Easy Air Fryer Ham – with homemade orange glaze

This Air Fryer Ham is sweet and savory and is made with a homemade orange glaze. It is perfect for a holiday meal or a healthy family dinner. The orange glaze is made with date syrup, orange juice, butter, Dijon Mustard and cloves. Then the ham is glazed and air fried until juicy and flavourful. Whole30-friendly and gluten free!

If you are looking for a quick and easy holiday or healthy dinner recipe then this air-fried ham is it! It makes the perfect meal for the holidays like this air fryer whole chicken or this air fryer pork tenderloin.

Why cook ham in the air fryer?

It is much faster, easier and comes out perfectly juicy and packed with flavor. Plus it free’s the oven up for cooking other things like side dishes and desserts.

I have a 5.8 quart Cosori air fryer so I used a 4 pound ham in this recipe. Most air fryers can fit a 3-5 pound ham, which is a standard size for a half pre-cooked, spiral ham.

This recipe is pretty straightforward and only takes a few steps to make it. You will need a short list of clean, simple ingredients. Plus this recipe is Whole30-friendly and gluten free! See below for my tips on how to make this recipe Whole30.

Air Fryer Ham Ingredients

• 3-5 pound, precooked spiral ham – I used a store-bought ham that was about 4 pounds
• Coconut sugar – You can also use brown sugar
• Date syrup – maple syrup or honey work as well
• Butter – ghee also works in this recipe
• Orange juice – fresh squeezed or store bought is fine
• Dijon mustard – for a little zippy flavor to the glaze
• Cloves – optional but adds a nice flavor element to the glaze
• Salt & Pepper – just a pinch of salt since the ham is already salty and some ground black pepper

How to cook ham in the air fryer

1. Remove the ham from the packaging and dry it all over with a clean paper towel. Spread out a large piece of foil (enough to wrap and cover the whole ham) then place the ham into the center of the foil. Pull the edges of the foil up slightly to make a nice basket for the ham. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile you can make the homemade glaze. To make the glaze add all of the glaze ingredients to a medium-size pot on the stovetop and bring it all to a boil while whisking it. Then let it boil for about 60 seconds and reduce the heat to a simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove it from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.
3. Use a wire brush or silicone brush to brush 1/3 of the glaze all over the ham. Let the ham sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
4. Preheat the air fryer to 320 degrees F. Once the air fryer is ready, carefully transfer the ham in the foil and place it into the air fryer basket. Cover the ham with the foil, close and cook it for 20 minutes. Then open the air fryer, pull the foil down and apply another 1/3 of the glaze all over the ham. Close the foil over the ham again and cook it for another 20 minutes at 320 degrees F.
5. Then open the air fryer, pull the foil down around the edges of the ham and apply the remaining glaze all over the ham. This time do not cover the ham with the foil. Increase the air fryer temperature to 360 degrees F and cook the ham for 3-4 more minutes.
6. Remove the ham carefully from the air fryer, slice and serve with your favorite sides.

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Serving suggestions

I love to serve this air fryer ham with mashed potatoes and green beans but here are a few other ways to serve it.

• Serve it with some roasted potatoes and carrots or roasted broccoli.
• Enjoy it with roasted carrots or asparagus.
• Serve it with butternut squash and Brussel sprouts.
• It would go great with some potato salad or a sweet potato casserole for a fun family meal or holiday dinner.

Ways to use leftover ham

Leftover ham is such a great protein to use in so many ways. Here are a few ideas for using your leftovers.

• Crustless Ham and Broccoli Quiche
• Add it as a topping on some Deviled Eggs
• Use it as an added topping in a Chopped Italian Salad
• Serve it on a Healthy Breakfast Sandwich
• Use it in omelettes, on pizza, calzones or even mixed with some pasta and peas.

Recipe FAQs

What size ham fits in an air fryer?

Most air fryers can fit a 3-5 pound ham. I used a 4 pound ham in my 5.8 quart air fryer and it fit perfectly.

Why does the ham need to sit at room temperature before cooking it?

Allowing the ham to sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes will ensure it will cook more evenly. More than 20 minutes is not necessary.

How long can a cooked ham sit out?

I wouldn’t let it sit out for more than 90 minutes.

How do you store cooked ham?

After the ham has been cooked and cooled, you can transfer it to an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Easily reheat slices in the microwave or the air fryer at 325 degrees for a few minutes.

How can I make this recipe Whole30?

To make this ham recipe Whole30 use fresh orange juice or pineapple juice and date syrup and leave out the coconut sugar in the glaze. You will also need to make sure you use a sugar-free, uncured ham.

More easy air fryer recipes to try!

• Air Fryer Chicken Sausage and Veggies
• Air Fryer Meatloaf
• 10 Minute Air Fryer Cajun Salmon
• Easy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
• Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Breast

Did you try this air fryer ham recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. I would love to hear how yours turned out!

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