Crock pot ham with spiced honey is an easy hands-off recipe to prepare for your holiday table! Made with spiral cut ham, honey, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg - this recipe only requires ten minutes of prep work!
Just like our dry brined turkey recipe, this crock pot ham with spiced honey is a simple holiday favorite that is packed with delicious flavor!
This crock pot ham with spiced honey is an easy holiday recipe that requires very little prep work, and frees up your oven for other side dishes or dessert!
The sweetness from the honey balances out the smoky flavors of the ham, and the spices perfectly complement the meat. The glaze infuses so much flavor as it slow cooks, especially with the spiral cut ham we are using - which allows the sauce to absorb into every slice. Best of all, it is very hands-off and it cooks up in 4-5 hours.
Reasons you'll love This Recipe
- the spiced honey sauce is so delicious, and pairs perfectly with the smoky flavors of the ham
- you can have it prepared in the crock pot in under 10 minutes - so easy!
- it frees up your oven for side dishes or dessert
- you can keep it warm on the 'warm' setting of your slow cooker
Ingredient notes
- Ham - you will need a fully cooked spiral cut ham for this recipe; these hams are quite large. We tested with a 10 lb (4.5 kg) ham and needed to trim it to fit. You could also use a fully cooked ham that is not sliced, however we recommend spiral cut ham as it allows the glaze to absorb into every slice as it cooks
- Honey - adds sweetness to balance the savory flavors of the ham; you may swap for brown sugar, but maple syrup does not work in this recipe.
- Spices - ground cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg add wintery spice to the ham and added depth of flavor.
- Pomegranate - is optional but is a beautiful and tasty garnish for this ham! Check out this post on how to open a pomegranate for tips and a video!
Step by step directions
Prepare
Place spiral cut ham in a large 6 quart slow cooker (trim the bottom off ham if it's too tall).
Combine Sauce
Shake together sauce ingredients including honey, apple cider vinegar, dijon and spices. Then pour the sauce over the ham.
Tip - this is our salad dressing shaker that is perfect for mixing together dressings and sauces!
Slow Cook
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Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours, basting every hour with the sauce.
Broil (optional)
This optional step caramelizes the edges of the ham and gives it a nice presentation. However it can be finicky to get the ham out of the slow cooker and onto the sheet pan, and the flavor benefit is minimal.
Use a baster to pull the liquids out of the slow cooker (reserve for later), and carefully tip the ham out and onto a large, sturdy sheet pan, flipping it so that the cut side points up. Broil the ham for approximately 5 minutes, basting with the reserved liquid halfway through. Serve with additional reserved cooking liquid.
Serve
Serve, spooning extra spiced honey sauce over the ham, and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs.
Tip - you can keep the ham warm on the 'warm' setting of your slow cooker!
FAQ
I recommend a fully cooked, spiral-cut ham, and look for one that is no larger than 10 lbs in order to fit into a 6 quart slow cooker. These hams may be only seasonally available; I found mine at Costco!
Not only is spiral-cut ham pretty to serve for a holiday meal, but as you baste with the sauce, it absorbs much better into the ham than an uncut ham.
Martha suggests ¾ lb per person for a bone-in ham. So for a 8-9 lb spiral ham, you'll have enough for 10-12 guests. Don't worry if you have extras, it's easy to freeze and there are a ton of ways to use up your leftover slow cooker ham!
No, not for this recipe. We have seen other recipes that recommend adding water to add moisture, but because we are basting this ham every hour (or so) with a very juicy sauce - it does not require any water!
Yes, this recipe requires a fully cooked ham. Actually, most ham that you can purchase at the store is pre-cooked by smoking, curing, or baking. Fully cooked or cured ham is then typically reheated and served warm and/or seasoned with a glaze before serving.
You'll have trouble fitting a spiral ham in the Instant Pot. Instead you might want to cook it in the oven.
Use up your leftovers
This recipe makes a big batch of ham, so it's a good idea to have a plan to use up the leftovers. Here are some ideas:
- ham sandwiches
- add to pasta: one pot fajita pasta (swap for black beans), one pan tuscan chicken pasta bake (swap for chicken) or ground turkey pasta in romesco sauce (swap for ground turkey)
- Add it to my favorite fried rice or cauliflower fried rice recipes
- Ultimate freezer breakfast burritos
- Healthy breakfast egg muffins
- Swap for bacon in this make ahead quiche and this overnight breakfast casserole
- Add to this sheet pan eggs recipe
- Swap for turkey sausage in these turkey sausage sweet potato lunch bowls
Storage + Meal Prep
- Fridge - let cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer - let cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. We like to chop into cubes to add easily to quiche or breakfast burritos.
- Thaw - in the fridge overnight
- Reheat - in the microwave until steaming hot, or in a covered casserole dish in the oven at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes until warmed through
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Crock Pot Ham
Ingredients
- 7-9 lbs spiral cut ham fully cooked * see note 1
Spiced Honey Sauce
- ½ cup honey note 2
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dijon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
To serve
- pomegranate seeds
- chopped fresh parsley optional
Instructions
- Prepare - Place spiral cut ham in a large 6 quart slow cooker (trim the bottom off ham if it's too tall).
- Combine sauce - Shake together sauce ingredients including honey, apple cider vinegar, dijon and spices. Then pour the sauce over the ham.
- Slow cook - Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours, basting every hour with the sauce.
- Broil - **OPTIONAL** use a baster to pull the liquids out of the slow cooker (reserve for later), and carefully tip the ham out and onto a large, sturdy sheet pan. Broil the ham for approximately 5 minutes, basting with the reserved liquid halfway through. Serve with additional reserved cooking liquid.
- Serve - Serve, spooning extra spiced honey sauce over the ham, and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs.
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Tips:
- You will need a fully cooked spiral-cut ham for this recipe. You could use a fully cooked ham that is not sliced, however we recommend spiral cut ham as it allows the glaze to absorb into every slice as it cooks
- Honey may be swapped for brown sugar, but not maple syrup.
- This optional step caramelizes the edges of the ham and gives it a nice presentation. However it can be finicky to get the ham out of the slow cooker and onto the sheet pan, and the flavor benefit is minimal.
- Fridge - let cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer - let cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
- Thaw - in the fridge overnight
- Reheat - in the microwave until steaming hot, or in a covered casserole dish in the oven at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes until warmed through
Nutrition Information
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Charles D'souza says
I'm not facilitating christmas at everything except I believe I will make this only so there's ham available for brisk snacks and meals in the bustling impending days.
Chelsea says
This may be a silly question but is it possible to do a variation of this recipe with an uncooked ham? How would you change the cooking time? Thank you!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Chelsea! Unfortunately I cannot say without retesting. Wish I could be of more help :/
Terry Carlson says
Does this only work for spiral cut ham. I have a 7 lb ham but not cut.
Denise says
Hi Terry! My parents tried this recipe with an uncut ham, and while they did enjoy the flavor, they thought it would be much better if it was pre-cut as the sauce will absorb so much better. But yes, it does work for a regular ham as well!
Tata says
What fresh herbs do you use? I’m not a creative cook, I need instructions!
Denise says
Hi Tata! I just used fresh parsley for the photos, but I wouldn't bother when serving as it doesn't add any real flavor 😉 Hope you enjoyed if you gave it a try!
Jen Bartels says
This looks amazing and a great departure from the soda and pineapple sauced ham we typically make. I'm not hosting christmas at all but I think I'm going to make this just so there's ham on hand for quick lunches & dinners in the busy upcoming days. In the description in the post about the sauce you mention dijon, but there's none listed on the actual recipe ingredients list so how much dijon is used? I'm sure I can eyeball it and taste, but was curious how much you added. Thank you for what is sure to be an excellent recipe!
Denise says
Hi Jen! Thank you for catching that! It was just a teaspoon. I'll update the recipe asap 🙂
joseph says
Very tasty Crock Pot Ham !!
Denise says
I am glad you enjoyed!