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    Home » Holiday Recipes

    Pressure Cooker Ham Braised in Beer

    December 17, 2020 by Chenée Lewis

    281 shares
    Instant Pot Beer Braised Ham Glazed with Brown Sugar and Pineapple | Chenée Today

    The best beer-braised pressure cooker ham glazed with pineapple and brown sugar! Recipe includes your ham pressure cooker times and instructions for slow cooker ham as well, so read on! If you love this Instant Pot spiral ham and you're looking for more incredible holiday recipes, check out my Brown Butter Sweet Potato Pie, my Pecan Pie Tart, or my Christmas Charcuterie Board!

    Pressure cooker ham sliced on a plate surrounded by cranberries and rosemary sprigs, with dried orange slices in the background
    Pressure Cooker Ham Recipe
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    *This post contains affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my disclosure for details*.

    Pressure Cooker Ham Recipe

    This is the holiday ham my family has every year for Christmas. It's my grandmother's recipe on my mom's side, and my mom has been making it for years. The past few years, we've tried it in the Instant Pot and it was SO much easier! We haven't looked back. In the pressure cooker, ham is done in just minutes and comes out even more flavorful and delicious!

    Here's our family secret to this pressure cooker ham recipe: beer! My grandmother used to braise ham in beer when my mom was young, and my mom always makes it that way too. I like to use Christmas Ale from Great Lakes Brewing Company because it has a rich flavor with hints of Christmasy spices and honey. Plus, it reminds me of being back home in Cleveland, and of Christmastime -- two feelings that can't be replaced.

    If you can't find Christmas Ale in your area, just use any beer you like! The idea is to infuse your pressure cooker ham with the beer flavor, adding a complexity to the braising liquid and complementing the sweet and savory flavors we're also adding in.

    Overhead view of pressure cooker ham with gourds and dehydrated oranges
    Pressure Cooker Ham

    Ham Pressure Cooker Times - How long do you cook a cooked ham?

    Most spiral cut holiday ham is precooked so it won't need much time to heat through. But how long do you cook in a pressure cooker? Well, you'll need to cook this ham for 8 minutes, with a natural release. That time works best for a 4-5 pound, boneless, spiral sliced ham. If you have a smaller ham, you can use the quick release method on your pressure cooker, but I usually just let the pressure release naturally even with a smaller-sized ham.

    Cooking for 8 minutes allows the ham to heat through, while also providing time for the flavors in the braising liquid to penetrate the meat. And using a pressure cooker for your ham keeps it moist and flavorful and perfect for your holiday meal!

    Ingredients

    • boneless, spiral-sliced honey or brown sugar ham - It should be about 4 pounds to fit easily into a 6-quart Instant Pot. If necessary, you can trim your ham to fit.
    • canned crushed pineapple - this is a tradition for sure -- the pineapple adds so much flavor and helps sweeten the glaze. If you prefer, you can use pineapple chunks or slices, or just pineapple juice! You can also swap out the pineapple altogether for another sweet fruit flavor of your choice!
    • dark brown sugar - I definitely prefer dark brown sugar for this pressure cooker ham recipe. It caramelizes so nicely during the broiling step, and adds so much rich flavor.
    • Christmas or Winter Ale-style beer - I love Great Lakes Christmas Ale, but you can use whatever beer is your favorite!
    • dijon mustard - this is key - it helps to offset the sweetness of the brown sugar and pineapple so that your glaze isn't overly sweet!
    • ground cloves - these are optional, but if you like your ham with a bit more spice, add them in!
    • cornstarch - helps to thicken your glaze!

    Equipment

    You'll definitely need a 6-quart pressure cooker, or bigger depending on the size of your ham. You'll also want to grab something to broil your ham for that caramelized crust, either a broiler-safe baking dish or roasting pan. You could even use a cast-iron skillet for the broiler step. Here are a few more recommendations for this pressure cooker ham:

    Pressure Cooker Ham, Step by Step

    This ham is so easy to make! Here's what you need to do to achieve the best Instant Pot spiral ham!

    1. Place ham on trivet inside your Instant Pot. We're using the trivet to make it easier to remove the ham from the pressure cooker once we're done! Make sure the sliced end of the ham is facing up.
    2. In a large bowl, whisk together your beer, brown sugar, pineapple, mustard, and cloves.
    3. Use your fingers to separate the slices of your ham and pour the glaze mixture in between the slices, letting it fall over the sides of the ham into the bottom of the pressure cooker.
    4. Pressure cook on High pressure 10 minutes, letting pressure release naturally. Once pressure has released, open the pressure cooker and use trivet to remove ham to a baking dish.
    5. Turn Instant Pot to "Saute" mode and heat glaze liquid, stirring frequently. In the meantime, mix your cornstarch with a little water until it's dissolved. Stir this slurry into the glaze to thicken as it cooks. Once glaze is reduced and thickened, turn off instant pot and pour glaze over ham.
    6. Optional broiler step: This step is a must for me! Once the glaze is over the top of the ham, top with another ⅓ cup or so of dark brown sugar, pressing sugar into the top of the spiral slices. Then you'll just want to broil your ham for 5-7 minutes until the sugar is nice and caramelized and the edges of the ham are crispy. It makes it sooo good!
    Close up of pressure cooker ham sliced on a plate
    Pressure Cooker Ham

    Tips & tricks for the best instant pot spiral ham

    This ham is so easy to make and SO good, but here are a few tips to make it even better!

    • Choose the right size ham - this recipe works best with a ham that's between 4 and 5 pounds. If your ham is smaller, just reduce the cooking time to 6 or 7 minutes. And if your ham is larger, first make sure it fits in your pressure cooker, and then add a minute to the cook time.
    • Natural Release - I like to let it naturally release at least 10 minutes to let the flavors continue to penetrate the ham. I usually forget though and by the time I check on my ham, the pressure in the pressure cooker has fully released. Either way, it should come out great!
    • Don't be shy with the brown sugar - Maybe it's just me, but I like my ham nice and sweet! And especially with the complex flavors added to this recipe by the beer and the mustard, I like to liberally sprinkle on brown sugar for the broiling step. So if you have a sweet tooth like me, feel free to add as much as you like!
    • Storing Leftovers: To store, you can place your ham, sliced or unsliced, into an airtight container or food storage bag. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
    • Freezing Leftovers: You can cut your ham into slices and pop it into a freezer bag, making sure to get some of that juice/glaze in there too to keep it moist! Then, be sure to squeeze out the air from the bag. I also like to add a second bag just to be extra sure it won't absorb any air from the freezer.

    More Amazing Holiday Recipes

    Southern Baked Mac and Cheese

    Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Crystallized Ginger

    Mini Carrot Cake

    Biscoff Cheesecake

    Pressure cooker ham sliced on a plate surrounded by cranberries and rosemary sprigs, with dried orange slices in the background

    Pressure Cooker Ham Braised in Beer

    Print Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    This pressure cooker ham is a must for any holiday! Easy method for the best beer-braised pressure cooker ham glazed with pineapple and brown sugar!
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 17 minutes
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine :American
    Servings: 10 servings
    Calories: 487kcal
    Recipe Source: Chenée Lewis

    Equipment you may need

    • pressure cooker
    • baking dish
    • whisk
    • measuring cups and spoons
    • mixing bowls

    Ingredients

    • 1 4-5-lb (2 kg) boneless spiral sliced ham
    • 1-2 12 oz. bottle (354 ml) beer - preferably a spiced holiday ale
    • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) dijon mustard
    • 1 20 oz. can (28 g) crushed pineapple - with juice
    • ½ cup (110 g) dark brown sugar - plus more for broiling step
    • ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) ground cloves - optional
    • 3 tablespoon (44 ml) cornstarch

    Instructions

    • Position Instant Pot trivet inside instant pot and place ham on trivet, cut side down and slices facing up.
      1 4-5-lb boneless spiral sliced ham
    • In a large bowl, stir together pineapple and juice, mustard, brown sugar, and cloves. Add in beer and stir until well combined.
      1-2 12 oz. bottle beer, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, 1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, ½ cup dark brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
    • Gently separate ham slices and pour pineapple/beer mixture over ham, in between slices.
    • Cook on manual pressure on High for 10 minutes, and allow pressure to release naturally.
    • Carefully remove ham from instant pot and cover loosely with foil. Turn instant pot to “Sauté” setting.
    • In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch with 2 tablespoon of water until cornstarch is fully dissolved. Add this slurry to the remaining liquid inside the instant pot and heat, stirring, about 5 minutes until thickened and reduced.
      3 tablespoon cornstarch

    Broiling (Optional)

    • Place ham in a broiler-safe baking dish on center oven rack and pour thickened glaze over the top. Sprinkle additional brown sugar on top of glaze, if desired. Position ham on center oven rack.
    • Position ham on center oven rack and broil 3-5 minutes or until top of ham is caramelized and browned.

    Notes

    • Storing Leftovers: To store, you can place your ham, sliced or unsliced, into an airtight container or food storage bag. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
    • Freezing Leftovers: You can cut your ham into slices and pop it into a freezer bag, making sure to get some of that juice/glaze in there too to keep it moist! Then, be sure to squeeze out the air from the bag. I also like to add a second bag just to be extra sure it won't absorb any air from the freezer.
    Slow Cooker Ham: Pour pineapple/beer mixture over ham and cook ham on low in the slow cooker for 3-4 hours. Thicken and reduce your glaze on the stovetop in a medium saucepan, rather than in the Instant Pot. Then, just transfer your cooked ham to a baking dish, pour thickened glaze over ham, and broil as normal.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 6 oz | Calories: 487 kcal | Carbohydrates: 9 g | Protein: 39 g | Fat: 30 g | Saturated Fat: 11 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14 g | Cholesterol: 112 mg | Sodium: 2174 mg | Potassium: 538 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 5 g | Vitamin A: 1 IU | Vitamin C: 1 mg | Calcium: 20 mg | Iron: 2 mg
    Nutrition Disclaimer
    Tags: ham pressure cooker times, how to cook ham with pineapple, how to reheat ham slices, instant pot ham, instant pot ham cooking time, instant pot ham recipe, instant pot spiral ham, pressure cooker ham, slow cooker ham, spiral ham in instant pot
    Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can't wait to see (and share) your results! Follow me on Instagram at @chenee_today and tag #cheneetoday!

    Don't lost this instant pot ham recipe! PIN it for later:

    Instant Pot Beer Braised Ham Glazed with Brown Sugar and Pineapple | Chenée Today

    Last Updated on September 11, 2021 by Chenée Lewis

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    281 shares

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    1. Tayler

      December 13, 2022 at 9:24 am

      5 stars
      I made this ham for Christmas last year and it was perfect! Definitely making again this year!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        December 19, 2022 at 10:47 am

        Wonderful! So glad to hear it!

        Reply
    2. Toni

      December 13, 2022 at 8:28 am

      5 stars
      So perfect for the holidays! Everyone at my house enjoyed it!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        December 19, 2022 at 12:28 am

        Wonderful! I love this ham recipe!

        Reply
    3. Toni

      December 21, 2020 at 5:36 pm

      This is so good! Everyone at my house was impressed!! Thanks for this easy recipe!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        December 22, 2020 at 5:53 pm

        Thanks for trying it out! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Liz

      December 21, 2020 at 5:33 pm

      5 stars
      this looks incredibly juicy! I always dry out ham so I'm excited to use this recipe for a juicy ham!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        January 04, 2021 at 6:10 am

        Thanks! Yes the instant pot makes it so easy to get a nice juicy ham 🙂

        Reply
    5. Shanna A

      December 21, 2020 at 5:20 pm

      5 stars
      Yummy!! I am so excited to try this for my Christmas brunch.

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        January 04, 2021 at 6:34 am

        Thanks! It's the perfect Christmas ham!

        Reply
    6. Dolly @ Little Home in the Making

      December 21, 2020 at 4:31 pm

      5 stars
      This looks ah-may-zing! Love the addition of beer, and of course: Instant Pot! Hello!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        December 21, 2020 at 4:39 pm

        Thanks! The instant pot makes it so easy!

        Reply
    7. Dannii

      December 21, 2020 at 4:25 pm

      5 stars
      I never would have thought to use the pressure cooker to make ham. Such a great idea.

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        December 21, 2020 at 4:39 pm

        Thanks! It cooks so much faster and stays juicy ?

        Reply

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    About Chenée

    I’m Chenée (kinda rhymes with “today”) and I love all types of baking! But my favorite recipes are ones that are quick and easy, and still yield impressive results. The ones you can't help but make again and again! That's what I share here, and I hope I can make your baking life a little easier along the way. MORE ABOUT CHENÉE >>

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