Cooking A Ham In A Crock Pot

Whether you're cooking for Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, or just Saturday night family meal, you can make your main dish—that classic holiday ham—right in your slow cooker! This leaves plenty of room in your oven for sides. Below, all your ham-related questions answered.

What kind of ham should I get?

We suggest a spiral-cut, naturally smoked ham for this recipe. That means the ham is already fully cooked, so at the bare minimum, all you need to do is heat it up! We add a tasty honey mustard glaze to take it to the next level—it'll taste totally homemade, promise. Plus, you'll get that delicious smoky flavor you just can't achieve in your home kitchen. We also suggest going the bone-in route, as hams with the bone removed are typically less flavorful. Just remember to get yours spiral-cut, it'll make slicing the ham a THOUSAND times easier. (Psst... you can use the ham bone for split pea or ham bone soup!)

How long does it take to cook a ham in a slow-cooker?

A spiral cut ham will take about an hour per pound on low in a slow cooker to heat through. The ideal serving temperature is around 120º F, which you can easily check by inserting a meat thermometer directly into the thickest part of the ham. Any hotter than that and you run the risk of a dry ham. Keep basting throughout the cooking time to make sure your ham is nice and juicy.

How big should my ham be?

It's safe to assume each of your guests will eat somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 of a pound of ham each, so do the math! Just remember, it's better have too much than not enough. There are a million leftover ham recipes that always make us wish we had bought an even bigger ham.

What sides should I serve with my ham?

We love a good stuffing like this cornbread one, or some other starch like mashed potatoes—I'm partial to this roasted garlic mashed potato recipe. Roasted vegetables or a spinach salad are great veggie sides.

What wine should I serve with my ham?

Since glazed hams are typically on the sweeter side, we tend to lean towards dry red wines like pinot noir, merlot, or shiraz. If you're looking for a wine that plays nice with smoky flavors, try a dry riesling or a pinot gris. As always, consult your local wine store employee! They'll know exactly what you need.

Made this? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!

Yields: 8 servings

Prep Time: 0 hours 15 mins

Total Time: 6 hours 15 mins

1 c.

packed brown sugar

1/3 c.

honey

1 c.

apple cider

1/4 c.

Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp.

smoked paprika

1/2 tsp.

garlic powder

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

(4-6 lb.) spiral cut ham

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Combine sugar, honey, cider, mustard, paprika and garlic powder in a medium sauce pan and season with salt and pepper. Whisk ingredients together and bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced slightly, about 5-7 minutes.
Place ham in slow cooker and separate slices slightly. Pour glaze over ham and place lid on slow cooker. Basting every hour, cook on low for 4-6 hours depending on size of the ham. Serve with the glaze on the side.

Parker Feierbach

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Lena Abraham Senior Food Editor Lena Abraham is the Senior Food Editor at Delish, where she develops and styles recipes for video and photo, and also stays on top of current food trends.

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