With just 5 ingredients this Air Fryer Ham with a brown sugar glaze will be a favorite. It's perfect for holiday meals, meal prepping or a weeknight dinner.
Only simple ingredients are needed to turn this small ham into a delicious holiday meal with an easy recipe. This air fryer ham recipe has a classic sweet glaze perfect for a family dinner. It reserves your oven space for other things too.
A two-pound ham will feed 8 with 4-ounce portions.
Make a holiday feast with this holiday ham, air fryer green beans, skinny cauliflower mashed potatoes and other favorite sides. You can even add our Instant Pot Turkey Breast roast or Air Fryer Turkey Breast too for a full spread.
Add this to your easy air fryer recipes! There are great options to change it up too and loads of ways to use leftover ham in other recipes.
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What makes this skinny?
Using a lean 97% fat free ham. This comes out to be about 200 calories per 4 ounce serving.
We've reduced the glaze ingredients to be enough to properly glaze the boneless ham with classic flavor without leaving it dripping in butter and sugar calories.
Recipe Ingredient Notes
2 pound boneless ham (pre-sliced). Use a lean (97% fat free) fully cooked ham. If the ham is not pre-sliced then you will need to score or slice the ham before heating it up. This helps the glaze penetrate the meat.
Brown sugar. You'll use ¼ cup unpacked light brown sugar.
Honey. Two tablespoons honey add sweetness and smooth texture to the glaze.
Unsalted butter. Two tablespoons give flavor and help the glaze penetrate the air fryer ham. Fat is needed to fully pair the glaze with the meat.
Cinnamon. A quarter teaspoon gives the ham classic flavor.
Ham availability
This recipe uses a 2 pound boneless ham that is pre-sliced. Typically you can find these in the frozen section of the grocery store. Check stores like Aldi or Walmart that carry ham year round.
Many grocery stores only carry ham to be available before holidays like Easter or Thanksgiving. When trying to find ham 'out of season' I've spoken to multiple butchers who have told me hams are stock piled then delivered to stores a few weeks before a holiday and are hard to find outside of that.
I recommend calling your grocery store to inquire if they have 2 pound ham in stock to save time running to different stores. AND if you like ham, buy an extra to keep in your freezer so you can make it when you want it.
How to make Air Fryer Ham
Printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
STEP 1. Bring the ham to room temperature
Remove the ham from the refrigerator and let it get to room temperature (this reduces the cooking time and makes sure it doesn’t get burnt while heating up the ham). About 30-45 minutes.
STEP 2. Make the glaze
In a small saucepan combine the brown sugar, honey, butter and cinnamon (photo 1). Cook over medium low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the glaze is smooth (about 5 minutes)(photo 2).
STEP 3. Air Fry
Remove the ham from the packaging.
Line the air fryer basket with a large piece of aluminum foil. Make sure to have enough to fold over the top of the ham. Add the ham to the middle of the lined air fryer basket (photo 3).
Brush half of glaze onto the ham (photo 4-5). Cover and tent the top of the aluminum foil over the ham (photo 6).
Cook at 300 degrees F for 15 minutes. When the cooking cycle is complete, pull back the aluminum foil (photo 7) and baste the ham with the remaining glaze (photo 8). Cover with foil and cook for another 15 minutes.
When the cooking time is complete pull back the aluminum foil and baste the ham with the glaze in the foil (photo 9). OPTIONAL browning step: Leave the ham uncovered and cook for 5 minutes at 400F (photo 10). This step can also be skipped.
Other glaze options
Add some Dijon mustard. Just a teaspoon of this tangy mustard makes a great pairing with the brown sugar flavor.
Orange juice. Stirring in some orange juice into the glaze adds some natural sweetness without many calories.
How to make this skinnier
There are lots of ways to glaze this air fryer ham. Here are some other glaze options to try:
Fruit only spread or preserves. Combine a third cup of fruit only spread or preserves with 2 tablespoons butter with a splash of pineapple juice to make a glaze.
For a spicy kick: combine low sugar cherry preserves with a couple teaspoons of adobo sauce and the juice of a navel orange for a sweet and spicy glaze.
Use a brown sugar substitute. If you have a brown sugar substitute you love and have baked with successfully you can substitute that. NOTE: I personally do not use sugar substitutes so cannot advise on one to use.
Expert Tips
Air Fryer cooking. Every brand, size and type of air fryer cooks slightly differently. This recipe was developed in a Cosori 5.8 quart air fryer (1700 watts - which is one of the more powerful air fryers). Monitor the ham in your air fryer to ensure it has warmed through.
Instant read thermometer. Because the ham is fully cooked you are really warming it through and giving flavor with a glaze. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the ham; it should reach 140 degrees F to be fully warmed.
Storing leftover ham
Leftover ham can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The ham can also we frozen. Freeze in 4 ounce portions for up to 3 months and thaw in the refrigerator.
How to use leftover air fryer ham
Ham is so versatile the options for using it are endless. Here are some favorites:
- Air Fryer Breakfast Frittata
- Add it to Tex Mex Instant Pot Egg Bites, Air Fryer Egg White Bites or Tomato-Basil Egg Muffin Cups
- In Ham and Cheese Muffins
- Add them to a wrap or sandwich
- Chop and use in a salad
- Great in soup
Frequently Asked Questions
A spiral cut ham is a bone-in ham that is cut by a butcher to make perfectly even slices with a spiral-cut machine. It slices the same but allows the slices to stay in place for a nice presentation.
If you can find one that will fit in your air fryer model you can. The cooking time will vary due to the bone so adjust accordingly to warm the ham all the way through.
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Recipe
Air Fryer Boneless ham
Ingredients
- 2 pound boneless ham (fully cooked, pre-sliced) if the ham is not pre-sliced then you will need to score or slice the ham before heating it up.
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ⅛ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Remove the ham from the refrigerator and allow it warm to room temperature (this reduces the cooking time and makes sure it doesn’t get burnt while heating up the ham). About 30-45 minutes.2 pound boneless ham (fully cooked, pre-sliced)
- In a small saucepan combine the glaze ingredients for the glaze and cook over medium-low heat stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the glaze is smooth (about 5 minutes).¼ cup brown sugar, ⅛ cup honey, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ tsp cinnamon
- Remove the ham packaging.
- Line the air fryer basket with a large piece of aluminum foil. Make sure to have enough to fold over the top of the ham. Add the ham to the middle of the lined air fryer basket.
- Brush half of the glaze onto the ham. Cover and tent the ham with the aluminum foil.
- Cook at 300 for 15 minutes. When the cooking cycle completes pull back the aluminum foil and add the remaining glaze to the ham. Cover with the foil and cook for another 15 minutes.
- When the cooking cycle is done pull back the aluminum foil and baste with the glaze in the foil. Leave the ham uncovered and cook for 5 minutes at 400F. NOTE this step is to brown the ham. Monitor closely so it does not burn. This step can also be skipped.
Natasha says
The sweet glaze is perfect for this ham. I turned out so full of flavor and it was very juicy, we all loved it at home!
Kristyn says
You can't find an easier ham recipe!! This recipe is so good!! I love that it's not loaded with too many ingredients, but it still has lots of flavor & is so juicy!!
Matt Taylor says
This is such an awesome ham recipe. I love the glaze and it is so easy to cook it in the air fryer. Another yummy air fryer recipe to add to my collection.
Christina Morris says
I wish I'd had this recipe on Easter. I never thought about making ham in the air fryer but I think this might by my favorite new way to do it!
Kathleen says
Love how easy this fabulous air fryer ham is to make. It's perfect for my family.
Beth says
That glaze is so good, and I love that great crust the ham gets from the air fryer. This is a great one!
Ali says
This is an easy, delicious recipe, perfect for a family get together!
Dana Sandonato says
What a great way to cook ham! Made this for Easter and not only was it delicious but it freed up the oven for sides!