Slow Cooker Pulled Ham and Honey Mustard Sauce: Easy to Serve
Sneak Peek: This slow cooker pulled ham is made with an unsliced smoked shank ham and finished with a bold honey-mustard barbecue sauce. Cook it ahead, shred it days in advance, and reheat when needed—an easy, budget-friendly option for feeding a crowd.
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Tired of trimming fat and dodging dry slices when serving ham? With this recipe, the work is already done—no carving, no dissecting, and no waste. Even inexpensive cuts shine after a long, gentle slow cook and a bold honey-mustard barbecue finish.
Ingredients & Substitutions
• HAM: Bone-in, unsliced smoked shank ham works best; butt or spiral-cut can be used if needed.
• APPLE CIDER VINEGAR: White or white wine vinegar works.
• BROWN SUGAR: Light or dark; coconut sugar is optional.
• PREPARED MUSTARD: Yellow or Dijon.
• BACON: Optional; use liquid smoke if omitting.
• ONION: Fresh or frozen chopped.
• GARLIC: 1 clove or sub ¼ tsp garlic powder.
• HONEY: Substitute maple or agave syrup.
• WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE: Soy sauce or coconut aminos.
• CAYENNE PEPPER: Omit or sub red pepper flakes.
How To Make Slow-Cooker Pulled Ham
I prefer this ham with no additional condiments. But if you are a mustard lover, you might appreciate an extra dose of mustard flavor from the Honey-Mustard Barbecue Sauce pictured below. All this plate needs is some pickles on the side.
Slow Cooker Pulled Ham and Honey Mustard Sauce: Easy to Serve
Ingredients
Slow Cooker Ham
- 7-10 pound (3175 g) bone-in, unsliced, smoked, shank ham
- 2 cups (454 g) apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup (220 g) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (60 g) prepared mustard or Dijon
Honey-Mustard Barbecue Sauce
- 1 slice bacon (diced)
- ¾ cup (39 g) frozen chopped onion
- 1 minced (1) garlic clove
- 1 cup (227 g) apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup (84 g) honey
- ¾ cup (186 g) prepared yellow mustard
- ¼ cup ( 60 g) brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Cook the Ham: Place a 7-10 pound (3175 g) bone-in, unsliced, smoked, shank ham into a large slow cooker. If needed, cut off a piece to fit and place it alongside the main portion. Pour 2 cups (454 g) apple cider vinegar over the ham, then add enough water to just cover. Cook on LOW for 8–10 hours.
- Shred the Ham: Remove the ham and discard the cooking liquid. When cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bone and shred with two forks or gloved hands. (Save the bone for beans.) Refrigerate or continue if serving right away.
- Assemble: In a bowl, mix 1 cup (220 g) brown sugar and ¼ cup (60 g) prepared mustard to form a paste. Layer half the shredded ham into a 9 x 9-inch baking dish. Spread with half the mustard paste. Repeat with remaining ham and paste.
- Bake or Reheat in Slow Cooker: Cover with foil and bake at 350˚F (180˚C) for 1 hour, or until hot. Alternatively, return to an empty slow cooker and heat on LOW for 2–3 hours.
Honey Mustard Barbecue Sauce:
- Make the Mustard Barbecue Sauce: Fry 1 slice bacon in a saucepan until crisp. Remove and drain, leaving the drippings in the pan. Sauté ¾ cup (39 g) frozen chopped onion and 1 minced (1) garlic clove for 2–3 minutes until soft. Add:Add 1 cup (227 g) apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup (84 g) honey, ¾ cup (186 g) prepared yellow mustard, ¼ cup ( 60 g) brown sugar, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper and the crispy bacon bits. Bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Storage Tips: Leftovers freeze well. Portion into small containers for easy reheating. Use in salads, sandwiches, baked potatoes, pizzas, or quesadillas.
Notes
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
FAQs About Shredded Ham
1. Does shredded ham need to be cooked?
- No, it’s already cooked. Simply warm it if you want to serve it hot.
2. Can I fix this ham ahead of time?
- Yes. Cook and shred the ham up to three days ahead, then store it in the refrigerator, covered. Reheat in the oven or slow cooker before serving.
Final Thoughts:
Speaking of homemade rolls, the bread you see in the picture of ham sandwiches above is my best clone of Sweet Hawaiian Bread. You can make these rolls with your bread machine.
— Paula, Home Economist
Homemade Food Worth Sharing
Need help troubleshooting?
Email me: Paula at saladinajar.com — photos help!
Recipe Inspiration: I am smitten with this simple and inexpensive way to prepare shredded ham I first saw here. Mel cooked hers on the stove. But since I’m a slow cooker girl, this is my version.
Wanting to try this. Is the ACV necessary for cooking it in the slow cooker? Also is the oven part just to glaze on the brown sugar?
Hi Jamie,
The apple cider tames the salt in the ham. I haven’t tried it without vinegar. The oven part is both for heating. I haven’t tried it withoutbrown sugar, but a good barbecue sauce might be nice.
I used to make a ham like this, but have recently had trouble finding a smoked ham that is smoked but also raw and uncooked. Is the ham shank you use for this recipe a fully cooked smoked ham or an uncooked raw smoked ham?
Hi Sarah,
It’s great to hear from you. I use a cheap, fully cooked ham (usually bought at Aldi). I cook it in the slow cooker to make the meat fall-off-the-bone tender and to neutralize all the salt.
Just as good as expected!
Thank you for the five-star rating, Jack. So happy you liked the ham.
This looks SOOOOOO good; I’m giving it five stars before I even try it because I know, coming from your kitchen, it will be spectacular. Thank you, Paula, for all your wonderful recipes.
Hi Shawna,
How kind of you to say that! I hope you like the ham after you try it. Thank you for writing.
What brand of ham do you recommend? I’m in the Dallas area also.
Gina, When I do the pulled ham, I go for the cheapest—think Aldi. It doesn’t matter if there’s a lot of fat because you’ll be pulling all that out after a trip through the slow cooker.
We have packages of this in the freezer all the time. I freeze the sauce in small jelly jars & just spoon some out to thaw a few minutes before we plan to eat.
Yes, I am looking forward to that bread recipe also. Yummy!! What a great idea for the ham. I must try!! Looks so good!!
This looks divine! And easy, so what’s not to like? You seem to always be able to pull a rabbit from your hat, Paula. Easy, tasty, convenient, it doesn’t get any better than that. My husband cannot eat nitrates, so this would be a great solution for an Easter ham. Oh, and I am really looking forward to that clone of sweet Hawaiian bread.