A simple gammon or ham is a popular roast dinner, particularly at Christmas and Easter. In this blog, I'll show you the different ways you can cook a gammon joint, from boiling to oven cooking (roasting) as well as in a slow cooker and air fryer. I'll also talk you through how to prepare your gammon, how much you'll need per person, plus tips on flavourings and glazes. Finally, I've included instructions for cooking a Simple Roast Gammon Recipe complete with sides, making sure the entire meal is ready together and on time.
Would you like to SAVE this Post?
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
I respect your privacy and you can opt out at any time.
Would you like to SAVE this Post?
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
I agree to receive email.
I respect your privacy and you can opt out at any time.
Jump to:
- Choosing your gammon joint
- Preparing your gammon joint for cooking
- Gammon Joint Cooking Time Calculator
- How to boil a Gammon joint
- How to cook Gammon in a slow cooker or Crock Pot
- How to cook a Gammon Joint in the Oven
- How to cook a Gammon Joint in an Air Fryer
- How to boil a gammon joint with flavours
- Easy Glazes for Ham
- How to Glaze a Ham
- Top Tip
- What to Serve with Gammon
- Simple Roast Gammon Dinner Recipe
- Leftover Gammon Recipe Ideas
- Sustainability
- Storage
- Common Questions
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Reviews
Choosing your gammon joint
There are two ways to buy a gammon joint. With the bone in, or without. A bone-in gammon joint gives a more juicy cooked ham as the bone helps regulate the temperature. The downside is it's more difficult to carve.
For boneless gammon, allow 150-225g (⅓-1/2 lb) per person, depending on sides.
For bone-in, allow 340-450g (¾-1 lb) per person.
Preparing your gammon joint for cooking
Always remove the plastic before cooking (unless stated otherwise). Most gammon joints come tied with string-leave it on for cooking to hold their shape.
Soaking overnight to reduce saltiness is usually unnecessary, especially for supermarket-bought gammon. If you've bought it from a butcher, you can always ask, but in most cases, it won't be necessary.
If you're not sure, cut off a small piece, simmer it for a few minutes in water until cooked and then taste it. If soaking is needed, submerge the joint in cold water in the fridge-8 hours for small joints, up to 24 hours for larger ones (changing the water every 8 hours).
Remove your gammon joint from the fridge about one hour before cooking. This helps the meat to cook evenly.
Gammon Joint Cooking Time Calculator
Weigh your gammon to calculate cooking time. After cooking, let it rest for at least 20 minutes so the juices redistribute.
- Boneless: 20 mins per 450-500g (1 lb) + 20 mins
- Bone-in: 25 mins per 450-500g (1 lb) + 25 mins
For perfect results, check the internal temperature-it should be 75°C / 167°F. A meat thermometer in the center is the best way to be sure.
How to boil a Gammon joint
Boiling a gammon joint is the easiest way to cook it. Boiling gives the gammon a milder, more succulent flavour than roasting or baking.
- Place the joint in a large pan with a lid and cover it with cold water and other flavours (optional; see below).
- Bring it to the boil, then simmer for the remainder of the cooking time.
- If you want to glaze your ham and finish it off in the oven, add your glaze to the ham (see How To Glaze a Ham below) and cook in the oven for 10 minutes at 200°C / 400°F.
- Baste the ham with more glaze and cook for a further 10 minutes.
You can add some flavour to the water, such as whole cloves, cinnamon or bay leaves, which will infuse the meat. You can also add an onion cut into quarters, chunks of carrot and celery.
How to cook Gammon in a slow cooker or Crock Pot
Place your gammon joint in the slow cooker. Add some liquid and flavours to cover the joint. Cook for around 4.5 hours on high or 6 hours on low. To test if it is cooked, insert a meat thermometer into the middle of the joint. You can serve it just boiled or glaze it and finish off in the oven. See instructions for How To Glaze a Gammon Joint.
To add extra subtle flavour to your gammon, try cooking in water infused with herbs or spices such as bay leaves or thyme. Cloves, star anise, ginger and allspice go well with gammon. Rather than just water, you can cook in apple juice, orange juice, cider or full-fat cola.
How to cook a Gammon Joint in the Oven
To roast a gammon joint in the oven without boiling it:
- Place your gammon in a large roasting tray on a layer of foil and cover the top loosely with foil.
- Cook at 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4 according to the weight (see above).
- Twenty to thirty minutes before the end of cooking time, increase the oven temperature to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Remove the joint from the oven.
- Follow the instructions for How to Glaze a Ham and place it back in the oven, uncovered.
- Once the gammon is cooked, remove it from the oven, cover it again with foil to keep it warm and leave it to rest for 20 minutes.
How to cook a Gammon Joint in an Air Fryer
Air Fryers are a low-energy cooking option. Check out my Tips on Energy Efficient Cooking for more info. The cooking time depends on weight. 750g / 26.5oz takes around 30 minutes of initial cooking; 1kg / 35oz, 35 minutes, and 1.5kg / 53oz, 45 minutes. To cook your gammon joint in your air fryer:
- Preheat the air fryer to 170°C / 340°F.
- Remove all plastic from your gammon joint and wrap it in foil.
- Cook for around 30 minutes (750 g / 26.5 oz joint)
- Prepare your glaze.
- Remove the gammon and peel back the foil. Remove the rind and score the fat in a diamond pattern. Cover with the glaze, leave the foil peeled back and place back in the air fryer.
- Turn the temperature up to 180°C / 360°F and cook for 15 - 20 minutes.
- Check to see if the gammon is cooked by inserting a meat thermometer into the middle of your joint. The internal temperature should be 75°C / 167°F.
- Let it rest for 10 - 15 minutes before carving.
How to boil a gammon joint with flavours
Cook gammon in water or boost the flavour with apple juice, cider, full-fat cola, or ginger beer. If using water, add onion, carrot, bay leaves, or thyme. Spices like cloves, star anise, ginger, and allspice work well-ginger and allspice pair especially well with orange juice. Let the flavours gently infuse as it cooks.
Easy Glazes for Ham
These are some common easy glazes for a roast ham joint. You want something sweet combined with a contrasting flavour. The sugar caramelises and goes beautifully with the saltiness of the ham.
- 4 tablespoon of honey or maple syrup mixed with 4 tablespoon of mustard
- 300 g (10 oz) of light brown soft sugar mixed with 2 tablespoon of grated ginger and 2 teaspoon of allspice
- Marmalade
- Chilli jam
- 3 tablespoon of Hoisin sauce and 100 g (3.5 oz) of honey
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger and 300g of apricot jam
How to Glaze a Ham
Once cooked, glaze your ham for extra flavour and a special finish.
- Let it cool, then remove the thick skin, leaving the soft fat.
- Score a diamond pattern into the fat without cutting into the meat.
- Coat generously with your chosen glaze.
- For a classic touch, press whole cloves into each diamond.
- Bake at 220°C / 430°F for 20 mins to caramelize, basting 2-3 times. Watch closely to avoid burning.
Done! A beautifully glazed ham, ready to serve.
Top Tip
When glazing a ham, place your gammon joint on some foil to catch the drips. This will make washing up easier and quicker!
What to Serve with Gammon
Gammon pairs well with a variety of veg-pick two or three plus potatoes. Go for seasonal options and something green to brighten the plate. Try carrots, red cabbage, roast parsnips, or leeks in cheese sauce if skipping gravy. In the North of the UK, Pease Pudding (made from yellow split peas) is a classic side. For sauces, mustard, apple, or cranberry work well.
Simple Roast Gammon Dinner Recipe
Weigh you gammon joint and calculate the cooking time. Follow the timings below for a simple roast gammon dinner.
Place your gammon joint in a large pan of cold water along with some cloves and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and simmer for the cooking time according to weight.
Boil a large pan of lightly salted water and add the potatoes. Bring the pan back to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/425°F/ gas mark 7. Add the parsnips and carrots and boil for a further 4 minutes, then drain.
45 Minutes Before Eating
Add the oil to a roasting tin and toss the potatoes, carrots and parsnips in the oil. Add the rosemary and a pinch of salt and pepper. Make sure the vegetables are lying in a single layer. Put the tray in the oven. They will need to roast for about 45 minutes.
40 Minutes Before Eating
Remove the gammon joint from the pan and place in a roasting tin. Peel off the skin from the top leaving behind a layer of fat. Score the fat in a diamond pattern, taking care not to cut into the meat. Mix the honey & mustard and spread all over the joint then push a clove into the centre of each "X". Roast in the oven for 20 minutes until it is golden on top.
20 Minutes Before Eating
Remove the gammon, cover it with the foil and leave it to rest on a carving tray for 20 minutes until the rest of the dinner is ready.
15 Minutes Before Eating -making the gravy
Dissolve one chicken stock cube and one beef stock cube in 500 ml / 2 cups of boiling water. In a pan, melt 60g / 4 tablespoon of butter and stir in 4 tablespoons of plain flour to make a thick paste. Add the stock to the butter and flour paste and whisk. Simmer for 2 minutes. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. To make your gravy gluten free, use Cornflour instead of plain flour.
10 Minutes Before Eating
Put the cabbage on to steam. Pour about 3cm of water into a pan and bring to the boil. Place the colander or steamer over the top, cover with a lid and steam for 5 minutes.
5 Minutes Before Eating
Carve the meat and serve with all the vegetables.
Leftover Gammon Recipe Ideas
Our favourite leftover gammon recipe is Tagliatelle Carbonara. If you haven't enough, just add in some bacon. Make a vegetable soup to use up any leftover vegetables. With just a small amount of gammon try a Quiche or a Crustless Quiche if you're in a hurry.
Smaller amounts of cold ham can be used up in salads, on sandwiches and in pasta sauces.
Sustainability
Gammon has just 13% of beef's carbon footprint, making it a more sustainable choice. Buy from a local butcher or farm for fewer food miles and better quality. Organic options offer truly free-range animals, more space, high welfare standards, and no routine antibiotics. Check the Soil Association for more on organic meat.
Storage
Cooked gammon or ham will keep in the fridge for 3 - 4 days. You can also freeze it. Slice the remaining gammon and seperate each slice with greaseproof paper. It will freeze for 3 - 4 months. After this, it will still be safe to eat, but the texture may have changed.
Common Questions
Boiling gives the gammon a milder more succelent flavour than roasting. Roasting will intensify the flavours and gives a crisper outer layer. You can add more distinct flavours with roasting by glazing with different flavours. Alternatively, you can boil your gammon joint and finish it off by roasting with a glaze of your choice.
If you are roasting a gammon joint in the oven, it it best to wrap it losely in foil. This helps retain the moisture. If you add a glaze to your gammon, sitting the meat on a layer of foil will help with the clean up of your roasting dish. If you are cooking your gammon joint in an air fryer, you should also wrap it in foil.
You don't need to boil a ham before roasting, but you can. One cooking method is to boil your gammon joint and then finish it off in the oven with a glaze. Alternatively, you can simply roast your gammon joint without boiling it first.
📖 Recipe
Simple Honey Roast Gammon Recipe
Would you like to SAVE this Post?
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
I respect your privacy and you can opt out at any time.
Ingredients
- 1 kg gammon joint organic
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 4 Bay Leaves
- 900 g potatoes organic, such as Desiree, King Edward or Maris Piper, peeled & cut egg size
- 4 carrots organic, peeled and cut into sticks
- 4 parsnips organic, peeled and cut into sticks
- 4 tablespoon olive oil organic, fairtrade
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary organic, leaves only
- 20 cloves organic, fairtrade
- 2 teaspoon English mustard organic
- 2 tablespoon runny honey organic
- 300 g green cabbage organic or other seasonal green veg
The Gravy
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 4 tablespoon plain flour use Cornflour for gluten free
- 250 ml beef stock
- 250 ml chicken stock
Instructions
- Place your gammon joint in a large pan of cold water along with some cloves and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and simmer for the cooking time according to weight.1 kg gammon joint, 1 tablespoon whole cloves, 4 Bay Leaves
- Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil and add the potatoes. Bring the pan back to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/425°F/ gas mark 7. Add the parsnips and carrots and boil for a further 4 minutes, then drain everything through a colander.900 g potatoes, 4 carrots, 4 parsnips
45 Minutes before eating
- Add the oil to a roasting tin and toss the potatoes, carrots and parsnips to coat in the oil. Add the rosemary and a pinch of salt and pepper. Make sure the vegetables are lying in a single layer so they roast properly. Put the tray in the oven.4 tablespoon olive oil, 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
40 minutes before eating
- Remove the gammon joint from the pan and place in a roasting tin. Peel off the skin from the top leaving behind a layer of fat. Score the fat in a diamond pattern, taking care not to cut into the meat. Mix the honey & mustard and spread all over the joint then push a clove into the centre of each "X". Roast in the oven for 20 minutes until it is golden on top.2 teaspoon English mustard, 2 tablespoon runny honey, 20 cloves
20 minutes before eating
- Remove the gammon, cover it with the foil and leave it to rest on a carving tray for 20 minutes until the rest of the dinner is ready.
15 minutes before eating - making the gravy
- A Roast Gammon joint doesn't provide much in the way of meat juices for making a gravy, but we can still make a delicious homemade gravy. Dissolve one chicken stock cube and one beef stock cube in 500 ml / 2 cups of boiling water. In a pan, melt 60g / 4 tablespoon of butter and stir in 4 tablespoons of plain flour. This will make a paste which is used to thicken the gravy. Add the stock to the butter and flour paste and whisk. Simmer for 2 minutes. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. To make your gravy gluten free, use Cornflour instead of plain flour.4 tablespoon butter, 4 tablespoon plain flour, 250 ml beef stock, 250 ml chicken stock
10 minutes before eating
- Put the cabbage on to steam . Pour about 3cm deep of water in the bottom of a pan and bring to the boil. Place the colander or steamer over the top, cover with a lid and steam for 5 minutes.300 g green cabbage
5 minutes before eating
- Carve the meat and serve with all the vegetables
Notes
Cooking Times
Weigh the gammon joint and calculate the cooking time as follows 20 minutes per 450g /1lb weight plus another 20 minutes After cooking, allow your joint 20 minutes to rest before carving to ensure succulent meat. You can cook a gammon joint by boiling it or by a combination of boiling and roasting in the oven. If you're roasting it, then you can glaze it with for example a honey and mustard glaze. Glazing your gammon joint not only adds lovely extra flavour, it also stops it drying out. Scoring the skin and adding cloves as in the image above, adds a sweet spicy flavour and also looks impressive. To roast your gammon joint, boil it for just half the cooking time. Remove it from the oven. Place it in a foil-lined roasting tin and cover loosely with foil. Bake for the remaining cooking time at 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Twenty to thirty minutes before the end of cooking time, brush your gammon joint with your glaze and cook the joint uncovered for the rest of the time.Storage
Cooked gammon will keep in the fridge for 3 - 4 days. You can also freeze it. Slice the remaining gammon and seperate each slice with some greaseproof paper so you can use it as you need it. It will freeze for 3 - 4 months. After this time, it will still be safe to eat, but the texture may have deteriorated a little.Nutrition per serving
The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.
Marie Hill
Gammon really tasty , and plenty of ideas for leftovers .
REALMEALDEAL
Thanks. Glad you like the leftover ideas too