Holiday ham usually ties up the oven for hours, right when you need it for the sides.
This crockpot ham solves that problem before it starts.
Put a fully cooked spiral ham in the slow cooker with a brown sugar, honey, and Dijon glaze, and three to four hours later it’s heated through, glazed, and ready to serve—while your oven handles the potatoes and the rolls.
It’s a genuine dump-and-go recipe.
There’s no basting every hour, no mid-cook interruption to stir in vinegar, and no separate glaze reduction on the stovetop.
Whisk the glaze in a bowl, pour it over the ham, and let the slow cooker do the rest. The only thing you do at the end is ladle the warm pan juices over the sliced ham.
And it’s high in protein. Ham is one of the leanest holiday proteins, and a serving lands around 34 grams.
It’s the kind of main that feeds a crowd without requiring a project.
Why This Recipe Works
A fully cooked spiral ham only needs reheating, not cooking. The ham is already cured and cooked before it’s packaged. The slow cooker gently and evenly brings it to serving temperature, which is why the cook time is three to four hours, not eight. The USDA recommends reheating a fully cooked ham to 140°F.
Three to four hours on low is the right window for a spiral ham. After that, the lean meat dries out, and the sugar in the glaze starts to scorch on the bottom of the pot. The ham is ready when it reaches 140°F at the thickest part.
Whisking the vinegar into the glaze at the start is what keeps it from tasting one-note. Apple cider vinegar cuts through the brown sugar and honey, and adding it upfront balances the glaze as it cooks instead of tasting like an afterthought. There’s no need to stir it in at the end.
Dijon mustard gives the glaze depth. Brown sugar and honey alone are sweet and flat. Dijon adds a savory tang that makes the glaze taste finished, and the cinnamon and cloves add warmth.
Placing the ham cut-side down is what lets the glaze pool and baste the meat. The flat cut side sits against the bottom of the pot, and the glaze and juices collect around it. As the ham heats, the spiral cuts fan out slightly, letting the glaze work its way between the slices.
If the ham is too tall for the lid to close, foil is the fix. A large spiral ham can be taller than a 6-quart slow cooker. Tenting heavy-duty foil over the top before you put the lid on traps the steam and lets the ham cook properly.
Resting the ham for ten minutes before slicing is what keeps the juices in the meat. If you slice straight from the pot, the juices run onto the board. Rested, they redistribute, and the glaze sets slightly.
Ingredients That Matter
Most of this list is flexible. Three ingredients are easy to get wrong, so those are the ones worth explaining.
A fully cooked bone-in spiral-cut ham, 7 to 8 pounds. Spiral-cut is easiest because the glaze gets between the slices, and serving means pulling the slices apart. Boneless works too and may cook slightly faster, so start checking closer to the three-hour mark.
Dark brown sugar and honey. The brown sugar adds molasses depth, and the honey adds floral sweetness. Together, they make a glaze that’s sticky and glossy, not just sweet.
Whisk apple cider vinegar into the glaze. This is the balance. A tablespoon cuts the sugar and brightens the glaze, and adding it at the start lets it cook into the ham instead of sitting on top.
How to Make It
Step 1: Place the ham in the slow cooker.
Place a 7- to 8-pound fully cooked spiral-cut ham cut-side down in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. If the ham is too tall for the lid to close, tent it with heavy-duty aluminum foil before putting the lid on.
Step 2: Whisk the glaze.
In a bowl, whisk together ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar, ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup pineapple juice or orange juice, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves until smooth.
Step 3: Pour the glaze over the ham.
Pour the glaze directly over the ham, letting it coat the top and drip into the spiral slices. No basting is needed during the cook.
Step 4: Slow cook.
Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, or on high for 2 hours, until the ham reaches 140°F at the thickest part.
Step 5: Rest and serve.
Transfer the ham to a serving platter and tent loosely with foil. Rest for 10 minutes. Ladle the warm glaze from the bottom of the slow cooker over the sliced ham and serve.
Tips and Troubleshooting
The ham is dry. It cooked too long. A fully cooked ham only needs to reach 140°F, and three to four hours on low is the window.
The glaze scorched at the bottom. The cook time was too long, or the ham was on high for too long. Keep it on low and check at three hours.
The ham didn’t fit in the slow cooker. Tent foil over the top before the lid goes on, or trim a piece off the bottom.
The glaze is too thin. It will be thin — it’s a glaze, not a gravy. Ladle it over the sliced ham; it will coat as it cools slightly.
The ham tastes too sweet. The brown sugar or honey was too high, or the vinegar was left out. Cider vinegar balances the sugar.
The ham is salty. Some brands are saltier than others. Taste the glaze before you add it, and if the ham is very salty, reduce the glaze slightly.
The slices fell apart. The ham was overcooked, or the spiral cuts were very thin. Handle it gently when transferring.
What to Serve With Crockpot Ham
Since the slow cooker is doing the ham, your oven is free for everything else. Make scalloped potatoes or a potato gratin while the ham finishes.
Add green beans with almonds or roasted Brussels sprouts for something green. Dinner rolls warm in the last ten minutes.
If you want to keep everything in one pot, add quartered baby potatoes to the slow cooker with the ham for the last two hours.
Storage and Leftovers
Leftover ham keeps in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and in the freezer for 1 to 2 months. Store it sliced or diced in a sealed container with a spoonful of the pan juices to keep it moist.
Leftover ham is a reason to make more than you need. Use it in sandwiches, omelets, frittatas, split pea soup, and ham and bean soup. Diced ham freezes well and can go straight from the freezer into a soup pot.
Reheat slices gently in a skillet with a splash of the reserved glaze, or in the microwave in short bursts so they don’t dry out.
Crockpot Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze
A fully cooked spiral ham, slow-cooked in a brown sugar, honey, and Dijon glaze until heated through and glazed. No basting, no mid-cook steps, and about 34g of protein per serving.
Ingredients
- 1 fully cooked bone-in spiral-cut ham, 7 to 8 lbs
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup pineapple juice or orange juice
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- Place the ham cut-side down in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. If it's too tall for the lid, tent foil over the top.
- Whisk the brown sugar, honey, juice, Dijon, vinegar, cinnamon, and cloves until smooth. Pour over the ham and work it into the slices.
- Cover and cook on low 3 to 4 hours or high 2 hours, until the ham reaches 140°F.
- Rest 10 minutes, then ladle the warm glaze from the pot over the sliced ham.
Notes
Notes: A fully cooked ham only needs reheating to 140°F — don't overcook it. Leftovers keep refrigerated for 3 to 4 days and frozen for 1 to 2 months. Nutrition information is an estimate.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated, ham and glaze): About 320 calories, 34g protein, 18g carbs, 12g fat, 0g fiber, 620mg sodium.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 145Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 257mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 0gSugar: 30gProtein: 4g
All nutritional values provided on this website (including calories, macros, and nutrient percentages) are estimates intended for informational and educational purposes only. These values are calculated using online recipe nutrition databases and software. Because individual cooking methods, product brands, ingredient substitutions, and exact portion sizes vary, the actual nutritional content of your meal may differ from the estimates shown here.
FAQ
Do I need to add liquid to the crockpot for ham?
A small amount of liquid in the glaze — the juice and vinegar — is enough. The ham releases its own juices as it heats, which combine with the glaze to make the pan sauce.
Can I use a boneless ham instead of bone-in?
Yes. Boneless ham works the same way and may cook slightly faster, so start checking closer to three hours.
How do I know when the ham is done?
A fully cooked ham is ready when it reaches 140°F at the thickest part. Use an instant-read thermometer.
Can I make this ahead of time?
You can glaze the ham and refrigerate it up to a day ahead, then start the slow cooker when you’re ready. It’s a good way to save time on a holiday morning.
What if my ham doesn’t fit in the slow cooker?
Tent heavy-duty foil over the top before the lid goes on, or trim a piece off the bottom so it sits lower.
Can I cook potatoes in the crockpot with the ham?
Yes. Add quartered baby potatoes during the last two hours of cooking so they soften without turning mushy.
More Crockpot Holiday Recipes You’ll Love
- Crockpot Turkey Breast with Cranberry-Cider Gravy — Holiday Favorite
- Easy Cranberry Meatballs Crockpot Recipe — Holiday Appetizer, Christmas Party Favorite
- The Best Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes: Creamy, Cheesy Holiday Side with 12g Protein
- High-Protein Crockpot Creamed Corn (Cottage Cheese, No Curdling)
Closing
This is the ham I make when the oven is already full, and the guest list is longer than the counter space.
The slow cooker reheats and glazes, the foil trick handles a ham that’s too tall, and the leftovers carry you through the week. It’s the holiday main that takes care of itself.
