This slow cooker gammon is a crowd favourite and perfect as a turkey alternative at Christmas. Spiced with fragrant aromatics like cinnamon sticks, star anise and cloves, this could become a new family tradition. It's cooked in cider for a touch of luxury and a lot of flavour.
This gammon, I've used smoked, is slow-cooked in apple cider with warm wintery spices and glazed with a sweet and sticky honey glaze. You can also try this maple glazed gammon too.
Making this ham in the slow cooker rather than in the oven makes it easy and effortless. The glaze is sticky and sweet with a spice of savoury sea salt. This is such a great budget-friendly alternative to the usual turkey or roast beef.
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Ingredients
This smoked gammon in cider doesn't require many ingredients but each one really adds to the finished ham.
- smoked gammon- you can use unsmoked if you prefer
- cider- apple juice or pear cider also work really well here.
- cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise- distinctly wintery spices that add warmth the finished ham.
- bay leaves- the herbal, slightly floral fragrance and flavour of the bay leaves really compliment the warmth of the spices.
- honey, butter, sea salt, rosemary- these form the glaze for the ham and create a gorgeous balance for the smokiness of the ham.
With this slow cooker gammon, each flavour builds on and complements the previous.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This honey glazed gammon in cider is straightforward and easy to make, but sometimes it's easier to follow along with the visual cues as well as the step by step instructions.
- Place the gammon, spices and cider into the bowl of the slow cooker. There is no need to rinse or soak the gammon beforehand, but you also don't need to add any salt to the slow cooker either.
- Cook on the medium setting for about 5 hours or the low setting for 6 hours. Check that the gammon is fully cooked. Once the gammon is fully cooked place it on a baking tray, preheat the oven and make the glaze.
- To make the glaze, heat the butter and honey in a saucepan on low heat or gently in the microwave. Add in some chopped rosemary. This is completely optional.
- Pour or brush the glaze over the ham and place in the preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes until the glaze is thick and has started to caramelize.
Quick Hints-
- Let the oven completely preheat so that the glaze caramelises quickly and doesn't dry out the ham. You only need to have the ham in the oven for about 15 minutes to glaze it well. Anything longer and it will dry out.
- You absolutely do not need to soak the ham in water to get rid of the salt. It was required when hams were salt cured, but these days it's very mild. If you are concered about the salt content you can use an unsmoked ham instead.
Variations & Substitutions
Slow cooker gammon in cider is highly adaptable and customisable. Here are a few ways you can change it up.
- Spicy - Use ginger beed instead of cider as the cooking liquid.
- Deluxe - This is already pretty deluxe but you could substitute the honey for maple syrup instead.
- Cider - You could use apple juice here instead of the cider.
- Cola- This method is very popular. You can trade the cider for some cola, but I always find that method too sweet for me.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. My slow cooker is a lifeline for me, just as yours might be for you. So, it's worth it to spend some money on a good slow cooker. You don't need to spend a lot to get a great one, either. Here are my top picks-
- Morphy Richards- this is the exact one I have and it's amazing!
- T-Fal 8 in 1 multi cooker- A slow cooker and a pressure cooker in one!
- Crock-pot lift and serve slow cooker- This one has a timer so you can program how long you want it to cook for and then it switches to a warming function. It also has a ceramic bowl that you can place on the table for serving.
- Ninja 9 in 1 Multi Cooker- This one is a true splurge, but it is a slow cooker, pressure cooker, air fryer, yoghurt maker and you can steam, sear, saute and roast.
Storage
This slow cooker gammon will be an absolute hit with everyone at your table. So, you may not have much left. But if you did then you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze slices of it for up to 3 months.
You can also use leftovers in this ham and lentil soup, and this ham and turkey pie. Use chicken instead of turkey if you prefer.
Top tip
It's really important to build up the glaze, so it really sinks into the ham. Brush half the glaze over the ham roast for about 10 minutes, then brush with the remaining glaze for a further 5 minutes.
Gammon joints come with plastic wrapped around them. Just use a pair of scissors to cut that off. The joint will hold together on its own and there's no need for plastic during the cooking process.
How Long To Cook Gammon In A Slow Cooker
- Low setting for 6 to 8 hours
- Medium for 5-6
- High for 4 to 5 hours
- * If you are wanting the pull the ham apart like a pulled pork continue to cook for an extra hour to ensure the ham is extra tender.
How To Tell If Gammon Is Cooked
Insert a sharp knife inside the gammon and pull it out. If you struggle to take it out, or it feels a bit springy, the meat isn’t cooked. Return it to the slow cooker to let it cook for longer. Or you can use a thermometer to check the ham has reached an internal temperature of 71ºc.
How To Make A Gammon Glaze
You can either serve the gammon straight from the slow cooker or add a glaze and cook it in an oven for about 5-10 minutes. Any longer than that your gammon will dry out. I tend to always glaze my ham but if you're making this recipe for a regular weeknight meal go then you can skip it, but it really is worth it! Gently melt the honey and butter in a small pan and add in the chopped rosemary.
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Recipe
Easy Spiced Slow Cooker Gammon In Cider with Honey Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 kg ham smoked
- 300 ml apple cider or use apple juice
- 2 star anise
- 1 cinnamon sticks
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cloves
For the glaze
- 100 ml honey
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 sprig rosemary chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Remove the gammon from the packaging and use scissors to remove the plastic wrapping. Place the gammon in the bowl of the slow cooker and pour the cider on top.
- Add the star anise, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and cloves to the slow cooker. Cover and turn the setting to low or medium. Cook for about 5 hours on medium. See notes for more cooking times.
- While the gammon is cooking, make the glaze in a small saucepan by melting the honey and butter together and adding in the chopped rosemary if using. Preheat the oven to 180ºc.
- Once the gammon is cooked take it out of the slow cooker and place it on a tray and brush or pour half the glaze over the ham. Place in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove and brush with the remaining glaze and place back in the oven for a further 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before carving.
- Serve with roast potatoes and veggies.
Notes
- Low setting for 6 to 8 hours
- Medium for 5-6
- High for 4 to 5 hours
- * If you are wanting the pull the ham apart like a pulled pork continue to cook for an extra hour to ensure the ham is extra tender.
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