Slow Cooker Crockpot Spiral Ham
You can’t really screw up a ham. And when you toss it into a crockpot, it really feels like cheating. I’ve been wanting to try cooking a Crockpot Spiral Ham for awhile and I’m glad I gave it a try. This Crockpot ham recipe calls for pineapple and brown sugar so it definitely comes out tasting sweet – perhaps like a Honey Baked ham? I’m only guessing since I’ve never had one.
INGREDIENTS
Spiral Ham with glaze packet
You would ideally want it to fit in your slow cooker. Mine was about 10 pounds in a 6 quart crockpot.
Pineapple bits in can, with juice, 20 oz
2 Cups brown sugar
1 Cup Ginger Ale
How to prepare
1.) Line the bottom of the crockpot with two cups of brown sugar. Some recipes call for three, that seems like an awful lot.
2.) Place ham, slices down (flush with the flat bottom of the crock)
3.) Sprinkle the ham glaze powder (comes with most spiral hams) over the ham
4.) Pour full can of pineapple bits into crockpot with juice. Pouring over the ham and glaze powder.
5.) Pour a cup of Ginger Ale over the ham
6.) Place lid on top of ham and cook on low for 4-6 hours until it’s heated through
If the ham is too big to fit in the crockpot, you can cover it with aluminum foil – for a makeshift lid. Or you can cut off the top part of the ham and shove it into the side of the crockpot. Whatever works – as long as it can be covered.
7.) Serve with some of the juice from the crockpot and it’ll be great!
If you overcook this it will be dry. Basically you want to give it enough time to soak up some of the juice and heat up! Don’t even think about putting it on anything higher than low. And don’t go playing with it – the more you move it around the more it’s likely to shred and break apart.
I hope you like it!
Please DO NOT USE fresh or fresh/frozen pineapple ! I totally ruined my spiral ham and Easter dinner but not knowing this was a bad combination! Perhaps you can out a disclaimer on the recipe!
Can you use coke if you don’t have ginger ale or sprite?
Arlene – I haven’t tried it myself but I imagine you could substitute it. Coke does have more of a flavor when you cook with it so there would be some change to the overall flavor of the dish. Please let us know how it turns out if you give it a try!
I got so many compliments for my ham this Thanksgiving it even beat the turkey. Thank you so much this was the first time I cooked a ham definitely using again!
Used this recipe for years. A real winner in my family. Vernor’s Ginger Ale makes a difference. So flavorful
This was soo yummy! Probably won’t bake a spiral ham in the oven again. Crockpot way is easy peasy and just as good if not better!
I have used this recipe for the last 2 years for Easter and Thanksgiving. I’ll never prepare my ham any other way. Not only is it easy when you have so much more food to prepare but it’s so delicious. I do tone down the sugar a bit to one cup. Between the pineapple juice, honey packet (I prefer this to the spiral brown sugar ham) and the ginger ale, it’s quite sweet enough. Thank you for this recipe.where has it been for the last 30 years of cooking for myself and my family? 😃 Leftovers freeze very well for Christmas.
Will be taking this for a dish to pass at our annual club meeting. I had it in the slow cooker for three hours with a cup of ginger ale and the package of glaze. I used the aluminum foil for a lid since the spiral sliced smoked ham was above the top. It smells good since I used whole cloves on the top of the ham.
An excellent recipe! I can’t see making ham any other way from now on. So moist, tasty and delicious, and easy to serve. Thanks for sharing. I will probably add some maraschino cherries next time!
So here it is, results from my Christmas Eve dinner. Being Italian, of course we had to have pasta, along with the slow cook baked ham. Surprising, I have a pan and a half of pasta left over and no ham. Everyone just loved it. My daughter who doesn’t hesitate to tell me something is wrong with my cooking, must have told me 8 times how much she loved the ham, and that it is the best she ever had. Everyone else agreed with her. So glad I tried it, will be the only way from now on to bake a ham. P,S, Leaves so much more room in the oven for other goodies.
Thanks for the tips.
Going to try the recipe on Christmas Eve. Read it to my husband just now, and he is all for the idea of the slow cooker. Leaves me room now in my oven to make a BIG pan of baked mostaccioli. Will let you know how everyone likes it.
This is how my grandmother and mother and I make our hams.we use ham glaze also. I just decided to use the crockpot this year. But we don’t use gingerale. It’s always a hit at all holidays.
I made a version of this with sriracha,honey, and brown sugar. Was a spicy/sweet goodness. I will only make a ham in a slow cooker 🙂
Hi. Hosting Christmas for the in-laws for the first time and thinking about making ham this way. I don’t eat ham and have never made it before so I am a bit out of my element. I bought a boneless spiral smoked ham. Since it is boneless, I am thinking I need to cook it for less than the 4 hours? I don’t want it to dry out. Thanks.
If you add the pineapple and ginger ale it shouldn’t dry out. Just keep an eye on it. Once it’s heated throughout it should be ready to go!
I bought an almost 8 lb Hickory Smoked Boneless Spiral Sliced Ham to serve for Christmas. I have never used my crock pot to warm a ham before. The oven directions state to warm for approximately 10 min. per pound. Then to increase temp to 425 degrees and brush the glaze over and between slices. All the recipes I see, say to not use the glaze packet, but I understand that this particular ham is especially good and would like to use it. Should I put the glaze on in the beginning or later? How long should I warm it? The ham is a Daily Chef from Sams. Thank You.
Would it be ok to keep it on warm when it is finished cooking?
Will it be ok if I don’t have any ginger ale
It would be fine. You could add Sprite or 7-Up. Or leave it out entirely.
Everyone loved it!
From now on this is how I will prepare a ham. My family loved this and could not believe it was cooked in a crock pot (you know those looks your sisters give you when they think something is going to bomb!) Glad to have oven space for other Easter items and didn’t need to pull out the toaster oven to try and make do. Thanks!
I made this for Easter and it was a huge hit! I’ve been making honey ham in the oven for 15 years and this was the best ham we have ever had! Thanks for the recipe this is a keeper!
instead of canned pineapple why not go to albertsons and get a fresh cut pineapple for the ham the fruit bowls are on sale 3/10.00 cant go wrong with fresh
Great idea Carmen!! I’d probably supplement with some pinapple juice though – the juice in the can is helpful!
That was a fabulous recipe. Thank you so much!!
Hi Shelley – You’re welcome! So glad you like it. 🙂
I did the ham for the Thanksgiving, it was delicious!
Hi Jolanta – So glad you liked this recipe for crockpot ham! I’m glad it turned out for your Thanksgiving meal. 🙂
Heather
Hi, I may have missed it but is this okay for a smoked ham?
We have a smoked spiral, bone-in ham and I just want to make sure everything will turn out fine.
Thank you.
Hi Jessica – YES, it should be just fine! 🙂 Did you end up trying it out?
Heather
I used heathers recipe for thanksgiving. It was a total hit, and so easy! Way easier than basting a turkey for hours.
YAY! So glad you liked this Crockpot Ham recipe Stacy!
Delicious,. Delicious, Delicious!!!!!!!
Winner, winner ham’s for dinner! Debating the whole…make a whole ham for us or BBQ! I just don’t want to mess with my oven tomorrow with church and all, but really wanted ham! Your crockpot dinner looks like a winner! Thank you for your post…and not *after* Easter! 🙂
How long do you cook it?
Place lid on top of ham and cook on low for 4-6 hours until it’s heated through
Meat thermometer to 140 deg.