Easy Air Fryer Ham – with homemade orange glaze

This Air Fryer Ham is a simple and delicious recipe that makes a great family dinner or main holiday dish! In this recipe, we used boneless, precooked ham that we cooked in the air fryer and covered in a tasty, homemade sweet orange glaze that was incredible!

If you are looking for a quick and easy holiday or healthy dinner recipe then this air-fried ham is it! It comes out perfectly cooked every time like this air fryer whole chicken or this air fryer pork tenderloin. Thanks to the AIR FRYER!

Why cook a ham in the air fryer?

• It is much faster, and easier and comes out perfectly juicy and packed with flavor.
• Free up the oven for cooking other things like side dishes and desserts.
• Super tasty ham, every time with little hands-on effort.
• Clean-up is a breeze!

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. I found it pretty easy to do and the cleanup was much faster!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Quick and easy!
• It makes the perfect holiday ham that everyone will love!
• A homemade orange glaze that is much healthier and so good!
• Perfect for meal prep!
• The best flavorful ham recipe!

Ingredients you will need

• Ham – 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. This adds a nice sweetness to the glaze.
• Date syrup – maple syrup or honey work as well.
• Butter-plain unsalted butter. Ghee also works in this recipe.
• Orange juice – fresh squeezed or store-bought is fine. If you are using store-bought then make sure that it is low in sugar and pulp-free.
• Dijon mustard – for a little zippy flavor to add to the glaze.
• Cloves – this is 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 a ham in the air fryer

1. Prepare the ham. Dry the ham with a clean paper towel. Place it onto large piece of foil and set aside.
2. Mix up the orange glaze. Cook the glaze then remove it from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.
3. Brush the ham with the glaze. Brush 1/3 of the glaze all over the ham. Let the ham sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
4. Cook. Place the ham in the foil into the air fryer. Cover the ham with the foil, close and cook it for 20 minutes. Then reapply 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. Per the recipe card below.
5. Glaze again and finish cooking. Apply the remaining glaze all over the ham. This time do not cover the ham with foil. Increase the air fryer temperature to 360 degrees F and cook the ham for 3-4 more minutes.
6. Slice and Serve. Let the ham cool for a few minutes then slice, and serve with your favorite sides.

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 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 omelets, on pizza, in calzones, or even mixed with some pasta and peas.
• Serve it for a holiday brunch with cranberry orange muffins, and sausage and egg bites.

Expert tips

• Select a ham that will fit in your air fryer. A 3-5 pound ham will fit in most air fryers.
• Dry the ham well with a clean paper towel or cloth before applying the glaze. This will help the glaze stick to the ham better.
• Don’t skip reapplying the glaze. Reapplying the glaze in phases helps give this air fryer ham incredible flavor.
• Make sure to use foil. This creates a nice basket for the ham to cook in and makes cleaning up a breeze. The foil will also help you transfer the ham in and out of the air fryer more easily.

FAQs

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 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 sugar-free, uncured ham.

Storing and reheating ham

Storing. Cooked ham can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. It can also be stored in a freezer-friendly container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheating. Here are a few methods for reheating fully cooked ham.

• Microwave – heat up portions in the microwave on a microwave safe plate until warmed through.
• Air fryer – you can easily reheat ham right in the air fryer at 325 degrees F for 2-3 minutes or until wamred through.
• Oven – to reheat ham in the oven, place it into an oven safe dish and add all little broth or water to cover it, which will prevent it from drying out. Cover the pan with foil and reheat it at 325 degrees F for 10-12 minutes per pound.

More easy air fryer recipes

• 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

Be sure to check out the complete list of air fryer recipes on PMG!

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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