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This Bacon Jam Recipe is a bacon lover's dream! I mean bacon is one of my top joys in life... I know I am not alone on that! Right??
When I was a kid growing up in Philly, I would often stay overnight at my Grammy's. When I woke she would give me all the bacon I could eat. ALL-the-bacon-I-could-eat!
As the oldest of 5 kids growing up in Philly, THAT was monumental! At home, I could maybe snag 3 strips... if I was lucky! I still smile at the thought of those lazy weekend mornings at my Grammy's...and all of that glorious bacon. Food memories are some of my favorite memories!
Table of Contents
Bacon makes everything better or so the saying goes. BUT this Bacon Jam Recipe...really, really does!
Besides Burgers, What do I put Bacon Jam on?
IF you can stop yourself from gobblingthisupspoonful after spoonful... you will love it spread on:
- hot biscuits
- place atop a round or wedge of warmed Brie or Camembert cheese (so incredible)
- toast
- eggs
- steamed or sautéed veggies
- pancakes
- BLTs
- grilled cheese sandwiches
- burgers (I mean...OMG!!!)
- pierogis and so much more!
The list can go on and on! Homemade Bacon Jam is a fantastic offering to put out for a Burger Bar at a BBQ.
Other Uses for Bacon Jam
Homemade Bacon Jam is an amazing food gift during the holiday season (or any time of the year) . Make a batch for you and one for a friend, scrape it into a 4, 6 or 8 oz. jar, wrap some ribbon around it, attach the recipe and you will have a happy friend or loved one.
I'm all about food gifts. You can view my best homemade food gifts post for even more options.
I would totally be your BFF if you gifted me with a jar of Bacon Jam!
What bacon should I use to make bacon jam?
Of course, the number one ingredient is BACON. It's the most important ingredient and my favorite bacon to date is Hatfield bacon (AND they are local to me).
Hatfield is a 120-year-old business. Before the roads had cars on them, Hatfield was delivering meats to the doors of Pennsylvanians. Today, they produce quality meats forfar more than just Pennsylvania! Love that!
Turn bacon into Bacon Jam!!
Check out my 1 minute TikTok video on how to make this easy recipe for Bacon Jam
Ingredients for Bacon Jam
- Bacon
- Vidalia onion
- Garlic
- Brown sugar
- Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Water(you could also add in a TBS or two of bourbon vs water)
- Fresh thyme
- Black pepper
- Optional: Cayennered pepper / maple syrup
Ingredients to make Bacon Jam
- Bacon
- Onions
- Garlic
- Red wine or sherry vinegar,
- Balsamic vinegar,
- Brown sugar,
- Black pepper,
- Red pepper,
- Fresh thyme
- Water.
Bacon Jam is not one of those things you can walk away from as it cooks. Taste as you go and adjust to your liking. Once you make this a couple of times, it's a piece of cake. Soon it'll be a signature dish or food gift of yours.
Tips
- If you want a more sticky gooey jam, add in a ½ cup to 1 cup of fig jam after you remove what you made from the heat, just stir until its mixed in. It complements the bacon perfectly. I have made this both with and without.
- The addition of the fig jam makes the Bacon Jam sweeter. You can counter that (if you wish) by adding in some Cayenne pepper, which I do in the written recipe. I typically like some heat.
- The trick to making it is having your ingredients prepped and organized and then as the mixture cooks down into jam that you pay attention to taste and texture. You don't want it to burn.
How to use this Bacon Onion Jam
Oh! The list is almost endless! Atop fried eggs, on toast, on avocado toast, on burgers, on a round of Brie cheese warm from the oven (or cold), in a small bowl with a tiny spoon as a part of a cheese or charcuterie board or on crackers.
I love it atop fresh steamed green beans and off of a spoon all by itself...Heaven! I am sure you can come up with many more uses. It makes the best food gift!!
Love Bacon as much as I do? Try one of my top 6 Bacon dishes:
- Bacon Cheese Jalapeno Quick Bread!
- Glazed Bacon Wrapped Sausage Bites
- Grilled Bacon Wrapped Chicken Skewers
- Steamed Green Beans With Bacon Jam
- Sriracha Candied Bacon (Pig Candy)
- Grilled Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Chipotle Glaze
This recipe originally published on December 13, 2016. Updated April 26, 2022, to reflect changes in the recipe which I think make it better and easier.
If you make this, show me 🙂 Tag me on Instagram or Facebook @sb15admin
Enjoy! -Colleen
Recipe for Bacon Jam
Colleen Kennedy
This Bacon Jam recipe makes an amazing food gift. use it as an appetizer and top a baked Brie or crostini. Spread onto toast. avocado toast or add a dollop to your fried eggs or avocado toast. I also love it atop green beans and burgers! So many uses.
4.74 from 19 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 12 oz
Calories 398 kcal
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Bacon
- 1 ½ cups of chopped Vidalia onion
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced or 3 TBS garlic paste
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 2 TBS balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup water (you could also add in a TBS or two of bourbon vs water)
- 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
- Black pepper
- Optional: a couple of dashes Cayenne red pepper IF you like heat and sometimes I add in 2 TBS of maple syrup towards the end
Instructions
Chop your bacon and cook until almost crisp, stirring it around often.
Drain all but ½ TBS or so of the bacon grease out.
Add in the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes.
Next, add in the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring the whole time.
Add in brown sugar, vinegars and water. Stir and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Add in Thyme sprigs and pepper and continue simmering another few minutes, stirring often, being careful not to burn.
Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference if necessary.
Remove Thyme sprigs and allow the mixture to cool.
You can then pulse the jam a few times in your food processor for a finer jam or leave it as is. Up to you.
Once completely cool, store in airtight jars in your refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Heat it up a bit to enjoy on whatever you like. If you need to after reheating adding a TBS or so of water if the jam is too thick.
Notes
You can tinker withy the flavors in the easy to make condiment. Add in some minced jalapenos if you enjoy spicy. Add in a TBS or two of Bourbon (in place of part of the water) for a different flavor.
Swap out shallots for onions, change up the type of vinegar you use etc. Make it your own.
Nutrition
Serving: 12gCalories: 398kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 10gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 508mgPotassium: 212mgFiber: 1gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 28IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Bacon Jam, How to make bacon jam
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Enjoy!!
Since I am not a Registered Dietitian or Nutritionist, I use a WordPress plug-in to calculate the nutritional information provided in the recipe card.
