Instant Pot Ham with a Sweet Spiced Honey Glaze (Video!)

After you make ham in a pressure cooker, you won’t want to cook a ham in any other way. Forget using an oven, the Instant Pot makes for the juiciest and most flavorful ham you’ll ever have.

I used my 6-quart Instant Pot to cook a bone-in spiral cut ham and it is the best ham I’ve ever had. Really.

This ham is better than those honey-baked hams I used to spend a fortune on back in the day. Back then, I never cared much for the ham itself but rather always looked forward to using the ham bone. This ham recipe has changed that for me. Now, I love the ham just as much as the bone! And if you know me, that is saying a lot.

how to cook ham and why to use an instant pot:

There always seems to be a lot of confusion over how to cook ham but actually, when you buy a spiral ham at the grocery store, it’s almost always already fully cooked which means most of the time you just need to heat it through. The ham’s packaging comes with suggestions about how long to cook or heat the ham and those suggestions always recommend using an oven. I’m here to tell you that I don’t think I’ll ever use an oven to warm a bone-in spiral ham ever again. 

Using an oven to heat ham can dry the ham out, especially a pre-sliced spiral cut ham. By using an Instant Pot, the flavors of the glaze infuse into the meat. Just look at this plate of sliced ham soaked in my spiced honey glaze. You know you want a slice or two of this ham on your plate:

a sweet spiced honey glaze

You are going to love the sweet honey glaze on this ham! It’s a combination of coconut sugar or brown sugar, honey and some optional spices that make it over the top tasty.

Put the ham in the pot, the sliced side facing down then pour the thick glaze on top of the ham.

When you take it out of the pressure cooker, the first slice may look a little burnt, but trust me that slice might just be the best slice. You can just gobble it up as a “test slice” if you want 😉 The slices with the charred edges are definitely my favorite.

I usually make ham twice a year: on Easter and Christmas and in the past, I’ve truthfully made it out of obligation. I mean, you’re supposed to serve ham on those holidays, right? Now I plan to cook ham more often – these slices are a thousand times better than ham deli meat! I can quickly cook a ham and make my husband the best ham sandwiches for him to take to work. Or I can freeze ham slices and serve them as part of a special weekend brunch. 

Here are just a few examples of what you can make with your leftover ham:

I have a million more ideas floating around in my head and I want to hear your ideas too! Tell me how you plan to use this incredibly delicious ham!

I hope you make and love this sweet spiced honey ham!

Wishing all of you a great December 🙂 Happy Holidays!!

Instant Pot Ham with a Sweet Honey Glaze

Instant Pot Ham with a Sweet Honey Glaze

This recipe is for a bone-in spiral cut pre-cooked ham. When you buy a spiral ham at the grocery store, it’s almost always already fully cooked which means most of the time you just need to heat it through. The ham’s packaging comes with suggestions about how long to cook or heat the ham and those suggestions always recommend using an oven. I’m here to tell you that I don’t think I’ll ever use an oven to warm a bone-in spiral ham ever again! Enjoy!

4.85 from 19 reviews

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Ingredients

 

• ▢ ¼ cup water
• ▢ 1 bone-in spiral cut 6.5 pound ham*

Glaze:

• ▢ 1 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
• ▢ ½ cup honey

Optional Ingredients for Glaze:

• ▢ 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• ▢ 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ Big pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• ▢ Pinch of ground cloves

Instructions

 

• Pour ¼ cup water into the steel basin of the Instant Pot.
• Place the ham in the pot with the sliced side facing down. If the ham is too large, you may need to cut a portion of it off in order for it all to fit.
• Mix the sugar and honey along with the optional glaze ingredients if using together in a bowl. Pour this glaze on top of the ham.
• Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 10 minutes at high pressure.
• Naturally release pressure (if the valve doesn’t drop after 10 minutes, then open the valve to release any remaining pressure).
• Drain the liquid from the pot into a bowl and set aside.* Allow the ham to rest for at least 10 minutes, then remove the ham to a platter.
• Press sauté and add the liquid back to the pot. Cook until the liquid has reduced to your liking. Pour this sweet sauce on top of the ham slices when serving. 

Video

Notes

• In step 6, the reason you want to drain the liquid is because it will make it much easier to tip the ham out – that way you don’t need to burn your fingers by trying to lift it out with a fork/tongs/fingers.
• A 6.5 pound ham should fit in a 6 quart pot but if yours is slightly larger then you may need to cut the ham to make it fit, place both pieces into the pot at the same time, if possible.
• If you have leftover ham, place it in a container and pour the sweet sauce overtop to keep it moist and flavorful.

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Looking for other festive recipes? Check out some of my other holiday recipes here.