat. Pop it in the microwave, or wrap the slices in foil and heat in the oven at 275°F, until warmed through.

Crockpot ham served with fresh herbs and lemon slices.

Recipe FAQ

Can I use a boneless ham to make this crock pot ham recipe?

Yes, you can definitely use a boneless ham for this recipe! Simply follow the same steps for preparation and cooking as stated in the recipe. The only difference is that you won’t have to deal with the ham bone. The cooking time may vary slightly depending on the size of the boneless ham, so be sure to check for doneness using a meat thermometer.

How long should I cook the ham in the slow cooker if it’s smaller or larger than 8 pounds?

In general, for a smaller ham, you can reduce the cooking time by about 15-30 minutes per pound. For a larger ham, you may need to increase the cooking time by about 15-30 minutes per pound. However, it’s crucial to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the ham reaches 140°F.

Can I substitute brown sugar with a different type of sweetener to make crock pot ham?

Absolutely! You can definitely substitute brown sugar with honey or maple syrup in this recipe to add a different flavor profile to your ham. Since honey and maple syrup are both sweeter, I would reduce the amount you add to suit your preferences. Note that the glaze may have a slightly different consistency and flavor with the substitution, but it will still be delicious.

For More Ham Recipes, Check Out:

5 from 33 votes

Crockpot Ham Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Crockpot ham has a quick prep and requires minimal effort. Covered with a brown sugar glaze, it's our favorite way to make a holiday ham!
Servings: 14
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 3 hours 30 minutes
Total: 3 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 8 pounds bone-in spiral-cut cured ham
  • 2-2½ cups packed brown sugar divided
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup (not artificially flavored pancake syrup)

Instructions 

  • Spray your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place ham cut side down in the greased slow cooker.
  • Rub 1 cup brown sugar all over the ham, then pour pineapple juice and syrup over the top.
  • Cook on low for 3–4 hours.
  • Remove excess liquid from the slow cooker and transfer to a pot. Add remaining 1–1½ cups brown sugar to pot, using more sugar if you prefer a sweeter ham. Bring to a rolling boil, then remove from the heat and pour over the ham. Cook on warm for an additional 30–60 minutes.
  • Remove ham to a platter. Spoon extra juices over ham slices and garnish with fresh herbs before serving.

Video

Notes

Ham cures: There are a few different types of ham, and while all of them are adaptable to this recipe, some might yield better results than others. Always look over the packaging when you are at the grocery store—it will specify exactly what type of ham it is.
o Fresh ham: uncured, and always comes uncooked. NOTE: if you decide to use a fresh ham, you will have to fully cook it before putting in the slow cooker with the glaze.
o Cured ham: brined or cured with a dry rub; sometimes sold ready to eat and other times requires cooking.
o Cooked and smoked: the same as cured ham, with the additional step of smoking.
STORE any leftover slow cooker ham in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
FREEZE. Once cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and tinfoil, or freezer bags, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.75pound, Calories: 938kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 65g, Fat: 51g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 24g, Cholesterol: 187mg, Sodium: 3603mg, Potassium: 966mg, Fiber: 0.04g, Sugar: 50g, Vitamin A: 1IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 69mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Making this recipe? Tag us!
Share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #lilluna, so we can see what you’re creating in the kitchen!


About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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Recipe Rating




36 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I just made this for my son’s birthday because it’s his favorite. He said it’s the best he’s had! I am definitely using this recipe for Thanksgiving!

  2. I’m planning on doing a ham in the crockpot for Easter next week. What temperature? – high, low or warm do I cook for the first 2-3 hrs?

    1. I would say high for 2-3 hours. You could also do low, it may take a little longer. You are just wanting to heat the ham all the way through, so it may depend a bit on the size of your ham as well.

    1. It might. They tend to dry out quicker & easier, but they aren’t completely dry. You still could use it, just keep that in mind. Good luck!

  3. 5 stars
    Slow Cooker Ham sweetened with maple and brown sugar is a favorite for holidays, Sundays and more! Thanks for sharing <3