17 Air Fryer Ham Recipes for the Holidays
From sticky honey glazes to brown sugar-spiced beauties — your holiday table just got a serious upgrade, and your oven finally gets a break.
Image Prompt: Overhead shot of a beautifully glazed spiral-cut ham resting on a rustic dark wood serving board, surrounded by fresh sprigs of rosemary, cinnamon sticks, clementine halves, and scattered whole cloves. The glaze is deep amber and caramelized, catching warm golden candlelight from a soft bokeh background. The surface beside the ham holds a small white ceramic ramekin of honey mustard glaze and a vintage-handled carving knife. Moody holiday atmosphere with warm terracotta and deep green tones. Shot from directly above with slight warmth-adjusted color grading. Styled for Pinterest and food blogs — cozy, festive, intimate.
Let’s be honest for a second. Nobody wants to babysit a 10-pound ham in the oven for three hours on a day you’re supposed to be enjoying yourself. The holidays are already packed. You’ve got family showing up, sides to prep, and someone is inevitably going to ask you where the bathroom is twelve times. The last thing you need is one more thing to overthink.
That’s exactly why air fryer ham has quietly become one of the best moves you can make for a holiday meal. It’s faster, the glaze caramelizes like a dream, and you get that gorgeous coppery exterior without a single moment of oven-hovering. Whether you’re working with a small boneless ham for an intimate dinner or slicing a spiral-cut beauty for a full crowd, the air fryer handles it with way more confidence than most people expect.
I started making holiday ham in the air fryer a few years back out of sheer oven real estate desperation. I needed the big oven for my sides and didn’t have a second option. Out came the air fryer, in went the ham, and about 45 minutes later I had the best-glazed ham I’d made in years. Juicy inside, sticky and caramelized on the outside, no babysitting required. That was the end of the oven-baked chapter for me.
These 17 recipes are the ones I keep coming back to — and the ones I recommend to anyone who asks me how to make holiday cooking a little less overwhelming and a lot more delicious.
Why the Air Fryer Is a Holiday Ham Game-Changer
Here’s something people don’t talk about enough: the air fryer doesn’t just cook ham faster, it actually produces a better exterior finish than most conventional ovens. The rapid hot-air circulation creates a lacquered, caramelized glaze that would take double the time and multiple basting rounds in a regular oven. The outside firms up beautifully while the inside stays moist and tender. It’s almost unfairly easy.
Most holiday hams you’ll buy at the store are already fully cooked or pre-smoked. According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, you’re really just reheating them to a safe internal temperature of 140°F for USDA-inspected fully cooked hams. That’s it. The air fryer gets there efficiently and evenly, which means less guessing and more confidence on a day when you’d rather be setting the table than checking a thermometer every 15 minutes. (You should still use a meat thermometer though — always.)
Another thing worth mentioning: air fryer ham is naturally high in protein and a great source of B vitamins, particularly B1 (thiamine) and B12, which makes it more than just a holiday showpiece. It’s actually a nutritionally solid centerpiece, especially if you’re mindful about the sugar content in your glaze. Pair it with vegetable-forward sides and you’ve got a holiday plate that works for everyone at the table.
If you’re newer to cooking with the air fryer and want to build your confidence before tackling the big recipes here, it’s worth browsing through some air fryer meals anyone can make to get a feel for timing and temperature adjustments across different proteins and cuts.
The Recipes: 17 Air Fryer Ham Ideas for Every Holiday Table
Classic Honey Glazed Air Fryer Ham
This is the one you start with. A simple honey glaze — honey, Dijon mustard, a little butter, and a pinch of salt — brushed on in two layers during cooking. First at the 30-minute mark, then again in the last 10 minutes when you crank the heat to 350°F for that gorgeous caramelized finish. It’s the classic for a reason, and it never disappoints.
Use a digital meat thermometer like this one to pull the ham right at 140°F internal — it keeps things juicy and perfectly safe every single time.
Get Full RecipeBrown Sugar and Mustard Glazed Ham
If honey glazed is the crowd-pleaser, brown sugar mustard is the one that gets people asking for the recipe. The molasses depth of brown sugar combined with whole-grain mustard creates this thick, almost sticky glaze that caramelizes into dark amber edges on the ham. It’s a little sweet, a little tangy, and completely addictive. Score the surface of the ham in a crosshatch pattern before glazing so it soaks all the way in.
Get Full RecipePineapple Brown Sugar Air Fryer Ham
This one is a throwback in the best way. Pineapple juice in the glaze keeps the ham from drying out and adds a tropical brightness that balances the sweetness of the brown sugar beautifully. If you want to go full retro, press a few pineapple rings onto the surface with toothpicks before the second basting — they’ll caramelize right along with the glaze and look stunning on the table.
Get Full RecipeMaple Bourbon Glazed Ham
This one is genuinely impressive for how little effort it takes. Pure maple syrup, a splash of bourbon (yes, you cook it, the alcohol burns off), a little brown sugar, and a pinch of cayenne for warmth. The glaze has this complex, smoky-sweet depth that makes the ham taste like it took hours of preparation. Wrap the ham loosely in foil for the first 25 minutes to lock in moisture, then uncover and glaze for the final stretch.
I keep a silicone basting brush set specifically for glazing — they clean up faster than natural bristle brushes and don’t hold onto funky old flavors between uses.
Get Full RecipeOrange Clove Spiced Air Fryer Ham
Orange zest, freshly squeezed orange juice, whole cloves pressed into the scored ham surface, and a sweet spiced glaze that smells like the holidays walked into your kitchen. This recipe is FYI one of the most visually stunning on the list — the whole cloves make the surface look like something from a food magazine, and the citrus cuts through the richness of the ham in a way that feels really balanced and intentional.
Get Full RecipeCherry Cola Glazed Ham
Sounds a little out there, I know. But cherry cola reduces into the most magnificent sticky glaze when combined with brown sugar and a splash of apple cider vinegar to balance it. The cola adds a subtle caramel note and the cherries bring a fruity depth that’s genuinely surprising. This one always starts conversations at the holiday table — in the best possible way.
Get Full RecipeAlways let your air fryer ham rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing — the juices redistribute and every single cut stays moist instead of running onto the board.
Garlic Herb Butter Basted Ham
Not every holiday ham needs to be sweet. This one leans savory — a compound butter made with roasted garlic, fresh thyme, rosemary, and cracked black pepper spread across the scored surface of the ham before it goes in the air fryer. It cooks into the meat and creates this herby, garlicky crust that tastes like something from a really good European bistro. Pair it with roasted vegetables and you’ve got a completely different kind of holiday plate that everyone at the table will appreciate.
Get Full RecipeSpiral-Cut Ham in the Air Fryer
Here’s the thing about spiral-cut ham in the air fryer — it cooks dramatically faster because every cut surface is already exposed to the heat. You’ll want to wrap it loosely in foil for most of the cook time to prevent the edges from drying out, then uncover for the last 8 minutes to let the glaze (use whatever you love — honey mustard works beautifully) set and caramelize. Because the slices are pre-cut, the glaze seeps between every layer. Every bite gets coated.
Get Full RecipeApricot Ginger Glazed Ham
Apricot preserves make one of the best ham glazes in existence, and when you add freshly grated ginger and a tiny hit of soy sauce, the whole thing gets this bright, sweet-savory complexity that feels sophisticated without being fussy. Brush it on in two stages and watch it turn into a burnished, jewel-toned finish that looks absolutely gorgeous on the holiday table. This recipe is a particularly good fit if you’re looking for something that feels a bit lighter and less aggressively sweet than the traditional brown sugar options.
Get Full RecipeAir Fryer Ham Steaks with Dijon Glaze
For smaller gatherings or a holiday brunch situation, individual ham steaks in the air fryer are genuinely unbeatable. They cook in under 12 minutes, you get a beautiful sear on each side, and a quick Dijon-honey glaze brushed on halfway through gives you that holiday flavor without any of the fuss. This is also the fastest option on the list if people start showing up earlier than expected and you need to pivot quickly. Have I been in that exact situation? Absolutely yes.
Get Full RecipeI made the maple bourbon glazed ham for Christmas this year using my 6-quart air fryer and it was genuinely the best ham I’ve ever made. My mother-in-law asked for the recipe three times during dinner. I’ve never felt more victorious in a kitchen in my entire life.
Cranberry Orange Glazed Air Fryer Ham
This one was built specifically for Thanksgiving, but it works just as well through the entire holiday season. Cranberry sauce (homemade or canned, no judgment here), orange zest, a little honey, and a splash of balsamic vinegar create a glaze that’s tart, sweet, and perfectly balanced. The cranberry color gives the ham this deep ruby-red exterior that looks almost too good to eat. Almost.
Get Full RecipeSpicy Sriracha Honey Glazed Ham
For the people at your table who think everything is too mild — and every family has at least one — this is the recipe. Sriracha, honey, lime juice, and a tiny pinch of smoked paprika give you a glaze that’s genuinely spicy on the edges where it caramelizes, but balanced enough to still taste like holiday ham and not a dare. The heat mellows significantly as it cooks, so don’t shy away from a generous sriracha pour in the glaze base.
Get Full RecipeWrap your ham loosely in foil for the first two-thirds of the cook time, then remove the foil for the final phase — this prevents the glaze from burning while still getting that gorgeous caramelized exterior finish.
Holiday Glazed Ham with Apple Cider Reduction
Reducing apple cider down to a syrupy, concentrated glaze is one of those moves that sounds fancy but takes about five minutes on the stove while your ham is prepping. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, and a touch of nutmeg to the reduction, and you’ve got a glaze that tastes like autumn decided to show up to your Christmas table and nobody’s mad about it. The apple flavor is subtle but present, and it pairs especially well with a smoked bone-in ham if you can find one that fits your air fryer basket.
Get Full Recipe5-Ingredient Air Fryer Ham (When You Need to Keep It Simple)
Ham. Honey. Dijon. Brown sugar. Butter. That’s your ingredient list and that’s all you need. This recipe exists for the holiday moments when you’re already managing twelve other things and the idea of a complex multi-component glaze sounds less like cooking and more like a punishment. Five ingredients, one bowl to mix the glaze, two basting rounds, and you walk away with a genuinely beautiful holiday ham. IMO this is actually the recipe that converts the most skeptics — people expect a shortcut version to taste like a shortcut, and this one absolutely doesn’t.
Get Full RecipeAir Fryer Ham with Coffee and Dark Chocolate Rub
This one gets raised eyebrows and then immediately converts everyone who tries it. Ground espresso, cocoa powder, brown sugar, smoked paprika, and a little cayenne rubbed into a scored ham before it cooks creates this deeply savory-sweet bark on the outside that’s genuinely hard to describe until you taste it. The bitterness of the espresso and cocoa offsets the sweetness of the brown sugar in a way that’s complex, dark, and absolutely perfect if you want your holiday ham to feel like something really special.
A wire rack that fits inside your air fryer basket is worth grabbing if you don’t already have one — it keeps the ham elevated and allows heat to circulate underneath evenly, which makes a real difference with larger pieces.
Get Full RecipeAir Fryer Ham with Balsamic Fig Glaze
Fig jam, balsamic vinegar, a touch of honey, and fresh thyme. That’s the glaze, and it’s sophisticated in a way that reads as extremely intentional without being remotely difficult to pull off. The fig gives the glaze a jammy, dark sweetness and the balsamic brings a tartness that keeps the whole thing balanced. This is the recipe to make when you want the holiday table to feel like a proper occasion without spending half the day in the kitchen.
Get Full RecipeAir Fryer Leftover Ham Bites (The Day-After Recipe)
Technically this is a leftover recipe, but it’s important enough to earn its own spot on this list. Cube your leftover ham, toss it in a little brown sugar and smoked paprika, and air fry at 375°F for 6 to 8 minutes until the edges are crispy and caramelized. Use them on eggs Benedict, toss them into a breakfast bowl, fold them into fried rice, or eat them straight off the tray at midnight on December 26th. No further judgment will be issued. For more ideas on what to do with holiday leftovers, check out these 5-ingredient air fryer breakfast ideas — several of them work beautifully with chopped ham.
Get Full RecipeScore your ham in a crosshatch pattern about half an inch deep before applying any glaze — it gives the glaze a dramatically larger surface area to cling to and pulls flavor deep into every slice.
Kitchen Tools That Make This So Much Easier
Stuff I actually use and genuinely recommend — no gimmicks, just the tools that show up for me every single time.
Large-Capacity Air Fryer (6–7 Qt)
If you’re cooking ham for more than two people, basket size matters a lot. A 6 to 7-quart air fryer like this one gives you enough room for a 4-pound boneless ham without cramping the airflow.
Instant-Read Meat Thermometer
The single most important piece of kit for cooking ham safely and confidently. A quick-read digital thermometer tells you exactly when you’ve hit that 140°F mark so you’re not guessing.
Silicone Basting Brush Set
A good silicone basting brush makes glazing so much cleaner and easier than anything with natural bristles. They rinse clean in seconds and don’t hold onto old smells.
Holiday Air Fryer Meal Plan Guide
A downloadable holiday meal planning guide that walks through timing all your air fryer recipes so everything lands on the table at the right moment. Check out the meal prep planning ideas for a starting framework.
Air Fryer Conversion Chart (Printable)
A one-page printable that converts standard oven recipes to air fryer temperatures and times — an absolute lifesaver when you’re adapting a family recipe for the first time. Reference the beginner-friendly air fryer guide for base conversions.
Holiday Side Dish Pairings Guide
Not sure what to serve alongside your glazed ham? This air fryer sides collection covers everything from roasted vegetables to lighter options that balance the richness of ham perfectly.
Tips That Actually Make a Difference When Cooking Ham in the Air Fryer
Across all 17 of these recipes, a few consistent techniques keep showing up because they genuinely matter. The first is starting at a lower temperature and finishing high. Starting around 300°F for the bulk of the cook time lets the ham heat through evenly without drying out, and then cranking to 350°F for the last 10 to 15 minutes gives you that caramelized, lacquered glaze finish.
The second is not skipping the resting step. Ten minutes of resting after the air fryer is more important for ham than almost any other protein because the cut surface of a scored or spiral-sliced ham loses moisture quickly once sliced into. Those 10 minutes let everything settle back down and redistribute before you start carving.
Third: always check your air fryer basket size before you commit to a ham size. A 4-pound boneless ham fits comfortably in most 6-quart baskets, but spiral-cut hams can vary wildly in width. If it doesn’t fit flat without touching the heating element, trim or cut accordingly — or use a split-cook approach where you flip and rotate halfway through.
According to the USDA’s air fryer food safety guidelines, overcrowding the basket is one of the most common errors people make — it interrupts airflow and leads to uneven cooking, which is particularly risky with large pieces of meat. With ham, this typically means the outer edges overcook while the center stays underheated. Better to cook in stages if needed.
Glaze Timing: When to Apply and When to Wait
One of the most common questions I get about air fryer ham is when to apply the glaze, and the answer is almost always: twice. The first application should happen about two-thirds of the way through the cook time, after the ham has had a chance to heat through and the surface has dried out slightly — this gives the glaze something to grip onto. The second application comes in the final 8 to 10 minutes at higher heat, and this is the one that creates that glossy, caramelized finish.
Applying glaze too early means it burns before the ham is fully cooked. Applying it only once means you miss the layered depth you get from building the glaze in stages. Twice is the sweet spot, every time.
I was so skeptical about the pineapple brown sugar recipe — it sounded like something my grandma would make. I made it anyway and my whole family was absolutely silent for the first two minutes of eating. That’s how you know it’s good. The kids had seconds. The adults had thirds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size ham works best in an air fryer?
For most standard 5 to 6-quart air fryers, a 2 to 4-pound boneless ham is the sweet spot. It fits without touching the heating element, allows proper airflow on all sides, and cooks evenly within 40 to 55 minutes. If you have a larger air fryer oven-style unit, you can push toward 5 to 6 pounds — just adjust your cooking time to roughly 10 to 12 minutes per pound at 300°F.
Do I need to preheat the air fryer for ham?
Yes, preheating for 3 to 5 minutes before placing the ham in the basket makes a meaningful difference, especially for getting the exterior to start crisping from the moment it hits the heat. Most air fryers preheat in under 5 minutes, so it’s a minimal investment for noticeably better results.
Can I cook a frozen ham in the air fryer?
It’s not recommended. Frozen ham will cook unevenly in an air fryer, with the exterior overcooking before the center reaches a safe temperature. Always thaw your ham fully in the refrigerator — plan for roughly 24 hours of thaw time per 4 to 5 pounds — before air frying. If you’re short on time, the oven or slow cooker are more forgiving options for frozen ham.
How do I keep my air fryer ham from drying out?
Three things: start at a lower temperature (300 to 325°F) for the majority of the cook, wrap the ham loosely in foil for the first half of the cooking time to trap moisture, and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Applying glaze in two stages also helps keep the surface moist and prevents the exterior from tightening up too quickly.
What’s the internal temperature for fully cooked air fryer ham?
For commercially pre-cooked ham from a USDA-inspected plant, the FDA and USDA recommend reaching an internal temperature of 140°F. For repackaged cooked ham or leftover cooked ham, heat to 165°F. Always use a reliable meat thermometer — insert it into the thickest part of the ham, avoiding any bone, for an accurate reading.
Your Oven Deserves a Day Off
Seventeen recipes, one appliance, and a whole lot less holiday stress. That’s the whole point of this list. The air fryer makes holiday ham more approachable for people who’ve been intimidated by the centerpiece protein, and it makes it faster and better for people who already know what they’re doing in the kitchen.
Whether you go classic with the honey glaze, adventurous with the coffee-cocoa rub, or straight to the easy five-ingredient version because life is happening around you, you’re going to end up with a ham that tastes like it deserved a spot at the holiday table. Pick the recipe that fits your day, prep your glaze the night before, and let the air fryer do the hard part.
The holidays are for the people around the table. These recipes make sure you actually get to be one of them.
