Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Ham (5-Ingredients!)
This simple slow cooker ham is the easiest recipe you’ll find for juicy, flavorful, ham! Made with only 5 ingredients including brown sugar and mustard, it requires no pre-cooking and produces a succulent, spiral-cut ham bursting with flavor without the oven.
This Ham Slow Cooker Recipe Couldn’t Be Simpler (or More Delicious!)
Say hello to one of the easiest recipe for succulent brown sugar slow cook ham. As a habit 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 this 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. But, since it’s so easy and there’s so much you can do with leftovers, this ham is perfect for any night of the week. For bonus points, keep the oven clear and whip up my slow cooker carrots, slow cooker potatoes, or mashed potatoes to go alongside.
Welcome to My Kitchen! Let’s Make Ham in the Crockpot!
Ingredient Notes & Substitution Suggestions
- 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, but you can use light brown sugar instead.
- Orange Marmalade: Apple jelly would be a good alternative if you can’t find orange marmalade, or even crushed pineapple will work.
- Dijon Mustard: The mustard is essential in helping the glaze come together, so don’t leave it out, but you can use yellow mustard instead.
Got Leftover Ham?
This juicy ham is the perfect protein because it keeps in the fridge and freezer and can be used in so many different ways. Chop up any leftover ham and store in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3-4 days or freeze in a freezer bag with all the air removed for up to 3 months. Add leftovers to a breakfast casserole or scramble, or I personally love it as in this effortless pasta with ham and peas or no-brainer slow cooker split pea soup.
This Recipe is…
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Ham (5-Ingredients!)
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.
