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You’ll never spend a fortune buying a Honeybaked Ham again once you try this easy copycat recipe for this Slow Cooker Honey Baked Ham! A spiral ham is slow cooked for 5 hours then broiled with a spiced up sugar rub providing the crunchy candy coated tender ham slices we all love!
Enjoy this juicy sweet and savory ham with my Scalloped Potatoes, Tini’s Macaroni and Cheese, Holiday Cranberry Sauce, Cheesy Boursin Mashed Potatoes, Southern Cornbread Dressing, and Jiffy Corn Casserole.
Why You’ll Love Slow Cooker Honey Baked Ham
We all love Honey Baked Ham! It’s the restaurant we drive past 363 days a year and forget it exists until Thanksgiving and Christmas roll around. They not only make the best honey glazed ham around, they also make incredible smoked turkey. But, you have to pre-plan to secure your order because they get super busy during the holidays.
The price is also about 4x higher than the price of a grocery store spiral ham. So it doesn’t hurt that this delicious recipe doesn’t only taste better, it is also going to save you lots of money.
Who knew that making this copycat recipe for Honey Baked Ham at home could take pretty much zero cooking skills? Plus, it can be mostly made in the slow cooker? Sign me all the way up.
This copycat recipe yields the most tender ham that literally just falls off the bone and the sugar rub gets broiled onto the ham and in between the crevices creating the signature crunchy candy coated edges that make Honey Baked Ham truly special.
Key Ingredients
You only need a few ingredients to make this delicious slow cooker honey baked ham. Be sure to review the recipe card toward the bottom of the page for the measurements.
Spiral Ham – a fully cooked, spiral ham that’s about 8-10 pounds.
Honey – we’ll glaze the ham in a combination of honey and butter to add moisture and sweetness to the ham as it warms through in the crockpot.
Butter – mixed together with honey to glaze the ham before it cooks.
Sugar – white sugar is used, although you’d picture brown sugar being a pairing, we need granulated white sugar to get the crunchy crust. Brown sugar has too much moisture and won’t crisp up the same way.
Seasonings – classic holiday seasonings are used; nutmeg, cinnamon, ground clove, allspice, paprika, onion powder, and seasoned salt.
How to Make Slow Cooker Honey Baked Ham
Pat the ham dry and place in the slow cooker. Melt together honey and butter and pour evenly over ham. Cook covered on low for 4-5 hours (depending on the size of the ham).
Make the sugar rub by mixing together the sugar and seasonings together in a medium sized bowl.
Prepare a baking sheet covered in foil. Preheat oven to broil on high.
Once the ham is done cooking, carefully transfer it onto baking sheet flat-side down. Scoop out 1 cup of the sugar mixture and sprinkle it evenly over the surface of the ham.
Broil it on high for 4-5 minutes or until caramelized and bubbly, rotating the pan every 1-2 minutes, being careful not to burn.
In a sauce pan add the remaining 1 cup sugar mixture plus a 1/4 cup of juices from the crock pot (or use water). Cook over medium low and bring to a boil, then allow it to boil for 1 minute.
Use a basting brush to work the glaze over each slice and packing it on to get a crunchy coating. Broil on high again for 2 minutes or until the sugar glaze has caramelized, rotating half way through. Be sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
Make-Ahead Tips
While I don’t recommend making the full ham days ahead since the sugar crust is best freshly broiled, you can do a few shortcuts to help you when it’s time to make this ham.
- Combine the honey and butter in a microwave-safe container, cover and store in the fridge. Once ready to use, reheat for 20-30 seconds until melted.
- Make the sugar mixture by combining the seasonings and sugar together. Mix well and place in a zip-top bag.
How to Store Honey Baked Ham
Once it’s cooled, the best way to store this ham in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can reheat it in the microwave and pair with your favorite side dishes but it’s of course tasty served cold on sandwiches.
What Pairs with Honey Baked Ham?
Boursin Mashed Potatoes
Cajun Butter Baked Bone-In Chicken
Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
Scalloped Potatoes
Jiffy Corn Casserole
Creamed Spinach Bake
Loaded Corn Casserole
Southern Cornbread Dressing
TIni’s Macaroni and Cheese
Easy Holiday Cranberry Sauce
This easy, slow cooker copycat recipe for Honey Baked Ham is so easy to prepare and will be loved by everyone who tries it. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that it pairs perfectly with all our favorite side dishes. I’m sure you and your family will agree this recipe is definitely a keeper and deserves a permanent spot at the center of your Thanksgiving table.
Be sure to comment below with any questions or feedback! If you make this or any other recipes, don’t forget to tag me on IG @BadBatchBaking to be featured on my story. Seeing your recreations makes my day!
Slow Cooker Honey Baked Ham
Ingredients
- 8-10 lb bone-in spiral half ham
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp seasoned salt
- 3/4 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground clove
- 1/8 tsp allspice
Instructions
Slow Cook Ham
- Pat the ham dry with paper towels and place it flat-side down into the slow cooker. Try the lid on to be sure it fits closed. If it doesn’t, trim off a few pieces of ham from the bottom.
- In a medium bowl combine the melted butter with the honey. Pour over ham and rub evenly using your hands to sort of work it into the slices.
- Cover with the lid and slow cook on low for 4-5 hours (4 hours for 8lbs., 4.5 hours for 9lbs., 5 hours for 10 lbs.).
- Make the sugar rub by mixing together the sugar and seasonings together in a medium sized bowl.
- Adjust your oven shelves so the ham can be placed on a lower shelf since it’s tall, it will burn quickly if it’s too close to the broiler.
- Prepare a baking sheet covered in foil. Preheat oven to broil on high.
- Once the ham is done cooking, carefully transfer it onto baking sheet flat-side down (reserve 1/3 cup buttery ham juices from the slow cooker).
- Scoop out 1 cup of the sugar mixture and sprinkle it evenly over the surface of the ham. Grab any spilled sugar on the pan and place it back on the ham.
Broil Ham
- Broil it on high for 4-5 minutes or until caramelized and bubbly, rotating the pan every 1-2 minutes, being careful not to burn. Remove the pan from the oven and prepare the glaze.
- In a sauce pan add the remaining 1 cup sugar mixture plus a 1/4 cup of juices from the crock pot (or use water). Cook over medium low and bring to a boil, then allow it to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
- Use a basting brush to work the glaze over each slice and packing it on to get a crunchy coating.
- Broil on high again for 2 minutes or until the sugar glaze has caramelized, rotating half way through. Be sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
- Remove from the oven, let it cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Simply slice around the bone from the flat side to easily release the slices.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Saw this on Instagram and knew this is what we’d be making this year! You never miss
This honey glazed ham is absolutely delicious and a must-make for the holidays!