Our Instant Pot Ham is one of our favorite shortcuts for getting a holiday-style ham on the table without taking up oven space. The orange marmalade glaze is sweet, tangy, and simple, and it cooks right into the spiral ham so every slice has great flavor.
We love this for Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Sunday dinner, or anytime we need an easy main dish for family. It’s quick, dependable, and perfect when the oven is already full of sides and desserts.
The best part is it cuts cooking time in half (or more) and makes a holiday ham even easier. This recipe is QUICK (only 15 minutes in the Instant Pot) and requires just a few easy steps.
We always have ham on Easter Sunday and we often serve it at Thanksgiving and Christmas – and this Instant pot recipe makes it a cinch. Plus, it can feed a crowd, everyone loves it, and it makes for great leftovers!
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- No oven needed. Great way to make ham without using oven space.
- Leftovers! Great in soups, casseroles, sandwiches, and breakfast recipes.
- Pressure cooking keeps ham moist. The Instant Pot gently heats the ham while trapping moisture inside.
- Marmalade glaze adds flavor fast. Orange marmalade, mustard, and brown sugar create a sweet and tangy coating without extra work.
Instant Pot Ham Ingredients
- Orange marmalade (½ cup): Adds sweet citrus flavor and helps create a sticky glaze.
- Brown sugar (¼ cup): Sweetens the glaze and gives it that classic ham flavor.
- Orange juice (¼ cup): Thins the glaze and adds bright citrus flavor.
- Dijon mustard (2 tablespoons): Adds tang and balances the sweetness.
- Pepper (to taste): Adds a little savory flavor and keeps the glaze from tasting too sweet. You can also add nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, or chili flakes
- Spiral bone-in ham (4 to 6 pounds): The main dish, already sliced and easy to serve once warmed through. Spiral-cut ham is most often pre-cooked and can be bone-in or boneless. The spiral cut makes carving easy and yields nice, thin, even slices, perfect for leftover sandwiches. Sometimes they already have a flavor so check the label when adding glaze.
- optional garnish: Orange slices
How to Make Instant Pot Ham
GLAZE. Whisk ½ cup orange marmalade,¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons mustard, and sprinkle in black pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
PREP. Spray the inside of your instant pot and place your 4-6 pound spiral bone-in ham in it, with the fat side up.
COOK. Pour the glaze over the ham. Secure the lid on the instant pot and cook on the meat setting for 15 minutes. Let the pot naturally release pressure.
SERVE. Take the ham out and baste it with the glaze from the pot. Slice it and serve warm!
Caramelized Glaze
Line a baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Remove the ham from the instant pot and place it on the foil. Brush with glaze from the pot and broil for just a few minutes. Watch carefully so it will not burn.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Make sure your ham fits in the Instant Pot before starting, especially if using a 6-quart pot.
- Place the ham fat side up so the glaze can run down between the slices.
- Spoon glaze between the spiral slices for even more flavor.
- Use natural release so the ham stays tender and moist.
- Make-ahead tip: whisk the glaze together a day ahead and refrigerate until ready to use.
- How much to make? For a bone-in ham calculate ⅓ – ½ pound per person. For a boneless ham calculate ¼ – ⅓ pound per person.
- Can you start with a frozen ham? You can safely cook frozen meat, and cook it quickly! It will take about 25-30 minutes to cook a frozen ham.
Instant Pot Ham Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup orange marmalade
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- pepper
- 4-6 pounds ham, spiral, bone-in
Instructions
- Whisk marmalade, brown sugar, orange juice, mustard, and black pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Spray the inside of your instant pot and place your ham in it, with the fat side up.
- Coat the ham with the glaze. Secure the lid on the instant pot and cook on the meat setting for 15 minutes. Let the pot naturally release.
- Take ham out. Reglaze with any leftovers from the pot and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Some of our favorite recipes to use include, Ham and Cheese Quiche, Ham and Bean Soup, Cheesy Ham Chowder, Ham and Cheese Sliders, Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham and Hot Ham and Cheese Roll Up
Place ham in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in a Ziploc freezer bag, press out the air, and freeze for 2-3 months.
Complete The Meal
Sides
Dinner Rolls Recipe
2 hrs 40 mins
Best Mashed Potatoes
35 mins
Roasted Sweet Potato
30 mins
Creamed Corn Recipe
20 mins
More Holiday Dinner Ideas
Crockpot Ham
3 hrs 40 mins
Honey Glazed Ham
4 hrs 10 mins
Slow Cooker Roast Chicken
4 hrs 5 mins
Easy Prime Rib Recipe
3 hrs 35 mins
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This recipe was originally published January 2020.
The Instant Pot Ham is a game-changer for holiday cooking, freeing up oven space and simplifying the process. Embrace the convenience and enjoy more time creating delicious sides!
Instant Pot meals are the best! This pot is so tender and flavorful and tender! So simple to make.
InstApots ate the latest rage. There quick and produce great results. You will love this ham. Great for easter!
I use my crock pot a lot. But sometimes I forget to pre plan my meas. I like that the instant pot can give the same effect in less time. Great recipe for ham!
My family would go crazy for this. Can’t wait to try it!
I made this ham for my husband to take in his lunch for the week, it turned out so well! Easy and delicious!
Yay! Isn’t it amazing how quickly meat can be cooked in the instant pot. Such a lifesaver when you are in a hurry or just forgot!
Instant Pot ham is the best! I will never bake it in the oven again.
I can’t believe how fast & easy this was to make! I won’t make ham any other way again.