If you’ve never tried Bacon Jam before your life is about to change for the better. Spread it on toast, chuck it in a grilled cheese or even on a burger!
Homemade Bacon Jam
But for real, I can’t remember my life pre bacon jam and quite frankly I don’t wish to remember either. It’s literally my go-to addition for just about anything. My favourite combination being me, a spoon and a jar of bacon jam. Here’s what you’ll need:
Bacon Jam Ingredients
- Bacon
- Onion
- Brown Sugar & Maple Syrup
- Balsamic Vinegar & Apple Cider Vinegar
- Strong Brewed Coffee
- Bourbon
Okay, let’s address the 2 elephants in the room…
Bacon Jam with Coffee
Coffee and meat in general is an underrated combo, and it 100% works in bacon jam. It’s not overpowering in the slightest and gives a gorgeous depth of flavour to the jam. I’ve tested bacon jam with coffee and without, the difference is very noticeable!
I don’t like coffee, should I still use it?
I don’t like coffee either! This is one of the few circumstances I’ll use it. You can’t distinctively taste the coffee, it just deepens the flavour.
Bacon Jam with Bourbon
Bacon and bourbon is a match made in heaven. It gives a gently buzz to the jam.
I don’t drink/like bourbon, can I sub it?
Same as above, I’m not personally a fan of bourbon by itself, but in this context it I wouldn’t go without it. Most of the alcohol will burn off, but if for whatever reason you don’t drink then just sub a little extra water or beef stock.
Making Bacon Jam
Making bacon jam is actually incredibly easy. All you need is a large frying pan and a food processor. Most of the jam is made in the pan, the food processor just gives you the texture.
Tips for the BEST Bacon Jam
- Bacon Fat – You’ll want to fry the bacon at no higher heat than a medium, just to render out as much fat as possible. From there, just remove excess fat, leaving around 1 tbsp in the pan.
- Caramelized Onions – Cook the onions low and slow to tickle out as much natural sweetness as possible. Caramelized onions will offer better flavour and texture for the jam.
- Coffee and Bourbon – As discussed 😉
How to make Bacon Jam (quick summary)
- Fry bacon until it crisps, then remove from pan.
- Slowly caramelize your onions until golden and sticky.
- Add maple syrup and brown sugar.
- Stir in your vinegars, bourbon and coffee.
- Add bacon back in.
- Fry until a syrupy texture then pulse in food processor.
How to store Bacon Jam
Bacon jam is best served fresh, but you can allow the jam to cool and keep it in an airtight jar in the fridge. You will find that once it cools, small white dots will appear – this is the fat. Once it comes back up to room temp they will disappear (with a quick stir).
How long does bacon jam keep in the fridge?
I usually keep it in the fridge for no longer than a week, but you can leave it longer at your discretion. The jam is packed with a fair bit of salt and sugar so 2-4 weeks should be fine if it’s kept airtight and at fridge temperature.
Canning Bacon Jam
The FDA does not approve the canning of the bacon jam at home. This is due to not being processed with enough heat and pressure. Thank you, Bea in the comments for this info!
What can I use Bacon Jam for?
- Cheese and Crackers
- Stuffed Chicken Breasts
- Bread/Croissants and butter
- Burger Filling
- Grilled Cheese
If you love bacon in a sweet context then definitely check out my maple bacon grilled cheese and cranberry bacon brie grilled cheese! If you’re looking for more bacon recipes then check these out too:
Delicious Bacon Recipes
- Spicy Bacon Mac and Cheese
- Ultimate Bacon Egg Sandwich
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
- Cheese and Bacon Turnovers
Alrighty, let’s tuck into this bacon jam recipe shall we?!
How to make Bacon Jam (Full Recipe & Video)
Bacon Jam
Equipment:
- Large, Deep Frying Pan
- Wooden Spoon
- Food Processor
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Ingredients (check list):
- 1lb / 500g Bacon, chopped
- 1 large White Onion, diced
- 1/4 cup / 50g Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup / 60ml Maple Syrup
- 1/4 cup / 60ml Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/4 cup / 60ml Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/4 cup / 60ml Strong Brewed Coffee
- 1/4 cup / 60ml Bourbon
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- Cook bacon over medium heat until it crisps then remove from pan. If there is a considerable amount of fat then remove from the pan as well. A max of around 1 tbsp bacon fat should be left.
- Turn the heat to low and begin frying your onion in the leftover fat. You want to fry them for a good 20-25mins to caramelize them and bring out as much sweetness as possible. If they begin to brown/char the heat is too high. Stir occasionally until deep golden and sticky.
- Crank heat back up to a medium heat and stir in sugar, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, bourbon and coffee, then add back in your bacon. Allow to reduce until some of the liquid soaks up and becomes sticky. Test for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
- Pop in a food processor and blitz until desired texture. Serve immediately or store and serve at room temp (see notes).
Quick 1 min demo!
Notes:
Nutrition:
If you loved this Bacon Jam recipe be sure to Pin it for later! Already made it or got a burning question? Give me a shout in the comments below and pick up your free ecookbook along the way!
15 Comments
Charlotte Harrold
December 17, 2019 at 12:55 amI’ve made bacon jam before and processed it to a very fine texture … put it in a sealed container in the fridge – it kept for some months in the fridge and I used this whenever I was making a casserole/stew to add depth flavour. Totally yummy way to have it. Need to process half to the fine texture and half to a chunky jammy texture so you can have your jam, and cook with it as well.
Chris Collins
December 17, 2019 at 10:05 amOh I’ll have to chuck it in a stew next time, sounds awesome! 🙂
DeDe Harrington
March 4, 2019 at 7:47 pmSounds amazing! Can you can process it for a longer shelf like?
Chris
March 5, 2019 at 9:58 amHey DeDe! Honestly, I’ve never left it longer than a week, so I couldn’t definitively tell you how long it would last. But, it’s packed with a fair amount of salt and sugar, so as long as it’s in an airtight container in the fridge a little longer!
Bea
March 11, 2019 at 7:53 amHi DeDe, the FDA does not approve the canning of the bacon jam. According to them you cannot process it at home with enough heat & pressure. It’s only recommended in professional canning businesses. It does keep for a good amount of time in the fridge. I’ve had mine for a couple of months almost
rebecca
September 28, 2018 at 10:28 pmthis looks amazing! I need it in my life
Chris
October 1, 2018 at 2:03 pmYou totally gotta try it!
Catherine Brown
September 28, 2018 at 10:05 pmI bet these flavors together are fantastic! I can also see using this to make Brie en Croute over the holidays…. yum!
Chris
October 1, 2018 at 2:03 pmMmmmmm that’d be so good with Brie en Croute!!
Tara
September 28, 2018 at 9:15 pmThis looks absolutely incredible! I love your photos and all those flavors added. You had me at caramelizing the onions. Yum!
Chris
October 1, 2018 at 2:02 pmCaramelized onions make everything better right!?
Traci
September 28, 2018 at 9:05 pmWell this looks like a perfect Christmas present for some of my people! Holy wow! Who doesn’t love bacon?…and now bacon jam? Take my money!! Pinning, sharing, bookmarking…all the things 🙂
Chris
October 1, 2018 at 2:02 pmI didn’t even think about Christmas prezzies! What an awesome idea! 🙂
Katie
September 28, 2018 at 8:48 pmYou had me at bacon- what an amazing recipe!! I can’t wait to make this and share (or not if I eat it all myself) with my family!
Chris
October 1, 2018 at 2:01 pmHaha, it’s harder to share than you think!