Instant Pot Ham

Instant Pot spiral sliced ham glazed in honey pineapple glaze on white platter next to electric pressure cooker.

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4.91 from 205 votes

This recipe for Instant Pot Ham delivers a juicy, tender, honey-glazed ham in record time!

Prep Time5

Cook Time16

Pressure Time25

Total Time46

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Equipment

Electric Pressure Cooker (6 or 8 quart)
Heavy Duty Foil

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

US Customary - Metric

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.

Video

Notes

Ham: Use any type of cooked ham (smoked, cured, uncured, boneless, or bone-in) as long as it fits! A 6-quart Instant Pot can fit up approximately a 5 to 6-pound ham, while an 8-quart Instant Pot will hold approximately a 7-8 pound ham.

For Ham over 5 pounds: Double the glaze.

Add Spices to Glaze: If you would like to add spices to your Honey Ham Glaze, use ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon cloves.

Sweet and Tangy Glaze Option: Instead of the honey glaze, mix together ⅓ cup pineapple juice, ¼ cup apricot preserves, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon prepared Horseradish, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and ⅛ teaspoon each of ground cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. Pour over ham before wrapping in foil.

Skip The Foil: While I recommend using foil when cooking ham in the Instant Pot, if you are opposed to doing so, skip it, with a few changes. Glaze the ham with equal parts honey and brown sugar and use pineapple juice (or apple juice) inside the inner pot, rather than using simply water. Place glazed ham on trivet over juice and pressure cook on high pressure with natural pressure release for 2 minutes per pound if sliced or 3 minutes per pound if unsliced.

Storage: Store the leftover sliced ham in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months.

Nutrition