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    Home » Recipes » Slow Cooker Mains

    Published on Dec 18, 2018. Modified on Jan 23, 2024 by bakingqueen74. This post may contain affiliate links. 18 Comments

    Slow Cooker Gammon Glazed with Maple Syrup

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    Jump to Recipe

    Great for your Christmas or New Year table, and also perfect for a Sunday roast all year round, slow cooker gammon glazed with maple syrup is so easy to make and bound to be a hit with your family. 

    Gammon/ham with scored fat on a wooden board.

    The maple syrup makes the gammon or ham just taste sublime, with that sweet but mellow flavour. 

    This gammon is cooked in apple juice then glazed with maple syrup and roasted briefly in the oven to give this marvellous result. 

    Sliced ham joint on a wooden board.
    Jump to:
    • What is gammon?
    • Smoked or unsmoked gammon
    • Simple recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Method
    • Cooking times
    • Checking your gammon is cooked
    • Alternative glazes
    • More slow cooker Christmas recipes
    • More Sunday roasts
    • Recipe
    • Reviews

    What is gammon?

    If you are not from the UK where gammon is a common cut of meat, then gammon is an uncooked piece of pork hind leg, cured like bacon, which in Britain we buy uncooked from the supermarket, either as smoked or unsmoked gammon.

    Gammon is a typical basis for a roast dinner as well as being enjoyed at Christmas often on Boxing Day. 

    Gammon as a word is related to the Spanish jámon or French jambon (ham), so often in the UK too we call this a ham, or Christmas ham.

    We cook it either in the slow cooker or by baking in the oven to make ham. So gammon could be called a fresh ham, as you need to cook it before eating it, as it is raw. 

    In the USA where you cannot normally buy gammon in stores, you could achieve similar results by baking a ham joint. 

    It may be quite similar to an uncooked city ham or ‘smoked ham, shank portion’ you would buy in the USA for example.

    Smoked or unsmoked gammon

    I prefer to use unsmoked gammon for baked glazed ham as smoked gammon can be pretty salty. 

    It is typical to soak or boil gammon before cooking to remove some of the salt. I find that choosing unsmoked usually makes this not necessary.

    I choose one of the basic gammon pieces from the supermarket, unsmoked. 1kg of gammon is perfect for a hot meal then as cold ham during the week. Great with my easy slow cooker jacket potatoes or slow cooker cauliflower cheese!

    For Christmas you might prefer a larger size like 1.5 kg or 2 kg, depending on how many people you need to cater for (and the size of your slow cooker).

    Roast gammon after cooking resting on a chopping board.

    Simple recipe

    No slaving over a hot oven for hours or checking water levels in a pan required here. Just put the gammon in your slow cooker with some apple juice or stock and off you go!

    Over the holiday period you can simply pop the gammon in the crockpot and do something else, a spot of present wrapping, writing Christmas cards, visiting friends.

    You can even cook this overnight if you are short on oven space for your festive dishes.

    Just 20-3o mins in a hot oven or air fryer at the end and you will have a golden gammon joint which is so tender inside from slow cooking in apple juice.

    And this saves on energy too!

    It will be perfect as your Christmas or Boxing Day ham for your Christmas buffets!

    Finished ham before carving.

    Ingredients

    Here’s what you will need for the recipe – quantities are in the recipe card further down the page:

    • gammon joint (for US readers, this means an uncooked ham roast) – I prefer unsmoked for a milder flavour but you can use smoked if you prefer.
    • apple juice – you don’t need much, a carton of juice for lunchboxes is fine.
    • maple syrup

    Method

    1. Put your gammon joint in your slow cooker with the apple juice and cook for 5 hours on high or 8 on low – based on a 2 kg joint. Check out the cooking times for different weights below.

    Raw gammon joint in slow cooker pot.

    2. After cooking, check the joint is fully cooked either using a food thermometer or by checking it is tender in the centre with a knife and the juices run clear. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C / 400 degrees F (fan).

    Cooked gammon joint in slow cooker pot.

    3. Transfer the gammon to a roasting pan, remove the string if it is covered in string, and using a sharp knife, score the fat in a diamond pattern.

    Gammon joint in a roasting tray, fat scored in a diamond pattern.

    4. Drizzle over approx 50 ml of maple syrup.

    Gammon drizzled with maple syrup, before roasting.

    5. Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes until golden. Half way through the cooking time, baste the joint with the juices from the base of the tray, it works really well if you use a pastry brush to make sure the maple syrup coats the fat fully. Once cooked, transfer to a board ready to serve. Allow to rest for ten minutes before carving.

    Gammon after cooking.

    Cooking times

    Whatever size ham you are making, here are the times you will need to cook it in your slow cooker. If cooking a really big ham for a family get together, make sure it will fit in your slow cooker first!

    For a 750 g to 1 kg joint of gammon:

    6-7 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high

    For a 2 kg joint of gammon:

    8-10 hours on low or 5-6 hours on high

    For a 3 kg joint of gammon (or bigger):

    10-12 hours on low or 6-7 on high

    Checking your gammon is cooked

    Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat at the deepest point has reached 71 degrees C.

    Check the meat is tender, has a cooked texture, no red remains (gammon will often look pink) and slices easily.

    Alternative glazes

    If you don’t have maple syrup then you could also drizzle honey over your ham before cooking in the oven, it works just as well. Runny honey is best.

    Golden syrup, treacle or brown sugar work well too.

    Other options:

    • honey and mustard – the classic combination works really well on gammon too. Mix honey and mustard in a small bowl then brush it over the gammon.
    • after scoring the diamond pattern on the fat, stud it with cloves (just push them in!) for a Christmas gammon
    • jam (such as apricot) and orange marmalade glazes are another way to add festive sweetness
    Sliced ham joint on a wooden board.

    More slow cooker Christmas recipes

    If you are looking for Christmas recipes for your slow cooker you are in the right place!

    Savoury options:

    • slow cooker turkey crown
    • slow cooker leg of lamb with rosemary and garlic
    • slow cooker beef brisket
    • slow cooker roast potatoes
    • slow cooker roast parsnips
    • slow cooker Brussels sprouts
    • slow cooker red cabbage

    Sweet options:

    • slow cooker mincemeat pudding
    • slow cooker cranberry and vanilla steamed pudding
    • slow cooker Christmas cake
    • slow cooker fudge with lots of varieties to try

    Make sure you also check out my Christmas slow cooker post full of edible gifts, sweet treats, Christmas dinner recipes and more, all made in your slow cooker!

    More Sunday roasts

    For some more delicious roast ideas, take a look at these from fellow food bloggers:

    • Tandoori leg of lamb from Kavey Eats
    • Spring roast of Scotch beef with wild garlic pesto crust from Foodie Quine
    • Herby slow roast chicken from Gingey Bites
    • Stuffed turkey breasts in blankets from Fab Food 4 All

    For all of my slow cooker roast recipes make sure you take a look at my guide to making a roast dinner in your slow cooker.

    Why not subscribe by email so you don’t miss a post.

    Pin my slow cooker gammon for later!

    Slow cooker gammon image with text overlay

    Recipe

    Gammon/ham with scored fat on a wooden board.

    Slow Cooker Gammon with Maple Glaze

    Make your Christmas gammon or ham in your slow cooker, a maple syrup glaze adds amazing flavour and colour.
    5 from 14 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Slow Cooker
    Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 8 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 8 hours hours 32 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 339kcal
    Author: Lucy Allen | BakingQueen74

    Ingredients

    • 2 kg approx joint of unsmoked gammon (ham) serves approx 6-8 people with leftovers as ham
    • 300 ml clear apple juice
    • 50 ml amber pure maple syrup
    UK Measurements – US Measurements

    Equipment

    large oval slow cooker
    large oval slow cooker

    Instructions 

    • Place the gammon in the slow cooker, pour the apple juice in the bottom, replace the lid, and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 5-6 hours.
      2 kg approx joint of unsmoked gammon (ham), 300 ml clear apple juice
    • About half an hour from the end, preheat your oven to 200℃ / 390℉.
    • When the cooking time has passed, carefully use two forks to remove the gammon from the slow cooker and place it in a baking tray. If the gammon has string on it, remove it now.
    • Pat dry the fat on top of the gammon using kitchen roll, then score it in a diamond pattern using a sharp knife.
    • Pour the maple syrup on top of the gammon.
      50 ml amber pure maple syrup
    • Place the gammon on the baking tray in the oven and cook for half an hour, until golden. Baste occasionally with the cooking juices and maple syrup during cooking.
    • Remove from the oven, leave to rest for at least ten minutes (if you try to cut it straightaway it may shred rather than carve as it is so soft), and then carve.

    Notes

    Cooking times:
    750 g to 1 kg joint of gammon:
    6-7 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high
    2 kg joint of gammon:
    8-10 hours on low or 5-6 hours on high
    3 kg joint of gammon:
    10-12 hours on low or 6-7 on high
    Checking your gammon is cooked:
    Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat at the deepest point has reached 71 degrees C.
    Check the meat is tender, has a cooked texture, no red remains (gammon will often look pink) and slices easily.
    Did you try and love this recipe?Then please leave a star rating and comment below to let me know how you got on!

    Post originally published January 03 2016. Republished with new images December 18 2018 and updated with new photos again in December 2020.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mandy says

      December 21, 2018 at 11:49 am

      Maple syrup is such a brilliant ingredient isn’t it? Seems to go with everything!

      Reply
      • bakingqueen74 says

        December 21, 2018 at 12:20 pm

        Doesn’t it taste amazing!

        Reply
    2. Sarah Starr says

      October 19, 2016 at 8:48 pm

      This was so nice don’t like gammon bu loved this everyone ate it all will do again

      Reply
    3. markr356 says

      January 12, 2016 at 10:15 am

      Wow look at the color on that gammon? This looks great and I bet it’s tasty.

      Reply
      • bakingqueen74 says

        January 14, 2016 at 7:13 pm

        Thanks Mark, it was so good. Loved the golden colour from he maple syrup.

        Reply
    4. Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction says

      January 11, 2016 at 2:40 pm

      That maple glaze looks and sounds incredible! I do love me some gammon! 🙂

      Reply
      • bakingqueen74 says

        January 14, 2016 at 7:14 pm

        Cheers Martha!

        Reply
    5. dawnyucuiscooking says

      January 11, 2016 at 1:12 pm

      I think this gammon looks wonderful. The ingredients are simple but I am sure the perfect glaze. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • bakingqueen74 says

        January 14, 2016 at 7:14 pm

        Thanks Dawn, it is all about simple and easy recipes here 🙂

        Reply
    6. Shelby says

      January 08, 2016 at 2:15 am

      This maple glaze sounds amazing! Plus I now know what a gammon is 😉

      Reply
    7. Derek @ Dad With A Pan says

      January 07, 2016 at 10:32 pm

      I had to google what a “gammon” was, lol. #YankeeProblems

      Reply
      • bakingqueen74 says

        January 07, 2016 at 10:34 pm

        Ah yes sorry, it is a ham! British name for it. 🙂

        Reply
    8. bbqbastard says

      January 07, 2016 at 9:18 pm

      Nice recipe! Though I’d prefer to bend over and check this delight once in a while! I love the smell coming from these recipes! Think I’ll make this once on my BBQ! Nice recipe thanks for sharing.

      Greetz Simon

      Reply
    9. munchiesandmunchkins says

      January 04, 2016 at 7:20 pm

      Oh Lucy this looks delicious – I think you made me drool a little. Ive cooked lots of hams over the years but a maple glaze sounds amazing!

      Reply
      • Jason says

        July 24, 2024 at 3:31 pm

        Hi ,could I glaze this with golden syrup don’t have any maple or honey atm
        Ty

        Reply
        • bakingqueen74 says

          July 25, 2024 at 9:20 am

          Hi there yes I just checked and golden syrup can be used for this too, you are just looking for sweet stickiness so it sounds great!

          Reply
    10. Fuss Free Helen says

      January 04, 2016 at 6:35 pm

      I love slow cooked joints of meat, the result is always so flavour packed and tender.

      Reply
    11. Kavey says

      January 04, 2016 at 2:59 pm

      Can you believe, I have NEVER cooked a ham. Love the idea of simple maple syrup glaze. Thanks for sharing my tandoori lamb too!

      Reply
    5 from 14 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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    Hi, I'm Lucy! I'm a slow cooker addict, food blogger and also a busy working mum of two. I hope you'll enjoy the recipes I create and post which are perfect for busy families.

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