Easy Slow Cooker Gammon in Pineapple Juice

This easy slow cooker gammon in pineapple juice is ideal for busy weeknights or relaxed weekends when you want to avoid hours in the kitchen. It’s also perfect for feeding a crowd at Christmas!

The gammon, paired with pineapple juice and a delicious honey mustard glaze, delivers a delightful sweet, salty, and savoury flavour that will tantalise your taste buds.

If you're looking for a convenient and easy way to cook your gammon, a slow cooker is the perfect solution (if you don't have a slow cooker, try my honey roast gammon recipe instead).

The slow cooker allows you to cook your gammon at a low temperature, which helps to keep it moist and tender resulting in a juicy gammon that's full of flavour.

Another advantage of using a slow cooker is that it requires very little effort on your part. Once you've added the gammon and pineapple juice to the slow cooker, you can simply set it to cook and forget about it until it's time to glaze and roast it in the oven for the final part of cooking. 

Love slow cooker recipes? You might also like my melt-in-the-mouth slow cooker roast beef, slow cooker lamb breast, and this tasty slow cooker whole chicken.

Jump to:

• 🛒 Ingredient notes
• 🔪 How to cook gammon in slow cooker
• Top Tips
• 🍴 Serving suggestions
• Leftovers
• 📖 Variations
• 🥡 Storage
• ❓ Frequently asked questions
• 😋More slow cooker recipes
• Recipe
• 💬 Comments

🛒 Ingredient notes

Gammon - 1.5kg - 2kg unsmoked gammon joint is best for this recipe, but you can also use a smoked joint and soak it for 12 hours first.

Pineapple Juice - or use apple juice or full-fat cola for the cooking liquid.

Onion, Carrot, and Celery - adds flavour to the gammon joint as it slowly cooks. There is no need to peel the vegetables, just roughly chop them. You can even keep the skin on the onion if you want to.

Cinnamon Stick - for a warming spicy flavour.

Bay Leaf - Adds an earthy, herby flavour to the cooking liquid.

Glaze - the sticky honey mustard glaze is made with clear runny honey, English mustard, and demerara sugar.

🔪 How to cook gammon in slow cooker

The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post

One: Place the gammon joint in your slow cooker basin, pour over the pineapple juice (top up with water so the whole joint is covered), then add the roughly chopped onion, carrot, celery, as well as the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Cook for 5 hours on LOW.

Two: Lift the gammon out of the slow cooker into a foil-lined roasting tin and preheat the oven to 180 °C (160 °Fan/ 350 °F/ Gas 4).

Three: Once the gammon has cooled slightly (5-10 minutes), use a sharp knife and cut away the skin, leaving a thin layer of fat. Score the skin in a crisscross pattern if you wish.

Four: Mix together the glaze ingredients and pour half over the gammon. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

Five: Remove the roasting tin from the oven and pour over the remaining glaze. Return to the oven for another 20-25 minutes until the top of the gammon is golden brown and glistening.

Six: Allow it to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

🍴 Serving suggestions

Slow-cooked gammon in pineapple juice is a versatile dish that pairs well with various sides, making it perfect for any occasion. Here are some ideas:

Serve thick slices of the glazed gammon with creamy mashed potatoes (or duck fat roast potatoes for Christmas), garlic green beans, slow cooker red cabbage, and air fryer roast parsnips.

For a delicious sandwich, layer thinly sliced gammon in crusty rolls or baguettes with cranberry sauce, lettuce, and tomato.

Alternatively, turn your gammon into a hearty salad by slicing it thinly and serving it over mixed greens with cherry tomatoes, avocado, and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette.

Leftovers

Get creative by using leftover gammon as a pizza topping on a homemade pizza base. Add mozzarella cheese, pineapple chunks, and a sprinkle of fresh basil for a Hawaiian pizza.

This leftover gammon and pea pasta is another crowd-pleaser using your gammon leftovers, and it's really easy to make too.

Or, why not use leftover gammon in place of bacon or ham in recipes such as quiches, frittatas, and omelettes?

📖 Variations

• Add a kick to your gammon by incorporating some red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or a dash of chilli sauce into your honey mustard glaze for a spicy-sweet twist.
• Substitute honey with maple syrup in your glaze.
• Swap the pineapple juice for cider for a more grown-up version of the dish. You could also just use water.
• Cola is another popular alternative for cooking gammon. The sweetness and carbonation of the cola can add a unique flavour to the gammon. Some people also like to add a tablespoon of brown sugar to balance out the flavours.
• Incorporate a tablespoon of cranberry sauce into your glaze for a festive variation.

🥡 Storage

Store - Leftover gammon can be stored in the fridge for up to four days.

Freeze - If you're not planning on using it within this time frame, you can freeze it for up to three months. When freezing, make sure to wrap it tightly in cling film or foil before placing it in a freezer-safe container or resealable plastic bag.

Reheat - You can do this in the microwave. To prevent the gammon from drying out, you can add a little bit of water or stock to the dish when reheating.

❓ Frequently asked questions

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