Delicious Spiced Glazed Ham: Easy Ham in Slow Cooker With Pineapple

Americans purchase approximately 318 million pounds of glazed ham for the holidays. It may be a tossup for some families whether they choose turkey or a delicious spiced glazed ham for Christmas, but in our family, it’s a no-brainer. We always have turkey for Thanksgiving and ham for Christmas.

Of course, this past Thanksgiving we did have BOTH and it was the best of both worlds. This easy ham made in the slow cooker with pineapple juice and spices was so good, we decided to order another spiral sliced ham from Omaha Steaks to do it all over again for Christmas!

With Americans choosing pork over turkey by a 3 to 1 margin outside of the holidays, we may become a little listless when it comes to cooking it. I have the perfect solution to make your glazed ham delicious and simple this season. Try an easy ham in the slow cooker with pineapple.

If you are surprised, intrigued, or looking to make your life easier keep reading for our delicious spiced glazed ham recipe that you can make in a slow cooker.

Is Ham in a Slow Cooker Good?

If you think I’m crazy, just hear me out. Cooking your glazed ham in a crockpot is awesome for so many reasons.

1. It’s easy. That’s kind of the thing with slow cookers; you put the food in and walk away. Cooking a ham in a slow cooker is no exception. It’s so easy!
2. It keeps the ham moist. Cooking your glazed ham in a crockpot or slow cooker is almost like cooking in its own little humidifier. Numerous problems, like drying out, may happen when cooking in an oven, so I recommend avoiding them all together.
3. It keeps your glazed ham warm. Maybe you are a great chef and time everything to perfection, but I am certainly not. Well, I fancy myself a good cook, but timing numerous dishes during the holidays is a real challenge. Cooking your glazed ham in a slow cooker is a great way to keep it warm until you are ready for it (without it drying out).
4. It saves space. Perhaps my favorite thing about cooking easy ham in slow cooker with pineapple is the space I save in the oven. We don’t have a double oven, so oven space is a commodity during the holidays. I love that I don’t have to figure out how to fit a glazed ham in with the appetizer and side dishes.
5. It’s delicious. Beyond our glaze recipe, which is amazing if I may say so myself, cooking in a crockpot has a magical effect on your meat. Maybe it’s the moisture, or perhaps cooking in a small space, but your glazed ham will be infused with flavor. You have to try it for yourself.

Easy Ham in Slow Cooker With Pineapple Recipe

First of all, toss that glaze packet that came with your ham, if it came with one. We’ve got a simple and delicious recipe below that adds just enough sweet, without being overly sugared, and a little spice, too!

Glazed Ham Ingredients

• fully-cooked ham, we love this spiral sliced ham from Omaha Steaks
• pineapple juice
• brown sugar
• Dijon or spicy brown mustard
• honey
• ground cloves
• garlic
• fresh rosemary (optional)

Ham In a Slow Cooker Instructions

For this simple slow cooker recipe, we don’t need to do much. Thanksfully ham comes pre-cooked, so we’re mostly warming it and getting those juices flowing and glaze nice and soaked in. You could toss all of the glaze ingredients on top of the ham in the slow cooker (and I’ve done that before!), but to REALLY get those flavors locked in and for the best taste, I’ve found that combining the ingredients and creating a quick sauce over the stove is the best way to do it.

To do that, in a small saucepan, combine the pineapple juice, brown sugar, mustard, honey, cloves, and garlic over high heat. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Pour the mixture over the ham, making sure to separate the slices to let the glaze get between them.

Then, you can let the slow cooker to the rest of the work!

Recipe Notes: If your ham is too large for the lid to close completely, cover the slow cooker with foil and place the lid on top of the foil to seal in the heat.

Delicious Spiced Glazed Ham: Easy Ham in Slow Cooker With Pineapple

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Delicious Spiced Glazed Ham: Easy Ham in Slow Cooker With Pineapple

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Ingredients

• Fully-cooked ham, approximately 8 pounds
• 2 cups pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon or spicy brown mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)

Instructions

1. Place the ham in the basin of a slow cooker.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the pineapple juice, brown sugar, mustard, honey, cloves, and garlic over high heat. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Pour the mixture over the ham, making sure to separate the slices to let the glaze get between them.
3. Add rosemary sprigs and cover the slow cooker tightly with the lid, or, if the ham is too large, make a tight cover with aluminum foil.
4. Cook on low 4-5 hours.
   
   
   

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The Final Dish on Delicious Spiced Glazed Ham

Our family really enjoys our Christmas ham this way, so I hope you give it a try. 

I feel like I say that a lot about my cooking, but it’s true. 

After all, I’m only sharing the real winners with you. 

If you’re looking for a cute sweet treat to serve up this holiday, I think you’ll enjoy these festive Rice Krispies snowmen. And as we all hunker down for some indoor, quality family time I recommend checking out this post on our Christmas family movie night tradition.

Please let me know how your ham turns out in the comments below, or your suggestion for side dishes this year. We would love to know what you’ve got cooking up.