‘Tis the season for ham — but you know how sometimes you are cooking for a crowd and want to make a ham and a turkey? Or how sometimes you’re running last minute errands and won’t be home long enough to let a ham heat through in the oven before dinner time?
Never fear: Here’s how to make ham in a Crock-Pot! Your trusty slow cooker saves the day (yet again), leaving the oven free for other purposes.
I only make ham a couple of times a year, waiting for it to go on sale at the holidays (or on clearance after). Usually when I do, however, I use this slow cooker method; it makes even the super cheap shank ham (like the one I had here) taste great, but is also just gorgeous for spiral cut.
You’ll want to use a larger slow cooker for this recipe, and a 6-7 quart Crock-Pot will be optimal. Even though your ham may still be a bit too tall to fit nicely, never fear — I’ll show you what to do!
How to Make Ham in a Crock-Pot — An Easy Two-Ingredient Recipe
Ingredients
7-11 lb ham portion
Brown sugar
Directions
Add a thin layer of brown sugar to the bottom of your slow cooker. Place the ham on top of the brown sugar, cut side down. Sprinkle additional brown sugar across the top of the ham.
Cover the Crock-Pot. If the ham is too tall to fit completely inside, make a tinfoil hat for it by layering a couple of pieces of tinfoil across the top of your slow cooker and crimping around the edges to completely cover. Lay a dish towel on top of the foil to help keep it weighed down and prevent heat from escaping.
Cook ham on low for 5-6 hours. Flipping the ham over and basting halfway through will help prevent it from drying out on top, but it’s not strictly necessary.
That’s it! Carve your ham (reserving the ham bone to make broth for soup tomorrow — like this leftover ham soup with kale, maybe), trim fat, and serve.
Note: Two ingredients is really all you need for a tasty ham (and all I used here), but if you’d like you can either add in some canned pineapple, or make a brown sugar-mustard-honey glaze rather than using straight brown sugar. My ham here cooked for 5.5 hours and was perfectly done, but I did lose heat by opening the foil to flip it halfway through.
That was easy
There’s enough going on this season, so why make things more difficult than they have to be? Stick with simple, and simply enjoy your two ingredient slow cooker ham. 🙂
How to Make Ham in a Crock-Pot, printable recipe
- 7-11 lb ham portion
- Brown sugar
- Add a thin layer of brown sugar to the bottom of your slow cooker. Place the ham on top of the brown sugar, cut side down. Sprinkle additional brown sugar across the top of the ham.
- Cover the Crock-Pot. If the ham is too tall to fit completely inside, make a tinfoil hat for it by layering a couple of pieces of tinfoil across the top of your slow cooker and crimping around the edges to completely cover. Lay a dish towel on top of the foil to help keep it weighed down and prevent heat from escaping.
- Cook ham on low for 5-6 hours. Flipping the ham over and basting halfway through will help prevent it from drying out on top, but it's not strictly necessary.
-
That's it! Carve your ham (reserving the ham bone to make broth), trim fat, and serve.
Two ingredients is really all you need for a tasty ham (and all I used here), but if you'd like you can either add in some canned pineapple, or make a brown sugar-mustard-honey glaze rather than using straight brown sugar. My ham here cooked for 5.5 hours and was perfectly done, but I did lose heat by opening the foil to flip it halfway through.
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jane says
Perfect timing! I wasn’t home yesterday or today to stick my ham in the oven at just the right time. I was all “When am I going to cook this ham?!?” And here is the answer. 🙂
And, I have the same ham as you.
Jessie says
On which temperature should I set this?? Thanks!
rachel says
On low 🙂
Patty says
I’ve used this recipe so many times for PADS dinners. So easy to prepare and the guests love it!
Thank you Rachel!
rachel says
That’s right! I think you mentioned that years ago when I talked about the Crock-Pot method — it was time to update those horrible old photos. 🙂 What a wonderful use for it.
Patty says
And now the next generation is using it too. My grad school daughter wanted a Crock-Pot for Christmas and this is the first thing she wants to make in it! Easy peasy, and she’ll have meals for the week :). She thanks you too Rachel!
Shelly G. says
First time trying this method. Delicious, quick and easy!
Deborah says
This recipe is just what I was looking for! I am going to try it tomorrow.
Tessa says
Does this make enough drippings to make gravy?
rachel says
There will be a lot of liquid in the crock. I have never tried making gravy out of it. 🙂