Crock Pot Ham Recipe (2024)

This no-fuss Crock Pot Ham recipe is perfect for holidays and company and features a juicy, tender ham in a sweet and simple pineapple glaze. The best way to cook a holiday ham because the Crock Pot does all the work for you!

Crock Pot Ham

Crock Pot ham features juicy, tender ham in a sweet and simple pineapple, brown sugar, and maple syrup glaze.

This Crock Pot ham is the easiest ham you'll ever make! It's simple to prep, using only 4 simple ingredients, and once it's in the slow cooker, it practically makes itself!

It's the perfect recipe for holidays because it's easy to make, easy to serve, and tastes heavenly.

How to Choose a Ham for the Crock Pot

One of the great things about this recipe is that it will work for pretty much any ham you choose. The cook time may vary a little depending on the size or type, but the recipe will still work.

Most of the time, I'll choose a bone-in spiral ham because I find that this type is easiest for serving at holidays, and I'm more interested in ease than the cut.

Here are some ways to help pick your ham:

Shank or Butt?

The shank ham has a straight bone. It's often leaner but a little more chewy.

A butt end is more tender and fatty, but it has an oddly shaped bone that can make cooking and serving a little more awkward.

A whole ham will include both, and it will weigh about 20 pounds. A whole ham will likely not fit in your slow cooker.

Bone-In or Boneless?

A bone-in ham will cook more evenly in the slow cooker and has more moisture and flavor, which are also good qualities when you're cooking something in the Crock Pot.

A boneless ham can be easier to serve since you don't have to work around a bone.

Uncut or Spiral-Cut?

As I mentioned above, I prefer a spiral ham, especially for holiday or company because it makes serving so much easier. You can also get the glaze into each layer of the spiral giving it loads more flavor. However, they are much easier to dry out, so watch the cook time carefully and check for doneness often.

Fresh, Cured, or Smoked?

Most hams in your grocer's are cured or smoked. A fresh ham has not been cured at all and it doesn't taste like the ham that you're probably used to. It's more like a pork chop. It also is still completely raw, so it needs to be cooked from scratch.

A cured ham is fully cooked and cured. And a smoked ham is cured and smoked. A smoked ham will have a definitive smoky flavor, so if you're not a fan of that smokiness, stick to a plain cured ham.

This recipe is for a cured or smoked ham, but could be used on a fresh ham. Just check the internal temperature carefully to make sure it's cooked all the way through.

How Much Ham Per Person?

This answer depends on whether you're using a bone-in or boneless ham. For a bone-in ham, plan for about ¾ to 1 pound per person.

For a boneless ham, plan for about a half-pound per person. Some people may eat a little more, but some will probably eat a little less. So it will even out.

What Size Ham Do I Need?

If you're using a bone-in ham, your ham in pounds will be the same as the number of people. So if 10 people are attending, you will want a 10-pound bone-in ham.

Similarly for boneless, your ham in pounds will be half the number of people. So if 10 people are attending, you will want a 5-pound boneless ham.

What If My Ham is Too Big for My Crock Pot?

If your ham is too large for your slow cooker lid to go fully on, cover the top of the slow cooker with heavy duty foil instead.

I also recommend the Crock Pots with the lid latches, as those will push down a little bit to make room.

How Long Does it Take to Cook a Fully Cooked Ham?

The time it takes to cook a ham depends mostly on how large the ham is and also how hot your slow cooker runs. Most hams used for holidays and such are pre-cooked so you're just reheating them. In this case, the ham needs to be heated so that the internal temperature reaches 140°F.

So, a small ham may reach that point within 2 to 3 hours set on low. While, a large ham should be done by 4 to 6 hours on low.

To Thicken the Glaze

If you'd like your glaze a little thicker, you can add 1 tablespoon cornstarch to 1 tablespoon water. Then whisk into the glaze and simmer over medium heat until it reaches the desired consistency.

What to Serve with Crock Pot Ham

Ham is such a versatile main dish that you can serve it with almost anything your heart desires. It's easy to switch it up depending on the season or your tastes that particular week. Here are some of our favorite side ideas:

• Creamy Southern Coleslaw
• Salad
• Creamed Corn
• Biscuits or Cornbread
• Southern Cornbread Dressing
• Bourbon Glazed Carrots
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Mashed Potatoes
• Baked Potatoes
• Mac and Cheese
• Potato Salad
• Pasta Salad
• Sauteed Green Beans
• Roasted Asparagus

The possibilities are endless! Check out all of our side dish recipes for more inspiration!

How to Reheat Leftover Ham

By far, the simplest way is to reheat individual servings in the microwave.

If you want to reheat a larger portion of ham at once, place leftover ham in a baking dish (cut side down). Add a couple tablespoons of water or broth, and tightly cover with heavy duty foil.

Reheat in a 325°F oven for about 10-15 minutes per pound of remaining ham,to an internal temperature of 140°F.

How to Use Up Leftover Ham

After holidays, I usually find myself with lots of leftover ham and the need to come up with ways to use it, especially when we run out of sides from the holidays to eat leftovers with. If you're a ham over-buyer like me here are some delicious ways to use up your leftover ham so it doesn't get boring, or even worse, thrown out!

• Ham Tetrazzini
• Ham and cheese sliders
• Cheesy Ham and Corn Chowder
• Ham and Cheese Pizza
• Sandwiches
• Crockpot Hash Brown Casserole - throw some ham into this recipe and use it as a side dish for another meal, for brinner (breakfast for dinner!), or as a side dish to eggs.
• Chef Salads
• Cheesy Potato Soup
• Baked potato topping
• With eggs or on an egg and English muffin breakfast sandwich

Crock Pot Ham Video