Holiday ham without tying up the oven, that’s what my slow cooker ham is all about! Five minutes of prep, brown sugar glaze poured over the top, and the crockpot handles the rest. You get juicy, caramelized ham every time without babysitting the stove or fighting for oven space with the side dishes.

Overhead shot of a white oval serving plate with a serving fork and sliced ham surrounded by orange slices and fresh herbs. Hands are on either side of the plate.

Why the Slow Cooker Makes the Best Ham

Say hello to one of the easiest recipe for succulent brown sugar slow cook ham. As a habits expert, I’ve found that the slow cooker is the secret weapon to creating wholesome, time-saving meals every night of the week. And, it so happens that cooking a brown sugar ham in the crockpot is the perfect way to go.

The slow cooker does wonders at producing the most juicy and flavorful ham that doesn’t dry out, thanks to low and slow cooking. Plus, the prep and clean up are so fast and easy since you don’t need to brown the meat, do any chopping, or cook the glaze separately.

The only thing you need to fuss about is to make sure that your ham fits in your crockpot and that the lid can fully close. I especially love this slow cooker ham for holidays because it frees up oven space for all the yummy sides that need to bake and keeps the ham warm until it’s time to eat.

I personally love that it’s so easy and there’s so much you can do with leftovers. So, if you end up with leftover ham, my pasta with ham and peas is the perfect next-day meal, and comes together in under 20 minutes and the ham is the star! Bonus:if you love how easy it is to make pork in the slow cooker, my slow cooker BBQ pulled pork tenderloin uses the same set-it-and-forget-it method with a completely different flavor profile.

Welcome to My Kitchen! Here’s How to Make Ham in the Crockpot

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Overhead image of the following ingredients: whole ham, brown sugar, mustard, orange marmalade.
Gather ingredients.
Overhead image of a clear bowl with brown sugar, mustard, orange marmalade, and a whisk.
Combine glaze ingredients.
Overhead image of a partially trimmed ham on a white cutting board.
If needed, trim ham.
Overhead image of a scoring a trimmed ham on a white cutting board.
If needed, score fat layer.
Overhead shot of one big clear bowl with brown glaze and a small clear bowl with brown glaze.
Set aside 1 tablespoon of glaze.
Overhead shot of brushing brown glaze on a whole ham on a white cutting board.
Rub remaining glaze on ham.
Overhead shot of pouring liquid into a slow cooker with a whole glazed ham.
Pour pineapple juice into slow cooker.
Overhead shot of a slow cooker with whole cooked glazed ham. Slow cooker is surrounded by blue napkin, small bowl with glaze, and basting brush.
Cover and cook.
Overhead image of basting a whole ham with glaze.
Brush remaining glaze on ham.
Overhead shot of cutting cooked ham on a white cutting board.
Carve ham and serve.
Overhead shot of a slow cooker with whole cooked glazed ham. Slow cooker is surrounded by oranges, small bowl with glaze, and a basting brush.

Testing Notes From My Kitchen to Yours

  • Brown Sugar: Don’t skip the brown sugar as it’s a key ingredient in the glaze and doesn’t make the ham overly sweet! You can use light brown sugar in place of dark, however.
  • Orange Marmalade: Apple jelly is a great a good alternative if you can’t find orange marmalade. I’ve tested it with crushed pineapple and that works, too!
  • Dijon Mustard: The mustard is essential in helping the glaze come together, so don’t leave it out, but you can use regular yellow mustard instead.
Overhead shot of a white oval serving plate with a serving fork and sliced ham surrounded by orange slices and fresh herbs. Plate is surrounded by oranges, herbs, pink towel, and a bowl of orange marmalade.
Side angle shot of a white serving plate with sliced ham surrounded by orange slices and fresh herbs.
Overhead shot of a white oval serving plate with a serving fork and sliced ham surrounded by orange slices and fresh herbs. Plate is surrounded by oranges, herbs, white serving plates, and a bowl of orange marmalade.
5 stars (2 ratings)

Slow Cooker Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 10 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 6 hours
Total: 6 hours 10 minutes
Juicy slow cooker ham with a simple brown sugar glaze. Five minutes of prep, no oven needed, and it comes out tender and caramelized every time.
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Ingredients

For the Glaze

  • ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons orange marmelade
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

For the Ham

  • 1 (6- to 8-pound) bone-in fully cooked half ham
  • ⅓ cup pineapple juice

Equipment

Instructions 

Make the Glaze

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, orange marmalade, and mustard to form a glaze paste.

Prepare the Ham

  • If your ham does not have a fat layer then it does not require any prep and you can proceed to the next step to glaze.
  • If your ham has both the fat layer and skin on top, trim away the tough exterior skin or rind, then trim the fat layer to ¼ inch thickness. Score the remaining fat layer in a 1-inch crosshatch pattern. See step-by-step photos for example.

Glaze the Ham

  • Set aside 1 tablespoon of the glaze. Rub the remaining glaze evenly over the ham.
  • Place the glazed ham into a 6-quart slow cooker. Carefully pour ⅓ cup of pineapple juice around the sides, being careful not to disturb the glaze. Cover and cook until the fat is rendered and ham registers 100F, about 5-8 hours on low.
  • Transfer ham to a cutting board, brush evenly with the remaining 1 tablespoon glaze, and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Carve ham and serve.

Notes

  • I use orange marmelade in this because it helps the brown sugar stick to the ham and balances out the sweetness making ham not as sweet. However, you can substitute crushed pineapple in its place if you have that on hand, or apple jelly works well too.
  • Cook times may vary depending on your slow cooker! While a bone-in, fully cooked ham takes 5-8 hours on low to cook in the crockpot, the exact amount of time depends on the size of ham and your slow cooker. To ensure your ham is ready, cook until the fat is rendered and ham registers at 100F, but not beyond.
Course: dinner
Cuisine: American

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (3-oz serving), Calories: 185kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 2.5g, Cholesterol: 55mg, Sodium: 734mg, Potassium: 27mg, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 3IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 0.1mg
Nutrition disclaimer
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