Slow Cooker Easter Ham Recipe Easy for Busy Morning Meals
A hands-off slow cooker ham recipe perfect for busy mornings or holidays, featuring a simple sweet and savory glaze that caramelizes beautifully and keeps the ham tender and juicy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-6 hours on LOW or 2-3 hours on HIGH
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes to 6 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- Fully cooked bone-in or boneless ham (about 4-5 pounds / 1.8-2.3 kg)
- Brown sugar (½ cup / 100g)
- Honey (¼ cup / 85g)
- Dijon mustard (2 tablespoons / 30g)
- Apple cider vinegar (2 tablespoons / 30ml)
- Ground cloves (½ teaspoon, optional)
- Garlic powder (1 teaspoon)
- Water or apple juice (½ cup / 120ml)
Instructions
- Spray your slow cooker insert with non-stick spray or brush lightly with oil. Place your fully cooked ham inside, flat side down. Score the skin or fat layer lightly in a diamond pattern if present.
- In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, honey, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, ground cloves, garlic powder, and water or apple juice until smooth and pourable.
- Pour half of the glaze over the ham, coating evenly. Reserve the rest for basting. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours.
- Every 90 minutes, uncover and baste the ham with more glaze to build a sticky caramelized crust.
- After cooking, check that the ham is warmed through and the glaze is thickened. For more caramelization, remove the lid for the last 20-30 minutes, basting once more.
- Turn off the slow cooker and let the ham rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Do not skip basting to build up the sticky glaze crust. Use fully cooked ham only. Adjust sweetness by reducing brown sugar or honey if desired. Use apple juice instead of water for more flavor. For smoky flavor, add a few drops of liquid smoke to the glaze. If glaze is too runny, add more brown sugar or reduce liquid. Remove lid during last 20 minutes to avoid burning glaze.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 ounces (113g) of h
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 900
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 3.5
- Carbohydrates: 12
- Protein: 18
Keywords: slow cooker ham, Easter ham, easy ham recipe, holiday ham, glazed ham, slow cooker recipes, busy morning meals