Description
This Instant Pot Ham recipe offers a perfectly cooked and flavorful ham glazed with a sweet and spiced honey mixture. Using the Instant Pot ensures a juicy, tender ham in a fraction of the time it would take to cook traditionally, with an optional broil step to caramelize the glaze for a beautiful finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Ham
- 5 pounds Ham (boneless or bone-in)
Honey Glaze
- 1 cup Honey
- 1/2 cup Brown sugar (firmly packed)
- 1 teaspoon Ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Orange zest
Instructions
- Prepare the glaze: In a bowl combine honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and orange zest until well mixed.
- Warm the glaze: Place the bowl in the microwave and heat for 15-30 seconds depending on your microwave strength. Stop heating once the glaze reaches a pourable consistency.
- Prepare the ham: Place your ham on a large piece of aluminum foil that can fully wrap the ham.
- Apply initial glaze: Using a basting brush, coat the ham evenly with half of the glaze, reserving the remainder for later.
- Wrap the ham: Tightly wrap the ham in the aluminum foil ensuring a good seal to keep juices contained during cooking.
- Set up Instant Pot: Place a trivet with handles inside the Instant Pot inner pot to keep the ham elevated.
- Add water and place ham: Pour 1.5 cups of water into the pot, then position the wrapped ham on the trivet.
- Seal the Instant Pot: Lock the lid in place and set the valve to SEALING.
- Pressure cook: Set the Instant Pot to cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 10 minutes (adjust timing based on the ham’s weight as per notes).
- Natural pressure release: When cooking time ends, let the Instant Pot naturally release pressure for 15 minutes, then manually vent remaining steam by turning the valve to VENTING.
- Check internal temperature: Carefully open the lid and use a meat thermometer to ensure the ham has reached a safe internal temperature of 145°F. If not, reseal and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes at high pressure.
- Remove and unwrap ham: Carefully lift the ham from the Instant Pot using trivet handles, place on a platter, and remove the foil discarding excess liquid.
- Optional broil and glaze: For a caramelized finish, rewarm the reserved glaze if needed, brush it over the ham, and broil under your oven’s broiler for about 5 minutes until the glaze bubbles and caramelizes.
- Serve: Serve the ham immediately while warm and enjoy the tender, flavorful meat.
Notes
- Cooking times may vary based on the weight of the ham. For a 5-pound ham, 10 minutes of pressure cooking is recommended with a 15-minute natural release.
- Make sure the Instant Pot valve is set to SEALING to build pressure properly.
- Using a trivet with handles helps safely remove the ham after cooking.
- The glaze can be reheated in short bursts in the microwave to adjust consistency for basting.
- If preferred, the ham can be served without the broil step for a softer glaze finish.
