You already know I’m in love with my slow cooker. I think every busy mom should be. There is something beautiful about the fix and forget “wow” of using a slow cooker. This Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Ham is seriously the easy and yummy way to make ham! It’s so delicious my mouth is actually watering a little bit as I’m typing this post! The stuff is sweet, salty (my favorite flavor combo), super tender and so darn easy!
I’ve served it for Easter, with my Thanksgiving Turkey and of course at Christmas time. Although, most of the time I serve it for dinner on those crazy weeknights after I’ve been gone all day. I throw this ham in my slow cooker, set some potatoes in my oven to time bake and doll up a bag of salad. Easy as pie, my family comes home to a pretty decent meal. All of that ready in about 30 minutes! Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Ham is also a hit for brunch! And maybe even for snacking on!
Don’t spend your whole Christmas Holiday slaving away in the kitchen. Let your slow cooker do the work for you, then you can step back and take the credit!
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Ham
Ingredients
- 5 pound bone in butt home
- 1 c. cider vinegar
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 3 T. dry mustard
- Additional Sauce:
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 1 c. cider vinegar
- 3 T. dry mustard
Instructions
- Place ham in slow cooker.
- Mix dry mustard and brown sugar together. Press on ham.
- Pour cider vinegar in the bottom of the slow cooker. I don't usually measure this.
- Cook on low for 6 hours. Turning the ham over after 2 hours. (If I'm not home I don't worry about this)
- After 4 hours of cooking, if desired, you can make another sauce to pour over the ham. In a sauce pan, mix 1 additional cup brown sugar, 1 additional cup cider vinegar and 3 additional Tablespoons dry mustard together. Reduce over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Drain juice in the slow cooker off the ham. Shred the ham into large chucks. Add ham back to slow cooker. Pour the reduced vinegar brown/brown sugar mixture over the ham. Continue cooking shredded ham in the slow cooker for 1 1/2 more hours.
- NOTE: If I don't have time I don't make the reduced sauce to pour over the ham. I simply let the ham slow cook in the original sauce. Shred and serve. It's delicious just like that too!
Amy says
Used this recipe for our Christmas ham. Didn’t do the extra sauce. Ham tasted amazing! Will never cook a ham in the oven again!
Amy Engberson says
This ham is so easy! I’m glad you loved it! It’s our go-to ham recipe too!
Chris says
I am new to cooking ham. Wondering if the bone in butt ham is raw or precooked? If raw, should I be looking for “bone in ham butt” or what would it be labeled as? Excited to give this recipe a try once I figure out what I’m doing. 😉
Amy Engberson says
Hi Kim! Ham makes such a yummy meal, and the leftovers are wonderful to have throughout the week too! If ham is smoked or cured it’s technically “precooked”. If it’s fresh, then it’s not precooked. Most hams have been cured. For this recipe, I’ve always used a cured ham and it works perfectly! I hope you love it as much as we do!
KELSEY says
Can you use ham steaks for this? I’ve been given a bunch and have no idea what to do with them.
Amy Engberson says
You could use ham steaks in this recipe and it would work just fine. We use ham steaks quite often. They are delicious fried for a couple minutes on a griddle and served with eggs. I dice them and add them to soup, fried rice, scrambled eggs, ect because it’s quicker than thawing and cooking a whole ham. My very favorite way to use them is to make Hawaiian Ham! Here’s the link! https://pitchforkfoodie.com/hawaiian-ham/ I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Kelsey says
Thank you so much!
Jane says
Definitely what I’m looking for! Thanks for posting.
Amy Engberson says
I was just thinking about this ham the other day! It’s been way too long since I made it! Thanks for reminding me about it! Enjoy!
Cheryl E Wonnell says
I have been looking for a recipe for really tender ham. I am not a vinegar fan so I was wondering if this has any vinegar taste when done. Can I cut the amount down?
Amy Engberson says
If you’re looking for a super tender ham you are in the right place! This ham is fall apart tender and so delicious! If you’re worried about the vinegar being to much, you could always replace half of it with apple juice or apple cider (not apple cider vinegar, but the apple cider you’d drink). Good luck and let me know how it turns out!
Cheryl E Wonnell says
Thank you so much. I am going to try it for Christmas.
Debbie says
Hi, this was very yummy…… great recipe! Everyone liked it and unfortunately I didn’t have any leftovers . I will definitely make it again, I’m sure many times.
Amy Engberson says
Well, it must have been a hit if everyone polished it off! I agree though…leftovers are really nice to have!
MeowMeow says
I am new to this whole meat eating thing. After 27 years of being a vegetarian. I am making and eating my first ham for Christmas dinner. I wanted to have my own flair so I decided to find a shredded ham recipe intead of the normal one my mother did. I am also adding maple to the recipe, because who doesn’t love maple. Thank you, I’ve found my newly adapted traditional Christmas ham recipe and have a Merry Christmas
Amy Engberson says
Yay! I love meat! I hope you enjoy your Christmas ham and your holidays!
Candee says
I have this in my crockpot right now and everyone is complaining it smells terrible! I think the cider mixture ruins it. It has a weird tangy taste to it. I should’ve just stuck with straight brown sugar and the hams original juices. Yuck!
Amy Engberson says
I’m sorry to hear that. It does smell a little vinegary in the beginning. I have served this meal to company several times and they always love it!
Elaine Duckett says
I’m going to also do a ham this week, but I have never slow cooked one in cider vinegar. I am going to a smoked ham but I think it would still be fun to cook it this way.