This Sweet Southern Slow Cooker Ham is juicy and tender, with a touch of sweetness from honey, apple cider, and dark brown sugar. It’s the perfect recipe to free up your oven for holiday special occasions and is convenient enough to serve during the week.

Sweet Southern Ham cooked in a slow cooker on a cutting board with that is sliced.

Slow Cooker Ham

Let the slow cooker do the hard work for you, freeing up your oven for side dishes during busy holiday cooking. The sugar and cider glaze for this ham is perfectly sweet and can be easily customized. We love it because it uses six ingredients found in most kitchens.

Not a bourbon fan? Substitute with 1/4 cup water and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract and your ham will still have that sweet southern flavor.

You don’t have to wait for a special occasion to try this recipe, toss the ingredients in the slow cooker and before you know it your weeknight dinner is ready! If you are entertaining, we also love this Brown Sugar Ham with Glaze.

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Ingredients for Southern Slow Cooker ham.

Sweet Ham Ingredients

1 bone-in fully-cooked ham, about 5 1/2 pounds
1 cup apple cider
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup bourbon: For non-alcoholic alternative, replace the bourbon with 1/4 cup water and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
4 sprigs fresh thyme

Slow cooker ham on a cutting board with thyme.

Southern Ham Recipe Tips

Spiral-cut hams make serving a breeze. Try to select a ham that will fit in your slow cooker with the lid closed.
Use the low heat setting and allow the ham to cook for several hours. This enhances the mingling of flavors.
Ham leftovers are versatile. Incorporate excess ham into sandwiches, soups, salads, and breakfast dishes.

Sliced half of ham with sweet glaze on cutting board.

How to cook ham in the slow cooker

Place the ham in a large slow cooker. In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider, brown sugar, bourbon, honey and mustard; slowly pour over the ham.

Scatter the thyme sprigs into the slow cooker. Cook, on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours, or until very tender.

Remove ham to rest on a cutting board. Pass the remaining cooking liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a saucepan. Simmer for 10 minutes or until slightly reduced.

Cut the ham into chunks and brush the cut pieces with the cooking liquid before arranging on a platter.

Slow cooker ham made sweet and with a southern glaze.

Can you heat a fully cooked ham in the slow cooker?

Yes! A large slow cooker is perfect for heating a fully cooked ham. This method also allows oven space for sides to be prepared during a large gathering.

As the ham warms make sure to have enough liquid to cover the bottom of the slow cooker.

How long does it take to heat up a ham in the slow cooker?

The key is making sure the internal temperature of your ham reaches 145 F. A slow cooker set on high will take approximately 4 hours.

On low you can plan on up to 8 hours. The larger ham, the longer cooking time.

Do you cook ham on low or high in a slow cooker?

That’s a great question! How much time do you have until dinner? If you have 4 hours, turn it on high.

If you are preparing the slow cooker and stepping away for the day, leave it on low for 6-8 hours.

What is the best way to cook a ham without drying it out?

Leave the lid on the slow cooker and refrain from opening during the cooking process.

If no liquid is present in the bottom of the slow cooker you can add approximately 1/4 cup of water or stock to ensure that the ham remains moist.

Other Ham Recipes

Comforting Grandma’s Leftover Ham Soup combines leftover ham with fresh vegetables and Navy beans to create the nostalgic taste of home, just like Grandma used to make.

Brown Sugar Ham with Glaze ham is the perfect centerpiece for an everyday dinner or the Thanksgiving dinner table.

This simple Ham Stir Fry with Vegetables recipe is loaded with all your favorite Asian flavors and perfect served over rice or noodles.