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Freshly glazed slow-cooked ham with vegetables and herbs in a slow cooker – traditional Irish ham fillet recipe
Our Little House in the Country

Slow Cooker Ham Fillet

One of my all-time favourite things to cook in the slow cooker is a simple Irish ham fillet. While bacon and cabbage is a traditional staple here in Ireland, I much prefer ham in fresh sandwiches, salads, or with buttery mash and veg. I even cook our Christmas ham this way!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Comfort Food
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 –2 kg unsmoked Irish ham fillet I use this one from Aldi or a similar size from your local supermarket
  • 1 apple quartered
  • 1 orange quartered
  • 1 onion peeled and halved
  • 2 carrots chopped
  • 2 sticks of celery chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp whole cloves
  • 1 tsp garlic fresh, frozen, or garlic powder
  • 1 vegetable stock cube or fresh stock if you have it
  • Freshly boiled water to halfway cover ham in the slow cooker
Optional Glaze (for finishing in the oven):
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • Optional: a splash of orange juice or cider vinegar

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Method
 

  1. Add chopped apple, orange, onion, carrot, and celery to the base of your slow cooker.
  2. Remove packaging from the ham fillet and place it on top of the vegetables.
  3. Add the bay leaves, cloves, garlic, and crumbled stock cube.
  4. Pour freshly boiled water into the slow cooker until the ham is halfway submerged.
  5. Cover with the lid. Cook on High for 1 hour, then switch to Low for 5 more hours (or until fully cooked and tender).
For a glazed finish:
  1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
  2. Mix glaze ingredients in a bowl.
  3. Transfer cooked ham to a roasting tin, score the fat layer, brush with glaze.
  4. Roast for 15–20 minutes until golden and caramelised.
  5. Rest the ham for 10–15 minutes before slicing. Serve hot or cold.

Notes

  • I love to cook a slightly larger ham on a Friday to have fresh slices for weekend sandwiches, lunchboxes, or snacks.
  • My favourite treat: a slice of fresh bread, a good slather of mustard, real butter, and warm sliced ham.
  • This is how I cook our Christmas ham too — I just use a larger joint and finish with the glaze. I also cook it in apple cider at Christmas.