If you've ever wondered how to cook ham in an instant pot, I have the best instant pot spiral ham recipe for you. Whether you're preparing a scrumptious dinner feast or a busy weeknight meal, ham in the instant pot is ideal.
You'll love the efficiency cooking with a pressure cooker brings to the table. It's revolutionary!
Whether you call it a pressure cooker or an instant pot, it is a fabulous kitchen invention that has changed the way we cook ham and other meals forever!
I know you're really going to like the easy instant pot spiral ham recipe I'm sharing with you today. If it doesn't scream Easter dinner to you, then I don't know what does. It is quick and simple, and one tasty dish!
Though, as perfect as this instant pot Easter ham is for the spring, it works for other holidays, and for a busy weeknight when you're short on time.
Making ham in an instant pot is a snap and frees up your oven to make other dishes.
For a well-balanced meal, add ham to this sweet potato sheet pan dinner, our AMAZING scalloped potatoes or scalloped corn casserole.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Dinner in just 40 minutes!
- Cooks up an incredibly moist and juicy ham!
- You only need a few ingredients.
- Making ham in an instant pot frees up your oven.
- This method of cooking gives you more time with family and friends.
Ingredients in Instant Pot Ham Recipe
Honey, brown sugar, pineapple and water are all it takes to bring out the very best in what ham has to offer.
For the full ingredient list with measurements, check the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Here's the basics:
- Spiral sliced ham: In my opinion, this type of ham works best! Make sure you get a ham that will fit inside your electric pressure cooker! This will vary by the capacity of your instant pot.
- Pineapple: We will be using juice and crushed pineapple to cook with the ham to add flavor and make the ham super juicy. In particular the crushed pineapple makes the sauce more chunky and pulpy. It's the secret to a much deeper and more enriched flavor profile.
- Brown sugar and honey: Makes the ham sweeter and will contribute to the glaze and sauce for the ham.
- Garlic powder: Adds a bit of flavor to sauce for the cooked ham.
How to Cook Ham in Instant Pot
Here are the step-by-step photos and instructions for making this instant pot ham spiral ham recipe. For the complete instructions, check the recipe card further down on the page.
- Prepare the instant pot by placing the trivet inside of the instant pot and pour 1 ½ cups of water into the bottom.
- Using two pieces of foil, wrap the bottom half of the ham to fold like a boat to keep the juices in.
- Place the wrapped ham inside the Instant Pot on the trivet.
- Whisk together pineapple juice, crushed pineapple, honey and brown sugar. Pour this mixture over the ham, making sure it seeps in between all the slices.
- Cook the ham in the instant pot. Cover with the lid and move the valve to sealing position. Cook on high manual pressure for 20 minutes. then quick release the pressure.
- Remove the ham from the Instant Pot being careful to not spill any juice. Set it aside for a bit.
- Remove all but a a quarter cup of ham juice from the insert and add the brown sugar and garlic powder. Cook on the saute setting, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes a thick glaze.
TOP TIP: Discard the crushed pineapple before making the final glaze. As you gather the juice from the foil to make the final glaze, run it through a strainer to trap and filter out any pineapple chunks. Keep in mind you'll require about a ¼ cup of the juices for the glaze.
- Now for the crowning moment! Drizzle or brush the glaze over the resting ham and serve.
Substitutions and Variations
Don’t have the correct ingredients on hand or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this easy ham recipe.
- Pineapple Juice: Orange juice makes a great substitute for adding flavor to instant pot spiral ham.
- Crushed Pineapple: Swap it for some warmed apricot preserves for the crushed pineapple.
- Honey: Use pure maple syrup instead.
- Add some spice! Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice are always nice spices to add to ham.
- Add a savory ingredients to the glaze such as whole grain mustard, garlic, or horseradish.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Boneless Ham
Add on a couple sides and you've got an easy dinner ready to go! Here are some ideas for serving.
- Ham pairs wonderfully with green vegetables like broccoli, parmesan green beans, asparagus, or cabbage.
- And what's a ham dinner without potatoes? From cheesy potato casserole, sweet potato casserole, or mashed potatoes, you just can't go wrong!
- Biscuits or cornbread are perfect with ham.
- If you prefer something that's cold and you can make ahead, potato salad or pasta salad make excellent sides for ham.
Storage
- Refrigerator: Place leftover spiral cut ham with some of the juices in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
- Freezer: Well wrapped leftover ham in an airtight container or freezer bag with some of the liquid to keep it moist, can last in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Place ham in an oven-safe baking dish and loosely cover with aluminum foil. Reheat on 275 degrees F at 10-minutes per pound of ham.
Tips
- The key to a succulent, flavorful ham is cooking ham in juices.
- Be sure to wrap the ham well in foil. It's important to trap the moisture that will be used later for the glaze and keep the ham moist.
- Take extra care when removing the foil-wrapped ham from the instant pot. The inside of the instant pot will be very hot. I recommend wearing protective gloves be careful to keep the foil securely around the ham to prevent leakage.
- Lightly brush off remaining crushed pineapple on the ham before adding the final glaze to the ham and serving.
FAQ
Do you have questions about how to make instant pot ham? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about this instant pot spiral ham recipe.
For the Instant Pot, I recommend a spiral-cut ham. Spiral ham is wet cured and comes fully cooked. It has been partially pre-sliced with a spiral machine, which helps retain its shape.
Being partially pre-sliced is an advantage as it takes the guesswork out of measuring each slice. Bone-in spiral ham enhances flavor and promotes moisture.
An Instant Pot is essentially a multi-function countertop version of a pressure cooker.
The Instant Pot uses a buildup of steam to create a high-pressure environment to cook the food inside. Cooking in an Instant Pot takes less time than traditional cooking methods.
For a fully pre-cooked ham, cook it on high pressure for 10 minutes to account for the foil, plus an additional 2 minutes per pound of ham.
More Tasty Ham Recipes
If you're looking for another ham recipe or for some delicious side dishes to serve with ham, some of my favorites are:
Instant Pot Spiral Ham
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 4-5 pound spiral sliced ham, thawed
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- ½ cup crushed pineapple
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup brown sugar
Final Glaze
- ¼ cup cooked ham juice
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Prepare the instant pot by placing the trivet inside of the instant pot and pour 1 ½ cups of water into the bottom.
- Using two pieces of foil, wrap the bottom half of the ham to fold a boat for keeping juices in. Place wrapped ham inside the instant pot on the trivet.
- Replace the lid and move the valve to sealing position. Cook on high manual pressure for 20 minutes, then quick release the pressure.
- Without spilling the juices, remove the ham from the instant pot and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the pineapple juice, crushed pineapple, honey and brown sugar; then pour over the ham, making sure it gets in between every slice.
- Remove all but a ¼ cup of ham juice from the insert and add the brown sugar and garlic powder. Cook on the saute setting, stirring constantly.
- Once thickened, drizzle and brush all over the ham.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published February 2021. It has been updated with new content.
David
The ham in the instant pot was delicious! I can’t believe how easy it was to create and boy did it taste great.a total time saver I wish I tried it sooner. Thank you for making ham so much easier to make. Keep up the great work.
Karin and Ken
Thank you for your kind words. We love this ham recipe too. Glad you tried it. I love how easy ham is to make in an instant pot too! Great minds think alike 😉 All the best. Karin