Air Fryer Ham
Baked ham feels like a huge deal, but cooking it doesn’t have to be a huge project. Try this recipe for air fryer ham with a honey mustard glaze for your next holiday dinner. It’s a juicy honey-baked ham, with crispy charred edges and a wonderfully sticky glaze!
Air frying ham saves oven space – a real win on busy holidays – and cuts down cooking time while still delivering that golden, sticky exterior that makes people go “wow.”
Serve it with your favourite sides, and use the leftovers for sandwiches or these tasty air fryer ham and cheese sliders.
Scroll down for the printable recipe card, or read on for all the details!
For some more holiday mains you can make in your air fryer, try this air fryer pork roast, air fryer roast beef, or air fried turkey breast.
Ingredients notes
Pre-cooked ham
Use a boneless, fully cooked ham that will fit comfortably in your air fryer. A quarter-leg ham (~3 lb / ~1.3 kg) is a great size for most baskets. Spiral-cut hams work too – see notes on cooking time adjustments below.
Check your fit: If your ham is too tall, slice off a bit so it fits in your air fryer basket – save it to make air fryer ham steaks later in the week.
Note
If you have a gammon joint to cook in your air fryer, you can use the same process for cooking it, but the cooking times will be much longer than in the recipe below. This is because gammon needs to fully cook, rather than just heat through as with pre-cooked ham.
Always use a meat thermometer to be sure it is cooked properly!
Glaze ingredients
The glaze is the star here, it’s a simple mix of:
- Brown sugar (or swap with coconut sugar)
- Liquid honey, or maple syrup.
- Dijon mustard. Wholegrain mustard works too.
- Fruit juice. Pineapple juice, apple juice, or orange juice are all ideal.
- A pinch of warm spices like ground cloves or nutmeg for extra depth.
You can use your ham’s packet glaze if it came with one, but this homemade honey-mustard glaze gives a great balance of sweet, tangy, and rich flavor.
How to make it
1 Prep the ham
Remove the rind if your ham has one – a little white fat is good, but the rind itself won’t render down. Try to keep the white fat on the ham, and just remove the rind, as this layer of fat keeps the ham moist (and very tasty!). Using a sharp knife, score the fat in a diamond pattern so the glaze can sink in.
2 Make the glaze
Whisk brown sugar, honey (or maple), mustard, juice and spices together in a small bowl until smooth.
3 Glaze the ham
Place the ham in a small baking pan that will fit inside your air fryer. Spoon the glaze over the ham.
4 Air fry and baste
Bake the ham in the air fryer at 300 °F / ~150 °C for around 45 minutes (15 minutes per pound/ 450g). Baste the ham generously every 15 minutes with the glaze and juices in the bottom of the pan.
5 Check, rest and serve
When the cooking time is up, check the ham is done – it should be caramelized and golden when it is done, and 140°F/ 60°C of higher in the center.
Once the ham is cooked, remove it from the air fryer, cover it with foil, and set aside to rest for about 10-15 minutes until ready to serve.
Finally, collect the glaze and juices from the roasting pan, and pour over the ham just before serving.
Pro Tips
- Check the temperature: Because this is a reheating method, aim for an internal temp of 140°F / ~60 °C in the thickest part for best results.
- Keep the juices: The juices in the pan make amazing gravy or sauce – don’t pour them down the sink!
How long to cook ham in the air fryer
Boneless ham requires approximately 15 minutes per pound/ 450g in the air fryer. However, as always, cooking times are an estimate and will vary according to a few factors, including the size and shape of your ham, the starting temperature, and how powerful your air fryer is.
Because this is a reheating method, aim for an internal temp of 140°F / ~60 °C or higher in the center of the thickest part.
Check the internal temperature with an instant-read meat thermometer and air fry for a few more minutes if needed.
How long to air fry spiral sliced ham
The cooking time for spiral ham is much shorter than for uncut. Use a cooking time of 10 minutes per pound/ 450g (a total of 30 minutes for a 3lb ham), basting every 10 minutes (rather than 15).
Serving ideas
This ham is a crowd-pleaser and pairs beautifully with easy sides like:
- Instant Pot mashed potatoes
- Microwave steamed green beans
- Air fryer pineapple slices
- Cheddar cheese sauce
- Microwave steamed carrots
What to do with leftovers
- Store: Store any leftover ham in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and use within 5 days.
- Reheat: Slice and reheat in the air fryer at 325 °F / ~160 °C for a few minutes until warmed through.
- Leftover ideas: Use slices cold in salads, warm in crescent rolls with melted cheese, or chop into casseroles and soups.
Air Fryer Ham
Ingredients
- 3 pound / 1.3 kg ham precooked
- ¼ cup water
Glaze ingredients
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons liquid honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup fruit juice pineapple, apple, or orange
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves or nutmeg
Instructions
- Remove the rind from the ham by cutting it and then sliding your fingers or a silicone spatula underneath to loosen it. Try to leave as much of the white fat on the ham as possible.
- Use a sharp knife to score the layer of fat diagonally at about 2cm intervals.
- Whisk the brown sugar, honey, mustard, and juice and spices together in a small bowl.
- Preheat air fryer to 300°F/ 150°C (approx 3 minutes).
- Place ham in a small pan or baking dish, spoon the glaze evenly over the ham.
- Bake ham in the air fryer for 45 minutes, basting generously every 15 minutes with the glaze and juices in the bottom of the pan, until the ham is sticky and golden.
- Cover with foil, and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Collect the glaze and juices from the base of the roasting dish and pour over the ham just before serving.
Notes
- This is the temperature recommended by the USDA for reheating ham.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.
