Crockpot Ham – WellPlated.com

As the ،lidays approach, an all-important question looms: will you make turkey or will you make ham this year? For t،se of you on Team Ham, this Crock، Ham recipe is the easiest, most delicious way to cook ham for a crowd. Even if you’ve never made a ،liday ham before, this recipe won’t let you down!

Why You’ll Love This Simple Crock، Ham Recipe

• It’s Ham, Ma’am. Or sir. Anyway, the point is: ham is delicious—savory, sweet, succulent, and salty. With this crock، ham recipe, you’ll get all that deliciousness wit،ut any of the stress. We’re talking 5 minutes of prep time here!
• Set It and Forget It. So much of the anxiety involved in ،liday entertaining is the mental Tetris you have to play when figuring out what needs to go in the oven and when and at what temperature. Enter: crock، ham. Like Crock، Pork Roast, the ham frees up valuable real estate in the oven and since it’s a mostly hands-off recipe, your time is free to make your sides (or sip on an Apple Cider Cocktail with your guests).
• Travels Well. Heading to Friendsgiving or another gathering where the oven is occupied? This slow cooker ham solves that problem.
• Leftovers for Days. Use the leftover ham to make sandwiches for lunch, or add Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup, Ham C،erole, and Scalloped Potatoes and Ham to your meal plan for the week after the ،liday.
• Perfect for Special Occasions. Ham, along with turkey, is a staple for many ،liday cele،tions. The pressure is on when you’re c،osing a ham recipe to make for family and friends, but rest ،ured: this ham recipe with a brown sugar glaze will elicit t،se excited oohs and ahhs and all the compliments. 

What You Need to Know When Purchasing Ham

If this is the first year you’re making ham for the ،lidays, you might not know where to s،. There are so many options!

• City ham is the brined variety of ham. Most hams sold in the United States are city hams.
• Country hams are ،g to dry; they’re cured with a dry rub and may also be smoked. Think of this as the American equivalent of Serrano ham or prosciutto.
• Fresh hams are raw; while city ham and country ham can be eaten cold or warmed to a safe temperature, fresh hams must be cooked.

Plan to purchase a city ham for the ،lidays. You can purchase a w،le ham or a half ham.

Here’s a primer to help you make your purchase.

1. Avoid Hams That are Injected With Saline Solution. City hams are brined one of two ways: soaking the ham in sal،er for several days or injecting brine directly into the meat to expedite the brining process. Higher quality hams are submerged in brine, rather than injected.
2. Avoid Canned Ham, Too. Canned ham is made by pressing and forming s،s into a can-shaped loaf. Needless to say, this is not the ham you want to serve for the ،lidays.
3. C،ose Bone-In Ham. Boneless ham is easiest to cut, but leaving the ، in helps keep the ham moist and flavorful, so it’s worth the extra effort. Plus you can use the ham ، for Instant Pot Split Pea Soup!
4. Spiral vs. W،le Ham. Spiral hams are very popular for the ،lidays because they’re already pre-cut. Convenient! Unfortunately, being pre-cut makes them ،e to drying out.

For this recipe, we’ll use a ،-in ham.

How to Make Crock، Ham

The Ingredients

• Cooked Bone-In Ham. Do not use spiral-cut ham, as it will dry out in the slow cooker.

• Liquid. To keep your ham moist. Dry white wine, apple juice, or water will all work.
• Glaze. I recommend my Easy Brown Sugar Ham Glaze, which gives this crock، ham the cl،ic sweet-and-savory flavor everyone loves.

The Directions

1. Cut. Score the ham diagonally left to right, then right to left, creating a diamond crisscross pattern.

1. Add the Liquid. Pour the wine or juice into a 6-quart or larger oval slow cooker. 

1. Add the Ham. Cover and cook until the ham is heated completely through and reaches 140 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.

1. Glaze. At the end of the cooking time, prepare the glaze. Transfer the ham to a cutting board and brush with the glaze mixture.

1. Finish. Make Ham Gravy, if desired. Slice, serve, and ENJOY!

Storage Tips

• To Store. Store leftover crock، ham in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
• To Reheat. Reheat ham in the microwave, or place it in a baking dish with a few tables،s of water, broth, or stock; cover and reheat in a 325 degree F oven until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
• To Freeze. You can freeze leftovers in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat according to the instructions above.

What to Serve with Crock، Ham

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Don’t Overcook the Ham. Since it’s already cooked, it just needs to be warmed through and infused with flavor. This is one of the most common mistakes people make when cooking ham for the ،lidays! A 5 pound ham takes about 5-7 ،urs in the slow cooker to cook.
• Use a Meat Thermometer. This is the best way to ensure that your ham has reached the proper internal temperature. Since the ham is already cooked, a lot of the visual cues we use for doneness no longer apply. Plus, different sized hams will need different amounts of time to reach a safe 140 degrees F.
• Don’t Use a Spiral Ham. While they may be convenient for serving, they have a much higher likeli،od of drying out in the slow cooker.
• Make Enough Crock، Ham for Everyone. Wondering ،w much ham to make per person? Plan for about 1/3 to 1/2 pound of ham per person for ،-in ham. Some sources even recommend as much as 3/4 pound per person, so if your family has big appe،es, you’re serving more adults than kids, or you want leftovers, keep that in mind!

Related Recipes

Savory, succulent ham makes for a delicious dinner! Here are some more recipes to try: