Slow Cooker Gammon Joint

This Slow Cooker Gammon Joint is super easy and delicious. It delivers moist and tender ham every time. What's more it's as good hot as it is cold. A huge family favourite.

My family as a whole absolutely love a Ham or Gammon Joint and that is a bit of a minor miracle in itself. But one that I am most grateful for....always.

They love it roasted as Family Roast Gammon, Slow Cooker Gammon with Brown Sugar and they love this deliciously tender slow cooked gammon, done in the slow cooker( or crock pot if you're American).

Both methods are SO easy it feels just wrong but my job is to spread the glorious word so I am here with photos and everything....

Jump to:

• Do You Need Liquid When Cooking Gammon In The Slow Cooker?
• How Long Does It Take To Cook A Gammon In The Slow Cooker?
• Slow Cooker Gammon Recipe
• Ingredients
• Method
• Glazing A Gammon Joint
• Serving Suggestions
• Leftovers
• Slow Cooker Gammon Joint

Do You Need Liquid When Cooking Gammon In The Slow Cooker?

You can add nothing and cook it without any liquid in the slow cooker / crock pot, I often do. It still comes out moist and tender.

However you can also add some flavour in there with liquid.

This Slow Cooker Gammon is cooked in apple juice. Another popular option is coca cola for some sweet spice or cider for a apple flavour with a bit more twang.

Scroll down for the full printable recipe card at the bottom.

How Long Does It Take To Cook A Gammon In The Slow Cooker?

• Cook on High for 4-6 hours for about a  1.5 - 2 kg size, less if it is smaller. Or 6-8 hours on the Low setting. These are general timings and will fluctuate.
• The cooked internal temperature for gammon or ham is 71 C if you are using a meat thermometer.

I use both smoked and unsmoked gammon joints. It is entirely down to your preference.

I think I do prefer smoked personally. There is that deeper flavour there that I really, really love pairing with cheesy sides.

Here is an explanation of what and where Gammon comes from.

Slow Cooker Gammon Recipe

You will need

• Slow Cooker
• Carving Knife
• Chopping Board
• Pastry Brush
• Grill for browning the glaze
• Bowl to mix the glaze

Ingredients

2 kg Gammon Joint (smoked or unsmoked)

1.5 litres apple juice

3 tbsp black treacle

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp dijon mustard

Method

• Pour your liquid, in this case, apple juice into the slow cooker, on top of the gammon joint.
• Do exactly the same as I have here. I fill it up until it is almost all covered but if you don't have enough liquid then just turn the joint half way through cooking.
• I usually cook a 2 kg ish piece of smoked gammon and use about a litre and a half of juice to cover it in my 3.5 ltr slow cooker.

• It's super easy here.  I either cook it on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
• If using a liquid like apple juice then heat it up to a simmer in a saucepan beforehand or allow an extra half hour of cooking time.
• My slow cooker is a little slow in getting going. It is rather a basic model but yours maybe more efficient and therefore cook a little quicker.
• You are looking for the internal temp of the gammon to reach 71 C (if you have meat thermometer). You can cook it for 8 hours if it suits your schedule better but as with my Slow Cooker Beef Joint it can sometimes be crumbly.
• Therefore I aim to cook it for 4 hours on high.
• However if it suits me, I sometimes cook it the day before for 8 hours on low and leave it to go cold and then put in the fridge overnight covered to be sliced the next day. Then it is the perfect texture and does NOT crumble. This is a huge get ahead tip.

Doing it this way is great because it is one less thing to do if I am entertaining a crowd the next day and have a lot of cooking to do.

I love to get ahead for these occasions. It helps to avoid weeping (me).

You can then reheat it sliced in the slow cooker on high until piping hot or serve it cold for salads, buffets or ham, egg and chips!

Glazing A Gammon Joint

I do sometimes use a glaze when I cook in the slow cooker. It is easy to do and improves the look of the gammon.

It can look a little gray on the outside after it's slow cooker bath for 4 hours or so.

• I take the gammon out of the slow cooker and discard the left over liquid. You can use it to flavour soups and stews. I leave the gammon on a plate or board to cool a little.
• When it is cool enough to handle I cut off the string and using a sharp knife carefully remove the skin leaving a good layer of fat behind, about 2 cms thick if you can.
• I then score the fat with the knife across one way about 2 cms apart and then back the other way so that it leaves you with a diamond pattern.

• I mix the glaze ingredients together and then brush it all over the scored fat. If you want a shortcut then simply use a marmalade as a glaze and sprinkle brown sugar over the top.

• I put it under a really hot grill about 2 "/5 cms away from the grill. Let it bubble away for about 10 minutes. The top should be blackened in places. Put it in a roasting tray to do this with silver foil underneath just to make cleaning your pan easier.

It is ready to serve beautifully burnished just like this or you can put it back in the slow cooker to keep warm until you need it.

Sometimes I get ahead by carving it and carefully putting it back in the slow cooker to reheat an hour or so before I need it.

A big part of me likes to show it off though so I usually leave it till everyone's had a peek and made suitable noises.

Serving Suggestions

• I mainly serve this as a weekend meal, be that Saturday or Sunday Lunch. I love to serve it with my Cauliflower Cheese and Roast Potatoes.
• I make the sauce in the cauliflower cheese thinner so it acts like a gravy. I add an extra 300 mls of milk and an extra 50 grams of cheese to the sauce in the saucepan before baking.
• I serve some carrots too. I think their sweetness is delicious with the salty ham.
• Another combination that I also love to serve it with is Buttered Red Cabbage in the winter months especially around Christmas. The pairing is divine.
• No Cauliflower Cheese this time but again Roasties or maybe Dauphinoise Potatoes, Slow Cooker Dauphinoise Potatoes or Creamy Mashed Potatoes.
• Foolproof Rataouille is another favourite side combo

• I always put out some Redcurrant Jelly for people to help themselves to. The sweetness of the jelly is so good with it. It's a must for me.

Leftovers

If serving this cold then of course the obvious Ham, Egg and Chips is a real crowd pleaser. I often make it this way as an easy midweek meal having cooked the ham at the weekend.

You could simply serve alongside some delicious Potato Salad. I do also love to serve it as part of a buffet table for a get together or, of course, Christmas. Nothing could be easier.

I do sometimes use any leftovers for Quiche Lorraine instead of the bacon lardons or in my Ham and Cheese Sliders instead of sandwich ham.

Expert Tips

• Use a meat thermometer to check when the meat reaches 71 C
• For a smaller joint simply reduce the cooking time. Use your meat thermometer to help you know when it's ready.
• You can use coke/cider/ginger ale or likewise to flavour the gammon
• You can just cook it without any liquid at all. It will still be moist.
• If cooked for 8 hours then you can make it the day before, refrigerate overnight covered and slice the next day to prevent crumbling and get beautiful slices. You can reheat then in the slow cooker until piping hot or serve it cold.
• You can use the cooking liquid to flavour pasta, soups and stews.
• Use a marmalade and brown sugar as a short cut glaze.
• Use left overs for salads, sandwiches, quiches or pasta dishes. Ham, egg and chips takes some beating!

If you like this recipe then you may like these beauties

10 Easy Sunday Lunch Recipes

Slow Cooker Beef Casserole

Slow Cooker Roast Chicken

Roast Pork with Crackling

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Roast Beef Brisket

Slow Cooker Turkey Crown

Do let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love a good old hairy chinwag. Come on over and join me on social media, I would love to see you over there. x