Slow Cooker Christmas Ham Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you heat a precooked ham in a slow cooker? ›

Keep in mind that you're starting with a fully cooked ham, so all you're really doing in the slow cooker is reheating it. A 5- to 7-pound ham will take five to six hours to fully heat in a Crock-Pot. Cook it too much longer, and the ham could start to dry out.

Use only enough water to cover the bottom of your slow cooker. Insert the ham. Create an apple juice/honey mixture with the seasonings, and then pour it over the ham. Cover and cook on low for 8-12 hours or on high for 4-6 hours depending on the size of the ham and on how hot your slow cooker works.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the ham on a rack in a large baking pan and add about 1/4- to 1/2 inch of water to the pan. If the ham is labeled "fully cooked" (does not require heating), heat it in the oven for about 10 minutes per pound, or to an internal temperature of 140 F.

Shank: Ham from the shank end is the picturesque ham profile that pops into most people's heads when they think of a Christmas ham. The pork comes from the leg portion of the pig and tends to be a bit leaner. Bone-in ham from the shank has one long bone, which can make carving a breeze.

The goal is to reheat the ham without drying it out. The best way to do this is to place the ham on a rack in a roasting pan. Add water to the bottom of the pan and cover the whole thing tightly with foil. Bake at 325F for 16-20 minutes per pound, until a meat thermometer registers 135F.

Most appliances will automatically shut off after 20 or so hours on this setting, but you shouldn't leave food in a slow cooker for an extended length of time. The general rule of thumb is that 2-4 hours is the maximum length of time you can leave food in a slow cooker on warm.

The difference is the time it takes to reach that temperature. Low: 7-8 hours to reach the simmer point. High: 3-4 hours to reach the simmer point.

Water or liquid is necessary to create steam. When cooking meat or poultry, the water or liquid level should cover the ingredients to ensure effective heat transfer throughout the crock. Some manufacturers of slow cookers recommend adding liquid to fill the stoneware 1/2 to 3/4 full.

Reduce liquid when using a slow cooker

Because your slow cooker will have a tightly sealed lid, the liquid won't evaporate so if you're adapting a standard recipe, it's best to reduce the liquid by roughly a third. It should just cover the meat and vegetables.

Since the ham comes from the grocery store pre-cooked, this is an easy extra step that results in major flavor. Plus, it gives it that gorgeous glossy, lacquered look that just screams holiday ham!

How do you enhance a precooked ham? ›

A pre-cooked/smoked ham should be reheated for around 20 minutes per pound at 325 degrees. Every 15-20 minutes, glaze the ham. An optional step is to add a sprinkle of sugar after each glaze to build up even more of a crust, but this is personal preference.

Whether you are cooking a bone in or boneless ham, pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. Start by removing the packaging from the ham (and bone guard if you're cooking a bone in ham), and you can rinse the ham before cooking if desired.

Spiral ham can be made boneless, but butchers typically create a spiral ham cut by slicing a bone-in ham into one big spiral shape. Not only does spiral bone-in ham have a natural and preserved fresh flavor—it's also a lot easier to cut, because of the extra work done at the butcher's block.

Cooked canned ham and cooked vacuum-packaged ham, both from federally inspected plants, can be eaten right out of the package. All of these along with spiral-cut cooked ham are safe to eat cold or can be warmed to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C), as they are already fully cooked.

In a slow cooker

If you decide to cook your ham in a slow cooker—and you have a Crockpot large enough to fit it—cook it on the low setting for six to eight hours. If you're working with a larger frozen ham, you may need to allow up to 12 hours for it to fully cook. (Check the temp with your meat thermometer!)

Serving Instructions

We recommend that you do not heat Honey Baked Hams® - they are made to enjoy right from the refrigerator. If you prefer your meat warmed, gently heat on low heat 275°F for 10 min per pound only by the slice, do not heat the entire ham.

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Remove all packaging materials and place ham on wire rack in shallow roasting pan, flat side down. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for approximately 14-16 minutes per pound, until it reaches an internal temperature of 120°F.