Slow Cooker Chipotle Maple Bourbon Glazed Ham

Chipotle maple bourbon glazed ham in the slow cooker is the juiciest ham you’ll ever eat — and the easiest one you’ll ever make. The maple bourbon brown sugar mixture creates a flavorful cooking liquid in the slow cooker, then gets boiled down to a gorgeous lacquer-like glaze with a touch of spicy sweetness.

We get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

You’re going to love this

Maple bourbon glaze. Anything that gets glazed with maple syrup, brown sugar, and bourbon is bound to be delicious. And this ham does not disappoint. 

Slow cooker ham. If you’ve never made ham in the Crock Pot before, maybe it’s time to give it a whirl. It’s super easy, keeps the ham nice and juicy, and frees up your oven for other things. And don’t think using the slow cooker for your ham means you don’t get to have a glossy glaze. Just boil down the juices and spoon the luscious glaze over your ham before serving. 

Flavor-packed ham bone. Anything you make with this ham bone will get an extra flavor boost from the chipotle maple bourbon glaze. Whether it’s split pea soup, homemade beans, or really anything — you’ll notice the difference. 

Chipotle peppers. The chipotle peppers add a mellow, smoky heat to the maple glaze for this slow cooker ham recipe. It’s not spicy, but if you’re at all worried about it, use only one chipotle, or a tablespoon of the adobo sauce, or leave it out altogether. 

How to Make Slow Cooker Chipotle Maple Bourbon Glazed Ham

Place the ham flat side down on a cutting board. Trim the “rind” from the top of the ham. The rind is the thick, leathery skin that can easily be removed. You can cut it off, or run your knife underneath it and gently pull it off with your  hands. 

You want to have a layer of at least ¼” of fat on your ham. If the fat is very thick in places, you can trim it down. Otherwise, just leave it all on. All this fatty goodness will baste the ham as it cooks. 

• 

• 

With a sharp knife, score the ham into diamonds. Do this by making diagonal cuts all the way from top to bottom of the ham. This will allow the glaze to penetrate under the fat layer and flavor the meat. 

Make the chipotle maple bourbon glaze. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, bourbon, and chipotle peppers. 

Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray. Set the ham in the slow cooker and spread ½ of the glaze over the ham. 

Cook for 1 ½ hours on low. After 1 ½ hours, baste the ham with the juices and place remaining glaze over the ham. Cook for another 1 ½ hours or until it reaches an internal temperature of 140. 

Remove the ham and set it on a cutting board. Carefully pour the juices out of the slow cooker and into a small saucepan.

Heat over medium heat to a boil and reduce to simmer for about 20  minutes or until the sauce thickens into a glossy glaze. 

Spoon the glaze over the ham before serving. 

• 

• 

Recipe Essentials

6-Quart Crock Pot

The oval shape of this slow cooker is perfect for ham. And the locks on the lid make transporting your dishes easy and spill-free. This Crock Pot also comes in black and stainless steel.

Knife Sharpener

A nice sharp knife is a kitchen essential -- and a safety essential. It will make trimming the rind and fat from the ham super easy and cutting the ham into nice even slices a breeze. This is the knife sharpener we use. It was selected after reading many, many, many, many reviews-- and it works great.