This easy Crockpot spiral ham recipe is the perfect way to cook your holiday dinner while your family is out of the house at church on Easter morning or Christmas eve. Come home to a hot ham ready to be glazed and broiled for the picture perfect finish in just 10 minutes. Choose a traditional sweet brown sugar and mustard glaze or use hot honey for a delicious sweet and spicy spin on a holiday classic.
PREP TIME 10 minutesminutes
COOK TIME 3 hourshours
TOTAL TIME 3 hourshours10 minutesminutes
YIELD 12servings
Ingredients
1spiral cut ham5 - 10 pounds
1/2cup brown sugar
1/2cuphoneysubstitute hot honey for a sweet and spicy ham if you like
2tablespoonsDijon mustard
2tablespoonswhole grain mustard
2teaspoonsminced garlic
1/4teaspoonground cloves
1/4cupwater
Instructions
Double check that your ham will fit in the bowl of your Crockpot. If it does, proceed. If it is too big or oddly shaped, see "How to Slow Cook in Oven" below.
Place the ham in your Crockpot and set aside.
Prepare the Glaze
Add the brown sugar, honey, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, minced garlic, ground cloves, and water to a small saucepan and whisk them together.
Continue to gently whisk and cook the glaze over medium-low heat until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Slowly pour the glaze over the ham in the Crockpot, gently separating the spiral slices so the liquid drizzles down and flavors the ham from the top through.
Cook the Ham in the Crockpot
Cover the slowcooker and cook the ham on LOW for 3 - 4 hours or on HIGH for 2 - 3 hours. There is no need to baste the ham during this process.
How to Slow Cook in Oven
If your ham doesn't fit in the Crockpot, you can slow cook it in your oven. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the ham in a deep roasting pan fitted with a roasting rack. Cover the entire pan in aluminum foil and tightly seal the edges to catch all the steam as the ham cooks.
Cook the ham for 20 minutes per pound. (A 5 pound ham would cook for about an hour and a half, a 10 pound ham would cook for about 3 hours.) The internal temperature should be 163°F when tested with an instant read thermometer.
Broil the Glaze
Whether you warmed the ham in your slowcooker or the oven, the final step is to broil the ham for 5 minutes to give the glaze a thick and slightly crispy finish. Be sure to preheat your broiler while you finish the glaze.
Transfer the Crockpot ham to a roasting pan and loosely cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Pour the cooking liquid into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat while whisking to prevent it from burning. Cook until the glaze has reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes.NOTE: If you slowcooked the ham in the oven and your roasting pan is stovetop safe, you can cook the glaze right in the roasting pan while the ham rests on the side as shown in the photos in the post above.
Brush the glaze all over the ham in the roasting pan. Place the glazed ham under the broiler for 5 - 6 minutes. You can baste it every 2 minutes as the juices run to the bottom of the roasting pan if you wish.