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There are a few reasons why you should cook gammon in the slow cooker. After trying this easy FOOLPROOF recipe, you’ll see why!
The results are a ham joint packed full of flavour and tenderness, with a honey, mustard and brown sugar glaze for a delicious crunch, all made with simplicity and convenience.
There is nothing better than turning to your trusty slow cooker when it comes to the festive season, when the kitchen gets busy, the oven gets full and time becomes precious.
We have a few secret weapons when it comes to making this slow cooker ham that’s PERFECT for (but not not exclusive to) Christmas time…
- Apple juice and cider – An amazing combination to stew a ham joint in (feel free to only use one)
- The combination of slow cooking followed by a short, sharp roast – This gives us succulent meat AND a crunchy outer crust
I kid you not, this is the most sweet, tangy and satisfying hunk of ham to feed your family and friends with. What’s not to love?!
❗️A quick note to say: This recipe is NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS.
While yes, I use it every single year without fail at Christmas (because what is the festive holiday with a ham, I ask you?) BUT I also make it at other times of the year too.
Gammon is a very cost-effective and tasty meat, and this boneless joint would be perfect for any Sunday lunch or a regular family dinner of ham, egg and chips!
There are so many ways to use cooked ham during the week for meals too – in sandwiches, salads, pasta dishes, pies, soups and loads more!
Did you know?
You can also cook a Roast Chicken, Beef Joint , Leg of Lamb or Lamb Joint in the slow cooker too!
You could also try out my Campfire Stew if you have a ham joint for the slow cooker.
Why you’ll love this Slow Cooker Ham recipe
⭐️ Delicious hot or cold
⭐️ Doesn’t take up oven space for too long
⭐️ Budget friendly showstopper to bring to the table!
Sarah’s Notes
I first published this recipe as my Cider Christmas Ham recipe here in 2014. (Oh my goodness, that feels like a lifetime ago!)
I decided to play around with it a little and see if I could simplify it for busy lives. I tried it in the slow cooker (or crock pot if you’re in America) and it was a definite winner.
You can leave it all day if you like, without it needing too much attention, leaving you to get on with other things and free up space in the oven.
While gammon in the slow cooker tastes amazing and is unbelievably tender, I realised if I was going to do this properly, it would have to be finished off in the oven.
This is where the all-important honey glaze comes in.
After a half hour short burst in the oven, you’ll see how we can have the best of both worlds with this foolproof recipe that you can use again and again!
Slow Cooker Gammon Ingredients Notes
- Gammon – I used smoked and boneless, but choice is down to personal preference. You can use unsmoked if you prefer. The quantities in this recipe is for a 2kg/4.4lbs joint
- To flavour – Peeled and halved carrots and onion go in with the gammon
- Mixed spice – This is easily available in most supermarkets and is for rubbing into the joint before it goes into the slow cooker
- Cider – Any type of alcoholic cider is fine, or replace with extra apple juice if you don’t want to use alcohol
- Apple juice – Any type of apple juice (the cheap pure ones are fine!) The exact quantity will depend on the size of your slow cooker. Ideally the joint will be covered
- Runny honey – Runny is best as you can easily spread it on the ham
- Dark brown sugar – Light brown will work if it’s all you have
- English mustard powder – This is optional but is a delicious addition!
Type of Gammon Joint to buy
Ham on the bone does retain moisture and keeps its shape well, but for this recipe I use a boneless joint as it’s easy to handle and easy to carve.
It’s personal preference really, just adjust your timings accordingly.
I also prefer to use smoked ham rather than unsmoked as it gives great depth of flavour.
However, just choose the best quality (ideally British) ham you can find in the local supermarket. Again, in terms of taste it’s personal preference. Use which bacon you’d buy as a guide.
How to make Slow Cooker Gammon
1. Add all the slow cooker ingredients to the pan and cook according to the recipe below.
2. Take the ham out, remove the string and layer of fat. Score and coat in honey and sugar, then roast as per the recipe below.
Liquid amount
I like to almost cover my ham with the liquid as this makes the cooked ham really juicy and moist.
This slow cooker gammon recipe uses 500ml/2.25cups of cider and 1ltr of apple juice.
You can vary the amount of apple juice depending on the size of your slow cooker.
Why we score the gammon
Slicing into the ham opens small slits up in the fat and meat, which allows flavours to infiltrate into it to marinate, giving a greater depth of flavour.
It also allows the fat to crisp up and looks attractive once it’s cooked.
To do this, simple take a sharp knife and slice in lines at an angle across the joint, then do the same in the opposite direction, making diamond shapes as you go.
How to tell if it’s cooked
If you are unsure of how to tell if your ham is cooked, you could invest in a meat thermometer.
This is the one I have found to be the most reliable and I use it all the time for many recipes. It’s not the cheapest option but it’s better than many I’ve tried.
What’s the difference between gammon and a Ham?
They’re the same thing! Gammon is the meat in its raw form, ham is what it’s called when it’s been cooked.
This is why we’re calling it both Slow Cooker Ham and Slow Cooker Gammon in this recipe, because different people call it different things.
At Christmas it tends to be called ham and the rest of the time gammon (I think?!)
Substitutions
- Cider – If you’d prefer not to use alcohol for your gammon’s bath in the slow cooker, you can use the whole amount of liquid as apple juice instead
Storing
If you are eating the ham cold, it will be fine in the fridge for up to 3 days. Wrap it up well.
Top Tips
⭐️ Make a stock
Rather than discarding the liquid, you can use it for stock instead. Ham stock is great for making soups. Just test to make sure it isn’t too salty before using.
⭐️ Line the baking tin
When it comes to the oven part of the recipe, make sure you line the baking tin with foil as the honey and sugar combo can really stick to the pan!
Use leftovers in…
FAQs
Both! They’re the same thing (gammon is the meat in its raw form, ham is what it’s called when it’s been cooked). This is why we’re calling it both Slow Cooker Ham and Slow Cooker Gammon in this recipe, because different people call it different things.
At Christmas it tends to be called ham and the rest of the time gammon (I think?!)
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Slow Cooker Gammon {Best Ever Ham!}
Ingredients
For the "slow cook":
- 1 (4.4 lb) Gammon joint (boneless, smoked or unsmoked), About 2kg
- 1 Carrot, Peeled and quartered
- 1 Onion, Peeled and quartered
- 3 tbsp Mixed spice
- 500 ml (2.25 cups) Cider, Dry or medium
- 1 ltr (4.5 cups) Apple juice, Depending on slow cooker size
For the glaze:
- 6 tbsp Runny honey
- 3 tbsp Soft dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp English mustard powder, Optional
Instructions
To make in the Slow Cooker:
- Put the slow cook ingredients into the slow cooker. Place the lid on and cook on HIGH for 4-6 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours. If you can, turn the joint over and baste it halfway through cooking time.
- When the cooking time is complete, take the meat out of the slow cooker and discard the vegetables and liquid.
- Preheat the oven to 200℃/400F fan, 220℃/425F or Gas Mark 7 and line a roasting tin with two layers of tin foil or use a disposable tin-foil tray. (This is important, as the glaze is incredible hard to scrub off!)
- Remove the string and layer of skin (if you gammon has them) and use a sharp knife to score the fat. Sit the ham in the lined pan and drench it with honey. Pat the sugar (and mustard powder if you're using it) onto the honey. Roast for 30 minutes until the ham is just turning black at the edges.
To Make on the Hob:
- Work out the cooking time of your gammon joint by calculating 30 minutes per 450g/1lb, plus an additional 30 minutes. Put the ‘slow cook’ ingredients into a large saucepan and boil on the hob over a medium heat for the total cooking time minus 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200℃ fan/400F, 220℃/425F or Gas Mark 7 and line a roasting tin with two layers of tin foil or use a disposable tin-foil tray. (This is important, as the glaze is incredible hard to scrub off!)
- Remove the string and layer of skin (if you gammon has them) and use a sharp knife to score the fat. Sit the ham in the lined pan and drench it with honey. Pat the sugar (and mustard powder if you're using it) onto the honey. Roast for 30 minutes until the ham is just turning black at the edges.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published on November 15, 2018 and updated later to make improvements.
Omg tried this today and it was the best gammon/ham ever thank you
3rd time of using this recipe, 1st time outside of Christmas! Used a peach cider today, it’s it the final stage (oven) and from the bits I’ve tried already it’s another big hit.
Going to keep the slow cooker juice for stock. Just need a receipe to use it now!
Best ever gammon! I searched for years for a sensible slow cooker gammon recipe before finding yours. The result is perfect every time. Thank you so much Sarah.
The slow cooker Gammon was amazing however I am left with the most amazing tasting stock. Any ideas what I can make using it?
Hello
Do you need to rest the gammon after we bring it out the oven? Going to be doing the oven shuffle and knowing how long it can be left in warm place would be helpful.
This is absolutely gorgeous. Having it again today, gonna miss the glaze this time and have pineapple slices on top instead. Goes great with dauphonoise potatoes, yum 😋
I made this for Boxing Day to go with leftovers. OMG so delicious, easy and looks amazing placed on the table. I used Cherry cider and it worked perfectly. Have recommended it to others and will make again. Ham is not just for Christmas!
Used this recipe for Christmas, easy to do and it turned out great, highly recommend