If you’ve never tried ham in Cola before, you might think it sounds a little strange. But believe me, it really works! The acidity and sweetness of the Cola tenderise and caramelise the gammon, resulting in deliciously sweet, sticky meat. This slow cooker Coca-Cola ham recipe couldn’t be easier to make and makes a delicious family feast!
I’ve been making Coca Cola ham for many years. My boys absolutely adore it and it’s always requested for special occasions.
When I first saw Nigella cooking ham in Coca-Cola on TV way back in the very early 2000s, I really wasn’t sure about it. I was convinced it would be overwhelmingly sweet.
If you’ve never tried it before and are feeling a little reluctant, let me tell you dear reader..it is absolutely gorgeous. I love gammon and have many different methods of cooking it up my sleeve. My orange marmalade glazed ham is also a huge hit. But gammon cooked in Coca-Cola will always be right up there.
I used to make this recipe on the hob. I would simmer the gammon joint in a large pan for a couple of hours with the Coke, an onion, a cinnamon stick and black peppercorns.
When the gammon was cooked to perfection, I would cover it in a sticky maple-mustard glaze. Then I placed it in a hot oven for about 15 minutes or until the glaze had reduced to a sweet, sticky coating.
slow cooker gammon in Coke
One day I decided to try making Cola gammon in the slow cooker. It was so easy and hassle free I didn’t look back!
The one thing that drove me crazy about cooking gammon on the hob? The cola always bubbled over the top of the pan, spilling all over the hob and creating a sticky mess! You don’t have any of that hassle using a slow cooker.
what does gammon cooked in cola taste like?
Funnily enough, Coca Cola Gammon does not taste as sugary sweet as you would think. You won’t detect the taste of Cola, but what you end up with is a wonderfully sweet, flavourful, tender ham.
I smother the cooked gammon in an irresistible mustard and maple syrup glaze – it’s such a treat.
what is the difference between gammon and ham?
Absolutely nothing – it’s all in the name! In case you’re in the US, a gammon joint in the UK is an uncooked ham. Once the gammon is cooked, it becomes ham. While ham is usually purchased cured and ready to eat, gammon is bought raw and requires cooking before it can be consumed.
how to make slow cooker coca-cola HAM
Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post to find a printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and more detailed instructions.
Step one – Unwrap the gammon from the plastic wrapping. If you’re worried about the gammon falling apart in the slow cooker, tie it up with a large piece of kitchen string.
Step two – Place the gammon joint inside the preheated slow cooker with the onion, cinnamon stick and black peppercorns. Pour over the cola, making sure the gammon is completely covered in liquid.
Step three – Cover and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or LOW for 6-7 hours.
Step four – Prepare the glaze by mixing together the maple syrup and wholegrain mustard in a small bowl. Preheat the oven to 200C/180Fan/400F.
Step five – Using large kitchen tongs, carefully remove the gammon from the slow cooker. Place on a baking tin lined with tin foil. Slice any excess fat off the joint, then if you like, score the fat in a criss-cross pattern to resemble a diamond shape. I don’t bother studding the joint with cloves, but please, if that’s your thing, by means go for it.
Step six – Pour the glaze all over the ham, then place in the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the fat is crispy, sticky and caramelised.
Don’t leave the ham in the oven for too long and keep an eye on it – you don’t want the glaze to burn and turn bitter!
serving suggestions
I often serve glazed ham the classic British way – as a roast dinner! It’s delicious with roast potatoes or Hassleback potatoes, roasted carrots and parsnips and cauliflower cheese.
ideas for using up leftover Ham in Coca Cola
The possibilities are pretty endless for using up leftover Cola Ham! Here are just a few ideas:
- serve the cold ham slices with homemade chips and fried egg – classic nursery food!
- Stuff a baguette or crusty bread with sliced ham, salad and coleslaw
- With baked potatoes, cheese, pickles or chutney – my favourite Boxing Day meal!
- Swap the bacon for cooked ham to make this pasta with ham, cream and peas.
- make a creamy chicken and ham puff pastry pie
- Make ham and pea soup
- Make this three cheese and ham breakfast casserole
Variations
Instead of regular cola, you could use cherry cola or Dr Pepper. You might even want to take a leaf out of my fellow Scottish Blogger Foodie Quine and make Irn Bru ham!
Make a different glaze – you could simply swap the maple syrup for honey, sprinkle the fat with demerara sugar so it crisps up beautifully, or even use treacle for a slightly different flavour.
A hundred times YES. You’ll need to remove all of the plastic before cooking a gammon joint. If you’re worried about the gammon joint falling apart during the cooking process, secure it with a piece of kitchen string.
I would not recommend using Diet cola to make ham in coke. The reason being is that diet cola lacks the sugars in regular cola, which play a very important role in flavour and caramelisation during the cooking process. Additionally, the artificial sweeteners in Diet Coke would not react with the gammon in the same way.
more slow cooker recipes
- easy slow cooker turkey crown
- slow cooker beef Stroganoff
- slow cooker beef and chorizo casserole
- slow cooker butter chicken curry
Slow Cooker Coca-Cola Ham
This slow cooker Coca-Cola ham recipe is so easy and provides you with endless meal possibilities! The cola makes the gammon deliciously sweet and sticky.
Ingredients
- 1.4 k gammon joint
- 1.2 Litre bottle full fat Coca-Cola
- One onion, peeled and cut into quarters
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf, optional
- FOR THE GLAZE:
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the slow cooker. Unwrap the gammon from the plastic wrapping. If you're worried about the gammon falling apart in the slow cooker, tie it up with a large piece of kitchen string.
- Place the gammon joint inside the preheated slow cooker fat and skin side up with the onion, cinnamon stick, black peppercorns and bay leaf, if using. Pour over the cola, making sure the gammon is completely covered in liquid.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or LOW for 6-7 hours. When the joint is fully cooked, it will be tender and the skin will easily pull away from the edge of the joint. A meat thermometer inserted in the middle of the joint should read 71C/160F.
- Prepare the glaze by mixing together the maple syrup or honey and wholegrain mustard in a small bowl. Preheat the oven to 200C/180Fan/400F.
- Using large kitchen tongs, carefully remove the gammon from the slow cooker. Place on a baking tin lined with tin foil. Slice any excess fat off the joint, then if you like, score the fat in a criss-cross pattern to resemble a diamond shape.
- Pour the glaze all over the ham, then place in the oven for about 15 minutes, occasionally basting with any glaze that has dripped onto the foil. If the glaze looks like it is beginning to burn, remove the joint from the oven.
- Allow the ham to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving and serving.
Notes
Please note that cooking time may vary depending on the make of your slow cooker. I used a 3.5 litre Crockpot.
I recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure the gammon is thoroughly cooked through. The internal temperature of the meat should read 71C/160F.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 130Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 36mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 1gSugar: 29gProtein: 0g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.