Crock Pot Pulled Ham

Crock Pot Pulled Ham is a juicy, Slow Cooker recipe made with cola, BBQ sauce, and apricot preserves. Great for Easter dinner or sandwiches.

An Easter Ham Alternative

This Crock Pot Pulled Ham is a delicious twist on traditional holiday ham, cooked low and slow until perfectly tender. It’s so easy to shred. The smoky, sweet, and tangy flavor is so yummy! It’s perfect for sandwiches, sliders, or all by itself! Serve for Easter, holidays, or family gatherings!

Frequently Asked Questions: 

Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)

• Ham – Use a bone-in ham (not spiral sliced) for the best flavor and texture. It will dry out and not shred/pull apart if you use a spiral. Also, it’s really important to save the liquid that the ham cooks in. It’ll keep the ham moist after cooking too. To keep it really moist, you can just toss it back in the Slow Cooker once it’s cooked with some of the juices and you can keep it on warm.
• coarse ground mustard – You can use any brand; it adds a tangy, savory layer to the ham. You could use dijon or yellow mustard. The yellow mustard is slightly more tangy though.
• liquid smoke – Any brand works; it gives the ham a rich, smoky flavor without smoking it yourself. Start with a small amount. You can easily overwhelm the flavors of the rest of the dish by using too much liquid smoke, so use it sparingly. If you don’t want to use it, you can leave it out altogether, but just know it does bring a good amount of flavor.
• brown sugar barbecue rub – Use any brand you like; it adds sweetness and a little spice to the crust. I used Kinders, but you can use whatever works for you. McCormick makes a great option, or you can make a homemade version by mixing these together: 1 teaspoon brown sugar, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon mustard powder, and ⅛ teaspoon paprika. By mixing all of that together, you’ll end up with 1 Tablespoon of seasoning mixture that you need for this recipe.
• cola – Any brand will work; it helps keep the ham moist and adds subtle sweetness. You can try to use diet soda if that’s what you prefer.
• barbecue sauce – You can use any brand; it adds a tangy, saucy glaze over the ham. Using Homemade BBQ sauce is an option as well.
• apricot preserves – Any brand is fine; it gives a fruity sweetness that pairs perfectly with the ham and barbecue sauce. You could use peach preserves as well.

How To Make Crock Pot Pulled Ham:

Add the ham to a 6-8 quart crock pot. To a bowl, mix the mustard and liquid smoke until combined.

Pour the mixture over the ham. With clean hands or a pastry brush, rub it all over the ham.

Sprinkle the barbecue rub on the top and sides of the ham. Press the rub into the ham. Pour half a can of cola into the bottom of the crockpot (around the edges of the ham.)

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours for the best results. You can also cook it on high for 5–8 hours but low is recommended for best results. Do not remove the lid while cooking or the meat will take much longer to get tender. Just set it and forget it.

During the last hour of cooking, in a bowl, you will combine 1 cup BBQ sauce and 1/2 cup apricot preserves. Stir well to mix. Coat the ham with HALF of this BBQ mixture. Set aside the other half for later. Cover the crock pot and cook for that final hour. After cooking, transfer the ham to a large serving or baking dish (something that has higher sides) 

Reserve the ham broth from the slow cooker off to the side. Use two forks to shred the ham. Add the remaining barbecue sauce mixture and 1 cup of ham broth. 

Mix until combined. You can add more broth, 1 cup at a time. You can also reserve the broth for when reheating the ham.

Craving More Recipes? 

• Slow Cooker Ham
• Leftover Ham Recipes
• Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
• Crock Pot Pulled Pork
• Sheet Pan Pulled Pork Fries