Instant Pot Apple Pie Glazed Ham

The Ultimate Instant Pot Apple Pie Ham: A Holiday Masterpiece

There’s a special magic that a perfectly cooked ham brings to any holiday gathering. For many, like myself, ham often graces the table primarily during cherished celebrations such as Christmas and Easter. Over the years, I’ve experimented with various methods, from slow-roasting in the oven to simmering in a crock pot. However, discovering the Instant Pot has been a true revelation, especially for this beloved Apple Pie Ham recipe. The Instant Pot doesn’t just speed up the cooking process; it locks in moisture and infuses every slice with an unparalleled depth of flavor, making it the ideal appliance for a busy holiday chef.

Why the Instant Pot is Your Holiday Ham Hero

The Instant Pot is a game-changer when it comes to preparing holiday meats, and ham is no exception. Its pressure cooking function drastically reduces cooking time, allowing you to free up your oven for other dishes or simply enjoy more time with your loved ones. Beyond speed, the sealed environment of the pressure cooker ensures that your ham remains incredibly moist and tender, preventing the common issue of dried-out meat. This is particularly crucial for pre-cooked hams that are often susceptible to drying out with prolonged heating. The Instant Pot creates a consistently juicy ham every single time, making it a reliable choice for your festive feast.

Selecting and Preparing Your Ham

For this recipe, a spiral-cut ham is highly recommended. These hams are pre-sliced, allowing the delicious apple pie glaze to penetrate deep into the meat, ensuring every bite is bursting with flavor. Since spiral hams are typically pre-cooked, our goal isn’t to cook them from raw but rather to gently heat them through while infusing them with our delectable apple pie mixture. This reheating process is delicate; the key is to warm the ham without overcooking it, as spiral hams can dry out very easily. The Instant Pot helps manage this perfectly, providing a quick and even heat.

A Quick Note for Non-Spiral Hams: If you’re using a ham that isn’t spiral cut, don’t worry – you can still achieve fantastic results! You’ll simply need to make your own slices. Using a sharp knife, carefully make cuts along the length of the ham, mimicking the spiral pattern. Be sure not to cut all the way through, leaving the slices attached at the base. This technique allows the sweet apple glaze to seep into the ham, enhancing its flavor and moisture content. This little extra step ensures even distribution of flavor and a tender outcome, regardless of your ham’s initial cut.

The Art of Infusion: Keeping Ham Moist

As mentioned, spiral-cut hams are thin-sliced and pre-cooked, meaning they only require heating. Overcooking is the enemy here, as it quickly leads to dry, tough ham. The Instant Pot excels at this task, providing a quick, high-pressure environment that heats the ham efficiently without stripping it of its precious moisture. The apple juice added to the pot, combined with the sealing capabilities of the Instant Pot, creates a steaming bath that keeps the ham incredibly tender and juicy from edge to center. This method ensures your ham emerges perfectly warm and succulent, ready to be glazed.

To Foil or Not To Foil? Our Preferred Method

Some recipes might suggest wrapping your ham in foil before cooking, even in the Instant Pot. While this can sometimes help prevent sticking or contain moisture, it’s not my preferred method for this Apple Pie Ham. When the ham is wrapped, the delicious juices released during cooking don’t get the opportunity to mingle directly with the apple juice and the apple pie filling mixture. This mingling is crucial for developing that rich, flavorful sauce that truly elevates this dish. By cooking the ham directly in the Instant Pot with the apple mixture, we ensure maximum flavor infusion into the meat and create a robust, savory-sweet sauce that ties the whole dish together. If you do opt for foil, anticipate adding about 10 minutes to the cooking time to ensure it heats through.

Crafting the Irresistible Apple Pie Glaze and Sauce

The true magic of this Instant Pot Apple Pie Ham lies in its unique glaze and the rich, accompanying sauce. The combination of canned apple pie filling, brown sugar, and ground cloves creates a sweet, aromatic, and slightly spiced coating that caramelizes beautifully onto the ham. But it doesn’t stop there. The ham’s natural drippings, infused with the apple juice and pie filling, are transformed into a luscious gravy. After the ham is cooked, carefully removing it allows us to concentrate and thicken these flavorful liquids into a pourable sauce. Skimming any excess fat and then whisking in a cornstarch slurry on the Instant Pot’s sauté setting ensures a perfectly velvety texture. This savory-sweet apple pie sauce is the crowning glory, spooned generously over each tender slice of ham, enhancing its succulence and adding an extra layer of gourmet flavor.

Perfect Pairings: What to Serve with Your Apple Pie Ham

A show-stopping ham deserves equally delicious companions. This Instant Pot Apple Pie Ham pairs wonderfully with a variety of classic holiday side dishes. Consider serving it alongside creamy, rich Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes, which soak up the ham’s juices beautifully, or a comforting batch of Instant Pot Creamy Mashed Potatoes, perfect for drizzling with that savory apple pie gravy. For a touch of green, Instant Pot Creamy Bacon Brussels Sprouts offer a delightful balance with their slightly bitter, smoky notes. Other excellent choices include roasted asparagus, green bean casserole, a vibrant cranberry sauce, or a light winter salad. A fresh, crusty bread roll is also a must for soaking up every last bit of that incredible apple pie sauce. Building a complete holiday menu around this ham will surely create a memorable dining experience.

You might also enjoy these related Instant Pot recipes to complete your holiday feast:

• Instant Pot Bone-In Ham
• Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes
• Instant Pot Creamy Bacon Brussels Sprouts
• Instant Pot Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Pin This Recipe for Later!

Don’t let this incredible recipe slip away! Pin this Instant Pot Apple Pie Ham to your favorite holiday boards on Pinterest so you can easily find it when you’re planning your next festive meal. It’s a crowd-pleaser that you’ll want to make year after year!

Share Your Creations!

We absolutely love seeing your culinary masterpieces! If you make this delicious pressure cooker ham, please consider leaving a comment below with a star rating. Your feedback is invaluable and helps other home cooks discover wonderful recipes. We’d love to know how you and your family enjoyed this sweet and savory holiday ham!