Slow Cooker Ham
For a delicious, no-fuss ham that is juicy and good, try this slow cooker sensation with only two ingredients!
For a delicious, no-fuss ham that is juicy and good, try this slow cooker sensation with only two ingredients!
I only had a small 2.5 lb. ham without a bone and it still turned out great in my small crock pot with 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar. It wasn't dry at all.
Read MoreI think I am the only one out of all the reviews that had trouble with this. I was so excited to prepare this because the ratings were so high. But it just didnt' work out for me. I did exactly as the recipe said. I had to trim some of the meat to it would fit, and even still it wasn't a perfect fit so i covered the crock with tin foil. I cooked on low for eight hours during the night, i woke up in time to shut it off so it didn't over cook. To my surprise there was burnt sugar and no juices as everyone else speaks of. I turned the meat over and added a quarter cup of water and let cook a few hours longer it did indeed make juice but by that time the juices were overruled by smell of the burnt sugar. My kids thought i made pulled pork! I ended up running out to the store to buy a roast for dinner instead, wouldnt' have been a big deal if i didn't have company coming over. I just dont' know what i did wrong, not sure i want to risk it again though.
Read MoreI only had a small 2.5 lb. ham without a bone and it still turned out great in my small crock pot with 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar. It wasn't dry at all.
I'm Australian, so I has to use a 2.5 kilosemi-boneless shoulder ham from Woolies. I was worried that one ham and no liquid would result in burnt sugar all over the crock pot, so I added one little juice box of tropical juice and only used 1 cup of brown sugar. This worked beautifully, and the ham was fully cooked (i.e. the ham bone pulled out)after 7 hours. My ham didn't quite fit in the crock pot, to I tightly covered the top of the crockpot with aluminum foil and rested the lid on top, and it cooked just fine. A great way to cook ham! I will definitely use this one again, especially at holidays when you need the oven for something else.
This is so easy, and it's delicious! I do mix a little pineapple juice with the brown sugar--for flavor, not b/c you need the moisture. The only thing I would warn about: cook time. The first time I did this was w/ a 10 pound spiral-cut, I intentionally lowered the cook time to 4 hours--it was still more than I would have liked. Now when I use this recipe I just feel the ham (I have to use foil over the top b/c the lid won't fit) until it's warm all the way through--about 3 hours on low, 1 1/2-2 on high. Anyway, hopefully that helps someone! :)
This is one of our favorite recipes and have made it a half a dozen times or so. It is so easy to prepare before I go to work in the morning and when I get home it is ready and delicious. What a welcome smell when I walk in the door. Thanks for this recipe.
Excellent Recipe Cook Time is way to long. If you own a fairly new crock pot brought within the last 5-10 years you only need to cook for 1 to 2 hours max. If you leave the ham in the crock pot after it is turned off it will still continue to cook. I used a honey smoked spiral ham 9lb ham. I added pancake syrup nutmeg and cinnamon to the brown sugar and ham I covered it with foil and then put the top on it for 2 hours. It came out beautiful and delicious - I think it would have been even better if I cooked it for an hour and let it sit in the juices for another hour. Becareful spiral hams dry out very easy. Even on this low temp and cooking for only 2 hours I had a few pieces that were dry but the rest of the ham was moist and outstanding to say the least. You do not need to add any liquid - your crock pot will be half full with the liquid the ham produces when it is done!
This is the second time I have reviewed this great recipe. This time I am adding an additional twist. When the pork has finished cooking in the crock pot, remove it to a plate and tightly cover with tin foil. Don't worry, it will stay hot and moist for the time you need to do the rest. Strain the juices into a saucepan and heat. Take some of the juice and add cornstarch and blend to a runny paste. It is important NOT to use flour and to use cornstarch as this is a sauce, not a gravy. Add the paste to the juice in the saucepan and boil it to cook and thicken. Then add what ever you would like for taste. I added a couple of teaspoons of mustard, just enough to give it a bit of tartness but not enough to overwelm it. It helps to do a taste test before adding more. The result is an amazing sauce to serve with the cooked pork. Yummy!
This recipe results in a moister ham than one baked in the oven. You CAN use a pre-cooked spiral cut ham, but you have to cook it for a much shorter time than the recipe indicates. I used a 10 lb. spiral cut, pressed the brown sugar all around it, and drizzled with a little honey. I added a 6 oz. can of pineapple juice for some moisture. I couldn't cover the crockpot, so I put a small piece of foil over the top of the ham itself (to prevent the condensation from leaking out) and then sealed the crock pot with another larger piece of heavy duty foil. I cooked for 3 1/2 hours on low and that was more than enough. Baste with juice after you remove foil, and baste again when you put it on the serving plate. The result was a ham that moist and delicious. It was a big hit, and needed no attention after the initial set up in the crockpot.
I've made this recipe a couple times, and it's wonderful. You'll get better results if you get a bone-in butt or shank portion ham, but not spiral sliced. I pour a 6-oz. can of pineapple juice in the bottom of the cooker, put in ham, and only about a cup of brown sugar on top. If you can't get the lid on tight because of the ham size, cover tightly with foil.
I make this ham all the time. So simple and it comes out falling to pieces (which is what it's supposed to do) and deliciously sweet. Only thing I do different is to put the brown sugar in about 1 cup of boiling water. You really don't need to do that I just like a little liquid in there to get it going but the ham will make enough liquid to cover itself. I get a whole smoked (totally cooked) bone-in ham from the farmer at the market. I haven't ever looked but you could get that at the grocery store or local meat market too. I don't know what a "picnic" ham is but I really wouldn't suggest a pre-sliced ham. My mom grew up on an Iowa pork farm and says this is just like her mom made. Please don't think that this recipe will result in a ham that would be on the cover of a magazine. It's all about the natural flavor of the ham here.
I think I am the only one out of all the reviews that had trouble with this. I was so excited to prepare this because the ratings were so high. But it just didnt' work out for me. I did exactly as the recipe said. I had to trim some of the meat to it would fit, and even still it wasn't a perfect fit so i covered the crock with tin foil. I cooked on low for eight hours during the night, i woke up in time to shut it off so it didn't over cook. To my surprise there was burnt sugar and no juices as everyone else speaks of. I turned the meat over and added a quarter cup of water and let cook a few hours longer it did indeed make juice but by that time the juices were overruled by smell of the burnt sugar. My kids thought i made pulled pork! I ended up running out to the store to buy a roast for dinner instead, wouldnt' have been a big deal if i didn't have company coming over. I just dont' know what i did wrong, not sure i want to risk it again though.
This was the BEST ham I have ever had, Period. I was a little concerned because of the cost of the meat and it was Easter but decided why not. I had a double smoked bone in ham @ 7-8 lbs fully cooked. I put the brown sugar in the bottom, put ham in poured a little bit of pineapple juice on top and rubbed brown sugar all over the ham. Cooked on low for 4 hours and never lifted the lid. Wonderful rave reviews, juicy, cut like a dream!! I will never make a ham any other way EVER!! Thanx for such a great recipe!!!
I will never use oven space to bake a ham again. I just used a 9 lb Farmer John ham, it was too big to use the lid on my slow cooker, so I just sealed really tight with 2 layers of heavy duty foil before I placed he crock inside the cooker. I used 2 cups brown sugar and added sliced pineapple. I was short on time so I cooked on high for 2 1/2 hours. It was perfect! Juicy and tender and came out even better than it does in the oven. Will definitely make again for the next holiday. Thanks!
Made this for Thanksgiving dinner to serve along side the turkey. I got more compliments on the ham than the turkey. I am known for making a delicious turkey however this ham out shined it. Hard to believe something so simple could be so delicious. My step daughter said she only eats honey baked hams but this one was better. For the most part I followed the recipe with a few adjustments. I cut off the thick layers of fat from the pork shoulder ham. Prepared ham & crockpot with the brown sugar. I covered the top of crockpot with foil until the ham started shrinking from cooking then I replaced foil with crockpot lid. When it started showing signs of being done I turned it over on one side. Let it cook for a bit then turned it on the other side. This was the easiest and most delicious part of the meal. A must try.
Awesome! My husband insist on me cooking ham this way from now on. I too ran into the issue of my ham being too big. The bone would not allow the lid to fit on so since the crock portion of my crock pot was oven proof, I left the recipe as is, put aluminum foil over it and put it in the oven for the same amount of time on 250 degrees. Most crock pots cook between 200 (low) and 300 (high) degrees. It was soooo tender it fell off the bone and even in the oven, with no water added, I still ended up with many inches of water turned juice. Great recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Here's a tip: look at at the reviews in reverse rating order (click sort by rating twice) so that you end up reading all the negative reviews first. It really gives some insight into the recipe. This is especially useful when there are hundreds of reviews. Having said this I was skeptical cuz of all the neg. reviews. I can honestly say this is a great, simple recipe. Followed to the letter, I don't how you can wrong? Some people put foil over top, maybe this causes excess browning? Obviously you have to use your discretion for cooking times, especially with various makes and models of crockpots. If you're home you can periodically baste with the juices. I LOVED this recipes. So super duper easy, moist and melted in my mouth. YUM!
Five stars for ease of preparation alone! Absolutley one can use a precooked smoked ham. I used one that was 7.5 lbs, added 1/3 C water and let it go on low for two hours. Excellent!
Excellent recipe. I've made this three times now. I give it four stars only because I had to make some adjustments. I find that since most hams are fully cooked, you only need a few hours for this recipe. Not nearly as long as the recipe calls for. If I hadn't checked my ham, it would have been all dried out. I put ALL the brown sugar on top of the ham. I followed the recipe and put the brown sugar in the bottom the first time I did this, and the bottom couple of inches of the ham were a little too doused in brown sugar. It saturates the meat, and tastes kind of funky. Also, I put a double layer of aluminum foil over the entire crock pot container, and put the lid down on top of it to reflect heat back down to the top portion of the ham. With the changes I made, this was an excellent way to free up oven space for holiday dinners.
This ham was fantastic! Had to modify the recipe a little bit, because I was only cooking for two. Used a 2 lb. smoked, boneless shoulder butt ham, a 1/2 cup brown sugar, and cooked for approximately 4 hours on low. About 2 hours into the cooking time, I was worried that the sugar would start to stick to the crock pot and burn, so I also added a 1/2 cup of applesauce to the melting brown sugar, and during the last hour of cooking, brushed the ham frequently with the brown sugar and applesauce mixture. Was soooo incredibly tasty! I will be making this often.
This ham was fantastic! Had to modify the recipe a little bit, because I was only cooking for two. Used a 2 lb. smoked, boneless shoulder butt ham, a 1/2 cup brown sugar, and cooked for approximately 4 hours on low. About 2 hours into the cooking time, I was worried that the sugar would start to stick to the crock pot and burn, so I also added a 1/2 cup of applesauce to the melting brown sugar, and during the last hour of cooking, brushed the ham frequently with the brown sugar and applesauce mixture. Was soooo incredibly tasty! I will be making this often.
This worked out very well! I had a boneless 4 lb spiral cut ham & I had a heck of a time trying to decide how long it should be in there for! I used about 1 1/2 c. brown sugar & poured a bit of orange juice in, basting it w/ it's own juices occasionally. It turned out really well, I cooked it for 2 hrs. on low (8 hr. setting) and then set it to warm another 30 in. until I was done preparing the rest of the meal. By the end of the cooking time there was about 1 in. of juice in the bottom of the pot. Nothing was burnt, as some previous reviews had mentioned. It really didn't taste too different from cooking it in the oven but it did come out juicy & tasty! Maybe I'll add more brown sugar next time (I love it!). I'll definitely use this recipe again, esp. for the convenience factor of not having to cook it in the oven along with the 4 other dishes I had to cook!
My ham was a huge, pre-cooked one, so I cut it in half and could only fit half in my big oval crockpot. I lay the cut side down on the brown sugar, drizzled about 1/4 C pineapple juice over it, spread a little more sugar over the top, then studded it with cloves. Even though I forgot to turn it a few times while cooking, and left it longer than planned (it was in 7 h ours) it didn't dry out, but was very moist and juicy. I sliced it and put the pieces into containers, spooning the juices from the bottom of the pot in with them. Now they should soak up even more of the sugar/pineapple/clove flavor. This was so super-simple and easy!!
Wow! This recipe is foolproof! I have made this twice in the past month with a bone-in picnic ham. The first time I had an 10.5 pound ham, and second time I had an 8.5 pounder. Both times the ham was slighlty taller than my crockpot for the lid to fit tightly. So, I covered the top of the ham completely with foil, and put on the lid. I draped a heavy tea towel across the top of the lid to help with the escaping heat around the edges where it did not fit properly. After a couple of hours the ham had baked downed enough so that the lid would fit tightly, but I left the towel in place. I also set the temperature on high for the first two hours, since the lid was ajar. After that, I cooked on low for four hours. Amazing!
What a great idea !! Ham in a crock pot. I used a 7 lbs smoked boneless ham. One cup of brown sugar on the bottom of crock pot. I then added the juice from a can of sliced pineapple. Once ham was in pot I scored the ham, I then used about a 1/2 cup of Real maple syrup on top of ham then sprinkled a little nutmeg and cinnamon on top of that. I then topped the ham off with about 5 pineapple slices then added the rest of the pineapple to the pot. I cooked on high about 3 hours and then on low for about 3 hours. I basted the ham often and used tooth picks to keep the pineapple from falling off the ham. My husband is not a lover of ham but he LOVED this. He was bragging to his family who lives in New York how wonderful this was. This is the only way I will ever make hame again!!!!
I made this yesterday for Christmas and it came out dry as my desk and dark chocolate brown in color; the crockpot was full of all the juices from the ham. Plus, I only cooked it 6 1/2 hours and not 8 as the recipe says. We threw it out BEFORE dinner. In fairness, after talking to several friends, the problem was the fact that I used a 10# Farmer John spiral cut ham, not a picnic ham. I didn't know there would be a difference in cooking times. So, for those of you who try this, be sure to use a picnic ham and maybe you'll have better results.
Excellent! The keys to success are, make sure whatever ham you choose fits your crockpot, and watch carefully after the first 4 or 5 hours. Newer crockpots seem to cook hotter than the old ones, so be aware. Mine overcooked after 6 hours in a newer, rectangular crockpot. Add the pineapple as suggested, and stud with a few whole cloves. Smells & tastes "Heavenly"...
This ham turned out very tender! I poured a can of pinapple chunks over the ham before cooking. I used a lot less brown sugar because of the sweetness that the pinapple added. I just rubbed the brown sugar all over the ham instead of putting it on the bottom.
Great ham that was juicy and fall apart tender! I used a 6.5 pound smoked butt ham. Since I didn't have 8 hours for this recipe I put it on high for 2 hours and 3 hours on low and it was done. I used one 6 oz can pineapple juice, the brown sugar called for and a few dashes of cloves since I have to have that with ham. It was delicious and one I will make again.
I also pour about 8 oz pineapple juice and a splash of cherry juice over the top.
This is a wonderful recipe. I made this ham last year for Christmas and received request by family to have for Thanksgiving. I let it cook for 3-4 hours on low with me monitoring it. (8 lbs.) I also add cherries and pineapples on top. ( my mother's favorite toppings) Rule: allow 20 minutes per pound on cooking for high setting, 30 minute minutes for low.
Things I learned from the butcher: a picnic ham is a shoulder. Almost no stores in my area carry it. If it's cured - it's cooked. So you probably want 4 hours in the slow cooker (like the spiral hams). Otherwise - 8 hours. I have to toss everything I bought and start over.
I made this recipe for our Easter dinner and it was a huge success! I'm a vegetarian so my skill in cooking meat is limited and I love the fact that this recipe is so simple! My husband loves using the slow-cooker because the smell permeates the whole house. I did have to chop off the top part of the ham to fit into my crockpot (I froze the unused part for later). If you need more ham but your slow-cooker won't hold it, I suggest borrowing more slow-cookers - this is the easiest way to make ham! I was afraid since I ended up only cooking about 6 pounds of ham that 8 hours might dry it out, but it was fine. There was so much juice, even though no liquid was added. Before I made the recipe I read that when cooking ham, the fat melts off and creates liquid - that's why it isn't necessary to add any water to the slow-cooker. At the end of 8 hours there was nearly 2 inches of liquid in my crockpot! My husband and son both loved this recipe! I loved the convenience of putting it in the crockpot and forgetting about it! I was able to cook the rest of our Easter dinner without taking up space in the oven. And, as most people always have brown sugar on hand, you never have to worry about missing an ingredient! I'm not going to bother cooking ham any other way - we have a new Easter tradition!
Delicious! Got an 8lb spiral cut honey cured bone-in ham, covered the bottom in brown sugar, covered the ham in brown sugar, as per the instructions. Added a can of pineapple slices all over the ham, poured in the remaining pineapple juice, set the crockpot to low for 4 hours. Alas, bone-in made it impossible to cover in my slow cooker, so I followed someone else's advice and just covered the whole thing in foil for the duration of the cook. When the ham was done, I threw some maraschino cherries on top and called it done. It was beautiful, smelled wonderful, TASTED fantastic, didn't take up any room in my already full oven, and served as a great last minute addition to our Thanksgiving feast! Will definitely make it again next year!
This was the best and easiest way to cook ham I've ever made. I bought a 9 lb spiral sliced ham and used the brown sugar rub that came with it (about 1 cup) adding another cup. Just rubbed it down good and put it in the slow cooker with pineapple slices and cherries attached with whole cloves. I'm glad other reviewers warned me against putting in liquid because I was tempted to pour in the pineapple juice. Glad I didn't! By the end of the cook time, the slow cooker was nearly completely filled with juice. I basted it periodically and when we went to take the ham out it fell into pieces it was so tender. Had the best flavor of any ham my family had ever tried. Got rave reviews from the hubby and in-laws. A note about cook time - we tried the ham after 5 hours and it was done at that time (had been cooking on low). Just turned it to "warm" setting until all the sides were ready. It was great to have the oven free for the casserole dishes and the slow cooker ham made the house smell incredible. A great (and ridiculously easy) recipe.
I got a similar recipe from a coworker who advised she brushed on some honey mustard over the ham before applying the brown sugar coating. I would take this a step farther to retain moisture by encasing the ham in one of those twist-tied large oven roaster bags and set the entire package into the crock for cooking. Instead of basting, pick up the bag wearing oven mitts and turn upside down to let all the juices flow to the oppposite side during last half of cooking. Since crock temps vary quite a bit, adjust your time for a hot crock versus a warm crock.
This was DELICIOUS!!!!! It was SO juicy! Had to be the best ham I've ever eaten. We bought a spiral ham and put pineapple in with it. We will never bake a ham again! You definitely have to try it!
I made this for Christmas Eve dinner. It was so yummy. I did use a smoked ham and left it on in the crockpot for 4 hours or so. It was perfect. The house smelled so good when we walked in from Christmas Eve church. I will definitely make this again!
I made this with a spiral cut honey cured ham. I followed the recipe, but also added a can of crushed pineapple with juice. (I usually follow recipes to a T when I first try them, but I just HAVE to have pineapple with my ham!) lol Anyway, I cooked it on low for 4 hours (which is plenty for a cooked ham) and it absolutely fell apart, it was so tender and juicy. My house smelled wonderful and my family was asking me every five minutes when dinner would be. This is a keeper! So easy, juicy and delicious!! Oh, and settle down Cademsee! If you don't like sugar added to recipes, then don't add it. Some of us (most of us!) are okay with it, so you can hop down off of your high horse and repeat after me "to each his own, to each his own . . ."
Can I use a store bought fully cooked ham? If so how long will it need to slow cook for?
Great Recipe! I added a couple of pineapples slices and the juice. This came out great, the only bad part was that I chose a spiral cut ham and the ham was so tender it was hard to take out of the cooker with out pieces of it falling apart, but that was my error and not the fault of the recipe.
Has anyone tried this recipe but coated the ham with prepared mustard & then the brown sugar? It's also good if you can add some cloves to this - either whole or ground.
I was nervous about this. I'm not a great cook to start with and cooking for a large family made me extra paranoid. My first ham ever, and everyone was looking at me funny when I decided to use the crock pot. I had no idea what a picnic ham was, and was really nervous about not following the directions exactly, but very glad I followed my instinct. I used a typical ham bought at the grocery store - bone-in, cured, smoked, precooked. I cooked mine for about 3 hours (9ish pound ham) on low(which was about the time it would have taken in the oven). It was perfect. Juicy and moist. I was sure to baste the ham a bunch (maybe once or twice each hour). Because my ham stuck out a bit on the crock pot, I had to use a tin foil tent (which also made me nervous). It worked great. Put a few layers on there to make sure the moisture didn't escape. I got SO many compliments - some even saying it was the best ham they'd ever had which is SUCH a compliment considering my level of expertise on things like this! I did add a little pineapple juice, but that was probably not necessary. Thanks for a great recipe!
Great way to use a picnic ham. I used a 3.75 lb ham with one C. brown sugar and 1/4 oj and 1/4 water. I cooked it on low for about 4 hours. It was very flavorful and quite moist.
I use this recipe all the time now with a spiral ham. My family loves it in the crockpot much better than oven cooking. I place a piece of tinfoil tent over the ham then place the crockpot cover on and let and when we are ready for dinner it's nice and hot and so moist. I do add some OJ to the Brownsugar and it adds some extra flavor!! Give it a try!!
I made this ham for sunday dinner. My mother in-law and children loved it. I did it with a 10 pound spiral ham. I placed flat side down and put in the brown sugar. I cooked it for about 3 to 4 hours. I am going to make it again for a sunday dinner. I had misplaced the recipe and looked for an hour trying to remember where I got the recipe. That is how much my family and myself loved it.
This ham turned out really great, but I had the same problem as others: The ham bone kept the lid from going all the way on. I have the largest Crock-Pot on the market, so I'm not sure how others managed to get their 8 pound, bone-in picnic ham all the way in. No worries though...I just used foil to "seal" the edges, and all was well. I also added pineapple like others suggested. I don't think it needed it, but it was a nice addition.
I made this ham for my Christmas dinnner. I will say first of all, I will never cook ham any other way...it was excellent!!! I was a bit concerned about not adding any water in the beginning, but I'm glad I stuck to the directions and didn't...it made it's own juices (which I spooned over the slices when it was done). The only difference in the recipe was I used an 8 lb. boneless 1/2 ham which was completely smoked and cured. My family loved it and as the leftovers were used up..the ham was still moist and flavorful even when reheated and used in scalloped potatoes and also for breakfast ham and eggs. We definitely give this a 5 star rating!!
I really enjoyed this ham. I used a 6 pound ham. I had read that some people had found it dry so I put mine in the crockpot frozen. It added some extra mosture. I cooked it for the same amount of time the recipie called for. It was moist and falling apart. It was sweet and perfect. I will add this to my families favorites.
This turned out fantastic! I was a little nervous not adding liquid but since I was going to be home while it was cooking I took the chance, and it was great! The juices from the ham quickly adding enough liquid to the pot. I had about a 4lb smoked ham so I used half the brown sugar and cooked for about 4 hrs on low. Someone said not to use smoked ham but I cannot see why, it turned out great! This added a nice delicious sweetness to ham but nothing overpowering at all. Will definitely be making my hams like this from now on. Thanks for the great super easy recipe!!
I used a 10lb spiral ham, 2 cups of brown sugar and a can of pineapple rings. Mixed 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar with the juice from the pineapples in the bottom of the crock pot. Put ham in and Poured the Pineapples on top. Cooked for 4 hours and It was excellent.
I love this easy and delicious way to make ham! It always comes out so incredibly tender and juicy. Sometimes I add a little pineapple juice if I have it on hand. Using the crockpot frees up my oven for side dish cooking on holidays. Thanks so much!
Just took this out of the crock pot and it's very good. My only complaint would be that I wish I had seasoned it a little bit, aside from the brown sugar. I think it's important for people to note that a picnic ham is not a true ham, like what you'd typically have at Easter or Christmas. Those come from the butt of the pig. A picnic ham is the pigs shoulder and much more like pork than ham (it's also known as pork shoulder)...great for pulled pork sandwiches:) I can see that 8 hours for a true ham may dry it out but for a large picnic ham, 8 hours was perfect for mine.
I make a paste to rub all over the ham before slow cooking. I mix brown sugar, ground mustard, and a bit of horseradish. Dribble Coca cola (or cola flavored product) into the dry ingredients until you form a paste. Rub this mixture all over the ham. Cooking time depends on the size of the ham. Most recently, I had a 6.5 pound ham and cooked it on low for 7 hours. Perfect! Do not add salt to the recipe b/c ham is salty in the first place plus the sodium in the cola enhances the salty flavor. Enjoy!
Tastes the same, was a little more moist, but just as good as any other ham done in the oven. I did love the ease of warming it up in the crock pot so the oven stays open for other items.
I made this for Christmas Eve. I just didn't think there would be any liquid using the recipe as written so I added a can of pineapple chunks with the juice. I was...oh this hurts...WRONG! The good news is- after de-greasing, & reducing, I had a nice sauce...but there were some scary OMG moments when I thought it was gonna overflow.
This was so easy to put together, the slow cooker did all the work. I loved it. This was the first time I didn't have to carve it b/c the ham was so tender it fell apart. I was a little skeptical about not putting any liquid in it but boy was I surprised when at the end the crock pot was filled to the top with juice. It left the meat nice and juicy.
I was surprised at how good this was! I had company over last weekend and used them as guinnea pigs since I wanted to use this recipe for Thanksgiving. I used a spiral ham (couldn't find a picnic ham at my local grocer), and followed the rest of the recipe, adding clovers and pineapple as suggested by others. This came out GREAT! My husband had several helpings (and leftovers for the next several days), my guests had multiple helpings, and took home quite a bit for the next few days as well. It was a hit! When I asked what they would change since it was a new recipe, I was told "NOTHING"! I'm making it again for Thanksgiving and excited to be able to offer another entree that doesn't require my oven.
Perfect. I am not a big ham lover but after this I am a convert. After all the reviews this is what I did. I used a crock pot bag to seal all the goodness in. Same recipe but all nice and sealed up. Helped make it real juicy for all cuts of ham. Easy clean up as well. I drained pineapple and added it to the top as not to add any more juice. It makes enough in the crock pot all day.
Looking at what other reviewers were saying about what type of ham to to buy and what not to buy, I was a little nervous. I bought a 7 lb spiral cut ham. Used the brown sugar and a can of pineapple. I cooked it for 6 hours and covered it with foil. It was perfect. All the juices cooked around it. It was a huge hit!
I bought a five pound hickory smoked ham and put it in the crockpot with 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar for about three hours. I covered it with foil before I put the lid on as another reviewer suggested and it was perfect! That's how I'll fix ham from now on!
This is a remarkably simple and yet incredibly tasty preparation for ham. The kids LOVE it. Use a fully cooked (smoked) ham, DO NOT use a fresh ham. I used an 8 lb. butt portion. I had to slice a chunk off to make it fit, but even the small chunk tasted great after 8 hours on low, and I thought that would be overcooked. The juice from the ham keeps everything moist. If you use the right type of ham you can't go wrong. We'll be having this for Easter.
Fantastic! My boyfriend said this was the best ham he'd ever eaten. I added some ground cloves, ground ginger, dry mustard and orange zest to the brown sugar which made it taste a bit like a cumberland sauce. This is the only way I want to make ham ever again!
I usually cook my ham like this all the time except I ADD: cloves, pineapple w/ a little juice, marshiano cherries w/ a little juice, & a little gingerale. You could even sprinkle a little cinnamon.
I used other raters suggestions to modify for a fully cooked spiral sliced boneless ham. Put about a cup of brown sugar in bottom of crock pot, added ham on top and rubbed outside of ham with the glaze seasoning that came with the ham. Covered tightly (using foil if necessary) and put on low for 2 to 3 hrs (depending on size of ham). Even my husband who typically doesn't care for ham loves it made this way.
Wonderful method! There was no problem adding the sugar dry, as a previous reviewer noted... the ham adds its own juices. I'll be using this one again!
This was the easiest ham recipe I have ever used and the result was fantastic.I used a 3 lb. boneless spiral cut. I was a little scared that the sugar would burn so I added 2 tbsp. of water, but I probably didn't need to. There was tons of sugary juice and I didn't even have leftovers. Next time I'll use a larger ham. Delicious.
I do this same recipe except I pack the brown sugar on top of the ham, and then pour some maple syrup on top of that. It melts on the ham and creates a delicious glaze. I add a little water to the bottom of the crock, which creates a juice to pour over the ham and mashed potatoes.
OMG...This was so good. I cooked it over night and woke up to the sweet smell of this ham. The only thing I did was add a bit of water so it didnt dry. It came out moist and juicy. My husband was picking at it before we all sat down for dinner. This was my first time and I will always make this ham for some kind of special occasion...1 thing I lined my slow cooker with foil. It made the clean up very easy. Try it you'll like it. THANKS for the recipe...
This was sooo good! The brown sugar glaze/juice that it creates is excellent for dipping the ham in when eating. Used a Smoked Picnic Ham (Pork Shoulder) just shy of 6-1/2 lbs, in a 6 qt crockpot, and it was just the right size and came out very tender and tasty. May try a spiral sliced ham next time...but am guessing that an actual ham may dry out easier since it has less fat than the picnic ham.
This Ham was amazing! I made it for Thanksgiving along with a turkey and the ham was gone first. I had many compliments and everyone was amazed when I told them how easy it was. It really was so moist and flavorful that it felt apart in your mouth. I will be making this ham again for Easter.
This is a good recipe, but I want to warn people not to overcook the ham. I think the cooking time is too long for this recipe. I would cut it down by two hours (check for doneness of course). Otherwise this is a good, easy recipe. Enjoy.
I made this for a church social and will use this every time from now on. How easy and tasty! I had a 10lb ham and turned it after about 2 hours and the meat just fell off the bone. I cooked it on low for 5 hours but actually should have turned it off at 4 hours. Everyone at church loved it!
This recipe is easy and results are excellent. I want to thank Littlemstxthang for the wonderful recipe. I read MANY of the reviews and don't understand why many cooks had so many problems.Here's what I did. I bought a regular bone in ham at the market. Mine was a 6.5 pound, Cook's brand, shank, smoked ham. I followed the recipe pretty closely, but I was afraid that the brown sugar in the bottom of the pan would burn. I added about a half cup of pineapple juice on the bottom. I put the ham in cut side down. My ham fit perfectly in my slow cooker. I put the lid on and turned it on low. In my Crock Pot, the low setting allows me to choose either 6 hours or 8 hours. I don't really trust the slow cooker so I don't leave home while it's on. I cooked my ham for about 5 hours. And I basted it periodically. It made lots of juice while it cooked. It turned out tender and tasty. I love the idea that you can make a ham without using the oven. So, it worked out well for me even though I never left home. I will certainly make my hams this way in the future. I was very happy with it. Thanks also to all of the reviewers as I picked up lots of good tips from you.
I am a college student and I made this recipe for a Thanksgiving dinner I was invited to. ALL the guys were RAVING about this ham - it was border-line embarassing! I followed the recipe exactly. It was so tender I had to carve it while still in the crockpot. :) Now I have gained a reputation for having supernatural cooking skills! Not bad. :) I want to warn you to make sure you buy a CURED picnic ham. I tried the same recipe for Christmas but bought an uncured ham by accident. It came out not pink, but white, like a pork chop. Still tasty, but not amazing.
I used a spiral ham from Costco, 1 20 oz can of sliced pineapple, & 1 C dark brown sugar. Lay the pineapple slices down on the bottom of the slow cooker, place 1/2 cup of brown sugar on top of the pineapple, put the ham (flat side down) on top of the sugar. Pour the pineapple juice that's left over in the can from the sliced pineapples on top of the ham, then cover with the rest of the brown sugar. I cooked it on LOW for 3 hours. It was the best ham I'd ever cooked.
I was pleasantly suprised at how very good this recipe was and so simple. The ham was juicy and very tender!
Whether I'm cooking for a crowd at the holidays or just our family, this is my favorite ham recipe! I use a bone-in shank half, usually over ten pounds (and always on sale, LOL!) I follow the recipe and also drizzle maple syrup over the top. Tightly cover the crock pot with foil (the lid won't fit) and DO NOT COOK FOR MORE THAN FIVE HOURS ON LOW. If you cook this ham for the full amount of time, it becomes brown and pulls away from the bone (not very appetizing.) At five hours, the ham is gorgeous, moist and delicious!
I made this for a work potluck with a precooked spiral sliced ham, and everyone loved it. I put the 6.5 lb ham in a 6qt oval slow cooker, flat side down, on top of 4-5 pineapple rings, rubbed it with the brown sugar, and poured the rest of the juice from the can of pineapple in the bottom of the crock. I cooked on low for 4-5 hours (there was a blown circuit in there for a bit, so I don't know exact time). It was very moist, and standing in about half crock of liquid. I am going to cook it the same way for the family at Christmas.
This is probably the best ham recipe I've ever made. I made it for New Years and then again for Easter (two different crowds). Both times the ham was too big to fit in my crock pot, so I just tucked it in and then encased the entire top in foil. The first time I made this, I cooked for 10 hours; this latest time I cooked it for 8. Both hams were excellent, although I think I preferred the longer cook time. The second time I used an applewood smoked ham and it turned out beautifully - I'm unsure as to why one reviewer said not to get a smoked ham. Mine was fabulous. I've already had a request to make this again for Christmas. :) Aside from personal taste, there's really no reason to deviate from the beautiful simplicity of this recipe!
Wonderful! I had an 8 lb. spiral sliced ham. After reading another reviewer's comments I placed the ham cut side down and cook on low for 4-5 hours. It came out perfect
AWESOME!!! I used a 8 lb hickory smoked butt ham. After reading some reviews i was worried that the ham would turn really dark for being smoked and would dry out. I cooked mine for 5 1/2 hours and everything was perfect. I was able to get nice slices, wasn't dark, and wasn't dry. The bottom part of the ham and where the juice reached was a little darker but still looked like a ham and tastes SOOO good. The sweetness was just right, I didn't use the extra juice but i might try it next time. It probably could have cooked a little bit longer and would have been fine too. I used tin foil to cover the top and put the lid on, then tied a rope around the tin foil to not let any heat escape.
I just made this over the weekend for a thanksgiving dinner open house. I had 14 people and they all loved it. There is no way to go wrong with this receipe. My first ham - and a success. I too was hesitant that there was no liquid but it sure made alot of its own jucies. I did add the pinapple slices and a tad bit of the juice and when it was ready I served it with a side of the receipe on here called Yummy Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce which complimented it very well.
This was outstanding! I added about a cup of orange juice with the brown sugar to the bottom of the cooker. Then spread the rest of the brown sugar on top of the ham. I also used a 9lb spiral sliced ham and cooked it on low heat for about 5hrs. Turned out amazing. The meat was super moist and had a wonderful flavor all the way through. I will never cook my ham any other way. With the slow cooker the flavors permeate every part. Happy happy happy!
This is just excellent! Followed the recipe exactly, except I used a 7.5 pound butt portion ham. I put in the (large!) crock on low just before I went to bed on Saturday night, then turned it off when I got up in the morning. Left it in the crock until noon and it was still warm. Not great for slicing for sandwiches though---it just falls apart. I won't be baking hams in the oven anymore. Not only does this taste sooo much better, but I also don't heat up my kitchen with the heat from the oven. Definitely on my Sunday dinner rotation from now on!
I used this recipe exactly as it is written. I felt uneasy about the fact that it had no liquid, but I should not have. The ham created its own liquid and this was THE BEST HAM EVER! I will never cook another ham in the oven. One note: In my crockpot on low, it did take my 8-lb ham longer than 8 hours to achieve perfection, and I never lifted the lid. I would say it took 9.5 hours, so please know that cooking times can vary.
I made this recipe for Thanksgiving and everyone could not shut up about how wonderful it was! It was melt in your mouth delicious and I can't believe how easy it was to make. It just fell apart. Had to put it on a serving tray because you couldn't carve it, it just fell apart. Everyone kept asking how I made it. Definately a keeper and will make again.
This recepie makes am incredibly tender, yummy ham that can be made by anyone at anytime. I combined the ham and sugar the night before, and kept it in the fridge until I was ready to start it in the morning before classes, and it turned out just fine. Thanks so much!
After discovering this recipe a couple of years ago, I wouldn't dream of cooking a ham any other way during the busy holidays. My family calls ahead to make sure my "crockpot" ham will be on the menu! Now, I even have most of my friends cooking their hams this way! Most of the time, I don't even bother with the brown sugar, I just drop that baby in and let it roll! De-li-cious!!!
I followed this recipe very loosley and it came out great! I didn't measure the brown sugar; just rubbed it in and sprinkled some underneath . I had to trim my 10 pound ham considerably to get it in, then found the bone prevented the lid from fitting on completely. Oh no! Now what do I do? Well, I covered the ham with foil, then put on the lid and covered IT with foil on all sides to seal. It worked perfectly! Started the crockpot on high for 1 hour, then turned it down for about 4 hours til we were ready for dinner. So so good, and left my oven free for heating appetizers and, later, all of my side dishes. Thanks for the idea!!
4 hours on low was enough time. 1 cup brown sugar was enough sweetness. Great easy recipe that produces a moist ham.
Excellent, hard to believe it works with only two ingredients. I did add a little grainy dijon mustard just because. The juice from the ham is delicious, really good with grits. I used a 6lb ham butt and it was done in about 5.5 hours.
Uncooked, bone-in butt end ham is my choice for the BEST ham dinner ever! Have been cooking it this way for years but with a little less brown sugar (personal taste). If the ham is purchased fully cooked it will only require 3 to 4 hours or so to heat up.
Due to all rave reviews I tried this today. I will not be making it again. I bought the picnic cut and there is so much waste to it that there is hardly anything left after you get out the bone, the thick skin and the fat. And way too much fat--meat was very greasy. I have done leaner cuts and even boneless hams in the crockpot with a simple glaze that were way better than this
Ahhhh-maaaa-zzzzing! And I'm not even a huge ham lover - nor is my husband. But it was a buy one get one free deal...THIS recipe ROCKS! Cooked up the hams, the meat fell of the bones and it's all ready for my party! THANKS for sharing!
The recipe is great! I added one ingredient (as cooked by my mother)--Coca Cola, the real thing, no diet.
I got a similar recipe from a coworker who advised she brushed on some honey mustard over the ham before applying the brown sugar coating. I would take this a step farther to retain moisture by encasing the ham in one of those twist-tied large oven roaster bags and set the entire package into the crock for cooking. Instead of basting, pick up the bag wearing oven mitts and turn upside down to let all the juices flow to the oppposite side during last half of cooking. Since crock temps vary quite a bit, adjust your time for a hot crock versus a warm crock.
I love this recipe. I used to cook my ham in the oven on low for several hours but this is the best. I added a can of crushed pineapple along with the brown sugar and this made it even better. In fact, I won't be going back to the the oven.
This was so good. I was so doubtful about the two ingredients only thing...but it was SOOO good! I did add about 1/4 water, but that was it. I cooked it for 8 hours on low...and I did buy a fully cooked picnic shoulder ham. It fell off the bones at the end because it was so tender. It wasn't too sweet, either...just right!
Very easy and frees up the oven. The spiral cut dryed out a bit for me but was still good.
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