Pressure Cooker Ham that is fall apart tender and deliciously sweet!
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If you’re looking to change up your Holiday Dinner Menu Plan this year, think twice about the spiral ham and go ahead and make this Pressure Cooker Ham!
I can almost guarantee that everyone at you’re gathering will be amazed and it’s the perfect equivalent to the beloved holiday ham tradition.
You can say that this Instant Pot Ham is the modern version of a holiday classic- whatever you call it, just don’t pass it over!
But, be aware, everyone will want the recipe afterward! So be sure that you save this link to your favorites so that you can share it!
If you’re from the south, or just anything like me, ham is a good meal for any time of year! We love taking a ham and boiling it down till it just falls to pieces.
And not in that tough, dry, bleh- kind of way. In the most tender, juicy, and delicious kind of way. You know what I mean!
Ham is so good for a main meat dish, adding it to beans, stews, soups, sandwiches! Options are endless when you’ve got something this delicious!
Don’t get me wrong, a spiral ham is pretty good too. But in our family, it’s all about maw-maw’s boiled ham and we can’t get enough of it.
I’ve adapted this pressure cooker ham recipe from my grandmother’s original boiled ham recipe, so you know it’s gonna be good!
This recipe is so simple that it’s pretty much foolproof. You throw everything into the magic pot and then let it do all the work.
Honestly, I can’t believe that I fit a 7lb ham and all the “juices” into my pressure cooker. But I did and it turned out amazing.
We often use the term “pressure cooker” when referring to our recipes. Feel free to call this the “Instant Pot Ham” if that better fits your fancy.
The key to perfection lies in getting the juice-seasoning-meat ratio just right and I think we’ve done that.
But, I usually let you be the judge of our recipes. This means that you’ll need to come back and tell us just what you thought about it!
Between the emails and the consistent views that we get on this recipe, you need to know that this pressure cooker ham recipe is going to knock your socks off.
We needed to include that warning…. just in case. 🙂
Even though your family is going to think you’re some type of kitchen ninja, I can promise that the recipe is 100% EASY- PEASY.
In your pressure cooker, combine the apple juice, coke (optional), sugar, and all seasoning. Mix well.
Place the LARGE BONE-IN SMOKED HAM into the pressure cooker with the smaller end facing upwards. That helps the fat cap to drain and your help stay moist all over.
Close and lock the lid, cook for 45-60 minutes on HI pressure.
Look, I know that seems like a lot for a ham that is already cooked (smoked). But trust me on this one.
Your ham is going to be the talk of the evening.
So why the difference in cook times? Hams come in a variety of sizes. For a smaller ham, cook on the lower side. A larger, cook towards the longer side.
If your ham doesn’t come out juicy enough, or fall apart tender, feel free to add a little more cook time.
15 minute intervals with a natural release is perfect for monitoring.
You’ve got a lot in this pot, so you’ll want to let the pressure cooker do its thing and allow it to perform a natural release. If not, you’ll have a sweet mess all over your kitchen.
A tasty mess, but none the less, a mess.
Before the ham cools, I like to begin removing it from the bone and placing it back into juices so that every piece has some of the syrupy liquid on it.
I’m literally drooling right now.
To serve, remove it from the juices but reserve some as “gravy”.
For storing, I like to save some of the juices to let the ham marinade in an airtight container.
If you have leftovers and want to freeze, make sure you reserve some of the drippings for that too! You’ll want it during defrosting so that you don’t have dry ham.
Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot Stainless Steel Steamer BasketThe Instant Pot® Pressure Cooker CookbookFarberware 7-1 pressure cooker
After listening to our readers, we tested this recipe again, and again, to see if we could recreate the “dry” effect that our readers were experiencing. And, unfortunately, we did.
We have edited the recipe to reflect our findings and we suggest a shorter cook time for hams that are smaller (closer to 5 pounds) and a longer cook time for larger than 6 pounds.
Pressure Cooker Ham
This ham is perfect for any time of year! Use it as a meat dish, in soups, stews or beans! It makes the best ham sammies too!
Ingredients
- 1 5-7 lb ham, smoked
- 4 cups apple juice
- 1 cup coca-cola, optional
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- In your pressure cooker, mix all wet and dry ingredients.
- Add whole ham to the pot. Open end down, pointed end upwards.
- Close and lock lid. Cook on HI Pressure for 60 minutes for larger hams and 45 minutes for smaller ones.
- Turn off the pot and let it perform a natural release. A Quick release may cause juice to spew from the spout.
- If your ham is not "fall apart tender", continue cooking in 15-minute increments with a natural release.
- Take the ham out of the pot to remove from bone and then return to the juices to continue marinading. You can serve at any time.
- Enjoy!
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Don’t forget to come back and tell us what you thought of our pressure cooker ham!
