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    Popular » Recipes » Crock Pot

    Cranberry Orange Crock Pot Ham

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure for more information. Published: Dec 2, 2022 by Dee

    This Cranberry Orange Crock Pot Ham is a Christmas spiral cut ham recipe for the slow cooker that is perfect for your holiday meal. The whole family will love this easy recipe! via @meamel

    This Cranberry Orange Crock Pot Ham is a Christmas spiral cut ham recipe for the slow cooker that is perfect for your holiday meal. The whole family will love this holiday ham!

    Jump to Recipe -
    Christmas spiral cut ham with cranberry orange glaze in crock pot
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make Christmas Spiral Cut Ham in the Crock Pot
    • Cook Time
    • How to Store and Reheat
    • Recipe Variations
    • FAQ
    • Recipe
    • Why Make Crock Pot Ham
    • Reviews

    If you're looking for an easy Christmas ham recipe, you're going to love this delicious cranberry orange Crock Pot ham. You only need 4 ingredients, and your slow cooker can do all the work!

    We always have Turkey for Thanksgiving, but for Christmas dinner, it's all about the ham. I used to bake our holiday ham, but years ago, I started making this Christmas spiral-cut ham recipe in slow cooker. It is incredibly delicious and completely fuss free!

    Instead of brown sugar glaze, this spiral ham recipe has a glaze made with jellied cranberry sauce and orange marmalade. So it's perfect for a Christmas or Thanksgiving ham.

    The tartness of the cranberries combined with the sweetness of the orange marmalade makes an incredibly flavorful sauce that's slightly tangy and not too sweet. And the orange cranberry flavor pairs very well with the delicious ham.

    My ham with jellied cranberry sauce is perfect for holiday dinners and is a delicious addition to your Christmas dinner table.

    But, you can serve it for any special occasion. I have even made it for Easter, although I typically make brown sugar ham with pineapple for Easter dinner.

    Ingredients

    You only need a few simple ingredients for this spiral sliced ham recipe. They should be easy to find in your grocery store.

    • Spiral cut ham -- pre-cooked bone-in ham, around 6 to 8 pounds
    • Cranberry sauce -- can of jellied cranberry sauce
    • Orange marmalade
    • Orange juice -- or water

    You will also need a large 6 or 7-quart slow cooker for this holiday ham recipe.

    How to Make Christmas Spiral Cut Ham in the Crock Pot

    First, add a little bit of olive oil to the slow cooker or spray the inside with non-stick cooking spray. Then, unwrap the ham from the packaging. It may come with a packet of glaze, and you can toss that since we are making our own ham glaze recipe.

    Place the whole ham in the Crock Pot, so the spiral cuts are on top. If the top of the ham is too high, either slice the top off to fit or cover the top of the ham with aluminum foil before cooking.

    Next, stir a can of jellied cranberry sauce with a cup of orange marmalade, and spread it over the ham and between the slices. Add a little water or orange juice, and let the Crock-Pot do the work!

    Christmas ham with jellied cranberry sauce and orange marmalade in slow cooker

    Cook Time

    How long to heat a spiral cut ham in the slow cooker?

    Since this is a pre-cooked ham, you just need to warm it up until the temperature reaches 140 degrees f according to your meat thermometer. You don't want to cook the tender ham so long that it dries out!

    Cook a 6 pound spiral ham for 3-4 hours on low or 2 hours on high. Cook an 8 pound cooked spiral cut ham for 4 to 5 hours on low or 3 hours on high. Be sure to baste the ham with the juices every so often as it cooks.

    Total cook time may vary with different brands and models of slow cookers.

    How to Store and Reheat

    Refrigerate leftover ham in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can freeze leftover Christmas spiral cut ham for up to 3 months for best taste.

    Fully cooked ham is delicious cold, but you can reheat individual portions in the microwave. If you have a lot of leftovers, try one of my leftover ham recipes.

    Be sure to save the ham bone to make ham and lentil soup!

    cranberry orange crock pot ham

    Recipe Variations

    Have an Instant Pot? You can make this delicious Instant Pot Ham in your electric pressure cooker!

    Or, place the spiral-sliced ham in a large baking dish and cook it in your oven.

    You can use whole berry cranberry sauce instead of jellied cranberries. If you can't find orange marmalade, fresh orange slices, orange zest and orange juice will add delicious flavor.

    You can use a boneless ham, although the cooking time will be shorter.

    FAQ

    How do you serve spiral cut ham?

    Place ham on a cutting board, and use a knife to cut through the slices until they break off from the ham. Place the ham slices on a serving platter, spoon some of the juices over the slices, and serve. You can also place the sliced ham into the slow cooker and keep warm until ready to serve.

    Can I cook Christmas ham the day before?

    Yes. You can cook the ham the day before or on Christmas eve. Cut the ham into slices and refrigerate the ham with the juices in an airtight container. Just reheat sliced ham in the oven the next day when you are ready to eat.

    close up of spiral cut ham in slow cooker

    Recipe

    Christmas spiral cut ham with cranberry orange glaze in slow cooker

    Cranberry Orange Crock Pot Ham

    Published by Dee
    This Cranberry Orange Crock Pot Ham is a Christmas spiral cut ham recipe for the slow cooker that is perfect for your holiday meal. The whole family will love this easy recipe!
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Share by Email
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 4 hrs
    Total Time 4 hrs 5 mins
    Course Main
    Cuisine American
    Servings 15
    Calories 80 kcal

    Equipment

    • Crock-Pot

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking spray
    • 1 8 pound bone-in spiral cut ham
    • ½ cup orange marmalade (try to find all natural, if possible)
    • 1 can jellied cranberry sauce
    • ½ cup water or orange juice

    Instructions
     

    • Add olive oil to bottom of large slow cooker
    • Place  ham in slow cooker
    • Pour cranberry sauce, marmalade and water over ham 
    • Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until warm, with temperature of at least 140 degrees. Optional -- cook on high for about 3 hours or until done.

    Notes

    If lid doesn't fit on Crock-Pot, use foil to cover ham under lid or trim ham to fit.
    Actual cooking time will vary with size and type of ham you have.

    Nutrition information is estimated. Please do your own calculation to fit special diets.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 80kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 16mgPotassium: 12mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 19IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe? Please comment and rate it! Show me your dish on Instagram!Mention @meatloafandmelodrama or tag #meatloafandmelodrama!

    Why Make Crock Pot Ham

    Cooking Christmas ham in the Crock Pot frees up valuable oven space, which you can use for green beans and all those yummy holiday side dishes . It also won't heat up your kitchen, which is a plus if you're like me and live in a warm climate!

    Like most meals made in the slow cooker, ham is also super easy to prepare, which makes it perfect for any holiday dinner. Even though I love to cook, I'd rather be spending this time with the family!

    crock pot ham with jellied cranberry sauce in slow cooker

    I hope you enjoy this classic main course during the holiday season as much as we do. My family says cranberry orange ham is one of the best Christmas ham recipes ever!

    Please leave a comment and star rating if you do try this cranberry orange crock pot ham recipe. For more easy recipes delivered by email, be sure to sign up for the weekly newsletter.

    Recipe and pictures have been updated as of 2022

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. James says

      November 11, 2019 at 6:42 am

      Made this as a test run for the Family Thanksgiving. It was another huge hit. Easy to sit and forget! Lots of leftovers for me too!5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        November 12, 2019 at 8:48 am

        Thanks, James! I always recommend trying new recipes out before the big day!

    2. Betty Cavanagh says

      October 23, 2016 at 11:27 am

      HI!

      Will you be more specific re: the weight/size of the ham? I know this is contingent on how many guests, perhaps one that is large and fits in the crockpot you have pictured (I think ours is a 6 or 7 quart one).

      Also, is this the kind of ham that you buy spiral sliced or honey glazed or do they sell them plain (and just waiting to be cooked as you describe in this delicious sounding recipe)? I've never purchased a ham before.

      Thank you.

      Betty

      Reply
      • Dee says

        October 23, 2016 at 5:53 pm

        I believe this is one was 8 pounds, boneless. We bought this one (plain, all natural) from our local butcher, and we had to slice it after it cooked. Our slow cooker is about 6 quarts, and we trimmed the ham a little so that it would fit snugly in the Crock-Pot. I have another recipe where I bought a pre-cut, spiral ham and just used different flavors. https://www.meatloafandmelodrama.com/pineapple-teriyaki-crock-pot-ham/ 🙂

    3. Miz Helen says

      November 21, 2015 at 7:40 am

      Congratulations!
      Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week! Wishing you a bountiful Thanksgiving and enjoy your new Red Plate!
      Miz Helen

      Reply
    4. Dee M says

      November 18, 2015 at 5:37 pm

      It's super easy -- gotta love Crock-Pot cooking! 🙂

      Reply
    5. Candy Company says

      November 18, 2015 at 5:25 pm

      Wow this is so easy! I love to combine fruits and meat in dishes.

      Reply
    6. Dee M says

      November 15, 2015 at 9:39 am

      I'm addicted to this stuff, but it really goes well with the ham. 🙂

      Reply
    7. Dee M says

      November 15, 2015 at 9:38 am

      Oh, you need a slow cooker! And, the more the merrier! 🙂

      Reply
    8. Claudia | Gourmet project says

      November 14, 2015 at 7:14 pm

      orange marmalade? that's genius!

      Reply
    9. AiPing | Curious Nut says

      November 13, 2015 at 2:29 pm

      Gahhhh I tell myself over and over that I need to get a slow cooker. Can I self invite myself to your house please? I promise I'll help you finish the ham... :p

      Reply
    10. Dee M says

      November 13, 2015 at 5:23 am

      We have tons of side dishes, so this works very well for us. I hope you have a chance to try it! 🙂

      Reply
    11. Dee M says

      November 13, 2015 at 5:21 am

      Thanks! We love ham too, and this is super easy. 🙂

      Reply
    12. Dee M says

      November 13, 2015 at 5:20 am

      I love having the extra oven space, and I think the ham tastes so much better this way. 🙂

      Reply
    13. Kathi Kirk says

      November 13, 2015 at 5:03 am

      That is incredibly clever and incredibly easy! Perfect for this ham loving' family!

      Reply
    14. Amanda {Striped Spatula} says

      November 13, 2015 at 5:03 am

      Thanks for sharing this recipe! A friend was actually just telling me about crockpot ham the other day, and I've never tried it! It sounds like a great idea and a really delicious final product (not to mention so convenient for freeing up the oven for side dishes). Will be saving to try soon!

      Reply
    15. eclecticyellowhouse.com says

      November 12, 2015 at 9:45 pm

      My husband thinks ham should be its own food group, so it's always on our table during the holidays. I've never thought about putting it in the slow cooker though...what a great idea! I could always use the extra oven space, so I'm giving this a try this year. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply

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    I’m the blogger, chief cook, recipe developer and photographer behind Meatloaf and Melodrama. I absolutely love to create easy, budget-friendly, homemade meals and treats for my family. I also love to think of new ways to repurpose leftovers so that my family will actually eat them!

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