This Slow Cooker Ham recipe turns out so tender and delicious.
Slow Cooker Cider Ham
I started this website in 2006. So is it super strange that this is the very first ham recipe I’ve ever shared on RecipeGirl? I couldn’t believe it myself… but I searched all over and didn’t spot any other ham recipes at all. I’m sorry for that. I love ham- I really do! But I usually just get the no-fuss, already spiraled sort with the included glaze packet at the market and call it a day!
This ham recipe is absolutely the best choice ever to share for a first ham recipe. It’s EASY. It’s so incredibly tender. And it’s delicious. It’s perfect to make for a weeknight dinner, a special Sunday dinner, or a holiday occasion too. Everyone is going to love how this one turns out. Since publishing this recipe, I’ve added another ham recipe to the site. You might like to try my Brown Sugar Glazed Ham recipe too. It’s made in the oven instead of the slow cooker.
What kind of ham do you need to make Slow Cooker Ham?
Ham is sold already cooked and safe to eat. It’s what you do to it when you bring it home that makes it so good. This recipe is best using an already spiraled ham. I like to buy mine at Costco for the best price.
The recipe comes from a newer cookbook by Aimée Wimbush- Bourque: Brown Eggs and Jam Jars: Family Recipes from the Kitchen of Simple Bites. Aimée has a blog – Simple Bites – that I’ve admired for a great many years now. So I was very excited to see her release her first cookbook. The cookbook focuses on Aimée’s experience as an urban homesteader, and the chapters are divided into seasons.
The theme: simple food with fresh flavors. I love how Aimée shares tips throughout the book on how to get your whole family involved in preparing food. Here are a few recipes I’m excited to make from the book: Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding, Peach-Glazed Grilled Salmon Fillets, Maple Marshmallows, Stone Fruit Sangria, Zucchini Cornbread, Butter-Roasted Turkey and Cheesy Butternut Squash Penne.
I love to add good cookbooks to my cookbook shelf. This cookbook is a keeper– full of wonderful, feel-good, homestyle cooking recipes.
My family loves having this ham for dinner for our Sunday night dinners. It makes for the perfect Sunday dinner with some roasted potatoes and asparagus. My son made the Homemade Ranch Dressing from the book. And I also made the Gingery Pickled Asparagus to share on Parade magazine’s blog. All recipes were fantastic. This book is a keeper, for sure!
What are some good side dish recipes to serve with ham?
I like to serve a good green bean recipe with ham– like these Creamy Baked Green Beans or my Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots. Potatoes are another favorite pairing with ham. Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes or Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes are my top choices. Baked Parmesan Rice would be a good choice too!
So if you’re looking for a super easy way to make store-bought ham, try this method of making it in the slow cooker. It’s so easy, and there isn’t much that can go wrong with this one– even if you aren’t an experienced cook!
I find that using the slow cooker makes my life so much easier sometimes. If you’re looking for more easy slow cooker recipes, you might like to try my Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches. They’re a family favorite for an easy dinner! This Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore is Weight Watchers friendly, so I make that one a lot too. Slow Cooker Beef Stew and The Best Whole Chicken in the Slow Cooker are also must-try recipes!
Slow Cooker Cider Ham
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups fresh pressed apple cider (unfiltered, raw apple juice- I use organic apple cider)
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons smooth or grainy Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium orange, scrubbed
- 6 to 7 pound bone-in smoked ham
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Pour the cider into a 6-quart slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup, Dijon, ginger and pepper. Zest the orange into the bowl and mix the marinade ingredients together.
- Rub the marinade onto one side of the ham and place it marinade-side-down into the slow cooker. Spoon the rest of the marinade all over the rest of the ham.
- Peel the orange and coarsely chop the pulp, discarding any seeds. Add the orange around the sides of the ham and tuck the cinnamon stick inside too.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
- To serve, transfer the ham to a platter. Cover to keep warm. Strain liquid from the slow cooker into a gravy pitcher and serve with the ham.
Notes
- *If you are preparing this recipe as gluten-free, just be sure to use brands of apple cider, maple syrup, mustard and ham that are known to be GF.
- recipe reprinted from Brown Eggs and Jam Jars: Family Recipes from the Kitchen of Simple Bites : Pintail; February 10, 2015 : Recipe: © Aimée Wimbush-Bourque, 2015
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So simple and so delicious!