Slow Cooker Gammon In Coke

This amazing tasting Slow Cooker Gammon In Coke will become your new Christmas favourite! The sweetness of the cola is balanced by the saltiness of the savoury ham. Finished off with a honey & mustard glaze and a quick blast in the oven, this easy Christmas delight will be loved by the whole family!

Carved ham (gammon) on a chopping board that has a knife on. A bottle of honey and a jar of mustard are in the background.

I understand if the idea of gammon in cola seems a bit strange; I felt the same way until I gave it a shot! Trust me, this slow cooker gammon in coke is a revelation – juicy, melt-in-the-mouth, tender, with the perfect blend of sweetness and saltiness. It's simply delicious!

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Having come across the concept of cooking gammon in cola numerous times, I finally decided to try it for myself. Everyone loved it and it has become a family favourite. I'm excited to share this easy-to-make recipe with you, and I hope it becomes a hit in your household too!

The process is incredibly simple. Just pop the gammon in the slow cooker (or crockpot), sprinkle it with cinnamon, and pour over the cola. Let it work its magic for a few hours. To add an extra layer of flavour, I like to finish it off with a delightful sticky honey and mustard glaze, roasting it in the oven for a final 30 minutes to achieve that irresistibly crispy top layer of fat.

It’s special enough to serve as a Christmas or holiday centrepiece, yet simple enough to make the whole year round. Delicious served hot with these garlic & rosemary hasselback potatoes and Brussels sprouts with bacon or as cold cuts as part of a Boxing Day buffet spread.

Read on to find out how to cook this tasty gammon, including how to adjust the cooking times according to the size of the gammon joint and what to do if the gammon doesn’t fit in the slow cooker!

Jump to:

❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe
🥘 Ingredients You Will Need
🤔 Should I Use Smoked Or Un-Smoked Gammon?
🤔 Should I Soak Gammon Before Cooking?
✏️ How to Make - Step-By-Step Instructions
⭐ Help! My Gammon Won’t Fit In The Slow Cooker!
🤔 How Long Per Kg Does Gammon Take To Cook In The Slow Cooker?
💡 Tips & Tricks
🍴 Serving Suggestions
💬 Recipe FAQs
📖 More Slow Cooker Recipes
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe

✔️ Easy To Make: The hands-on preparation time is minimal, making it a great dish for the busiest time of the year.
✔️ Simple ingredients:This recipe uses readily available and inexpensive ingredients, keeping costs low.
✔️ Great To Feed A Crowd: You can buy a joint sized appropriately for the amount of people you are catering for.
✔️ Packed Full Of Flavour: The sweetness of the coke and honey when mixed with the tanginess and sharpness of the mustard results in a delicious caramelised flavour!

🥘 Ingredients You Will Need

✋ Be sure to double check all packaging for allergens. ✋

Ingredients laid out for slow cooker gammon in coke.

Gammon Joint - I have tested this recipe using a 2.1kg unsmoked gammon joint. You can use either an unsmoked or smoked joint, the choice is yours. Smoked joints tend to have a stronger flavour and may require a bit of preparation to remove any excess salt. See the section below titled “ should I soak gammon before cooking “ for more info.
Coke - A full-fat version of any brand of cola is best to use. I have seen reports about recipes using diet versions not turning out great, due to the artificial chemicals in them like aspartame when heated. I haven’t personally tested with a diet version, but the full-fat version works great so stick with that!
Vegetables - Onion and carrot are added to the slow cooker to use as a trivet to sit the gammon on and also to enhance the flavour of the gammon.
Cinnamon - Used to add some festive spice to the ham.
Glaze Ingredients - I have gone traditional here and used runny honey, wholegrain mustard and dark brown sugar mixed to create a sweet and sticky glaze.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

🤔 Should I Use Smoked Or Un-Smoked Gammon?

There is no right answer to this, it's all down to your personal taste preferences.

I would decide by how you like your bacon, if you prefer smoked bacon go for a smoked gammon joint and vice versa.

Unsmoked gammon is a lot milder in flavour than smoked which has a delicious smoky flavour but can also be a lot saltier.

🤔 Should I Soak Gammon Before Cooking?

If you have brought a smoked joint and want to take some of the saltiness away, you may want to soak the gammon before cooking it.

Place the raw joint in a large saucepan full of water and soak it overnight in the fridge. Pat it dry with kitchen towel, before placing it in the slow cooker.

You can also boil it for 30 minutes prior to placing it in the slow cooker, remembering to pat dry with kitchen towel afterwards to remove any leftover salt on the surface.

✏️ How to Make - Step-By-Step Instructions

⬇️ Here you will find an overview of how to make the recipe. For full information on ingredients and quantities please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page ⬇️

A gammon joint, onion and carrot in a slow cooker.

Step 1: Start by chopping the carrot and onion into large chunks, don't worry about removing the skin, then place them in the bottom of the slow cooker and add the gammon joint on top.

Step 2: Pour enough cola to almost submerge the gammon and sprinkle in the cinnamon. It doesn’t matter if you don’t use the full 2 litres of cola, just use as much as you need to cover the joint.

The fat being taken off a cooked gammon joint with a knife.

Step 3: Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 6-8 hours. (depending on your slow cooker) The meat is cooked once it reaches an internal temperature of 145˚F - so use a meat thermometer to check.

Step 4: Once the meat is cooked, remove the gammon from the slow cooker and place it in a roasting tin. ( You can discard the cola juices left in the slow cooker)

Honey, brown sugar and mustard mixed together in a glass bowl.

Step 5: Remove any string & most of the fat from the top of the joint with a knife. Score the remaining fat with a sharp knife. I like to make a criss-cross pattern but some people like to just score lines,

Step 6: Mix together the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and using a pastry brush, baste the top and sides of the joint with half of the mixture.

Basting a gammon with glaze using a pastry brush.

Step 7: Roast the ham in a preheated oven for 15 minutes, then pour over the remaining glaze and roast for a further 15 minutes until the fat is nice and crispy.

Delicious served hot or cold.

Roasted gammon topped with honey and mustard in a baking tray.

⭐ Help! My Gammon Won’t Fit In The Slow Cooker!

A 2kg gammon joint should fit nicely in a 3.5L slow cooker, but if you are buying a larger joint and find it won’t fit in the slow cooker you can easily boil the gammon on a low heat on the hob instead.

Gammon boiling in a saucepan with carrot and onion.

I tested this recipe on the hob using a 2kg joint and it took around 2 hours for the gammon to cook, once boiled, simmering on a really low heat in a large saucepan with the lid on. Finish it off in the oven as per the recipe once it is cooked.

🤔 How Long Per Kg Does Gammon Take To Cook In The Slow Cooker?

A 2.1 Kg joint took around 4.5 hours on the high setting to reach the safe internal temperature of 63˚C / 145˚F in my slow cooker.

I really recommend using a meat thermometer to check when meat is cooked. You can pick up them cheaply on Amazon and it will become your new best friend in the kitchen, trust me!

Timings can fluctuate depending on the weight of your gammon and the make and model of your slow cooker, however, you can use the below timings as a rough guide.

1kg: 2-4 hours on high / 5-7 on low
2kg: 4-6 hours on high / 6-8 on low
3kg: 5-7 hours on high / 7-8 on low

💡 Tips & Tricks

✔️ Use A Meat Thermometer: I know I’ve mentioned it before but, everyone needs one of these in their kitchen! The pork is cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 63˚C / 145˚ F.
✔️ Use As Much Coke As You Need: Depending on the size of your joint, you may need more or less of the 2L stated in the recipe. If you run out of coke, top it up with water.
✔️ Score the fat:Use a sharp knife to score the fat diagonally in a criss-cross pattern. This allows the glaze to penetrate deeper and crisp up the fat.
✔️ Carving Tip: If you know you won't use all the gammon at once, consider carving some slices and leaving the rest whole. Sliced gammon tends to dry out faster than a whole joint.

🍴 Serving Suggestions

The great thing about this gammon is it is delicious served hot or cold!

If serving hot, why not try pairing it with some mashed carrot and swede or crispy air fryer smashed potatoes, gluten-free cauliflower cheese & air fryer honey glazed carrots for comfort food heaven.

It's also delicious cold served with a crispy jacket potato and a huge dollop of dairy-free coleslaw.

💬 Recipe FAQs

How long can I store gammon in the fridge?

Properly cooled gammon will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Place it in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in clingfilm or aluminium foil to prevent it from drying out.

Can I freeze gammon in coke?

Yes, you can freeze cooked gammon! It will keep for up to 3 months if stored properly. Make sure the gammon is completely cool before freezing. Place in a freezer-safe container or wrap tightly in cling film. When ready to eat, defrost the gammon in the fridge overnight and serve cold.

What can I do with leftover gammon?

Dice up any leftover ham for sandwiches, salads, pies or a quiche. It's delicious in scrambled eggs, too!