This post may contain affiliate links for which I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more info, check out my Disclosure Policy. Thank you for your support!
If there’s one thing I make every single Christmas, it’s my slow cooker gammon in ginger beer. Of course, this slow cooked gammon in ginger beer isn’t just for Christmas! With a sticky marmalade glaze its a delicious treat for any day – and SO easy to make.
I absolutely LOVE slow cooker gammon. And my slow cooker ham in ginger beer is always the star of the show for a Sunday roast or Christmas dinner.
This is a naturally gluten free and dairy free recipe, this is the easiest meat for a roast ever – simply chuck it in the slow cooker or crockpot and forget about it.
I especially love making this slow cooker recipe for Boxing Day, but I quite often have it for a roast dinner as a roast chicken alternative too.
The leftovers are perfect for cold cuts over the ‘in between’ period, in gluten free ham sandwiches or chopped up and made into my gluten free chicken and ham pie.
As an additional step, you can also make a simple marmalade glaze which created a glazed, sticky and sweet finish with just the right amount of ginger spice.
I also have a variation on this recipe in my cookbook with a honey mustard glaze on the slow cooked gammon. Both are equally delicious!
Ingredients
You only need a couple of ingredients to make this easy slow cooker gammon recipe, which are as follows:
- Unsmoked Gammon Joint: I tend to use a large gammon joint from the supermarket but any size will work. Just adjust the cooking times for an especially small or large piece of meat. You can use smoked gammon but I prefer unsmoked.
- Ginger Beer: I like to fork out for a good quality ginger beer – and not a diet one. I find these too chemically. For an extra special touch you could also use Crabbie’s alcoholic ginger beer – it’s gluten free! Most ginger beers should be gluten free but always double check as some drinks occasionally contain barley malt extract.
For the marmalade glaze:
- Marmalade: Any marmalade will work, depending on if you want a smooth glaze or like the chunks of orange in it.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Essential for getting that gorgeous colour on the ham glaze.
How to make slow cooker gammon
There’s a printable recipe card below with the method, but here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy this gluten free slow cooker ham is to make:
Unwrap any plastic from the gammon joint and place in the slow cooker. Pour over the ginger beer and top up with water if needed, so that the ham is just covered.
Slow cook gammon on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours. The ham can be eaten at this stage, or read on if you want to glaze it.
To glaze the gammon:
When the ham is cooked, preheat the oven to 200’C / Fan 180’C / Gas Mark 6. Line a baking tin with foil and set to one side.
Spoon out 60ml of the cooking liquid from the ham into a small saucepan. Add the marmalade and the dark brown sugar to the pan, stir and bring to the boil. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Remove the ham from the slow cooker. If there is any rind, trim this off and then score the fat underneath.
Place the ham in the foil lined tray – If the tray is too big, use bits of foil to prop the ham up so that the fat is on the top.
Pour the glaze over the top of the ham, then place in the oven for 15 minutes. Half way through you can baste the ham with the glaze before finishing the cooking off.
Remove from the oven and leave to sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing up and serving.
I like to drizzle the extra marmalade glaze from the pan over the top of the gammon slices before serving up for extra flavour.
Storing and Freezing
If you want to make this ham ahead of time, you can easily slow cook it and then pop in the fridge ready to reheat and glaze the next day.
Any leftovers of this ginger beer ham can be placed in a bag or tub in the fridge for 3 days. You can also freeze leftovers to defrost and eat cold or hot.
I like to freeze some of the gammon in slices that I can use for sandwiches, and some shredded for things like pasta bakes and pie fillings.
It’s actually really handy to have some spare slow cooker ginger beer ham in the freezer!
Leftovers can also be baked into a new dish – for example in my Leftovers Pie, my Chicken and Ham Pie, added to Chicken Fried Rice or cooked with Gluten Free Gnocchi.
Variations
I absolutely love this ginger beer gammon recipe but there are some ways you can put a twist on it to try something different:
- Cola Ham: Instead of ginger beer, fill the slow cooker with Coca Cola instead for a sweeter version. This is another really popular way to cook gammon and Cola Ham works well in the slow cooker too.
- Add Spices: Adding some whole cloves, a cinnamon stick and star anise to the ginger beer will create more of a ‘mulled’ flavour. Perfect for a slow cooker Christmas ham.
- Cider Ham: I also love slow cooking a gammon joint in cider (or apple juice for a non-alcoholic version) as well. It’s a lovely boozy treat and the apple cider cooking liquid also works really well in the glaze.
- Honey Mustard: Check out my cookbook for my mustard and honey glazed ham recipe if you want a different glaze to try out.
And to prove how much I love this recipe, here are some of the gluten free slow cooker gammons I’ve cooked over the years for Christmas dinner:
Serving Suggestions
This slow cooker gammon is so versatile, you can either have it as the star of the show or serve it up alongside beef or turkey.
It’s so easy because it’ll just cook away in the Crockpot while you prepare everything else and can even be made the day or night before eating.
Other recipes to serve with my gluten free slow cooker ginger beer ham include:
- Roast Potatoes
- Cauliflower Cheese
- Stuffing Balls
- Gluten Free Yorkshire Puddings
- Roast Chantenay Carrots
- Gluten Free Gravy
- Summer Roast Chicken
- Parmentier Potatoes
- Gluten Free Crackers (and cheese!)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some FAQs about this easy bagel recipe – if you can’t find the answer to your question here or in the post above, please comment and I’ll try answer!
I have tried and tested a few slow cookers and I definitely have my favourites. I use my Morphy Richards Sear and Stew Cooker allll the time. It’s so handy because the pan is light, dishwasher-proof and can be used on the hob too. When I’m cooking a big meal (like a whole chicken or a large ham joint) I use my large Crockpot instead.
Most ginger beer is gluten free. However it may not be specifically labelled as ‘gluten free’ so you need to check it has no gluten in the ingredients and no ‘may contain’ warnings. I have once or twice seen ginger beer contain barley malt extract so be sure to avoid any which have this. Crabbies ginger beer, an alcoholic (and very yummy) version is certified gluten free.
No – be sure to remove any plastic from the gammon before cooking. If you’re worried about it unfurling you can wrap it with some cook-safe string but it shouldn’t need it. It’s best shredded anyway!
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. You can also share your creations in my Facebook group! And please do leave a 5* review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me and really helps support my website.
Slow Cooker Gammon in Ginger Beer
Ingredients
- 1 kg unsmoked gammon joint
- 750 ml ginger beer
For the glaze:
- 2 tbsp marmalade
- 60 ml cooking liquid from the gammon
- 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
Instructions
- Unwrap any plastic from the gammon joint and place in the slow cooker. Pour over the ginger beer and top up with water if needed, so that the ham is just covered.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. The ham can be eaten at this stage, or read on if you want to glaze it.
If glazing the ham:
- When the ham is cooked, preheat the oven to 200'C / Fan 180'C / Gas Mark 6. Line a baking tin with foil and set to one side.
- Spoon out 60ml of the cooking liquid from the ham into a small saucepan. Add the marmalade and the dark brown sugar to the pan, stir and bring to the boil. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the ham from the slow cooker. If there is any rind, trim this off and then score the fat underneath. Place the ham in the foil lined tray – If the tray is too big, use bits of foil to prop the ham up so that the fat is on the top.
- Pour the glaze over the top of the ham, then place in the oven for 15 minutes. Half way through you can baste the ham with the glaze before finishing the cooking off.
- Remove from the oven and leave to sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing up and serving. I like to drizzle the extra glaze from the pan over the top of the slices before serving up for extra flavour.
Notes
- Freezing and Storing: This recipe is great for batch cooking and meal prep! Check out the FAQs above this recipe card for storage instructions and how to freeze this slow cooker gammon.
- Serving Suggestions: I’ve got lots of delicious recipe suggestions in the blog post above for how to serve your slow cooker ham once cooked, as well as what to do with any leftovers.
- Like this Recipe? It would mean SO much to me if you could leave a 5* rating and tell all your gluten free friends about this Slow Cooker Gammon!
Nutrition
More slow cooker recipes
More gluten free Christmas dinner recipes
Get my cookbook!
Want more gluten free meals inspiration? My debut cookbook, Delicious Gluten Free Meals, has 100+ gluten free recipes, from breakfast and lunch ideas to dinners, desserts and sides.
