What if I told you you could cook a ham in about a half an hour? A nice big ham, not dried out, in a pressure cooker for 7 minutes! There are a number of holidays were we loooove to eat ham. Ham is delicious, with a salty flavor that pairs perfect with all the hundreds of holiday sides we love to serve. However, ham is also BIG and can take hours to bake…and then it often dries out. You can cook a nice big ham in a pressure cooker for 7 minutes! You’ll never go back. Pressure cooker ham is the way to go!
This post is in partner with Dole, all opinions are my own!
Why make ham for the holidays?
Ham is an elegant meat to serve and one that everyone- from kids to adults love. You really cannot go wrong by serving ham. It also pairs well with another meat! If you want to brine and bake a turkey, grill up steaks or serve a roast? With the accompany side dishes and meats ham will be a great match.
How to make glaze for your pressure cooker ham
Start by making a homemade glaze for my ham. Mix it up in a separate bowl. I like to use Dole Pineapple, because the juice is 100% juice and not full of sugars. Dole pineapple has a great fresh taste and texture. perfect for this recipe.
Mix all the ingredients for the glaze and set aside while you prepare the ham in the instant pot.
How to make pressure cooker ham
Depending on the pressure cooker you own, depends on the size of your ham. For my 6 qt instant pot I bought a 7.5lb ham and it was FULL. I don’t recommend going bigger than that for 6qt.
If you have larger pot- like the 8qt, you may get a larger ham. For this post, this ham is also spiral cut and bone-in.
Step 1.
Make foil handles. Take two long sheets of foil and fold them hot do style in half, then half again (watch the video below for a visual). Place your steam rack in, and then the foil, with the ends coming up above the ham to help you remove it later from the instant pot. (tuck the handles in before you put the lid on.)
Step 2. Drizzle over the glaze and add pineapple tidbits or chunks on top. Take another sheet of foil and place it around the top of the ham. This will help keep the glaze close to the ham.
Step 3. Cook ham on high for 7 minutes! quick release when it is done.
depending on how large your ham is will also depend on how long it will take for your ham to come to pressure. Larger the ham, the longer it will take.
How to create a sticky ham glaze after the instant pot
If you like your ham a little more crispy or sticky then place on a cookie sheet, or a platter that is oven safe. Broil for a few minutes till the ends are crisp. You can even reserve a little of the glaze (or make up some more) and re-apply on the outside.
TIP! Do not broil too long or it will dry out the ham. Remove ham from the oven and using juices from the instant pot, baste the ham to restore any lost moisture. Cover with foil to keep warm and keep moisture in until serving time.
I love to add Dole pineapple rings on top not only for fresh sweet pineapple flavor but also because it makes it gorgeous!
eInstant Pot Easter Recipes Blog Hop
I’ve teamed up with a talented group of food bloggers to give you more great Instant Pot Easter recipes:
Instant Pot White Chocolate Lemon Bar Cheesecake – Tidbits-Marci
Instant Pot Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole –Pressure Cooking Today
Instant Pot French Toast Casserole – Happy Healthy Mama
Instant Pot Bluberry French Toast Bake – Oh, Sweet Basil
Instant Pot Corn Casserole Recipe – The Typical Mom
Instant Pot Baked Potatoes – Self Proclaimed Foodie
Instant Pot Cheddar Bacon Mashed Potatoes 365 Days of Slow Cooking and Pressure Cooking
Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes – Crunchy Creamy Sweet
Instant Pot Carrot Cake – Instant Pot Eats
Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes – Your Homebased Mom
Instant Pot Ham with Homemade Glaze – Oh So Delicioso
Instant Pot Potatoes Au Gratin – Bite of Delight
Instant Pot Creamy Chicken and Pasta – The Butter Half
Instant Pot Lamb Biryani – Paint the Kitchen Red
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- 1 ham, spiral cut pre cooked ham for 6 qt pressure cooker stay around 7lbs
- 3/4 cup honey
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 large can Dole pineapple tidbits with juice
- 1 tbsp whole cloves
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
In separate bowl mix brown sugar, honey, apple cider vinegar, whole cloves, and 3/4 cup dole pineapple juice from the can. Set aside.
In pressure cooker place steam rack on bottom. Fold two long sheets of foil together to form one skinny long piece that will make handles. Place on rack with ends coming up to the top and folding over edge of instant pot. (see video for visual).
Place ham in pressure cooker and pour glaze on top. Top ham with remaining pineapple tidbits. Place one piece of foil on ham. Seal and cook high 7 minutes. Quick release.
If crispness is desired, remove from pressure cooker to cookie sheet. broil for a few minutes until ends are crispy. Ladle juices from pressure cooker on ham to restore any moister. Serve immediately.
The ham is a pre-cooked spiral cut ham.
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Was the ham the Pre-cooked variety?
yes! pre-cooked and spiral cut.
I am so excited to make our Easter ham in the Instant Pot! It looks absolutely delicious!
I have our ham ready to go…going to give this a try. The photo is fantastic. Thank you!
hI! Im so excited to try this, but are you sure the ham wont end up tough and rubbery if its pre-cooked? I havent made too much in my pressure cooker yet, but some of the meat has come out a little rubbery. Any tips?
This worked out perfect!
Will it work with a regular ham not spiral ? Using a 8qt
yes! It will work with either one :)
So.. rookie mistake.. make sure to tuck in the foil handles before sealing the lid! I never watched the video and thought the foil got left over the edge.. oops.
It doesn’t seal like that, shocker, I know. Lol.
It still turned out delicious after a little adjusting.
Good point! I’ll add that in the tips Cris!
I always thought the pressure cooker required some form of liquid. This recipe doesn’t seem to have any liquid. Is it able to come up to pressure without it?
YES! You do need liquid for this recipe you add the whole can of pineapple tidbits including liquid. If you would prefer to not have the juice added you could add water and only the tidbits :)
If I only have a 3.5 lb. Spiral ham do reduce the time on the pressure cooker?
No it will naturally cook faster because of the smaller ham!
Recipe says cook 30 minutes and 7 minutes …which one for spiral ham
The overall recipe cook time is 30 min, meaning the entire cook time will be 30 mintutes. On the instant pot you will only cook it for 7 minutes- but because it takes time to come to pressure and release the overall cook time is about 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the ham. Does this make sense?!
Is a 14lb bone in ham too big for an 8qt pot?
I’m sorry I don’t have an 8qt to test this! did it work for you? It would be helpful to know for future readers!
Is the ham thawed or cannot come straight from the freezer?
You can do a frozen ham with the instant pot! I would just add a few more minutes (or maybe double the time).
What if you are cooking a fresh (uncooked) ham? Not sure how much time to add?
This recipe is for a pre-cooked ham, I don’t have instructions for a raw ham, as I have never prepared one.