Ditch the oven and try air-frying your next ham! It’s faster and less hassle!
Recipe Overview
Cooking a traditional holiday ham can be stressful, and take up your oven for the better part of an afternoon! That’s why making a ham in the air fryer is a much better plan.
Use your oven to bake your sides or your pies, and make the ham in your air fryer! This easy ham recipe is also extra special with the addition of a homemade maple syrup glaze.
Here’s the ingredients you’ll need
- Fully Cooked Ham – Most hams that are purchased for cooking are already fully cooked and smoked. When we bake or air fry a ham, we’re really just reheating it. You can use a pre-sliced or unsliced ham. I chose a smaller, 4 pound ham that will fit in my Ninja air fryer.
- Orange Juice – Fresh squeezed orange juice is best. This is the base of our glaze and gives a sweet, acidic note.
- Brown Sugar – This ingredient in our delicious ham glaze brings lots of caramelly sweetness.
- Maple Syrup – For more sweetness and a hint of maple that goes so well with ham.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – A tart vinegar helps to balance the sweetness of the glaze.
- Cinnamon -Just a bit of ground cinnamon makes this glaze perfect. Your kitchen will smell amazing while this is cooking in the air fryer.
Let’s get started!
- Combine the orange juice, brown sugar, maple syrup, vinegar, and cinnamon in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally, until brown sugar is dissolved and glaze is combined; set aside.
- Remove any netting from the ham. For an unsliced ham, carefully score the ham with shallow ½-inch criss-cross cuts.
- Set the ham on a large square of aluminum foil, then brush on ½ of the glaze. Wrap the foil around the ham and set it inside the air fryer basket.
- Air fry at 300F/148C for 40 minutes. Open the air fryer basket, carefully open the foil, pushing it down to create a small “bowl” for the ham, then brush the ham with another ½ of the glaze.
- Air fry for another 5 minutes at 375F/190C if you’d like it caramelized. (If you prefer no caramelization, remove the ham after the first 40 minutes and allow it to rest before serving.)
- Remove the ham from the air fryer and allow it to rest for 10 minutes, then slice to your desired thickness and serve, brushing any remaining glaze on when serving.
Reuse the juices!
You’ll end up with some liquid in your tin foil once the ham is finished cooking. This will be a combination of liquid given off by the meat and glaze that drips off.
You don’t have to do anything with that, but if you like, you can put it in a pan on the stove and boil gently until it reduces and thickens. Then brush it over the ham before serving. Yum!
Serving Ideas
You’ll want to serve this ham with homemade and traditional sides like mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and broccoli casserole.
Air Fryer Cabbage and Air Fryer Green Bean Casserole will also pair well.
An easy ham dinner is also great as a weekend meal. Go simple with Air Fryer Carrots and Baked Potatoes. Go really simple with some Air Fryer Frozen Pierogies!
This ham can also work if you’re making a breakfast spread! Air Fryer Breakfast Casserole or Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs, plus some fresh fruit would be amazing.
Reheating leftovers
You can easily reheat your ham leftovers in the air fryer. Air fry at 325°F for just 2-3 minutes to reheat.
FAQs
I found that a four-pound, pre-sliced, boneless ham fit very well in my Ninja air fryer. For a larger ham, you may be able to slice it in half and arrange it to fit. Just make sure there is room to wrap it with foil and allow air to circulate.
Yes! Without this foil wrapping your ham is likely to dry out.
Turn the heat up on the air fryer and air fry for just 5 additional minutes to let the sugar caramelize and crisp up.
Air Fryer Ham
Equipment
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Fresh orange juice
- 1/3 cup Brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp. Apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. Ground cinnamon
- 4 lbs. Ham boneless, fully cooked
Instructions
- Combine the orange juice, brown sugar, maple syrup, vinegar, and cinnamon in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally, until brown sugar is dissolved and glaze is combined; set aside.
- Remove any netting from the ham. For an unsliced ham, carefully score the ham with shallow ½-inch criss-cross cuts.
- Set the ham on a large square of aluminum foil, then brush on ½ of the glaze. Wrap the foil around the ham and set it inside the air fryer basket.
- Air fry at 300F/148C for 40 minutes. Open the air fryer basket, carefully open the foil, pushing it down to create a small “bowl” for the ham, then brush the ham with another ½ of the glaze.
- Air fry for another 5 minutes at 375F/190C if you’d like it caramelized. (If you prefer no caramelization, remove the ham after the first 40 minutes and allow it to rest before serving.)
- Remove the ham from the air fryer and allow it to rest for 10 minutes, then slice to your desired thickness and serve, brushing any remaining glaze on when serving.
Video
Notes
- A four pound ham fit perfectly in my Ninja air fryer. A larger ham can be used, but you may need to cut it in half to fit it in properly.
- Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the “Air Fry” function.
- Pro Tip: Check your food as it cooks. Each air fryer runs a bit differently. Sometimes airfrying is a trial and error process. Check your food as it cooks to learn your air fryer better! When cooking a new recipe or food items be sure to check your food often to help avoid over/under cooking.
Nutrition
I love this idea for Christmas! I don’t have a huge kitchen, so I need all the oven space i can get when it comes to holidays. Can’t wait to try this.