Wondering how to make Slow Cooker Ham? It’s the easiest way to cook a smoked bone-in ham in the crockpot and it turns out PERFECT every time!
Table of contents
Tonia’s Notes
When I think about holiday meals, my mom’s ham always comes to mind, so that is the recipe I will be sharing today. I called it Mom’s Famous Bone-In Ham, and while it isn’t exactly famous in the traditional sense, my mom’s delicious ham is well-known and loved. My mom says that it is her go-to recipe for dinner company throughout the year because it is so easy to make and always turns out well.
Everyone who has ever had my mom’s ham says they love it and want to know how she made it and what brand of ham she used. I’ve heard people exclaim that it is like eating candy. In fact, one of my brothers will eat leftover ham instead of dessert!
So, what’s the big secret? Cook the plain ham in a slow cooker with water on low over a long period of time. That’s it! My mom buys whatever brand of ham is on sale at the grocery store, so I do the same. I look for a ham that is smaller in size and looks like it will fit into my large crockpot.
How To Choose A Ham
To make a slow cooker ham, look for a bone-in shank or butt portion half ham that is smoked, fully cooked, and vacuum-packed. This kind of ham can be eaten cold, right out of the package according to the USDA.
A shank ham is the lower part of the ham. It tends to be fattier and chewier but is easier to carve. A butt portion of ham is the upper end of the ham. It tends to have more meat and is more tender but can be harder to carve.
There are a couple of other kinds of ham that may be available at your local grocery store. A boneless ham has the bone removed and is pressed to reshape it. Although it is easy to slice without the bone, it doesn’t have the same texture and tenderness as a cooked bone-in ham.
A spiral-cut ham is sliced before it is vacuum-packed. They often have a glaze already applied, which you may or may not prefer, and can dry out while cooking, so be careful about how you cook it.
How To Make Slow Cooker Ham
Step One: Unwrap the Ham
If the ham is frozen, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator before cooking.
Place the ham on a rimmed baking sheet. Cut away the plastic wrapper, remove it and the round plastic piece that is covering the bone.
Step Two: Place in Crockpot
Transfer the ham to the crockpot with the cut side down. This smoked, bone-in butt portion ham weighed just over seven pounds and fit perfectly into my crockpot.
If your ham is too big to fit into your crockpot, cut some of the ham off so that it fits. Tuck the pieces in around the ham. The pieces will cook the same as the rest of the ham.
Finally, add 1/2 cup of water to the slow cooker to help keep the ham moist.
Step Three: Cook in Slow Cooker
Put the lid on the crockpot and cook the ham on low for 4-6 hours.
Moisture gathers on the top of the slow cooker and drips down on the ham, keeping it moist so you don’t have to baste it.
Step Four: Carve the Ham
Slice the ham perpendicular to the bone (meaning make your slices directly towards the bone). Then, slice along the bone to free the slices of ham.
Step Five: Serve the Ham
Put the sliced ham on a platter to serve or put it back into the ham juice in the slow cooker and turn it to warm until you are ready to serve.
If there is a longer period of time before serving, give the ham a stir every once in a while and baste the ham slices with the juice on the bottom.
The ham drippings are perfect for homemade gravy, and it is easy to make. Melt butter in a pan, stir in flour, and then whisk in the ham drippings and milk. The ham gravy recipe is included in the recipe card!
We really enjoyed our dinner, and I am going to make my slow cooker ham and cheese soup with the leftovers. My daughter told me that my ham is just like grandma’s. She said that no one else makes ham like we do and that when she has ham at her friend’s houses, it never tastes as good.
Sides For Ham
- Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes are a hands-off way to make mashed potatoes.
- This Strawberry Jello Salad is a family tradition.
- These Sautéed Green Beans are an easy side dish.
- Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole is an easy way to make this classic!
Recipes For Leftover Ham
- Slow Cooker Ham and Cheese Soup is our favorite soup recipe.
- This Cheesy Ham Pot Pie includes scalloped potatoes.
- My grandma used to make the best Ham and Cheese Croissants.
- Make Chicken Wild Rice Soup with Ham for a cozy dinner.
Slow Cooker Ham
Video
Ingredients
Slow Cooker Ham
- 7.5 lb smoked, bone-in, half ham shank or butt portion
- ½ cup water
Ham Gravy
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 cup ham drippings
- ½ cup half-n-half
- ½ cup milk
Instructions
Slow Cooker Ham
- If the ham is frozen, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator before cooking.
- Remove and discard the wrapper and the plastic piece covering the bone. Place the ham in a large slow cooker with the cut side down.
- Add 1/2 cup of water to the slow cooker.
- Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook the ham on low for 4-6 hours, or until ham reaches an internal temperature of 140˚F.
- Slice the ham perpendicular to the bone (meaning make your slices directly towards the bone). Then, slice along the bone to free the slices of ham.
- Put the sliced ham on a platter or put it back into the ham juice in the slow cooker and turn it to warm until you are ready to serve. If there is a longer period of time before serving, give the ham a stir every once in while and baste the ham slices with the juice on the bottom
Ham Gravy
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk in flour. Cook while whisking for one to two minutes.
- Whisk in ham drippings, half-n-half, and milk.
- Cook and stir until smooth, thickened and heated through.
Notes
Nutrition
Slow Cooker Ham Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can freeze the vacuum-packed ham before cooking it (you will have to thaw it before cooking). Or you can freeze leftover ham to serve another time or to use in a future recipe.
Yes, I’ve found that cooking ham in a slow cooker is the easiest way to cook it, and you end up with juicy, tender ham.
The recipe in this blog post is for slow cooker ham without brown sugar. But if you prefer a sweeter ham, start with a spiral-cut ham. Coat it with one cup of brown sugar, drizzle it with 1/4 cup of real maple syrup, and use 1/2 cup of pineapple juice instead of water. Baste the glaze over the ham several times while cooking.
It takes 4-6 hours on low to get the ham to an internal temperature of 140˚F.
Yes, you can slice it first, but be careful not to overcook it, or it will dry out.
Tori says
The best ham ever!!
Tonia Larson says
I completely agree! Thank you!
Lee says
How long to cook in the slow cooker if I want to have the ham falling off the bone ( NOT being firm for slicing since I don’t want to slice it) but still be tender ? Thanks
Tonia Larson says
Hi Lee,
It will depend on how big the ham is and how your slow cooker works. But I would try 7-8 hours on low or 6-7 on high and check it periodically towards the end. You should be able to see it pulling away or falling off the bone.
Happy Crocking,
Tonia
Susan McNutt says
Could the ham broth be used to cook dressing with?
Tonia Larson says
Hi Susan,
I’ve never tried that! Let us know how it turns out if you try it.
Warmly,
-Tonia
Kat says
Thank you! I have been searching for directions on cooking a ham in my slow-cooker WITHOUT a glaze or anything else & have had no luck until now. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Tonia says
You are very welcome! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
ELENA lOWERY says
Thankyou for this strp by step receipe for crock pot ham. I have a 9.64 sz ham should i ADD MAYBE A CUP OF WATER RATHER THAN A HALF?
Tonia says
Maybe 3/4 cup would work well.
Mary Weihn says
Looking forward to making this recipe, be so nice to free up my oven. My ham is 11# will I have to add some time??
Clara says
Made your crockpot ham. It was easy and delicious. Thanks.
Candy Kukla says
I use no bone in ham, with pineapple rings and 7up, would it still be ok?
Tonia says
Hi Candy,
I’ve never tried that method but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. If you do end up trying it, I’d love to hear how it turned out.
Best of luck,
~Tonia
Sarah says
Thank you! Made both the ham and gravy and it was very good. Easter dinner was a success even during quarentine!
James Guinn says
Just got done watching your video on smoked bone in ham.was wondering if the ham was put into a slow cooker bag when cooking?sure looks like it in your posting.want to try this out for Christmasi.only have a 5.5lb ham so do I still cook it for 4/6hrs?will let you know how it turned out.thanks.
Tonia says
Hi James,
I used a slow cooker liner when making the ham. It makes clean up easier. And yes, you will still cook it for 4-6 hours.
Merry Christmas!
~Tonia
Esther says
Wish I knew what size your crockpot is. I have three, the largest being a brand new 6 quart Hamilton Beach. I’ve made ham in a crockpot before & it was delicious (I may have used this recipe). But I had a 7 quart then and have since had to replace that one, first with an 8 quart, which turned out to be way too big for my needs (could have cooked a HUGE ham in that one!). I’m afraid my new 6 quart may be a little small for a 7 pound ham…?
Tonia says
Hi Ester,
The crockpot I used in this blog post was my 6-quart crockpot. If your ham ends up being too big to fit in your crockpot you can cut some of the ham off and tuck it in around the sides or save it for another recipe.
Happy cooking!
~Tonia
Linda Beaulieu says
you said to cook it for 4 to 6 hrs but is that on a low setting or high???
Tonia says
Hi Linda,
It’s best to cook ham on low.
Step 4 of the recipe says: Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook the ham on low for 4-6 hours, or until ham reaches an internal temperature of 140˚F.
Enjoy!
~Tonia
Rhonda says
Thanks for sharing! I love a good ham dinner! The leftovers are a plus!
Liz says
Nice recipe. Thank you.
Kristen Duke says
Ham instead of dessert?!?!?! This MUST be delicious 🙂
Tonia says
Yup, isn’t that crazy? No matter how good the main dish is, I am not giving up dessert!
Lyuba@willcookforsmiles says
Ooo, this would great for a Christmas dinner! My family loves ham 🙂
Tonia says
Thanks Lyuba! So do we. I don’t save it for just the holidays, we have it all year long!
Dianna Thomas says
Well they really have a lot of great ones to try– but this sound real good —Savory Pork Tenderloin
godfrey says
Hi, i like your recipes,would you mind if i used your recipes on my blog?
Tonia says
Hi Godfrey,
I’m sorry but I do not allow my complete recipes to be posted elsewhere. Thank you for understanding.
~Tonia
Letisha Robinson says
The ham looks great! And the coconut ginger macaroons would be divine to make!
Anna Bennett says
Tonia,
The Ham looks AWESOME… What do you do with the bone afterwards?
Do you use it in home made soup? If you do, I would really like the Recipe.
Tonia says
Hi Anna,
I love using leftover ham to make ham and cheese soup! Here is my recipe: https://www.thegunnysack.com/mid-week-munchies-ham-and-cheese-soup/
~Tonia