Tillie Doyle
Cooking pre-cooked ham in an air fryer is a quick, easy, and delicious way to prepare a holiday meal or a weeknight dinner for two. It's a great way to speed up the cooking process without drying out the ham. The key to juicy ham is in the glaze and the use of foil. You can use a variety of glazes, including honey, sriracha, and brown sugar. To get started, preheat your air fryer to 300-380 degrees Fahrenheit and place the ham inside, making sure it doesn't touch the heating element. Depending on the size of your ham, the cooking time will vary, but on average, it should take around 30 minutes for a 3-pound ham.
Characteristics and Values Table for Cooking Pre-cooked Ham in an Air Fryer
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of ham | Pre-cooked, boneless ham |
| Weight | 3-3.5 pounds |
| Air fryer temperature | 300-380 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Cook time | 30-50 minutes |
| Glaze | Butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, honey, sriracha, mangoes, peaches, maple syrup |
| Glaze preparation | Combine ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until sauce thickens |
| Additional items | Aluminum foil, parchment paper, meat thermometer |
| Side dishes | Green beans, roasted carrots, creamy grape salad, mac and cheese, grilled zucchini |
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What You'll Learn
Glazing and cooking intervals
To begin, wrap your ham in aluminum foil, ensuring the seam is at the top. If you prefer, you can add a layer of parchment paper between the foil and the meat. Place the ham in the air fryer basket and cook for 20 minutes. After this initial cooking interval, remove the ham from the air fryer and unwrap it. Brush the ham with glaze, reserving about 3/4 of the glaze if you are using a honey glaze.
Re-wrap the ham in foil and return it to the air fryer for another 20 minutes. For the final cooking interval, increase the temperature to 380°F and cook the ham uncovered for 10 minutes, or until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140-165°F. This final interval without foil will help to caramelize the glaze and create a crispy exterior.
The cooking intervals can be adjusted based on the size of your ham. As a general rule of thumb, it takes about 10 minutes per pound of ham to heat it up. For example, a 4-pound ham may require an additional 10 minutes of cooking time. It is important to keep in mind that different air fryers cook at different wattages, so you may need to adjust the cooking time and temperature accordingly.
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Temperature and timing
The temperature and timing for cooking pre-cooked ham in an air fryer depend on the weight of the ham and the wattage of your air fryer. As a rule of thumb, it takes about 10 minutes per pound of ham to heat it up. For example, a 3-pound ham will need 30 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are cooking a larger ham, you may need to adjust the cooking time and increase it by 10 minutes.
It is important to keep the heat much lower than the original cook time to avoid the ham from burning on the outside before cooking on the inside. For example, if you are cooking ham slices, you can preheat the air fryer to 320 degrees Fahrenheit and cook the ham for 2-3 minutes until heated thoroughly.
When cooking a whole ham, you can preheat the air fryer to 320 degrees Fahrenheit and cook the ham for 20 minutes. Then, brush the ham with glaze and cook for another 20 minutes. Finally, increase the heat to 380 degrees Fahrenheit, remove the foil, and cook for another 3 minutes.
The internal temperature of the ham is also important. The ham should reach an internal temperature of 140–145 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should be at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit before serving.
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Fitting the ham in the fryer
The size of the ham is crucial when determining whether it will fit in your air fryer. As a general rule of thumb, it takes about 10 minutes per pound of ham to heat it up. For example, a 3-pound ham will need about 30 minutes to cook. However, it is important to keep in mind that different air fryers cook at different wattages, so you may need to adjust the cook time accordingly.
The shape of the ham also plays a role in determining whether it will fit in your air fryer. Some air fryers are deeper than others, allowing for taller hams. It is important to ensure that the ham does not touch the heating element at the top of the air fryer. Additionally, there should be some holes in the bottom of the basket uncovered to allow for proper air circulation.
If your ham does not fit in the air fryer, you can trim it a bit to make it fit. Alternatively, if you are using a boneless ham, you can cut the ham in half and air fry the halves separately. It is important to measure your ham and your air fryer to ensure that the ham does not touch the heating element, as this is a safety hazard.
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Trimming and slicing
If you are cooking a boneless ham, you can cut the ham in half and cook the two halves separately. This is a good option if you are serving a larger number of people.
You can also slice the ham before cooking it. Slicing the ham will reduce the cooking time. If your ham is unsliced, slice it into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices before cooking.
If you are cooking a bone-in ham, be aware that these are generally too large to fit in an air fryer. You should always check whether your air fryer is large enough before purchasing a bone-in ham.
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Reheating and storing
To reheat leftover ham, place the slices in your preheated air fryer at 320 degrees Fahrenheit and reheat for 2-3 minutes. If you want to reheat the ham in the oven or microwave, you can do that too.
Leftover ham can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you want to store it for longer, you can freeze it by cutting the ham into slices, adding them to freezer bags, and pressing out the air. Label the freezing date and store until ready to use. Frozen ham can be stored for up to 2 months.
If your ham is a little fatty, you may notice some smoke coming from your air fryer. This is due to the fat dripping off the food and hitting the coils near the fan. If this happens, immediately stop your air fryer and place a piece of bread under the basket or add a tiny bit of water under the basket.
If your ham doesn't fit in the air fryer, you can always trim it to make it fit. Alternatively, if you're using a boneless ham, you can cut the ham in half and air fry the halves separately.
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Frequently asked questions
It is recommended to preheat your air fryer to 320 degrees Fahrenheit. However, some recipes suggest cooking at 300 degrees Fahrenheit or 380 degrees Fahrenheit.
It depends on the weight of the ham. A good rule of thumb is 10 minutes per pound of ham. For example, a 3-pound ham will take 30 minutes to cook.
The size of the ham depends on the size of your air fryer. A 6-quart air fryer can fit a 3-4 pound boneless ham. A 10-quart air fryer can fit a 5-pound boneless ham. Bone-in hams are generally too large to fit in an air fryer.
It is recommended to wrap the ham in aluminum foil with the seam at the top. You can also add a layer of parchment paper between the foil and the meat if you don't want them to touch. Place the wrapped ham in the air fryer basket, making sure the foil doesn't touch the heating element.
You can use a variety of glazes for your ham, such as honey, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, or maple syrup. You can also experiment with different ingredients like mangoes, peaches, or coconut sugar.
