This slow cooker ham recipe is moist and fork tender!
This Slow Cooker Ham recipe is my “go-to” recipe when cooking a ham dinner. It is so much better than the traditional oven “baked ham” because it consistently produces a delicious, tender, moist ham that will be an easy focal point for your ham dinner. This ham recipe is delicious and can be adjusted for cooking uncooked hams, precooked hams, smoked or dry cured hams and brine cured hams. You can use this recipe to cook ham shoulders, butts, and shanks. The ham will be visually beautiful (perfect for a holiday ham dinner) and everyone who tries thisrecipe has great success with it.
I use this recipe for Easter dinner every year. We like to eat Easter dinner about 1:30 PM after we get home from church so I time the ham so that it is done for 1 PM. That gives me time to get my side dishes cooked and the table set. I do a lot of my Easter dinner preparation the night before. On Easter, it’s just a matter of putting things to heat in the oven and on the stove top during that last hour before dinner. And this ham recipe frees up oven space for more Easter side dishes to cook like my Bacon Wrapped Asparagus or my Twice Baked Potatoes. Having free stove top and oven space allows me to make a complete holiday menu timed perfectly to arrive at the dinner table with the Slow Cooker Ham as the centerpiece. This ham dinner is great in the summer to as using a slow cooker doesn’t heat up the kitchen the way the oven does. I do heat my pre-cooked potatoes in the microwave and foil packs of vegetable on the grill.
A few things to remember when cooking your slow cooker ham…..
There are a few things that are important to remember in cooking a ham in a slow cooker, no matter which slow cooker ham recipe you use. Be sure to follow your slow cooker ham recipe carefully.
- Choose the right size ham that will fit in your crock pot for your slow cooker ham recipe. If you are not good at judging size and have to take a small measuring tape with you to the store, do it. It is very important with any roast cooked in a slow cooker that the lid be able to seat itself tightly on the lip of the crock. I have heard of people who were unhappy with the results of a slow cooker ham recipe and usually find the reason is that the ham was too large preventing the lid from fitting properly so moisture escaped. Some people try to put foil around the lid in hopes of keeping the heat and moisture in. That isn’t a foolproof solution, and often ends in culinary disaster. Take the time to get the right size ham and trim it a little to fit the slow cooker if necessary.
- Buy the right type of ham for the slow cooker ham recipe you are cooking. There are many types of ham – precooked and uncooked, smoked, dry cured and brine cured, shoulder, butts and shanks, spiral cut. So pay attention to what the recipe calls for. Using a recipe meant for a bone-in butt to cook a spiral ham can leave you with a dry, overcooked mess worthy of the dog dish. This recipe can be adjusted to accommodate a different ham, bone In Butt or Shank, but you can use other ham types if you adjust the time and temperature setting.
- Pay attention to cooking time. If your slow cooker ham recipe calls for a 7 pound ham in a 7 quart slow cooker to cook for 8 hours, and you have a 3 pound ham in your 4 quart slow cooker, you need to reduce the cooking time. As a rule, 1 hour of cooking time (on low) per pound will work well. If you are making changes to a recipe, be aware that overcooked ham will be dry and tough so you should keep an eye on the ham.
- Be careful of your internal temperatures. Use a meat thermometer to check your ham to be sure it is cooked. Not all hams are the same. If you are cooking an uncooked ham, you want an internal temperature of 140F. The internal temperature of a precooked ham should least 120F.
- Not all slow cookers are the same. The temperature for each setting can vary from brand to brand. The age of your crockpot can make a difference in cooking time as the ham will cook quicker in a newer crockpot as the temperatures of newer crockpots are higher. This change was instituted because of food safety issues and concerns that the lower temperatures of older crock-pots cooking on low could enhance the growth of harmful bacteria.
- As with any recipe, try it out the first time at a family meal rather than cooking the recipe for a big holiday meal with guests. All recipes need a little tweaking, especially ones like this. Timing is everything when putting on a holiday celebration meal so work the bugs out of a recipe rather then have an embarrassing failure in front of your guests.
A slow cooker ham recipe can result in a delicious succulent dinner loaded with flavor but like anything else you have to follow the directions. For more facts and information on ham check out the USDA website. I hope you enjoy this slowcooker ham recipe.
Slow Cooker Ham Recipe – Moist and Fork Tender
This slow cooker ham recipe will result in a fork tender baked ham and the liquid left in the pot can be made into a delicious sauce to be served with the ham. This ham recipe is meant to be prepared in a large slow cooker/ crock pot – 7 qt. or larger.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 5-7 hours
- Total Time: 7 hours 15 mins
- Yield: 10 1x
- Category: Meat
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 6 – 7 lb. ham Bone-in Butt or Shank are my personal favorites.
- 3/4 c. gingerale
- prepared yellow mustard
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 2 tsp. orange zest
- Optional ingredients –
- 20 whole cloves (optional) Makes for a pretty presentation, adds flavor, and smells heavenly while cooking.
- Corn starch for thickening is making sauce from drippings.
Instructions
- Spray inside of crock pot with non stick cooking spray.
- If you are going to use the cloves, score the ham in a crosshatch pattern making 1 inch squares with cuts 1/4″ deep. Insert whole cloves at intersecting points.
- Pour gingerale over ham.
- Coat ham with mustard.
- Sprinkle orange zest over ham.
- Sprinkle brown sugar over ham.
- Set slow cooker on low. Cook an uncooked ham for 5 – 7 hrs on high for the first 2 hours then reduce to low, dependent on your ham size. Be sure to check internal temp – 120F-140F is what you want. Cook precooked ham for 3 hrs. and check internal temp. When ham is done remove from slow cooker and place on platter tenting it with foil. Let rest while you prepare optional sauce.
- Sauce –
- Strain liquid left in slow cooker into a saucepan. Taste to see if it needs any seasoning. Most likely it won’t need salt.
- Take 2 tbsp. of corn starch and mix with 1/4 cup water to make a slurry.
- Over medium heat, add the cornstarch slurry to the hot liquid while stirring gently with a whisk. It should only take a minute to thicken. Don’t over stir as it may break down. Serve the sauce over the ham.
Keywords: slow cooker ham recipe, ham recipe
This slow cooker ham recipe is perfect for Easter Dinner. For more Easter Ideas from the Wilderness Wife check out these pages –
Slow Cooker Bourbon Glazed Spiral Ham
Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Roast Recipe
Roasted Asparagus with an Easy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe
Free Frameable Easter Printables
Do you love slow cooker dishes? We have lots of them here at The Wilderness Wife so check out these tasty ones –
Slow Cooker Mushroom Barley Soup
Slow Cooker Chicken Vegetable Soup
Slow Cooker Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
Other Popular Wilderness Wife Posts
Easy Moist Pistachio Muffin Recipe
Slow Cooker Risotto Recipe
Slow Cooker Lumberjack Ground Beef Casserole
KitchenAid Basic White Bread Recipe
Hi Sheryl. After looking through recipes for Christmas dinner, I like your’s the best. A bit different than the pineapple brown sugar masses of recipes.
My question is the bone in ham you list is not spiral cut, correct? I picked up two fully cooked nine pound bone in spiral cut hams.
You say 3 hours for pre-cooked. Wouldn’t the spiral cut lessen the cook time?
Thank you.
Spiral Cut Ham Recipe with Bourban Glaze
Hi there. I am looking forward to trying this recipe next week but I cannot seem to figure out if the recipe uses a smoked ham or not. The butcher shop I order from says all of their hams are smoked and I just need to heat them up and un-smoked are basically just pork roasts which wouldnt turn out the same at all…. I dont know anything so I am hoping you can shed some light.
Also, do the cloves need to be taken out before eating and how strong would you say the flavor is?
Thanks so much!
With a 6-7 lb. smoked ham I would cook it on low for 3-4 hours, be sure to check with a meat thermometer for an internal temperature of 120F t0 140F.
As for the cloves they look pretty and add a nice subtle flavor, not overly strong, and they can be taken out of an individual slice by the diner. But if you want to remove them before serving and slicing, the ham will be hot so you may want to use a pair of clean needle nose pliers.
Made this recipe yesterday for Easter. Made an 8.599 lb hame for 6 people and thought I would have plenty of leftovers to make split pea and ham soup today but it’s all gone! It was delicious and they devoured it. Will definitely make it again. Thanks.
I am making a roast fresh ham with bone 8 lb what do I put in it and how long does it take
I need a little more information to give you an informed answer. As you are responding to a slow cooker recipe, are you intending to put the ham in a slow cooker aka Crockpot? As I suggest in the post you should measure the ham at the store before you purchase it. For a slow cooker to work optimally you need a tight seal where the top meets the cooker. If moisture can escape, you would have to remove the top and keep adding liquid which lets heat escape and slows the cooking process. When you ask “what do I put in it” did you mean “put it in”? To use this slow cooker recipe, put it in an appropriately sized slow cooker. And if you meant what to put in it, use the ingredients listed in the recipe. Now if you do not have a slow cooker that will fit this ham, but you want a moist and tender ham you can “oven slow roast” it. I would use a roasting pan that has a cover to keep as much moisture in as possible. If just tenting with foil in a roasting pan, you need to keep an eye on moisture/water in the pan and add some when needed. Crimp your foil tightly around the pan to seal as tightly as possible. Use a low oven temp (250-275 F) which should take 20-22 minutes per pound or in the case of your ham about 3 hours. Give yourself a time cushion of at least a half hour. Check it with a meat thermometer for an finished internal temperature of 120F-140F. Email me at [email protected] if you have any more questions as I will be able to respond quicker. Oh and have a very Happy Easter!!!
I have a 8 pound ham that fits in a 6 quart cooker can I still make the ham in it.
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Yes, you can as long as the cover fits snugly on the crock pot so no heat and moisture can escape.
Hi there, I am trying this out for the first time today! I hope it goes well! My partner loves maple, so I might try experimenting with the ingredients a little. I wish I had the forethought to ask my question before (maybe I’ll report back) but what are your thoughts of roasting the ham in the last 30 minutes to crisp up the outside? I have never cooked one in a crock pot and really love the hands-off approach but I also love the crispy outside and can’t imagine that happening in the moist crock pot.
Thanks for the guidelines and recipe!!
p.s. my ham will be the smoked, uncooked bone-in type…. 😀
Hi, Your recipe sounds so wonderful. I was hopping to try this for my Christmas ham. I have a 6 qt. slow cooker, with an 8.26 lb ham. I placed the ham in without unwrapping to make sure it fits properly. It did. Now do you think I should cook on low for 8 hrs or what? And, am I leaving the top off during the total cooking process? I was going to cook with lid on. Thank you in advance………..Kathryn
Definitely leave the top on or it will dry out. Slow and moist is what you want. If it’s pre cooked you might be able to do it 6-7. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temp. You want 140F for temp
Happy Easter! I know it’s very last minute, and you probably won’t see this in time. But, incase you do see this, I have a quick question. I have a 7.6lb Bone-In Brown Sugar Cured Half Ham, NOT sliced. I was planning on putting it in the crock pot on low for 4-5 hours. Do you think that is enough time to be “fall of the bone” done? Thank you so much for your help and posting your recipe!!
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Sorry, didn’t see this till the day after, but your judgement was right if it was precooked which you didn’t mention. It will tell you if it is precooked somewhere on the label, usually in very small print.. It should have been tender after that. Our was and I did for 5 hours. It was a 6 3/4 lb. Hope you had a great Easter!
Thank you for sharing your post on the HomeAcre Hop, as one of the co-hosts I am going to feature your post tomorrow! Perfect timing for Easter and it sounds like a wonderful way to cook a ham! Hope you stop by tomorrow and share another post!
– Nancy
On The Home Front
I don’t eat meat, but I am hosting easter this year and have been hunting for an easy ham recipe for the family. This fits the bill!
Question, the ham that we bought it about 10.5 pounds, do you think 9-10 hours in a crock pot (hoping it will fit in one!) would be enough for a ham that size?
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You aren’t giving the specifics of the ham other than the size, but I am assuming that you are referring to an uncooked ham. Yes, I think that that would be sufficient. I don’t know how large your crock pot is but you could trim the ham some by removing fat with a sharp knife. If you haven’t already purchased the ham, you could purchase two smaller hams, borrow a friend’s crock pot, and that would give you a shorter cooking time and still give you enough ham to serve all your guests. It would make a dramatic tablescape with two perfectly gorgeous hams and a centerpiece separating them – a true Easter feast!
The orange zest seems like a perfect addition to the ham!! Looks super yummy 🙂 & just in time for Easter!!!
Thanks for sharing this on this week’s Mom 2 Mom Link Up Party 🙂 Hope you join us again, Rachael @ Diamonds in the Rough
★★★★★
It does add a warm and yet refreshing layer of flavor.
This looks AMAZING!!!! I can’t wait for Easter! We usually do a traditional clove & honey glaze on our ham, but this sounds very, very tempting!!!!
Sounds delicious! Going to try your recipe on Monday
for Thanksgiving.
Thanks
Daryl
I haven’t had ham in so long, it sounds really good! Thanks for sharing this method on the Thursday Blog Hop!! I would not have thought to use a slow cooker.
This looks scrumptious! Found you over at Katherine’s Hop. Thank you, for the cooking tips! Much joy!
This ham looks amazing! Wonderful idea for Easter, going to your recipe this year for sure!
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I’ve never cooked a ham in the slow cooker but, I want to try look delicious. Feel free to share your recipe at my weekly parties on Fri/Sat. Have a great weekend & thanks for the lovely recipe.
Oh this looks really good! I will have to try it for our Easter dinner.
We love this recipe! I posted a link to this on my blog about Kid Tested – Family Favorite Recipes Everyone Will Love! It’s a favorite for sure! http://www.cindyscreativecuts.com/kid-tested/
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Forgot to add above that this ham looks so beautifully moist; it’s making me hungry! Thank you so much for sharing a recipe that I’ll be using very shortly!
Bill should eat a little later than 1:30. NOt healthy.
I don’t understand your comment so please enlighten us as to why we should eat a large meal later in the day. On a day like this we have a light breakfast around 7AMan then go to church. 3 1/2 hours elapse and by then we are both pretty hungry. After having a holiday meal like that, we only have a light supper about 6PM. I can’t fathom why that is so unhealthy but am always interested in learning new things. Please explain what a better schedule would be.
Yes, please elaborate. Many of us eat an early breakfast and a lighter dinner with our heaviest meal during the day. Where did you get your information?
This recipe sounds delicious – can I use it with a smoked ham?
I am anxious to make this for Thanksgiving. However, cooking is a new thing to me. I bought a ‘ready to cook’ 10lb shank. I’m trying to figure out if I follow your precooked (4 hrs) or uncooked (8-10 hrs) recipe. Eeeks. By the way, I love all your recipes!
“Ready to cook”, to me, means “uncooked but ready with little prepping” so I would go for the longer cook time. Check it with a meat thermometer after 6 hours. The internal temp you are looking for is 155F.
Gonna try with lemon zest,,I do have a spiral,fingers cross
Has anyone tried this recipie with a hard cider or maple flavored beer?
First time doing a slow cooker ham. I bought half a ham – semi bnls half – half – 6.70 pounds. Are the directions the same for this as for a Butt or Shank.
Thanks for your help.
Yes, it should work out fine….keep an eye on it during the latter hours.
How to get a maple flavor on this ham?
Try a maple syrup reduction as a glaze during the last couple of hours.
I accidentally bought a spiral ham:( can I use these ingredients and just cut down the cook time??
Yes, you definitely will want to cut down the time for a spiral ham. 3-4 hours on low is the longest you would want to cook it.
Question for you. When you say 20 cloves do you mean 20 whole cloves of Garlic?
Cloves is a spice. You use the whole clove as opposed to the ground spice.
So i was thinking on using pinapple juice instead of gingerale?
I like the flavor of ginger ale. But any liquid is going to provide a moist cooking environment, and the pineapple flavor
is so complimentary to ham that it should work very nicely.
I really want to do this ham!!!!!!!!!! My hubby’s favorite!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just want to confirm – you mention that there’s many different types of ham etc. Is this recipe for precooked or uncooked? And would it definitely not work for shank on the bone? Thanks, Em
The recipe is for either precooked or uncooked. If you read the instructions, you will see that the difference is the time. Precooked is in the slow cooker for 4 hrs. & uncooked for 8-10 hours. And the instructions also mention that this recipe is for bone in butt or shank.
my ham is a bone in leg ham….uncooked 4 lbs….how long would i cook this and at what temp…thank you’
Can I use an lemon zest?
The lemon will still add a citrus note to the dish and although lemon is a little more bitter than orange, the brown sugar in the recipe will tone that down so I don’t see any problem. It’s an interesting suggestion and I think that I will try it myself the next time I do a ham in the slow cooker. Hope you enjoy it!
Can this recipe be done with a smoked ham roast? I have 2 in my freezer and I have no idea how to cook them!
Sure can! And it will be tender and moist when you are done. And it won’t heat up your kitchen in the hot, summer weather!
I tried this recipe yesterday, and the gravy it makes was so delicious–smokey-flavored and citrusy. I will definitely cook ham this way in the future. Thank you for sharing it.
Thanks, Livie! I’m glad you enjoyed it! It is one of my most popular recipes – foolproof and easy with a spectacular outcome! It was so nice of you to let me know you enjoyed it!
A slow cooker recipe for Easter is perfect. That way when you come in for church it is waiting on you. Thanks for sharing at Saturday Dishes. I hope you’ll return next week when we feature Mother’s Day dishes. Pinned.
Your slow cooker ham looks super moist and delicious! Thank you for sharing on Crafty Thursday Obsessions.
I wanted to feature this at SYC. Do not see any link back to the party. So sorry!
Jann
This looks great! I am featuring this on my link parties features tomorrow! I would love if you could add my button to your page! Thanks for sharing!
Sounds good to me and I love the slow cooker idea! I am pinning! Thanks for linking up last week on Made in a Day!
Kim
This sounds so delicious. I have never tried a ham in a slow cooker. I have one with the bone in the freezer. I want to try it. Hope it’s not to big for my cooker. Thanks for sharing with Share Your Cup.
hugs,
Jann
YUM! I love ham!!
Hi Sheryl!
I featured your post on The Creative HomeAcre Hop today! Stop by and say hi!
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/03/the-creative-homeacre-hop-8.html
Yum! Thanks for sharing on The Creative HomeAcre Hop! Hope to see you tomorrow at:
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/03/the-creative-homeacre-hop-8.html
I love that this is cooked in a crockpot, I can imagine how good it was. Thank you so much for sharing with Saturday Spotlight last week. I hope you come by today to share more of your awesome creations!
http://angelshomestead.com/
April
Looks divine!
Sounds heavenly; I can almost smell it cooking. Thoroughly informative postand a pleasure to read. Thanks.
Janet
Thanks so much for the info. You know your stuff. linda and thanks for coming over to What to do Weekends. You help make it great!
yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmThank you for joining in the fun at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop xo
What a wonderful blog – great recipe too! I am so pleased that you linked to “Open House”.
This sounds amazing…I will make our Easter ham just like this. Thanks so much…Over from Mrs. Olson’s
This looks divine! I’m featuring it today; thanks so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday 🙂
http://www.flourmewithlove.com/2013/03/featuring-you_20.html
Wow, that looks incredible. What a great idea to cook it with ginger-ale! Yum!
Best wishes,
Natasha in Oz
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a ham so beautiful and delicious looking. Eager to try it this way. Ham is my son-in-law’s favorite so we have it often.
I’ve never done ham in the slow cooker, although I do almost everything else there. I may give this a try.
This looks so amzing,a nd perfect timing for easter! Thanks so much for linking up to Monday Funday!
Great time saver, Sheryl!
This looks delicious…a must try. I am a new follower. Patsy
Thank you for following!Once you cook ham in a slow cooker, you will never want it any other way!
This makes my mouth water! YUM! Thanks for joining the Link Up!
If you really want to have your mouth water, you should smell the house as it cooks….heavenly!
Thanks for sharing your yummy recipe at Motivation Monday! Check back next week to see if you were featured.
Oh this sounds great! I have never made a ham in the slow cooker, but I am definitely going to give it a try this year! It would be so nice to relax a bit more with that done and out of the way first thing in the morning! Thanks for sharing:)
That’s my sentiment exactly! An easy way to get a great end result.
Looks delish!!
It is! Once you try it you will never want to cook it any other way.
I have never made a ham in the crock pot before! What a great idea! I would love for you to share this at what i am eating http://www.townsend-house.com/2013/03/what-i-am-eating_15.html
Try it this Easter! You won’t be disappointed! And thanks for the invite to your link party. I’ll be there.
Mmmm… that makes me want ham … right now!
Thank you for linking to Raising Imperfection.
Please come back Friday to see if you were featured. 🙂
¤´¨)
¸.•*´
(¸¤ Lanaya | xoxo
http://www.raising-reagan.com
Easter’s the one holiday meal I go all out for (my mother-in-law usually does Thanksgiving and Christmas) and this looks great!
It is! The flavor is so delicious and it is soooo tender!
That looks delicious! I cannot wait to try a ham in the crockpot. Great recipe.
this looks so good. Thanks for sharing
I love my slow cooker but never thought to try cooking a ham in it! Just stopping by from the Say it Saturday Linky Party. Thanks for sharing!
Wow! Looks delicious! I’m pinning this one!
What a scrumptious idea. I’m going to look for a recipe that includes sweet potatoes as that’s my fave with ham. This will be a perfect timesaver to have it cooking while we are at church and then off to watch the grandkids fun activities. Thank you.
You are so right about slow cooker ham ( I’ve done it before though I am going to amend this time and use some of your ideas such as the orange zest ) GINGER ALE: My grandmother always used ginger ale! I’d forgotten that ! Ok I am doing YOUR ham this Easter 🙂
Slow cookers transform meat into the tenderest imaginable. I always do baby back ribs in the slow cooker…the meat falls off the bone
I love the slow cooker. I have 4 of them in different sizes and use them for so many things. Enjoy your Easter dinner!