This Christmas Ham Crock Pot Recipe is easy to cook with a simple brown sugar glaze. Let the slow cooker do all the work for your holiday meat.
Slow Cooker Christmas Ham is my favorite to cook our ham for the holidays. We have even used this slow cooking recipe for Easter dinner and for Thanksgiving. It is a great way to save oven space for all the side dish recipes.
If you are looking for a simple way to cook you holiday ham, this is the recipe to use. The delicious brown sugar glaze combines the flavors together for a delicious spiral ham recipe. Make sure to check out our Christmas Turkey Recipe to complete your holiday meal.
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Recipe:
You are going to love this crockpot ham recipe. Being able to place your spiral ham in the slow cooker in the morning topped with the glaze, makes for a stress free holiday dinner.
The ham cooks tender, juicy and everyone is always impressed how flavorful it is.
Ingredients:
- Spiral Cut Ham (8-10 pounds, fully cooked)
- Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
For the Glaze:
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Honey
- Dijon Mustard
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Cloves
- Minced Garlic
For the full list of ingredients and recipe, scroll to the bottom to see the recipe card.
Variations Ideas:
- Glaze – Feel free to adjust the ingredients to the glaze. You can substitute the honey for maple syrup. We have even added in orange juice or pineapple juice with pineapple chunks for delicious flavor.
Step by Step Instructions:
Step 1 – Mix together all the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan. Whisk together and heat on low heat until the sugar is fully dissolved (whisking constantly).
Step 2 – Unwrap the ham and discard any seasoning packets that came with the ham. Place the ham flat side down in a slow cooker.
Step 3 – Pour the glaze over the top and use a basting brush to make sure that the glaze gets in between the layers of the ham in the crock pot.
Step 4 – Add the Rosemary springs to the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Baste the ham from any juice that cooked down to the bottom of the crock pot. Remove ham from slow cooker, cut and it is ready to eat.
Recipe Tips:
- Combining Glaze Ingredients – We recommend heating the glaze ingredients before pouring on the ham. Make sure to constantly stir until everything is combined.
- Basting ham – As you our pouring the glaze on to the ham, we like to make sure it get into the ham slices. I like to separate the slices slightly to ensure that the glaze is added.
- Cooking Time – Cooking time will vary for the ham. It will depend on your slow cooker and the size of you get. Most hams that you buy at the grocery store are fully cooked ham. So you want to make sure that it is heated thoroughly while keeping it juicy.
- Cutting ham – We like to get a ham that is already pre-sliced. You may need to use an electric knife or a sharp knife to cut into pieces. We recommend doing this on a cutting board.
- Cover Ham – If your ham doesn’t fit in the slow cooker. Cover with foil and then place lid on top. This helps to lock in the juices to ensure it fully heats.
What Kind of Ham Works Best:
This recipe will work with any type of ham that you choose. You can make this recipe with a boneless ham, bone-in ham, or a smoked ham. While I love the spiral ham, you can also make a shank or shoulder ham.
We find that bone-in hams stay juicier, boneless ham will still turn out delicious. If using a spiral ham, just make sure to baste it throughout the cooking time. This helps to keep it from drying out.
What Size of Ham?
The size of ham will depend on how many people you are feeding. We usually plan on about ½ pound of ham per person. We usually make a 8 lb ham so there is plenty leftover for casseroles, soups, and more.
We always have plenty of side dishes such as mashed potatoes, salads, and green beans casseroles for plenty of leftovers.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Depending on the size of your ham, it usually will take about 3-5 hours. Watch closely so the slow cooker ham recipe does not dry out.
Depending on how much you have leftover, we usually reheat in the microwave or oven. If heating in the oven, place in a baking dish and bake ham in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes.
Yes, you can freeze your leftover ham. After slicing them ham, place in a freezer safe container or zip lock freezer bag. It will stay fresh for up to 3 months.
Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
More Easy Crock Pot Recipes:
We love hearing from you. If you make this Christmas Ham Recipe, make sure to leave us a comment or a star review.
Christmas Ham Crock Pot
Ingredients
- 1 Spiral Cut Ham 8-10 pounds, fully cooked
- 2 Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
For the Glaze:
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
Instructions
- Mix together all the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan. Whisk together and heat on low heat until the sugar is fully dissolved (whisking constantly).
- Unwrap the ham and discard any seasoning packets that came with the ham.
- Place the ham flat side down in a slow cooker. Pour the glaze over the top and use a basting brush to make sure that the glaze gets in between the layers of the ham in the crock pot.
- Add the Rosemary springs to the crock pot.
- Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
- Baste the ham from any juice that cooked down to the bottom of the crock pot.
- Carefully remove the ham from the crock pot. Cut the ham and then it’s ready to serve and enjoy!
