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!
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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!
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!
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
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.
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.
Recipe
Cranberry Orange Crock Pot Ham
Equipment
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
Nutrition information is estimated. Please do your own calculation to fit special diets.
Nutrition
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!
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
James says
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!
Dee says
Thanks, James! I always recommend trying new recipes out before the big day!
Betty Cavanagh says
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
Dee says
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/ 🙂
Miz Helen says
Congratulations!
Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week! Wishing you a bountiful Thanksgiving and enjoy your new Red Plate!
Miz Helen
Dee M says
It's super easy -- gotta love Crock-Pot cooking! 🙂
Candy Company says
Wow this is so easy! I love to combine fruits and meat in dishes.
Dee M says
I'm addicted to this stuff, but it really goes well with the ham. 🙂
Dee M says
Oh, you need a slow cooker! And, the more the merrier! 🙂
Claudia | Gourmet project says
orange marmalade? that's genius!
AiPing | Curious Nut says
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
Dee M says
We have tons of side dishes, so this works very well for us. I hope you have a chance to try it! 🙂
Dee M says
Thanks! We love ham too, and this is super easy. 🙂
Dee M says
I love having the extra oven space, and I think the ham tastes so much better this way. 🙂
Kathi Kirk says
That is incredibly clever and incredibly easy! Perfect for this ham loving' family!
Amanda {Striped Spatula} says
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!
eclecticyellowhouse.com says
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!