This easy brown sugar glazed ham will be the star of your holiday meal.
Free up the oven and cook your ham in your slow cooker. We are sharing tips and tricks to make that big holiday ham fit into your slow cooker. Whether you end up warming your ham in your slow cooker or in the oven, this easy brown sugar glaze is the finishing touch to make your ham so delicious.
What kind of ham to buy for your big holiday meal?
You first need to ask yourself some questions: How many people are you planning to serve? Do you want a bone-in or a boneless ham? Do you want a pre cut spiral cut ham? An uncut ham can be more moist, but a precut (spiral cut) ham is so much easier to serve. Most hams are already cooked when you bring it home, it is rare to have a uncooked fresh ham. Most are cooked with a curing method. Some are first cured and then smoked.
How many people are you planning to serve?
If you decide on a bone-in ham you will need about 3/4 pound of ham per person and about 1/2 pound of ham per person for a boneless ham.
Ham too big for a slow cooker?
If your ham is too big for your slow cooker, you can still use your slow cooker to warm the ham. Since we are essentially just warming the ham up because it is already cooked, it’s okay if the lid of your slow cooker doesn’t fit over the top with the ham inside. We will trap the heat of the slow cooker with aluminum foil over the top.
How to cook a ham in a Slow Cooker:
If your ham doesn’t fit inside your slow cooker with the ability for the lid to go on top, you will need aluminum foil: two 12 in. long sheets of foil. Place your ham into the slow cooker and tuck the ends of the foil all around the inside wall of the slow cooker and then gather the two pieces together at the top in the middle. Fold the two pieces together to make a roof over the top of the ham
You don’t need to completely wrap the ham in foil, just cover the top and sides to make a roof over the ham to trap the heat in. Tuck the foil down the inside of the slow cooker.
Make your ham fit your slow cooker:
If you know that your family will not be consuming all the ham on your ham for that meal, you can take some of the ham off the cut side to make the ham a little smaller in size to make it fit into the slow cooker with the lid on. You can freeze this extra ham to be consumed at a later time.
The Benefits of using a Slow Cooker to cook a Ham:
One of the main benefits of using your slow cooker (crock pot) to cook a ham is to free up your oven for making other side dishes for your meal, like Funeral Potatoes, roasted carrots, Brussels sprouts and homemade rolls. The Slow Cooker is also great at trapping in the moisture when the ham cooks. Since most hams are already cooked (either cured or cured and smoked), you are basically just warming your ham up, your slow cooker is a great place to do that.
Easy Brown Sugar Ham Glaze Recipe:
Enough Glaze for a 10-12 pound ham
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 can Coke or Dr. Pepper
- 1/2 cup dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
To start: check to see if your ham can fit into the bottom of your slow cooker. Some hams are too large. If your ham can fit into your slow cooker but the lid cannot fit over the top, you will need foil to create a foil roof over the top of the ham.
If your ham is too large, you have a couple of options: you can cut some of the ham away (freeze the extra ham and use it at a later time), so that the slow cooker lid can fit down snugly, or you can cook your ham in the oven in a roasting pan.
- Make the Glaze: Heat the brown sugar, soda, vinegar and salt in a small saucepan until a slow boil. Cook glaze until reduced and thickened a bit, about 15 minutes. After it has thickened stir in the mustard.
Slow Cooker warming method:
If your ham does fit inside your slow cooker, but does not allow for the lid to fit over the top, you will need aluminum foil: two 12 in. long sheets of foil. Place your ham into the slow cooker and tuck the ends of the foil all around the inside wall of the slow cooker and then gather the two pieces together at the top in the middle. Fold the two pieces together to make a roof over the top of the ham
You don’t need to completely wrap the ham in foil, just cover the top and sides to make a roof over the ham to trap the heat in. Tuck the foil down the inside of the slow cooker.
Cook on low for 30 minutes for every pound of ham. Boneless ham and spiral cut hams will warm up faster. 30 minutes before serving pour 1/2 of the glaze over the ham. Reserve the rest of the glaze for serving.
Oven warming method:
Preheat oven to 350F. Place the ham in a large roasting pan onto a rack cut side down, tent it with foil, and bake 10 minutes per pound …or longer if needed.
With 30 minutes left to go on the bake time of your ham, remove the foil and brush half of the glaze on the ham, brush the glaze on every 10 minutes of the last 30 minutes bake time. Put the ham back into the oven, uncovered. Bake for the last 30 minutes with the glaze allowing the ham to get glossy from the glaze. Remove from the oven and allow to rest 15 minutes before carving (if uncut).
Your ham needs to register at 140F degrees in the center.
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
Cook your ham in a slow cooker and add this delicious glaze for the finishing touch.
Ingredients
- 10-12 pound ham
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 can Coke or Dr. Pepper
- 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
-
To start: check to see if your ham can fit into the bottom of your slow cooker. Some hams are too big. If your ham can fit into your slow cooker but the lid cannot fit over the top, you will need foil to create a roof over the top of the ham.
-
If your ham is too large, you have a couple of options: you can cut some of the ham away (freeze the extra ham and use it at a later time), so that the slow cooker lid can fit down snugly, or you can cook your ham in the oven on a roasting pan.
Make the Ham Glaze:
-
Heat the brown sugar, soda, vinegar and salt in a small saucepan until a slow boil. Cook glaze until reduced and thickened a bit, about 15 minutes. After it has thickened stir in the mustard.
Slow Cooker Cooking Method:
-
If your ham does fit inside your slow cooker, but does not allow for the lid to fit over the top, you will need aluminum foil: two 12 in. long sheets of foil. Place your ham into the slow cooker and tuck the ends of the foil all around the inside wall of the slow cooker and then gather the two pieces of foil together at the top in the middle. Fold the two pieces together to make a roof over the top of the ham.
-
Cook on low for 30 minutes for every pound of ham. Boneless ham and spiral cut hams will warm up faster. 30 minutes before serving pour 1/2 of the glaze over the ham. Reserve the rest of the glaze for serving.
Oven Cooking Method:
-
Preheat oven to 350F. Place the ham in a large roasting pan onto a rack cut side down, tent it with foil, and bake 10 minutes per pound …or longer if needed.
-
With 30 minutes left to go on the bake time of your ham, remove the foil and brush the glaze on the ham every 10 minutes. Put the ham back into the oven, uncovered. Bake for the last 30 minutes with the glaze allowing the ham to get glossy from the glaze. Remove from the oven and allow to rest 15 minutes before carving (if uncut).
-
Out of the oven your ham needs to register at 140F degrees in the center.
Recipe Notes
Enough Glaze for a 10-12 pound ham.
The glaze can be made up to 5 days ahead and kept in the fridge.
Making This Recipe? Tag us on Instagram: @NoBiggie using the hashtag #NoBiggieRecipes, so we can see what you are making in the kitchen!
Leftover ham recipes:
Depending on the size of ham you purchase, chances are you will have leftover ham. Too much leftovers, freeze some for later. We love our food saver machine for freezing ham airtight. If you need some great recipes to use up that leftover ham. Here are some of our favorites:
What to serve with your holiday Ham:
Have you tried this recipe?! Using the star icons below: RATE and COMMENT! I would love to hear your experience.
