Slow-Cooked Honey Glazed Ham (Printable)

Succulent ham slow-cooked and coated in a sweet, spiced honey glaze, perfect for gatherings.

# What You Need:

→ Ham

01 - 1 fully cooked bone-in ham, trimmed (approximately 5–6 lbs)

→ Glaze

02 - 1 cup honey
03 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
04 - 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
05 - 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
06 - 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

→ Aromatics

09 - 1 orange, sliced
10 - 6 whole cloves

# How To Make It:

01 - Place the ham flat side down in a large slow cooker. Score the surface with a diamond pattern and insert whole cloves into the intersections.
02 - Whisk together honey, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, whole-grain mustard, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves in a medium bowl.
03 - Pour the glaze evenly over the ham and arrange orange slices around the ham in the slow cooker.
04 - Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, occasionally basting the ham with the glaze to enhance flavor and moisture.
05 - Once tender and heated through, transfer the ham to a cutting board for resting.
06 - Pour the remaining glaze into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes until thickened.
07 - Slice the ham and brush with the thickened glaze before serving to achieve a glossy finish.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It frees up your oven completely, which matters more than you think when you are juggling side dishes and dessert.
  • The glaze becomes deeper and more complex as it slow cooks, almost caramelizing into the meat without any risk of burning.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and taste even better the next day in sandwiches or stirred into beans.
02 -
  • Do not skip the resting step after removing the ham, it lets the juices settle so your slices stay moist instead of leaking everywhere.
  • The glaze will seem too liquid in the slow cooker, but reducing it on the stovetop transforms it into a proper sauce that clings beautifully.
03 -
  • Baste the ham every hour if you can, it builds up layers of glaze that caramelize beautifully by the end of cooking.
  • Let the reduced glaze cool slightly before brushing it on the sliced ham, it will thicken even more and cling better to each piece.
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