Southern Baked Ham Recipe with Slow Cooker Version
This ham recipe may surprise you if you’re not from the South, but trust me, ham and Coca-Cola go together like peanut butter and jelly. The flavor combination just works. Southerners love to use Coca-Cola (or “coke”) in baking, making brines and sauces, and even whipping up vinaigrette dressings. It also makes for a delectable ham glaze.
What about honey baked ham? That is also a favorite around here, and truly, you can’t go wrong with a cup of honey or maple syrup in your glaze along with brown sugar and mustard. In my traditional Southern Baked Ham recipe, I use Alaga syrup in place of the honey.
But in this case, the sweet sparkle of cola is the key to a winning ham recipe. In this dish the coke’s subtle sweetness naturally offsets the briny flavor of the ham. Whether you bake your ham in the oven or cook it in the crock pot, this glaze leaves gives it a sweet, crusty brown edge.
And talk about simple! One of the advantages of this recipe is that you only need 5 ingredients: a fully cooked spiral cut ham, Coca-Cola, mustard, orange juice, and brown sugar.
This recipe serves up to 12 people, depending on how much ham per person you figure on serving. If you’re feeding a smaller crowd, the leftover ham will make delicious sandwiches or a whole other dinner when paired with some of the sides below. Moreover, the ham bone can add savory flavor to a homemade vegetable soup in place of beef.
Ham Recipe with Two Cooking Methods
The recipe below includes easy instructions for baking your cola-glazed ham for a total of 2 1/2 hours. However, you may want to consider using a slow cooker. Since you start with a fully cooked spiral-cut ham, it just needs enough cooking time for the ham to absorb the flavors of the glaze, or overnight on low.
Why Cook Ham in the Crockpot
Because ham is often a holiday staple, a slow cooker ham is a perfect alternative to save your oven space for casseroles, breads, and other baked goods. Besides space, another good reason to cook ham in the crockpot is the fact that the meat will be extra tender and juicy!
What Ham is Best for Cooking in the Crockpot
For this recipe, whether baking or slow cooking, I start with a fully cooked spiral-cut ham.
How to Cook Ham in the Crockpot
- Place fully cooked ham in the slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar, Coca-Cola, Dijon mustard, and orange juice and stir well. Pour mixture over the ham and brush it into the slices of the ham. Pour remaining mixture around the ham. Cook for 6-8 hours on low.
- Remove ham to a cutting board or platter and reserve the glaze for serving.
How to Serve Glazed Ham
Each person will need about ½ pound of ham, but I always estimate for a little more than that because leftovers are my favorite!
Ham is delicious with just about anything, but here are a few of my favorite accompaniments, especially during Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Southern Coca Cola Glazed Ham
Ingredients
- 1 7- to 8-pound fully cooked, bone-in ham
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 can Coca Cola
- 3/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place ham in an aluminum foil-lined large roasting pan or 13- x 9-inch pan.
- In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar, Coca Cola, Dijon mustard, and orange juice and mix well. Pour mixture over the ham and rub into the slices of the ham.
- Bake covered on the lower rack for 2 1/2 hours, basting every 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes, or until the ham is browned. Remove ham from the oven and let rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and serve warm.
Sounds SO YUMMY!!! Can I make ham gravy from drippings???
Absolutely!! They would be so delicious!