Instant Pot Ham
Instant Pot Ham is so super easy and juicy! I'll never make this in the oven again! Steamed to perfection in a fraction of the time. Covered in your favorite rub for some extra spice, and covered in a delicious pineapple topping. This is great served with my Instant Pot Deviled Eggs.
Why this works
- Quick cook - no matter the size of your ham you'll go from spending hours for cooking this to under an hour.
- Free it up - cook the ham for your holiday dinner in the pressure cooker to free up a spot in the oven for some Coconut Cream Pie.
- Any time of the year - so easy and done in a jiffy you can easily enjoy a ham on busy weeknight. The leftovers are delicious for Navy Bean Soup!
- Set it and forget it - with just a few minutes of prep time most of the time is just letting the ham cook in the Instant Pot while you do other things or put your feet up.
Ingredients you will need
Ingredient notes
- Ham - any pre-cooked ham will work for this recipe. A 6-quart typically will hold a 4-6 pound ham. Of course, the bigger the pot the bigger your ham can be. The more leftovers you have you can use them to make Instant Pot Omelette Bites.
- BBQ rub - you can use your favorite rub or any pork rub that you would use for pulled pork.
How to make this
Step 1: Prepare the pineapple topping
In a small bowl combine the drained crushed pineapple, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and brown sugar. Stir together until well combined.
This topping can be halved depending on the size of your ham. This is enough to cover a large ham.
Step 2: Apply rub and prepare the foil boat
Lay down a large piece of aluminum foil on a cutting board. Place the ham on top of the foil. Apply the rub generously to all sides of the ham. When finished fold up the foil to create a "boat" for the ham to sit in while it cooks.
Step 3: Cooking the ham
Add your rack to the Instant Pot along with the minimum amount of water for your model.
- 3-Quart Instant Pot - ½ cup
- 6-Quart Instant Pot - 1 cup
- 8-Quart Instant Pot - 2 cups
Put the ham into the pot, and pour half of the reserved pineapple juice over top of the ham. Be careful to keep the liquid inside the foil boat.
Cover the top of the Instant Pot Ham with the prepared pineapple topping until it's covered. Depending on the size of your ham you may not use all of the mixture.
Pour the remaining half of the reserved pineapple juice over the ham. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 10-minutes plus 2-minutes for every pound of ham then follow with a 5-minute natural pressure release.
For example, if you have a 5-pound ham, then you would want to cook on high pressure for 20-minutes followed by the 5-minute natural pressure release. That would be the base time of 10-minutes plus 10-minutes (5 pounds x 2-minutes per pound = 10-minutes) then a 5-minute NPR for a total of 25 minutes.
Expert tips
When choosing your ham it's important to make sure it will fit in your pot. It can be spiral cut or not, or bone-in or boneless. You can estimate that ½-pound of boneless ham per person. Or, ¾-pound of bone-in ham per person.
If you want to get that oven baked look then place under the broiler for 5-10 minutes or in the air fryer at 400-degrees for a few minutes.
Make a foil sling to make removing your Instant Pot Ham easier.
FAQs
Yes, they are precooked. Since they are already cooked you basically just have to warm them up to serve them up for dinner.
If you have the time then yes you should get your ham out of the fridge for an hour prior to cooking. Cooking it in the Instant Pot still ensures juicy results either way.
Just like most meats it's best to let it rest for a few minutes prior to serving.
Serving suggestions
Serve this ham at a party with some appetizers like Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms or along side an Instant Pot Turkey Breast. Serve as part of a buffet with a charcuterie board, with a green salad, or a vegetable and fruit tray.
Storage & Reheating
Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container or gallon bag for up to one week. To reheat, warm in microwave for a few minutes or on a tray in the oven at 200-degrees for 20-30 minutes.
You can freeze ham in freezer container or freezer bags for up to 1 to months. After that point it will decline in quality. Thaw in the refrigerator then reheat like the above.
How to video
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Recipe
Instant Pot Ham
Ingredients
Ham
- 1 5 pound Pre-cooked ham spiral cut, bone-in, or boneless
- ¼ cup Pork rub
- 1 cup water for cooking, or minimum amount of water for your Instant Pot model
Crushed Pineapple Topping
- 1 20-ounce can Crushed Pineapple drained, juice reserved
- ¾ cup reserved pineapple juice
- 1 Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon Ginger
- ¼ cup Dark Brown Sugar
Instructions
Crushed Pineapple Topping
- In a small bowl combine drained crushed pineapple, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginner. Stir well, and set aside.
- Lay a large piece of foil on a cutting board, and place ham on top. Cover ham generously on all sides with pork rub. Form a foil "boat" around the ham.
- Add rack, and water into the Instant Pot. Place ham inside.
- Pour half of the pineapple juice on the ham making sure the liquid stays in the foil boat. Cover the top of the ham with the prepared pineapple topping. Pour remaining pineapple juice over the ham.
- Cook on high pressure for a base time of 10-minutes plus 2-minutes for each pound then follow with a 5-minute natural pressure release.
- Allow the meat to rest for about 5 minutes after cooking, and then serve immediately.
Notes
- 3-Quart Instant Pot - ½ cup
- 6-Quart Instant Pot - 1 cup
- 8-Quart Instant Pot - 2 cups
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