Smoky, Sweet and DELICIOUS Easter Ham that doesn’t take up your oven for the WHOLE DAY! This EASY Easter Ham will have your family licking their plates clean!
Easy Easter Ham is the perfect way to celebrate the holiday. You might want to consider this recipe for how to bake a perfect spiral ham without drying it out or even Country ham.
Why This Recipe Works
- It takes advantage of other cooking outlets on your most busy cooking day
- Dr. Pepper is the PERFECT accompaniment for ham!
- The glaze is THE BEST!
Here’s How Easy Easter Ham is Done...
STEP 1. Remove the ham from the plastic wrap and set it into the crockpot. Put the ham fat side up.
STEP 2. In a pan on the stovetop, heat the sauce ingredients together until everything is melted together.
STEP 3. Cut a hash pattern into the fat on the top of the ham and pour the sauce over the top making sure that some of the sauce gets down into the cuts. Set crockpot on low
STEP 4. Baste the ham with some of the sauce from the bottom of the crockpot several times throughout the day if possible. After 8 hours a 4-5 lb ham will be ready. Adjust time based on size of ham.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) for Easy Easter Ham
Why Is Ham the Traditional Easter Dinner?
- The Short Answer: Because it is IN SEASON! Pigs are traditionally slaughtered in the cold fall and the ham (having been cured over the winter) is ready in the Spring!
- The reason I serve ham at Easter is because it feeds a crowd and we ALWAYS have a crowd for Easter Dinner!
- Lamb is another traditional dinner and I urge you to check out these Lamb Shanks! YUM! So perfect and they make their own gravy!
What Is the Best Ham for Easter?
A spiral cut ham or a bone in ham or smoked picnic ham is the best ham for Easter. You’ll need to plan on about ⅓ to ½ pound per person you plan to invite PLUS a pound to account for the bone and fat. So, for 8 people you’ll want to buy a 5 lb (about) ham.
The ham I used for this post was 4.5 lbs and I had 8 people for dinner (several very big eaters) and there wasn’t a single bite left. Mr Loaves and Dishes reports that he cleaned the platter “like a buzzard”. So, there’s that.
Can I Cook the Ham The Day Before Easter?
Yes, you absolutely CAN cook the ham the day before and then refrigerate overnight. The beauty of this recipe is that you can make it in the crock pot while you are doing everything else for the holiday!
Plus, bonus, it doesn’t heat up the kitchen.
Do You Have To Cook the Ham If Its Fully Cooked?
- You don’t have to cook a fully cooked ham. Most hams you find at the grocery ARE fully cooked and cured already that is what makes them a “ham”.
- You do NOT have to cook a fully cooked ham, but you will want to warm it thoroughly which is what you are doing with this recipe!
How Do You Warm Up A Fully Cooked Ham?
To warm up a fully cooked ham, follow the instructions in the recipe card below and you will have a FABULOUS ham!
Why Is My Ham Tough?
If your ham is tough, it might be that you have overcooked it. Remember that you are just WARMING a fully cooked ham up and it’s easy to overdo it. Be sure to baste the ham while it cooks!
Overcooked ham tends to be dry, chewy and tough.
TIPS and TRICKS for Easy Easter Ham
- Make sure to cook your ham with the fatty side facing UP! Then as it cooks, some of that fat will melt and slide over the meat to give it terrific flavor!
- Baste your ham as it cooks this helps keep it moist and flavorful.
- You’ll want to make sure that your crockpot is large enough for your ham. It takes a larger crockpot. I’ve put a link to the size that I use for a 4-5 lb ham.
- When buying ham, plan for ⅓ - ½ lb per person and then add another full pound overall for the bone and the fat that is on the ham. So, ham for 6 people would be 3 lb plus 1 lb = at least a 4 lb ham.
- Before you start, be sure you know what Divided in a Recipe Means.
If you Enjoyed This Recipe for Easy Easter Ham, You Might Also Enjoy…
- How to Make Spiral Sliced Ham without Drying It Out
- The Best Sandwich Ever
- Ham and Tomato Pasta Sauce
Ya’ll Help Me Out OK?
Please leave a 5 STAR Comment below in the comment section, this helps others find Loaves and Dishes recipes on the internet.
Easy Easter Ham
Ingredients
- 5 lb Picnic Shoulder Ham
- 1 Can Dr. Pepper
- 2 Tbs Butter
- 1 Tbs minced garlic in oil
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar divided
- 2 tbs grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground chipotle powder
- 1 Tbs Onion Powder
Instructions
- Cut a hash pattern on the fat side of the ham.
- Place the ham into the crockpot
- In a sauce pan or frying pan on the stove top over medium heat, heat the can of Dr. Pepper, butter, garlic, ½ cup of the brown sugar, the chipotle powder, mustard and onion powder until the butter has melted and the Dr. Pepper mix over the top of the ham, making sure that some of it get’s down into the hash pattern that you have cut.
- Take the remaining ½ Cup of brown sugar and pat it gently into the hash pattern on the top of the ham. (If you accidentally used all of the brown sugar in the sauce, no worries. Either leave this part off or pack another ½ cup on top of the ham - which is what I recommend).
- Put the lid on the crockpot and set it on low. Cook for 6-8 hours. Every 3 hours, baste the ham with the juices from the bottom of the slow cooker.
Notes
- Make sure to cook your ham with the fatty side facing UP! Then has it cooks, some of that fat will melt and slide over the meat and give it terrific flavor!
- Baste your ham as it cooks this helps keep it moist and flavorful.
- You’ll want to make sure that your crockpot is large enough for your ham. It takes a larger crockpot. I’ve put a link to the size that I use for a 4-5 lb ham.
- When buying ham, plan for ⅓ - ½ lb per person and then add another full pound overall for the bone and the fat that is on the ham. So, ham for 6 people would be 3 lb plus 1 lb = at least a 4 lb ham.
Wanda says
I haven't made this yet but it looks and sounds scrumptious! I am curious as to how to warm up a cooked ham if it was cooked the day before. It says in your notes that it is listed below but I could not find it.
Love your recipes! I had to load more paper in my printer because I have printed off so many of them.
Blessings to you!
Wendi Spraker says
So to warm up precooked ham from the day before, place some in a baking dish, put a few tablespoons of water in the dish. Place your ham slices into the dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
Wendi Spraker says
aggregate rating test
Neva says
@Wendi Spraker, I am cooking a spiral ham for Easter but the package of Brown Sugar Glaze and the instructions come off of it so how do I make the glaze in the package ? Please help me. And I loved your video and how you explained how to cook the ham
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Neva, In cases like this, I think the best thing to do is to use google and try to find your specific glaze package? I can't say for sure because all of these glaze packets are a bit different. Some require you to add water, some you just pour on...etc.