Crockpot Spiral Ham – Just 5 minutes of prep for tender, juicy ham every time! You will never fix ham any other way again. This is the perfect ham recipe for holiday meals!
We love to serve this slow cooker spiral ham during the holidays. It’s so easy, delicious and is always a favorite. We also love to serve roasted turkey and chicken, too!
Slow Cooker Ham
Today I am sharing the easiest and tastiest ham recipe ever. Seriously, after cooking this slow cooker ham, I will never mess with cooking one in the oven ever again. This spiral ham recipe is made with just 5 ingredients and you just set it and forget it. Let your crock pot do the cooking for you!
We always have ham during the holidays. It’s been a tradition ever since I can remember and this year I am making a slow cooker spiral ham. This recipe is so simple and the ham turns out amazing every time. You literally can not mess up this recipe, I promise! Plus, cooking the ham in a slow cooker frees up space in the oven for side dishes.
Other than the spiral ham itself, this recipe only calls for 5 ingredients, which you probably already have at home in your pantry. This slow cooker ham is made with brown sugar, pure maple syrup, pineapple juice, spicy brown mustard, and balsamic vinegar. You get sweetness from the brown sugar, maple syrup, and pineapple juice and a tangy kick from the mustard and balsamic vinegar. These flavors are so incredible together!
Glaze for spiral ham
There is no need to make the glaze ahead of time for this crockpot spiral ham. I just rub all of the ingredients into the spiral ham and then let the slow cooker do all the work.
Ingredients for spiral ham glaze
- Brown sugar
- Maple syrup
- Pineapple juice
- Spicy brown mustard
- Balsamic vinegar
How to cook a spiral ham in the crockpot
If you’re wondering how to cook a spiral ham, it’s super easy using this crockpot method! Follow the steps below to get started. Scroll down for the printable slow cooker ham recipe.
- Add ham to crockpot. Place spiral ham inside slow cooker (make sure to spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray).
- Coat ham with glaze. Rub glaze ingredients (except pineapple juice) over ham using hands. Then pour pineapple juice into bottom of crockpot.
- Cover with lid or foil. Cover with lid (or aluminum foil if lid won’t fit).
- Cook in crockpot. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, basting twice during the last hour.
- Let rest, then serve! Remove ham from crockpot and let set 10 minutes. Slice and serve!
TIP: If the spiral ham you buy is too large for your slow cooker, don’t worry. For this crockpot ham recipe, I used a 10 pound ham and it was too big for the lid of my slow cooker to fit. Just place 3 pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil over the ham, covering tightly. You basically are steaming the ham with a tight seal.
How long to cook a spiral ham
Because the ham is already cooked, the purpose of this crockpot ham recipe is to warm it up while adding delicious flavor with the glaze and tenderizing it with the pineapple juice.
I typically cook my spiral ham in the crockpot on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the ham is warm, tender and juicy. Make sure to baste twice during the last hour of cooking. I recommend using a bone-in spiral ham that’s about 7-10 pounds.
Favorite sides to serve with slow cooker spiral ham
There are so many delicious side dishes to serve with this crockpot spiral ham. Below are some of our favorites!
- Potatoes: Scalloped potatoes, mashed potatoes, cheesy potatoes and twice baked potatoes.
- Veggies: All types of roasted vegetables, like mixed veggies, carrots, broccoli and brussels sprouts.
- Classic holiday sides: Cranberry sauce, corn casserole and mac and cheese.
- Rolls or bread: Homemade recipes like lion house rolls, potato rolls, french bread and sweet cornbread.
- Salads: My favorite winter salad is apple cranberry spinach salad.
Have leftovers? Try making:
- Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Creamy Ham and Potato Soup
- Ham and Cheese Quiche
- Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Frittata
- Easy Homemade Stromboli
- Ham and Cheese Pretzel Bites
Slow Cooker Spiral Ham
Ingredients
- 7-10 pound bone-in spiral ham
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons spicy brown mustard
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups pineapple juice
Instructions
- Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Remove the ham from the wrapper and discard glaze packet. Place ham inside prepared slow cooker.
- Rub brown sugar, maple syrup, mustard, and balsamic vinegar all over the ham using your hands. Pour pineapple juice into the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Cover tightly either with the lid or aluminum foil and cook on low 4 to 5 hours, basting twice, during the last hour.
- Remove from slow cooker and let set 10 minutes. Slice the ham off the bone and serve warm.
Love that this frees up more space in my oven for all the side dishes!
The glaze is perfect for ham!! Will make again for Thanksgiving as my husband does not like turkey!