Gammon Joint Cooking Time

Kitchen-reviewed Updated Jun 2026 Written from established cooking principles and checked for sense and safety. Not independently lab-tested.
Glazed gammon joint partly carved

about 30 minutes per 500g, plus 15–20 minutes to glaze at 180°C (fan 160°C / 356°F, gas mark 4).

A glazed gammon joint is a proper centrepiece — brilliant hot for dinner or cold for sandwiches. The reliable guide is about 30 minutes per 500g at 180°C, wrapped in foil, followed by a quick glaze at a higher heat.

Weigh it and glaze it

Roasting the gammon wrapped keeps it moist while it cooks through; then you unwrap, score the fat, brush on a sticky glaze and blast it at 200°C to caramelise. Always check it reaches 75°C in the centre. If your joint is a salty one, soaking it overnight or giving it a short simmer first stops the finished ham being too salty.

Method

  1. Wrap the gammon loosely in foil in a roasting tin and heat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C).
  2. Roast for about 30 minutes per 500g.
  3. Unwrap, snip off the skin leaving a layer of fat, score the fat into diamonds and brush with a glaze (honey and mustard is classic).
  4. Return to a hot oven at 200°C for 15–20 minutes until the glaze is sticky and caramelised.

How to tell it's cooked

  • 75°C in the thickest part
  • The meat is tender and pulls apart easily
  • The glaze is golden and sticky

Times by size

Size / typeTime
1kg jointabout 1 hour + glaze
1.5kg jointabout 1 hr 30 + glaze
2kg jointabout 2 hours + glaze

Food safety: Cook gammon right through to 75°C in the centre. If the joint is very salty, soak it in cold water overnight or simmer briefly first, then roast. Rest before carving, and cool leftovers quickly to refrigerate.