Air Fryer Gammon Joint

This Air Fryer Gammon Joint recipe may be simple but it ensures a succulent centrepiece fit for any occasion. This easy guide will be your go-to for perfect air fried gammon every time.

why air fry a gammon joint rather than oven cooking it?

Who wouldn’t want to perfectly cook a joint of gammon but in a shorter amount of time? That is what cooking a gammon joint in your air fryer will achieve.

Air fryers cook food quicker than a standard convection oven which is great for saving energy and pennies but also for busy families that want to be able to make food quickly.

Another advantage is that air fryers are smaller than ovens so you’re not heating up a full-sized oven but instead a smaller air fryer. This means you’re using less energy because you’re heating up a smaller appliance as well as the food cooking quicker.

By cooking your gammon joint in the air fryer you are freeing up valuable space in the oven. This is definitely a positive when cooking a Sunday roast and even more so for Christmas and Thanksgiving entertaining.

selecting your gammon joint

Supermarkets and butchers sell a wide range of gammon joints. Here are some tips to consider when choosing which gammon joint to buy and air fry.

Smoked or unsmoked

Choosing a smoked or unsmoked joint is down to personal preference. As with my bacon, I always choose a smoked joint because I love the flavour. If you prefer unsmoked bacon, chances are you’ll want to pick an unsmoked gammon joint.

Size of your joint

The main limiting factor for how big your gammon joint can be is the size of your air fryer. For the photos in this post, I used my 3.7L air fryer and I could fit a 1.5kg gammon joint.

This is the largest joint I could comfortably fit in my air fryer as you need some space round the outside of the joint for the air to flow and cook the gammon evenly.

It goes without saying that I can cook a much larger joint in my 10.4L air fryer. Obviously the cooking times would need to be adjusted for larger or smaller joints so bear this in mind.

Whichever size you select, make sure the gammon joint isn’t actually touching the basket/sides of your air fryer. I would check the joint fits in while the gammon is still in it’s wrapping.

A good layer of fat

Whenever I’m cooking a gammon joint, I like to make sure it has a good layer of fat. A lot of the gammon joints sold these days seem to have a small patch of fat and skin or none at all.

Although in this recipe I say to cut most of it off, I like it to protect the meat as it cooks. I also like to keep a thin layer to crisp up at the end of the cooking time.

I also think it looks nicer for presentation purposes as it gives the joint an even and appetising look.

differences in joints

Although the majority of gammon joints contain added water, the amount varies depending on the joint.

The more inexpensive gammon joints are usually ‘selected cuts of cured pork’ and have more added water than the more expensive joints which are one piece of pork.

Although I personally prefer a joint that has a higher pork content, any gammon joint will work well for this recipe so use what you like.

do you need to preheat an air fryer?

That depends on your air fryer, some require preheating whilst others don’t. I have a Ninja Foodi 7-in-1 multicooker and a Ninja Foodi Flexdrawer and I have never preheated either.

If your air fryer does require preheating, make sure you are careful when placing your gammon in the basket. Use tongs or a kitchen fork to avoid the basket.

Your gammon might cook slightly quicker if you have preheated your air fryer so I’d recommend checking it a couple of minutes earlier than the recipe states.

can you use an air fryer liner?

Air fryer liners are a great time saving addition because they are usually easier to wash than the basket of your air fryer.

This air fryer gammon is a little different because I recommend wrapping the whole joint in foil so you really don’t need an air fryer liner.

However if you want to add a glaze to the gammon after you’ve unwrapped it from the foil, I would absolutely recommend using a liner.

I’ve written a whole post on whether you should use an air fryer liner, check it out for more information.

Adding a glaze to your gammon

I have chosen to keep this air fryer gammon simple and delicious. This is how I like my gammon when I am serving it with gravy as part of a roast.

However it is very easy to add a glaze to this delicious air fryer gammon and I would recommend the glaze from my honey glazed ham.

I would take the gammon out of the foil after approximately 60 minutes. Remove the skin as usual but leave slightly more of the fat than if you’re not adding a glaze.

Score the fat and spread the glaze over the gammon before cooking for the final 15 minutes or until the internal temperature is 62°C.

How to serve air fryer gammon

The most obvious way to serve this gammon is as part of a roast dinner. It is the perfect centrepiece for any gathering, especially Christmas and Thanksgiving.

Here are some of my favourite sides to serve alongside this gammon:

• Simple Roast Potatoes
• Cauliflower Cheese
• Broccoli Cheese
• Creamed Savoy Cabbage
• Air Fryer Green Beans
• Roasted Air Fryer Parsnips
• Air Fryer Chantenay Carrots
• Easy Sausage Meat Stuffing

A roast definitely isn’t the only way to serve this gammon. Cooking it in the air fryer is quicker than oven cooking so it could be a mid week meal served with whichever sides you like.

It would be delicious with my air fryer chips, fried egg or grilled pineapple.

what to do with leftover gammon

I absolutely love serving any leftover air fryer gammon with bubble and squeak made with any leftover vegetables you might have. I always make sure I have enough gammon and vegetables so I can make this meal the next day.

It would also be great in my chicken & ham hock filo pie. Dice it up and add it in place of the ham hock for a comforting meal. You could also add some to my leek & potato soup for a heartier meal.

Other recipes you might like

• Air Fryer Roast Beef
• Air Fryer Whole Roast Chicken
• Pork, Sage & Apple Stuffing
• Festive Vegetarian Galettes with Squash, Red Onion & Chestnuts
• Slow Cooker Pork & Mustard Stew

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