Crockpot Ham plus Maple Dijon Sauce

At a glance

What stands out: Whether you’re entertaining or just looking for a straightforward dinner with great leftovers, crockpot ham is the answer. This recipe is hands off and rich! Your plain ham will resemble a more expensive spiral-sliced ham with lots of sweet flavor.

How long it takes: 10 minutes to prep, 4 hours to cook
Equipment you’ll need: slow cooker (crockpot)
Servings: 6

A Five Ingredient Recipe

You know what kind of meals we love? We love straightforward meals made with only a few ingredients (bonus points if it’s cooked in a slow cooker!). Spend ten minutes at lunch time making this crockpot ham and you’re all set for dinner.

Straightforward Crockpot Ham

A slow cooker ham dinner is great for entertaining. It’s totally hands off for four hours, giving you plenty of time to cook side dishes, clean your house, take a nap, make a French 75, or whatever you need to do before company comes over. Looking for a straightforward Sunday dinner? Put the ham on before you leave for church.

The ham isn’t fussy with time. If you put the ham on before you leave for church and church runs a little long, no problem. If you’re not ready to have dinner yet, another hour won’t make a whole lot of difference. If it’s going to be a lot longer, simply set your crockpot on Warm. (If you’re looking for a quicker option, be sure to try straightforward ham steak or ham steak sheet pan dinner, with potatoes, green beans, and sliced ham.)

Hasselback slices make a pretty presentation. The ham is sliced before you cook it, hasselback style. (Don’t worry, we'll show you how and it’s straightforward to do.) This makes for a nice presentation; the ham is evenly sliced, still intact but with the slices fanning out. In addition, the maple Dijon glaze can make contact with every slice as the ham cooks, ensuring maximum flavor in every bite.

Ingredient List

• Boneless Ham: Look for a quarter ham, which is usually around two and a half pounds. It will serve six to eight people, depending on how much ham they eat. If you want to serve a larger ham, that’s fine as long as it fits in your crockpot with the cover on.
• Maple Syrup: Use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup which is just corn syrup, artificial maple flavor, and a bunch of other (yucky) stuff. Some folks like to make their ham with Coke for the sweet/salty flavor but maple syrup is 100% natural.
• Coarse Ground Dijon Mustard: Most types of mustard will work fine but we would avoid regular yellow mustard. Save that for your hotdogs and hamburgers.
• Brown Sugar: We’re going for the sweet and salty flavor combo here so yes, brown sugar and maple syrup. You could make the ham without brown sugar but it thickens the sauce slightly and helps it adhere.
• Ground Cloves: Just a pinch of ground cloves adds a subtle flavor. Traditional baked hams often are decoratively studded with whole cloves. We’re cheating a little by adding ground cloves. You have to admit, it’s a whole lot easier!

How it comes together

Slice the ham. First, line up wooden spoons next to the ham and cut it into slices down to the spoons. If you’ve ever made hasselback sweet potatoes, it’s similar to the method you use to make those.

Helpful Hint: If you happen to slice all the way through the ham, it’s totally fine. In fact, if you prefer to cook the ham completely sliced, it’s your choice, You’re the cook!

Make the sauce. Next, mix up the four ingredient sauce: maple syrup, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, cloves. Put the ham in the slow cooker and spoon the sauce over the sliced ham. Separate the slices slightly and try to get some of the sauce between each slice.

Slow cook the ham. Cover the crockpot and select the low setting. Cook the ham for four hours or until it’s heated through.

We like to baste the ham a few times if we can, ensuring that every bite of ham will be flavored with sauce.

Serve. Transfer to a platter to serve, if desired.

Cooking Ham In a Slow Cooker

Most hams are fully cooked when you purchase them. Check the label to verify that they are fully cooked; if so, they are safe to eat right from the package. However, most people prefer to heat ham before eating it.

A slow cooker is a good way to reheat a ham; it acts like a mini oven. The ham doesn’t dry out because all of the moisture is trapped inside. Adding a sauce and putting the lid on the crockpot as the ham cooks ensures that the ham will be juicy and flavorful.

Ways to serve it

Serve ham with baked potatoes, another straightforward and hands off recipe. Mashed potatoes are classic, too! Add a straightforward salad (try creamy coleslaw or broccoli cauliflower salad), cornbread, and roasted broccoli, and you’re good to go. Dinner is served.

For a special dinner, serve the ham with asparagus casserole, warm from-scratch Parker House rolls, and a carrot soufflé. We also love pineapple stuffing which is similar to bread pudding. A big bowl of fresh fruit salad goes well, too.

Make-Ahead Ideas

Make a big batch of crockpot ham and freeze it in portions that work for your family. Dice it before freezing it if that’s the way you want to use it. It will thaw quickly. Use it to make one of the meals listed below.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate/Freeze: Store leftover ham in a covered container in the refrigerator. It will keep three to four days. Ham can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to two months.

Reheat: Individual portions can be microwaved until heated through. Don’t overheat ham; it will become tough and dry. Larger portions can be wrapped in foil and baked in a low oven (275°F) until heated. Sliced ham can also be fried in a skillet if you prefer.

Free Meal Plan

Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at our Meal Plan #12 or Meal Plan #62. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let us do the planning for you this week!

Browse Meal Plans

Ways To Use Leftover Ham

• Add to your favorite pizza. We love this grilled pizza with arugula pesto, corn, and ham. Maybe you’re a fan of a ham and pineapple pizza!
• Make sandwiches. Thinly slice ham for baked ham and cheese sliders or add sliced ham to grilled cheese sandwiches. Try air fryer grilled cheese sandwiches – they get crispy.
• Add flavor and protein to soup. Ham is a great addition to soup. Add it to your favorite bean soup or this white bean soup with kale and pancetta (substitute ham for the pancetta).
• Add diced ham to your favorite mac and cheese. Try this straightforward Instant Pot mac and cheese or crockpot mac and cheese.
• It’s reliable for breakfast. Ham is right at home in a breakfast casserole or quiche. Add it to cheesy potatoes or loaded mashed potato casserole (instead of bacon).
• Make a hash or a skillet. Who doesn’t love a meal in a pan with fried potatoes, ham, onions and your choice of veggies?

• Yield: 6
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 4 hours
• Total: 4 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 boneless quarter ham, approx. 2.5 lbs (see note)
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons coarse ground Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Method

1. Lay ham on cutting board. Place two wooden spoons on either side of it and cut ham in ¼ to ½ inch thick slices, cutting just to spoons but not cutting all the way through. This method is called hasselback (see note).
2. Place ham, sliced side up, in slow cooker.
3. Mix together maple syrup, Dijon mustard, brown sugar and cloves in a small bowl. Pour this mixture over ham, trying to get as much sauce between the slices as you can.
4. Cook on low for 4 hours or until heated through, basting with sauce (spoon it over the top) every hour or so.

Notes

Have a larger ham? You can cook a ham of any size, as long as it fits into your crockpot.

Storage: Cover and refrigerate ham promptly. It will keep three to four days. Ham can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to two months. If you prefer, dice the ham first so it thaws more quickly and can be used in recipes.

Slicing option: If you prefer, slice the ham completely (not hasselback). Put the slices into the crockpot, retaining the original shape of the ham as much as possible.