how long do you cook a ham in a slow cooker

You generally cook a ham in a slow cooker on LOW for about 4–6 hours for a typical fully cooked spiral ham, or up to 6–8 hours for larger or picnic- style hams, until it reaches a safe internal temperature.

Quick Scoop

• For a fully cooked spiral ham (about 3–7 pounds), plan on 3–4 hours on LOW ; smaller hams can be done closer to 2.5–3 hours, larger ones toward 4 hours.

• For bigger bone-in or picnic hams (around 6–8 pounds), many recipes use 5–6 hours on LOW to heat through, and up to 8 hours on LOW if you want very tender, almost “pulled” ham.

• The key is temperature: ham should reach at least 140°F for a fully cooked ham (reheating), and some recipes take it higher (around 145–160°F) for texture and safety.

Simple Time Guide

• Small spiral ham (~3 pounds): 2.5–3 hours on LOW.

• Medium spiral ham (4–7 pounds): 3–4 hours on LOW.

• Large ham or picnic ham (6–8 pounds): 5–6 hours on LOW, up to 8 hours for very tender meat.

Always use a meat thermometer and remove the ham once the center hits the target temperature so it does not dry out.

Extra Tips For Best Results

• Place the ham cut side down and add some liquid (like pineapple juice, soda, or water with a splash of vinegar) to keep it moist.

• Cook on LOW instead of HIGH whenever possible so the ham heats evenly and stays juicy.

• Let it rest for about 10–15 minutes after you take it out of the slow cooker before slicing so the juices redistribute.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.