Ham Slow Cooked In Coke

Slow cooker gammon in coke

Slow cooker gammon in coke is the easiest dinner you can make. The coke adds a delicious sweetness that balances the saltiness of the gammon making it a hit for all the family.

slow cooker gammon in coke in a pan

Slow cooker gammon in coke might sound like a strange recipe but trust me, it's delicious! The sweetness of the cola perfectly balances the saltiness of the ham, making a tasty, tender joint of meat.

The first time we made this, I was a bit sceptical as to how it would turn out. It seems like it's far too simple to taste good. It's simplicity is what I love about this dish now though.

It feels special enough to have instead of a Sunday roast or on a special occasion, but it's so easy I know I'm not going to be slaving over a cooker for hours. In fact, it really is so easy, it's perfect for children and beginner cooks.

We like to add a sticky honey glaze and bake it in the oven for half an hour at the end. This makes the fat crisp up nicely and the flavour from the honey mustard glaze adds another bite of delicious flavour my kids love.

You don't need to add the glaze though. The ham is good as it is straight from the slow cooker.

How long do you cook the slow cooker gammon for?

If you use the high setting on your slow cooker, your gammon should be ready in about 3-4 hours. It'll take closer to 6-7 hours on a low setting. You can leave the gammon for longer if you're out and about, at work for example, it won't dry out.

Of course, the time it takes to cook will depend on the size of your gammon joint. It'll also take a lot longer if the coke you use is cold. We kept ours at room temperature before putting it in the slow cooker to save time.

What does slow cooker gammon in coke taste like?

Gammon in coke might sound a bit weird but it really is delicious. The coke adds sweetness to balance the cooked ham's saltiness. The honey, mustard glaze adds a last hit of sweetness too which even my fussy eaters enjoyed.

Can you cook the gammon in diet coke?

Yes. The gammon is just cooked in the coke, it doesn't form the sauce so it doesn't matter whether you use coke, diet coke, or a different brand of cola.

slow cooked ham on a board.

What meat should I use?

We used a nice unsmoked boneless gammon joint bought in the supermarket.

I prefer unsmoked to smoked gammon but you can use either. If you have a smoked gammon joint you should remove some of the saltiness of the meat before you put it in the slow cooker by boiling it in water for half an hour.

What can I make with leftover gammon?

If you do have leftovers, they'll keep in the fridge for a few days. Ham leftovers are nice served cold in a sandwich or salad.

Alternatively, you can add the ham to a pasta or try our creamy garlic chicken or chicken and ham tangle pie.

How can kids help make a slow cooked gammon?

This recipe is so simple kids could almost do it all themselves.

My kids were intrigued with the simplicity of just pouring all the coke in on top of the meat. They also liked mixing up and adding the glaze to the meat at the end.

In fact, the only thing my kids couldn't do was handle the hot cooked ham or carve the score marks.

slow cooker gammon in coke sliced.

Useful equipment

You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make this slow cooker gammon

Slow cooker
Digital scales
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
23 x 30cm baking tin
Pastry brush

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Please refer to my Privacy Policy Page for more details.

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 4-8 hours
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

750g – 1kg unsmoked boneless gammon joint
2 litres coke

For the glaze
100ml honey
1 tsp wholegrain/dijon mustard
¼ tsp cinnamon

How to make slow cooked gammon

Add the gammon and coke to your slow cooker

Pop the gammon into your slow cooker and get your kids to pour in the coke on top.

pour coke into a slow cooker. gammon in coke in a slow cooker

You don't need to measure the coke, simply add enough cola to cover the gammon joint.

Cook your gammon on a low heat for around 6-7 hours or for around 3-4 hours on a high heat.

gammon in coke in a slow cooker

Make the glaze

Preheat your oven to 190C / 170C Fan / 375F

Get your kids to measure out the honey, mustard and cinnamon into a small bowl and then mix it together.

child measuring mustard. child measuring honey.

While they are doing that, carefully remove your ham from the slow cooker and put it in an oven dish/baking tray.

With a sharp knife, score through the fat on top of your ham in one direction then turn it and do it across the other way to make diamonds/checks.

Get your kids to brush the glaze all over the ham, getting into all the score marks and the sides. We used a silicon pastry brush, but if you don't have one, just spoon it over the top.

adding a glaze to slow cooked ham. adding glaze to a slow cooked ham.

Put your gammon in the oven for 30 minutes. Half way through, remove the gammon from the oven and baste it with the glaze/juices from the bottom of the pan.

When it's ready – it should look a lovely golden brown colour and the skin on top should have crisped up nicely – remove it from the oven and leave it to rest for 5 minutes.

slow cooker gammon in coke in a pan

Serve and enjoy!

sliced slow cooked ham in coke on a board.

slow cooker gammon in coke in a pan

Slow cooker gammon in coke

Slow cooker gammon in coke is the easiest dinner you can make. The coke adds a delicious sweetness that balances the saltiness of the gammon making it a hit for all the family.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 6 hrs

Total Time 6 hrs 10 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, British

Servings 6

Calories 884 kcal

750 g (– 1kg) unsmoked boneless gammon joint
2 l coke

For the glaze

100 ml (⅓ cup) honey
1 tsp wholegrain/dijon mustard
¼ tsp cinnamon

How to make slow cooked gammon

Pop the gammon into your slow cooker and pour the coke on top. You don't need to measure the coke, simply add enough cola to cover the gammon joint.
Cook your gammon on a low heat for around 6-7 hours or for around 3-4 hours on a high heat.

Make the glaze

Preheat your oven to 190C / 170C Fan / 375F
Measure out the honey, mustard and cinnamon into a small bowl and then mix it together.
Carefully remove your ham from the slow cooker and put it in an oven dish/baking tray. With a sharp knife, score through the fat on top of your ham in one direction then turn it and do it across the other way to make diamonds/checks.
Brush the glaze all over the ham, getting into all the score marks and the sides. We used a silicon pastry brush, but if you don't have one, just spoon it over the top.
Put your gammon in the oven for 30 minutes. Half way through, remove the gammon from the oven and baste it with the glaze/juices from the bottom of the pan.
When it's ready – it should look a lovely golden brown colour and the skin on top should have crisped up nicely – remove it from the oven and leave it to rest for 5 minutes.

Keyword baking, biscuits, cookies, christmas, dinner, slow cooker

slow cooker gammon graphic with a text overlay.

Similar recipes

If you liked this slow cooker gammon in coke, you'll love our other slow cooked dishes:

slow cooker condensed milk fudge
slow cooker sausage casserole
slow cooker pulled pork

Or why not try one of our easy side dishes – pigs in blankets (sausages wrapped in bacon), sausage meat stuffing balls or other easy family dinners:

homemade sausage rolls creamy italian sausage pasta chorizo rice in a plate.

This recipe has been linked up to #CookBlogShare, hosted by A Strong Coffee