I’m using an interesting ingredient in this slow cooker gammon to give it a lovely sweetness, as well as helping to keep it nice and tender.
I could ask you to scroll down to find the answer, but I won’t do that to you!
It’s Coca Cola! Yep cooking gammon in coke might seem a little bizarre, but it works so well!
It takes minimal effort to prep this recipe, with the slow cooker is doing most of the work. We’re also going to finish it off with a quick honey mustard glaze to give the gammon a sweet sticky finish.
Take some nice thin slices of this tender sweet slow-cooked gammon and serve it on some buttered fresh bread, it tastes fantastic 😋
Table of Contents
📋 Ingredients
Gammon – slow-cooking stage
To make this slow cooker gammon you’re going to need:
- Gammon joint – 2kg-2.5kg is a good size. You can use smoked or unsmoked, your preference – what kind of bacon do you like? Go with the same preference.
- Full Fat Coca cola (not diet coke) – enough to completely cover the gammon – I use about 3 litres.
- Spices including, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice and ground black pepper.
For the glaze
- For the glaze we are using, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, light brown sugar, dijon mustard, and honey.
How to make it:
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post***
- Start by removing the gammon joint from its packaging and remove any butcher twine or netting.
- Add the gammon to the slow cooker (or crock pot), pour over coke, and add the spices.
- Slow cook for 4.5 hours on high or 6 hours on low.
- After that, we’re going to remove the gammon, remove the skin, score the fat layer, and cover it in a simple honey mustard glaze.
- Bake it in the oven at 190C (375F) for 20-25 minutes.
Pro Tip
Line your baking tray with foil because the glaze may bake onto the tray making it difficult to clean off later.
What’s the difference between Ham and Gammon?
Gammon is a joint of pork that’s been cured (by smoking, brining or salting), similar to that of bacon, and is sold raw. Ham has either been dry-cured or cooked.
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Pin It🍽️ What to serve it with
I like to serve this as a centerpiece of a buffet that the whole family can dig into. Scroll down for some more buffet ideas, but you could serve it like this:
- On a sandwich with some fresh bread
- Take thin slices and turn them into ham and cheese stuffed croissants < a Christmas Breakfast favourite!
- As an accompaniment to salads such as my Pasta Salad.
- Or go for that British classic of gammon and pineapple (I like to add a fried egg) and some chips (fries)
If you have any leftovers then why not make them into a tasty Turkey and Ham Pasta Bake.
🍲 More festive buffet recipes
? Frequently Asked Questions
Once cooled, wrap the gammon in foil or place in an airtight container and place in the fridge. It should keep for up to 3 days.
You can leave it whole, or slice it up before storing.
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Slow Cooker Gammon Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 kg – 2.5kg (4.5-5.5lb) gammon joint smoked or unsmoked, your preference – what kind of bacon do you like? I use smoked
- 3 litres (~100 fl oz) full-fat cola enough to completely cover gammon
- 1 cinnamon stick or 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Glaze:
- 100 g (1/2 cup) light soft brown sugar
- 4 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves or 1/2 tsp allspice
Instructions
- Place the gammon joint in the slow cooker, add cola, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and pepper.2 kg – 2.5kg (4.5-5.5lb) gammon joint, 3 litres (~100 fl oz) full-fat cola, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- Cook on high for 4.5 hours or low for 6 hours. (See Note 1)
- Remove from slow cooker, discard all but 2 tbsp of the cooking liquid. Place on a chopping board. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 190C/375F (fan) and line a baking tray with foil.
- Using a sharp knife, carefully remove the skin from the ham joint. Leave as much of the fat as possible behind.
- Score the layer of fat in diamond patterns using a sharp knife.
- In a small bowl, mix together the glaze ingredients, plus 2 tbsp of the cooking liquid, until combined.100 g (1/2 cup) light soft brown sugar, 4 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- Spoon ¾ of the mixture on top of the ham. Place in the oven and cook for 20-25 mins, basting with the remaining glaze in the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Remove from the oven and rest the meat for 10 minutes before carving.
Notes
- If you’re worried about there being a line on the gammon where it’s submerged in the liquid then you can turn it halfway through the slow cooking stage, although I didn’t find this to be a problem.
Nutritional information is per serving. There are approx. 12 servings in this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
This gammon recipe post was first published in November 2023. Updated in March 2025 for housekeeping.
Great recipe. Just one detail I’d like you to clarify. For the glaze you state 1/2 cup or 100g soft light brown sugar. I measured 1/2 cup and it only weighs 74g. So which is correct? 1/2 cup or 100g?
Thanks.
I’m using a very small gammon (1.5 kg’s). Do I need to change the way I cook it (or the time)?
How long would you cook in the slow cooker for a 10.11lb weight?
Hi, Do I have to cook in the oven? I am trying to save on energy costs hence wanting to cook the ham in the slow cooker. Is cooking in the oven purely to get the glaze on it? Thank you.
Hi Diane, the oven-cooking part is to get a bit of a crust on the gammon, and also to make the glaze get nice and stick on there. The gammon will be cooked by just using the slow cooker though.
Went down a treat, cooked it 2 days before Christmas and nibbled it till boxing day. It was a tad too sweet so I’ll use a bit less sugar next time in the glaze. Joint was cooked to perfection and the rind was so easy to take off with your easy instructions. Thank you Nicky. Ps I have a 3kg joint, cooking it tomorrow, how much longer do I cook it without drying it out please?
Did you use 1/2 a cup of sugar or 100 grams? There seems to be some discrepancy on the recipe as 100 grams is well over 1/2 a cup. I measured out 1/2 a cup and it was only 74 grams
I love all your recipes, they all work for me, the video’s of the recipes are superb, even tho’ I have the recipe books. You make wholesome food that we enjoy, no ready made meals in this house. Looking forward to your new book coming out as well.
About the only place in Canada to find gammon is the Atlantic provinces. The rest of us just have to make due with regular old smoked ham! 😏
I just happen to have a skin on smoked ham in my fridge right now, so think I’ll give it a try with your recipe. The tmingi s perfect, as the overwhelming majority of the recipes I found say to remove the skin BEFORE cooking, so I’m really pleased you provided instructions for this method. I really like the sound of your glaze, too!
Greetings, from Alberta, Canada 🇨🇦
Looks delicious. I will try this recipe. Thanks
Hi there.. just looking at your lovely recipe for Coca Cola gammon in the slow cooker.. yum..
I am thinking of this for Boxing Day, can I slow cook it a day or 2 before, refrigerate, then glaze and roast on the day? Thank you