Air Fryer Ham: Can You Make It?

Yes, you can cook ham in an air fryer! It's a great way to save oven space and time, and you can make a small ham for two people or a larger one for a holiday gathering. The air fryer helps speed up the cooking process without drying out the ham, and you can make a delicious glaze with simple ingredients like butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, honey, and mustard.

Here's a basic overview of the process: First, melt butter, brown sugar, and any additional ingredients like cinnamon or honey, in a saucepan. Then, place a piece of foil in the air fryer basket, add the ham, and brush the glaze over it. Cover with foil and cook for around 20 minutes at 300-325 degrees Fahrenheit. After that, uncover the ham, add more glaze, and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Finally, increase the temperature to 350-380 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for a few more minutes until the ham is golden brown.

You can also cook ham steaks or reheat leftover ham in the air fryer.

Air fryer ham recipes

Air-frying ham is a great way to speed up the cooking process without drying out the meat. It's also a convenient way to free up oven space. Here are some mouth-watering air-fried ham recipes to try:

Air Fryer Ham with Butter Brown Sugar Glaze

This recipe is perfect for holiday meals or weeknight dinners. It uses a small boneless ham, butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar for a delicious glaze.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3-pound spiral ham

Instructions:

• Melt the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Set aside.
• Place foil in the air fryer basket and add the ham.
• Brush the butter and brown sugar glaze over the ham.
• Cover with foil and air fry at 300°F for 20 minutes.
• Remove the ham, add more glaze, and seal with foil. Air fry for another 20 minutes.
• Pull down the foil, brush with glaze, and air fry uncovered for 3 minutes at 380°F.
• Check the internal temperature, which should be 140°F. Remove, slice, and serve.

Air Fryer Baked Ham with Brown Sugar-Mustard Glaze

This juicy ham is coated in a sweet and spicy brown sugar-mustard glaze. It's a great option when you need extra oven space during holiday cooking.

Ingredients:

• 3-pound cooked boneless ham
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons country mustard (or a mix of Dijon and whole-grain mustard)
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce

Instructions:

• Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 15 minutes.
• Score the ham with shallow cuts in a crisscross pattern.
• Mix the brown sugar, mustard, butter, cloves, garlic powder, and soy sauce in a bowl.
• Line a pan with foil and place it in the air fryer basket. Pour in some rum and place the ham cut-side down.
• Brush or spoon one-quarter of the glaze onto the ham.
• Cover the ham with parchment paper, then foil, and air fry at 375°F for 30 minutes.
• Increase the temperature to 400°F. Remove the parchment and foil, and brush another quarter of the glaze onto the ham.
• Air fry uncovered for 15 minutes, glazing every 5 minutes.
• Remove the ham, slice, and serve with the pan juices or pineapple raisin sauce.

Air Fryer Ham with Honey Glaze

This recipe results in a moist and flavorful ham with a caramelized honey glaze. It's a quick and easy way to cook ham, and the foil lining makes cleanup a breeze.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds fully cooked boneless spiral ham
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey

Instructions:

• Make the glaze by melting the butter, brown sugar, and honey in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Line the air fryer basket with foil and place the ham in the center.
• Brush the glaze over the ham, saving some for basting during cooking.
• Cover with foil and air fry at 325°F for 20 minutes.
• Baste with additional glaze, recover with foil, and cook for 15 minutes more. The ham's internal temperature should reach 145°F.
• Remove the top foil and glaze the ham once more.
• Increase the temperature to 350°F and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
• Remove the ham, slice, and serve.

Air Fryer Ham Steaks

This recipe is perfect for a quick and easy ham dinner, ready in just 20 minutes. You can use plain, honey, or brown sugar ham steaks.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (reduce to 1 1/2 tablespoons if using brown sugar ham steaks)
• 1 teaspoon honey (optional, only if not using a honey ham)

Instructions:

• Preheat the air fryer to 380°F.
• Mix the melted butter and brown sugar in a bowl.
• Place the ham steak in the air fryer and baste with half of the butter and brown sugar mixture.
• Cook for 5-6 minutes, then flip and baste with the remaining mixture. Add honey if using.
• Cook for another 5-6 minutes.
• Remove the ham steaks from the air fryer and serve.

How to cook ham in an air fryer

Ingredients

• 3-pound ham, precooked
• 1/4 cup water, broth, or pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1.5 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup butter (unsalted)
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

• First, melt the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Set aside.
• Place two large sheets of foil in the basket of the air fryer. Add the ham to the center of the basket.
• Brush the butter and brown sugar glaze over the top and around the sides of the ham.
• Once the ham has been glazed, cover with foil and place into the preheated air fryer at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, carefully remove the ham from the air fryer and add additional glaze. Seal the top of the foil onto the ham and cook at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for an additional 20 minutes.
• Carefully pull the aluminum foil at least halfway down the ham and brush with the glaze one more time.
• Place the basket back into the air fryer and increase the heat to 380 degrees Fahrenheit and continue to air fry ham for 3 minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the internal temperature has reached 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Carefully remove the ham from the air fryer basket and slice and serve.

Tips

• Depending on your air fryer model, you may need to adjust the cooking time.
• Larger ham sizes will be closer to the heating element and might brown the top of the ham when you remove the foil for the last few minutes of cooking time.
• It is recommended that the ham sits at room temperature for a few minutes before cooking to ensure it cooks evenly.
• Store leftover ham in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
• Reheat leftover ham by adding a tablespoon of water to the bottom of the air fryer basket and heating at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 3-5 minutes.

Air fryer ham with pineapple

This air fryer ham with pineapple glaze is a juicy, flavorful, and easy-to-make dish that's perfect for any occasion. It's a great way to free up oven space during the holidays, and the pineapple glaze adds a bright, savory, and festive touch. Here's a detailed guide on how to make this delicious ham in your air fryer.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 pounds (907 – 1360 g) boneless, fully cooked ham
• Pineapple Juice Glaze:
• 1 cup (240 ml) pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup (110 g) brown sugar, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) ground cloves (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt, or to taste
• Optional: a few maraschino cherries or cranberries for garnish
• 8"x8" Baking Pan (for Oven-Style Air Fryer)

Instructions:

• Remove the ham from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about 2 hours before cooking. This step is important to ensure the ham cooks evenly.
• Make the glaze by adding pineapple juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, optional ground cloves, and salt to a pan. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes or until reduced by half or slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
• If needed, remove the netting from the ham. If the ham is not pre-sliced, score the ham with shallow, criss-cross cuts about 3/4-inch deep.
• For Basket-Style Air Fryers: Line the air fryer basket with 2 pieces of long, criss-crossed foil sheets. Place the ham on top of the foil and brush with some of the glaze. Close the foil over the ham and wrap tightly.
• For Oven-Style Air Fryers: Place the ham in an 8"x8" baking pan that fits in your air fryer. You may need to trim the ham to fit the pan. Brush with glaze and close the foil over the ham, wrapping tightly.
• Air fry at 340°F/170°C for 25 minutes.
• Open the foil and brush the ham with more glaze, reserving some for finishing and serving.
• Close the foil tightly and air fry again at the same temperature for another 25 minutes.
• After air frying for a total of 50 minutes, open the foil and push it down around the edges of the ham if using the basket-style air fryer. If using an oven-style air fryer, remove the foil from the pan.
• Add slices of pineapple on top of the ham and spread more glaze over everything.
• Increase the temperature to 360°F/180°C and air fry for about 5 minutes, or until caramelized to your liking.
• Let the ham rest for 5 minutes before serving. Optionally, garnish with maraschino cherries or cranberries in the center of the pineapple rings.
• For an extra touch, combine the juices from the air fryer and remaining glaze in a saucepan. Simmer for a few minutes until thickened, and brush onto the ham or serve on the side.

Tips:

• Choose a fully cooked, boneless ham that weighs about 2-3 pounds for most air fryers.
• Ensure the ham doesn't touch the heating element. If necessary, trim the bottom of the ham.
• For a crispy top, make criss-cross cuts into the ham before glazing.
• Glaze the ham a few times during cooking to keep it moist.
• Adjust cooking times based on your air fryer's settings and the size of your ham. Aim for about 15-20 minutes per pound of ham.
• For a crisp texture, finish cooking with the foil open for the last 5 minutes.

How to reheat ham slices in an air fryer

Yes, you can cook ham in an air fryer! Here is a detailed guide on how to reheat ham slices in an air fryer:

• Preheat your air fryer to 350-360°F.
• Place the ham slices in a single layer on the air fryer basket or tray. If you are layering the ham slices, ensure there is space for heat to circulate.
• For extra moisture, add a tablespoon or two of water to the bottom of the air fryer basket.
• Reheat for 2-4 minutes, flipping the ham halfway through, until heated thoroughly.
• Remove the ham from the air fryer and enjoy!

Reheating ham slices in an air fryer is a quick and easy way to get delicious, crispy ham without drying it out.

What temperature to cook a boneless ham

Yes, you can cook a ham in an air fryer! Here is a guide on the temperature to cook a boneless ham.

First, it is important to note that the temperature and timing will depend on the size of your ham. For example, a 3-pound ham will take a different amount of time to cook than a 4-pound ham.

For a 3-pound fully cooked boneless ham, you should preheat your air fryer to 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, with the seam at the top. You can also add a layer of parchment paper between the ham and the foil if you don't want the foil to touch the meat. Place the ham in the air fryer basket and cook for 20 minutes.

While the ham is cooking, melt some butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the remaining ingredients (such as brown sugar, cinnamon, or honey), and stir until the mixture starts bubbling. Remove the glaze from the heat.

Open the foil and brush the glaze all over the ham. Close up the foil again and cook the ham for another 20 minutes.

Finally, fold the foil down and brush on the remaining glaze. Cook the ham uncovered for an additional 10 minutes, or until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140-145 degrees Fahrenheit.

Let the ham rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

If you are cooking a larger ham, you may need to adjust the cooking time and temperature accordingly. It is important to ensure that the ham is fully cooked without drying out the meat.

Frequently asked questions