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If you've ever been disappointed by dried-out, tough ham, this Instant Pot Ham recipe is about to change everything. Glazed with honey and cooked in the moist, steamy environment of the Instant Pot, your ham is guaranteed to be juicy, tender, and ready in record time!
Whether served as part of a holiday meal alongside scalloped potatoes and roasted asparagus or as a simple weeknight dinner, it doesn't get much easier or more delicious than ham made in the Instant Pot!
Kristen's Keys for Instant Pot Ham
After years of making this Instant Pot Ham recipe, I have a few key tips that will help ensure success.
- Choose the right size ham. A 6-quart Instant Pot holds about a 5-6 pound ham; an 8-quart can handle 7-8 pounds. Spiral-sliced works best because the glaze slips into every slice, but any fully cooked ham works. Bone-in, boneless, smoked, or cured.
- Use foil + trivet. I have found that it is best to wrap the ham and glaze in foil and pressure cook on a trivet above water. This not only ensures the ham absorbs the glaze as it cooks, but it also prevents a burn notice from occurring.
- The cooking time varies. Adjust the cook time based on your ham's weight and whether it's foil-wrapped or spiral sliced. I break it down in detail so you will always have success.
5-Star Reader Review
Absolutely delicious! Received lots of compliments. Tried for 1st time on Thanksgiving because the oven was full. Gold Star! Highly recommend!: Ham not my favorite but I tasted and it was wonderful! -Susan ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
How to Cook Ham in the Instant Pot
This step-by-step section will help you to make a delicious, tender, moist Instant Pot Ham regardless if you are just learning how to use an Instant Pot or are a seasoned pro!
Step One: Prepare Instant Pot
Pour 1 cup of cold water into a 6-quart, or 1½ cups into an 8-quart and place a trivet inside the inner pot.
👉🏻Don't be tempted to use warm water! That will speed up the time it takes the Instant Pot to come to pressure and messes with the carefully calculated cooking time.
Step Two: Prepare Glaze
In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the pineapple juice with honey and brown sugar.
👉🏻Double the glaze for larger hams. If your ham is 6 pounds or larger, double the glaze to ensure flavorful results. Bigger hams need more flavor coverage.
Step Three: Glaze Ham
Place the ham on a large sheet of heavy-duty foil and fold up the edges to make a bowl. If you're using a spiral ham, gently separate a few slices so the glaze can work its way in, then pour the glaze over the top. After glazing, wrap the foil around the ham and place it on the trivet inside the prepared Instant Pot.
Step Four: Pressure Cook
Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for:
- Spiral-Sliced Ham: 2 minutes per pound + time for foil
- Unsliced Ham: 3 minutes per pound + time for foil
👉🏻Add time for foil! Add 10 extra minutes to the cook time if using heavy-duty foil. If using regular foil, only add 5 extra minutes.
Step Five: Let Pressure Release
To keep the ham juicy and tender, plan for a full natural pressure release. This should only take 10-15 minutes.
👉🏻Check the temperature: Because we are starting with a pre-cooked ham, we just want to warm it up, while infusing it with flavor. You will know the ham is fully warmed through, once an internal thermometer inserted into the center reaches 145°F. If any lower, pop back into the Instant Pot and cook for 3-5 additional minutes.
Step Six: Slice and Serve
Carefully unwrap the foil, while reserving the delicious liquid left inside the foil. Let the ham rest for 10 minutes, slice, and then spoon that reserved liquid over the ham for extra flavor.
👉🏻Want a thicker glaze? I have provided instructions for thickening the reserved liquid using a cornstarch slurry and the sauté function on the Instant Pot in the recipe card. In my opinion, the ham is so moist and flavorful, this step can be skipped.
Recipe Variations
- Use maple syrup in place of honey. A straight swap works beautifully.
- Replace pineapple juice with apple juice. I love using pineapple juice as it helps to flavor and tenderize the ham, but apple juice is a good substitute here.
- Skip the brown sugar. You'll still get plenty of natural sweetness from the honey.
- Add warming spices to the glaze. A pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves gives you that classic honey-baked ham flavor.
- Swap the glaze. If you are wrapping the ham in foil and cooking on a trivet, you can use any glaze recipe you like. The cooking times remain the same.
- Skip the foil. Replace the water inside the inner pot with pineapple juice or apple juice. Place the ham directly on the trivet and coat glaze with a mixture of equal parts brown sugar and honey. Cook as directed, not adding time to account for foil. Just know the chances of a burn warning go up, so keep the glaze simple.
- Ham doesn't fit? Don't panic. Simply use my recipe for Baked Ham. It will be delicious, just take longer to cook through.
Storage Tips
If you have leftover ham, consider yourself lucky! It will taste moist and delicious for days in the refrigerator and can
- Storage: Leftover ham and any reserved cooking juices can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen in a freezer-safe storage bag for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: To keep the ham just as juicy as when first prepared, it is best to gently heat in liquid. Place the ham slices in a shallow heat-safe dish with a bit of the reserved cooking liquid (or additional pineapple juice). Reheat in the microwave at 50% power for 1-2 minutes, or until warmed through.
- Put to New Use: Use leftover diced or sliced ham in any leftover ham recipe. A few favorites include, Instant Pot Ham and Cheese Pasta, Ham and Egg Breakfast Casserole, and Cheesy Potatoes and Ham.
Complete Your Meal
Instant Pot Ham pairs beautifully with any of the following side dishes:
Instant Pot Ham
Video
Ingredients
- 3-5 pound cooked ham, preferably spiral sliced
- ½ cup 100% pineapple juice
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, optional
- 2 tablespoons water, for slurry + more for pressure cooking
Instructions
Instant Pot Honey Baked Ham
- Place trivet inside the inner pot of the pressure cooker. Pour 1 cup of cold tap water into the inner pot for a 6-quart model and 1-½ cups of water for an 8-quart Instant Pot.
- Prepare glaze by whisking together pineapple juice, honey, and brown sugar in a small bowl or glass measuring cup.
- Unwrap the ham, discard any plastic caps, and place the ham on large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Fold up sides of foil, to make a bowl like shape around the ham. Gently separate slices of ham if sliced and pour the prepared glaze over ham.
- Securely wrap foil around the ham and place ham on trivet inside pressure cooker. Secure the lid on Instant Pot and be sure the venting knob is pointed towards sealed.
- Use the manual or pressure cook button to set the cooking time, using the following guidelines.For Spiral Sliced Ham: Cook for 2 minutes per pound on high pressure + time to account for the foil. If using heavy-duty foil, add 10 minutes to the total time; for regular foil, add 5 minutes to to the total cook time. For Unsliced Ham: Cook for 3 minutes per pound on high pressure + time to account for the foil. If using heavy-duty foil, add 10 minutes to the total time; for regular foil, add 5 minutes to to the total cook time.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release fully on its own. This is about 10-15 minutes.
- Once pressure has been released, check the internal temperature to be sure the ham is warmed to at least 145℉. If not, cook for an additional 3-5 minutes on high pressure.
- Remove the ham from the Instant Pot, remove the foil, reserving the cooking liquid that has accumulated in the foil. Let the ham rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes prior to slicing.
- After 10 minutes, slice and serve with the accumulated liquid or reduction (instructions follow).
Honey Ham Glaze Reduction (optional)
- Remove trivet from inside pressure cooker and pour out the water used to cook the honey baked ham. Place the inner pot back inside the pressure cooker, add the accumulated cooking liquid reserved from the foil, hit the sauté function, and let come to bubble.
- Mix together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl and then whisk into liquid inside inner pot. Whisk the liquid constantly until thickened and reduced, about 3-5 minutes. Pour over sliced ham.
Equipment
- Heavy Duty Foil
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in 2018; updated in 2025.
Hi! Any suggestions on how to use this recipe for a non spiral cut boneless ham?
Thanks!
Hi KC! For best results, I would suggest cutting to get the glaze in between the slices. If you don't want to do that, I understand 🙂 Increase the cooking time to You will also want to increase the 3 minutes per pound if unsliced.
Greetings from India,
Does the ham have to be pre sliced? I can only get a whole leg of ham here.
Thank You and Happy Holidays
Hi Amber! Two things, I would be concerned a whole leg of ham would not fit in your Instant Pot and is it already cured (precooked) or is it raw? Let me know and I can happily assist you more 🙂
OMG, the past 4 years this recipe has been a hit at all my thanksgiving gathers! You must try this perfect juicy delicious ham recipe!!!! Never eat a dry piece of ham ever again.
Fabulous! I love hearing this!
Where are the measurements for the honey glaze? You give absolutely no measurements and I'm not searching your other recipes for it. I won't pass this inadequate recipe on to anyone.
Hey there! All the measurements are in the recipe card and there is a jump to recipe at the top of every post if you don't want to read my tips.
This method of cooking ham and recipe is delicious! I will NEVER make ham any other way now. Thank you so much!! Would this be a good way to reheat leftover ham to have it be moist the second time around? Any idea how to do that? Thank you so much!
You are so welcome!! As for reheating, I would wrap in foil, with any remaining liquid if you have it, and set to cook for 2 minutes. It should be just warmed through to enjoy again.
I should have reviewed this early as I use this recipe so often. It is easy to prepare, the flavor is so good and the ham is not dry. This recipe is often requested by my husband. Sometimes, depending on my mood, I will reduce the amount of brown sugar and/or maple syrup by a touch or so. We have not noticed a difference in the flavor. Thanks, Kristen. Excellent!
I appreciate you sharing, Maureen! Thank you!
Thank you!
I used this method today on a 12.86lb spiral sliced ham. I used heavy duty foil as well. I was afraid it would be too long so I only did high pressure at 32 minutes and natural release for 7 minutes.
It was too long. Half of the spiral slices on top were semi dried out. Thankfully there were plenty of juices to set those slices in to get juicy again.
I don’t know if it should be low pressure or maybe 23-25 minutes but 2 minutes per on on high pressure is more than needed to just reheat.
Hi Jennie! I am sorry some of your ham dried out. If it was only the top, it sounds like it may have been not fully covered in foil, perhaps? I find this time to be pretty spot on for a store-bought spiral ham. Was this a Honey Baked Ham you just wanted to reheat, by chance?