Slow Cooker Ham in Ginger Beer

Slow Cooker Ham in Ginger Beer is a very simple recipe and the ginger beer adds a sweet and spicy flavour to a ham or gammon joint. Glaze with a sticky ginger preserve and serve it warm with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables or cold with salad and pickles.

Slow Cooker Ham in Ginger Beer - Ham on platter with slices cut, brussels sprouts and carrots

Why cook Ham in Ginger Beer?

The idea for the recipe came to me from recipes to cook ham or gammon in other fizzy drinks like cola or cider. I really like anything flavoured with ginger so I thought I’d try ginger beer for this recipe.

I later found out that both Mary Berry and Nigella have recipes for Ham in Ginger Beer so I’m obviously in good company!

Raw ham or gammon joint on brown paper with fresh ginger.

What kind of ham should I use?

This recipe is designed to cook a joint of ham or gammon. I prefer to use unsmoked for this recipe because it takes on more of the flavour of the ginger beer. But you can use either a smoked or unsmoked uncooked joint of ham.

What kind of Ginger Beer should I use?

I make this recipe with alcoholic ginger beer which has the strength of cider and is really delicious both to drink and to cook with. However, I do also make the recipe with non-alcoholic ginger beer and it is also very good.

Buy the best ginger beer you can afford. Look for a ginger beer with lots of ginger flavour and the more expensive brands sold in smaller bottles tend to have more ginger and a stronger flavour.

Large carved ham with carrots, brussel sprouts. Glass of wine behind the ham.

Why use a slow cooker to cook the Ham in Ginger Beer?

Reduce preparation time

This recipe for Slow Cooker Ham in Ginger Beer has almost no preparation time.

Make it ahead

Make the Slow Cooker Ham in Ginger Beer the day before, keep it in the fridge overnight and then add the glaze and oven roast as per the recipe.

Leave it to cook

It is ideal for busy days when you are going out to work or for fun. The ham is cooked when you come home. It is best with the glaze but you can eat Slow Cooker Ham in Ginger Beer just as it is from the slow cooker. You only need to add some vegetables or a salad to complete your meal.

Ham in roasting tin with carving fork.

Slow Cooking makes gammon joints really tender

Slow Cookers are brilliant for cooking ham and gammon joints. The slow cooking makes the ham really tender and it’s such a simple dish to make.

Reduce washing up

Put some foil in the bottom of the slow cooker or use a slow cooker liner to save it from sticking to the bottom of the pot and making a mess. 

Put foil in the base of the roasting tin too, because the sweet, sticky glaze will stick fast to the tin. Whereas you can lift out the foil and it’s much easier to clean.

Slices of Slow Cooker Ham in Ginger Beer with vegetables.

Ham so tender it falls apart

The ham is very tender, cut it into thick slices while still warm.  If you want to use the ham to serve cold then check out my method for Slow Cooker Ham for Cold Cuts 

Slow Cooker Ham in Ginger Beer on plate with carrots, brussels sprouts, mashed potato and Cranberry & Red Wine Sauce

How to serve Slow Cooker Ham in Ginger Beer 

Serve it hot

Serve the Ham in Ginger Beer ham with mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts and carrots. If you like gravy, try my Easy Blender Onion Gravy

Bowl with spoon filled with Cranberry & Red Wine Sauce

Or serve with this delicious three-ingredient Easy Cranberry & Red Wine Sauce which is probably my favourite Cranberry Sauce ever!

Apricot & Sausagemeat Stuffing with roast potatoes and plate of chicken

Although it’s not traditional to serve stuffing with ham, the combination of sweet dried apricots and juicy pork sausagemeat in my Apricot & Sausagemeat Stuffing is a perfect match for Ham in Gingerbeer.

Warm ham is also delicious with boiled new potatoes, cauliflower and parsley sauce. Add a little of the cooking liquor to the parley sauce as it gives a lovely sweetness with just a hint of ginger.

Serve it cold

Serve the ham cold with salad and baked potatoes. The flavour of the Ginger Beer comes through more strongly in the ham slices when it is cold.  It’s ideal to serve with pickles, relishes and chutney.

  1. Green Tomato, Apple & Pepper Chutney is the perfect way to use the last of the tomatoes of the season. 
  2. Sweet Cucumber Relish is a sweet, crunchy and pickled relish that is ideal to liven up your sandwiches, burgers, salads and more.  
  3. Pineapple Chilli Jam is a sweet and spicy relish with a similar combination of flavours to mango chutney.

Good Value

I make the ham joint stretch to three meals for three adults, with reasonably sized portions.  I think that is pretty good value all round.

More Ham Recipes from Farmersgirl Kitchen 

Rolled Slow Cooker Ham for cold cuts

Slow Cooker Ham for Cold Cuts is a recipe that is so very simple and yet really rather clever. A slow cooker is great for cooking a joint of ham but the meat is very tender and can fall apart. This is fine when you are serving the ham warm, but when you want slices of cold ham you really want them to hold together.  

Slow cooker Spiced Ham - Ham cooked in the slow cooker with oranges and lemons ans spices

Slow Cooker Spiced Ham is the simplest of recipes.  All you need to do is add the citrus fruits and spices to the Slow Cooker with the liquid of your choice.  The juices and spices infuse into the ham during the long slow cooking, leaving the ham gently flavoured and wonderfully moist. 

Comforting Leftover Turkey and Leek Pasta Bake

Leftover Turkey and Leek Pasta Bake is a great way to use the leftover turkey, chicken, or ham from a celebratory meal.

Leftover Ham Spread with crackers

Leftover Ham Pate is a smooth processed spread made from leftover baked or boiled ham (gammon) combined with cottage cheese, a little honey, and some mustard.  It’s ideal to spread on bread, toast or crackers

Traditionally Roasted Ham Recipes

Ham in Ginger Beer
Slow Cooker Ham in Ginger Beer - Ham on platter with slices cut, brussels sprouts and carrots

Slow Cooker Ham in Ginger Beer

Janice Pattie
Ham in Ginger beer has a sweet and spicy flavour, it's delicious warm served with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables or serve cold with salad and pickles.
5 from 10 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine British
Servings 8
Calories 339 kcal

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker
  • roasting tin
  • Measuring spoons
  • small saucepan
  • wooden spoon
  • Pastry brush

Ingredients

  • 1 kg (2.2 pounds) ham or gammon joint unsmoked
  • 330 millilitres (1.4 cups) Alcoholic Ginger Beer or Ginger Beer
  • 3 slices (1 teaspoon) fresh ginger root

For the glaze

  • 3 tablespoon (3 tablespoon) Ginger preserve
  • 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) water
  • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) grated fresh ginger root

Instructions
 

Cook the Ham

  • Place the ham and ginger root in the slow cooker and pour over the ginger beer.
    Ham in Slow Cooker with ginger beer poured over
  • Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours.
  • When the cooking time is up, lift the ham from the cooker and drain. Discard the cooking liquid.
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Make the Glaze

  • Place the ginger preserve in a small saucepan with 2 tbsp of water and a tsp of grated fresh ginger root.
    saucepan with ginger preserve
  • Bring to the boil stirring with a wooden spoon to break down the preserve.
  • Simmer for 5 minutes, then pour into a bowl.
    blank

Roast the Ham

  • Preheat the oven to 170C
  • Remove the skin from the ham.
    blank
  • Cut across the fat with a sharp knife to create a diamond pattern.
    Cut diamond pattern in fat on the ham
  • Place the ham in a foil-lined roasting tin and brush all over with half the glaze.
    Brush on ginger glaze
  • Roast for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and brush over the remaining glaze.
    blank
  • Increase the oven temperature to 190C and roast for another 15 minutes until the glaze is golden.
    Finished roasted ham in roaster
  • Remove from the oven and set aside for 15 minutes before carving.
    Ham Sliced with vegetables on platter.

Notes

Serve hot or cold.

Nutrition

Calories: 339kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 27gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 1489mgPotassium: 363mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 1mg
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25 Comments

  1. God this looks gorgeous and you're so right. How lovely that you come back to this stunning dish. How's the cut and colour?

  2. I love to cook a gammon joint and usually cook it in cider but LOVE the idea of using ginger beer instead. I will definitely try this next time (though am sadly slow-cookerless). How delicious!

  3. It looks fantastic and is definitely something I’d love to try! I love cooking a ham as the leftovers are perfect for the next few days and it has so much more flavour when you cook it yourself.

  4. What a fab recipe! LOVE ginger beer but never thought of cooking a ham joint with it! Thanks for sharing with #CookBlogShare 🙂

    1. Thank you, Beth. It is a similar recipe with a sweet fizzy drink. The ginger glaze really finishes it off though.

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Recipe Rating




5 from 10 votes (1 rating without comment)