Bacon Jam
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Make your tastebuds dance with this mouthwatering Bacon Jam recipe! Sweet, salty, and so delicious this jam is great on everything from breakfast, to burgers, to cheese boards. It’s easy to make on the stovetop and guaranteed to be a hit with all of the bacon lovers in your life!
Table of contents
I originally created this bacon jam to put on burgers. Now I want to put it on everything!
It’s literally the perfect combination of sweet and salty, with a consistency somewhere between chopped candied bacon and jelly. Maybe you’d call it more of a “spread” than a jam, but no matter what you call it, it’s downright delicious!
Make this jam for your next cookout to spread on burgers. Or for your next party as part of an epic charcuterie board. You can also store it in the fridge and add it to toast for breakfast, or use it to make an amazing breakfast sandwich.
Or you can just keep it in the fridge and eat it with crackers as the best afternoon snack ever! The uses are really endless, and I’ve got some more suggestions for you below.
Ingredients
- Bacon – I recommend thick cut bacon for this recipe, as it creates the best texture.
- Onion – a yellow onion is great for a neutral flavor, or a sweet Vidalia onion also works to add more sweetness to the jam.
- Garlic – I recommend fresh minced cloves for the best flavor.
- Brown sugar and maple syrup – to sweeten the jam.
- Apple cider vinegar – I love the mild sweetness that apple cider vinegar adds to this jam. You can use balsamic vinegar, but it will give the jam a different flavor as it’s a stronger flavor than apple cider vinegar. You can also get boozy and replace the apple cider vinegar with bourbon or whiskey.
- Salt – to season the jam and balance out the rich, sweet and tangy flavors.
This recipe is naturally gluten free and dairy free using the ingredients shown above.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this bacon jam recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cook the bacon. Heat a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Add one pound of bacon, diced into 1/4 inch pieces, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Transfer one tablespoon of the bacon drippings from the skillet to a small bowl and set it aside. Pour the remaining grease into something that you can throw away after it solidifies.
- Cook the onions. Pour the tablespoon of reserved bacon drippings back into the skillet, then add the diced onions. Cook and caramelize the onions for 10-15 minutes.
- Add the other ingredients. Once the onions are softened, add minced garlic, brown sugar, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and salt to the skillet.
- Add the cooked bacon back to the skillet. Stir to combine everything.
- Simmer the jam. Reduce the heat on the stove to medium and cook the jam until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is thick and jammy. This should take about 15 minutes.
- Let it cool. Remove the skillet from the heat and let it cool before transferring the jam to a jar and storing it in the fridge.
If you want the consistency of the jam to be more “jammy” and less chunky, you can transfer it to a food processor and pulse it a few times. You still want a nice texture to the jam, but this way, it will not be as chunky.
Ways to use it
I could just eat this bacon jam by the spoonful! But if you’d like a more civilized way to serve it, try any of these delicious ideas to add the sweet and savory taste of this jam to your next meal, snack, or appetizer!
- On a burger – I originally made this recipe to go on these California Burgers (pictured above), and these Breakfast Burgers. Both recipes are absolutely incredible, and highly recommended! You can definitely use it as a condiment on any burger and immediately add another layer of flavor to the burger. If you’ve ever thought about making a “burger bar” for a party with various toppings, this bacon jam should definitely be on that bar!
- On a grilled cheese sandwich – why would you not want to layer buttery bread with bacon jam and cheese? I mean, come on now! Cheddar, mozzarella, brie, gruyere, gouda, and muenster cheese all pair wonderfully with this bacon jam!
- As part of a cheese and charcuterie board – imagine a little bowl of this bacon jam on the side of your next charcuterie board paired with various cheeses, crackers, fruits and cured meats. Now imagine all your guests fighting over the last spoonful of bacon jam, oh no! Let’s go ahead and throw a big bowl of it on our next board!
- Toss with brussels sprouts – after you’ve grilled brussels sprouts, toss them with this bacon jam for an amazing side dish. You can also use this recipe for maple bacon brussels sprouts, but omit the bacon and instead, add this bacon jam at the end.
- Spread on toast – just like that, you’ve got a delicious breakfast! You could also add a layer of cream cheese, then a layer of bacon jam on the toast for even more flavor. You could also top the toast and bacon jam with a fried egg and a sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning for a more complete meal in the morning.
- Make a breakfast sandwich – toast up your favorite bagel, then spread this bacon jam on the inside of the bagel. Top with scrambled eggs or a fried egg, a slice of cheddar cheese, sliced avocado and a sliced tomato. Add the top half of the bagel and get ready to dig into one epic breakfast!
- Add it to these puff pastry brie bites – replace the cranberry sauce with this bacon jam for an epic appetizer any time of the year!
Variations
To make a hot pepper bacon jam, add 1 minced jalapeno with the diced onions. For even more spice, use a habanero pepper, instead of a jalapeno.
To make bourbon bacon jam, replace the apple cider vinegar with ⅓ cup bourbon.
Storage and reheating
Store the bacon jam in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
The bacon jam can be served cold, or heated up before serving. You can heat it up in the microwave for 60-90 seconds. Or you can heat it in a small skillet on the stove over medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
More bacon recipes
Learn how to make bacon from scratch, how easy it is to make candied bacon, and how to bacon wrap just about anything using these delicious recipes!
Bacon Jam
Ingredients
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon, diced into ¼ inch pieces
- 2 cups diced onion, about 1 large onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced bacon and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Transfer one tablespoon of the bacon drippings from the skillet to a small bowl and set it aside. Pour the remaining grease into something that you can throw away after it solidifies.
- Pour the tablespoon of reserved bacon drippings back into the skillet, then add the diced onions. Cook and caramelize the onions for 15 minutes.
- Once the onions are cooked, add the garlic, brown sugar, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and salt to the skillet, along with the cooked bacon. Stir to combine everything.
- Cook until the sugar is dissolved and mixture is thick and jammy, about 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let the jam cool before transferring it to a jar and storing in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Notes
- If you want the consistency of the jam to be more “jammy” and less chunky, you can transfer it to a food processor and pulse it a few times. You still want a nice texture to the jam, but this way, it will not be as chunky.
- To make a hot pepper bacon jam, add 1 minced jalapeno with the diced onions. For even more spice, use a habanero pepper, instead of a jalapeno.
- To make bourbon bacon jam, replace the apple cider vinegar with ⅓ cup bourbon.
- Store the bacon jam in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 7 days. The bacon jam can be served cold, or heated up before serving. You can heat it up in the microwave for 60-90 seconds. Or you can heat it in a small skillet on the stove over medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
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