Bacon Jam

At a glance

What stands out: Bacon jam is a sweet, savory, and salty jam made with bacon, maple bourbon, brown sugar, and more mouthwatering ingredients. Use it as a spread, dip, or topping!

How long it takes: 1 hour
Equipment you’ll need: skillet
Servings: makes 1 cup

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Bacon jam has a complex flavor profile, combining all of your favorite flavors: caramelized onions, crispy bacon, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, coffee, and bourbon. The rich ingredients transform into an memorable jam. Get ready to use it on EVERYTHING.

A standby Bacon Jam

Straightforward to mix. You won’t have to run around looking for exotic ingredients. The jam is is made with mostly pantry ingredients. All you’ll need is a skillet and about an hour of time. It can last for weeks in the refrigerator.

So many ways to enjoy it. Since it is both sweet and savory, bacon jam pairs well with most kinds of cheese, even a block of plain cream cheese. Add buttery crackers or crostini for an memorable appetizer. Try it for breakfast on pancakes, waffles, or French toast. Serve it on burgers or grilled chicken – it’s an memorable flavor-booster!

What goes in

• Bacon: We recommend using thick-cut bacon but any type will work (this is not the place for turkey bacon, though!).
• Vidalia Onion: Any type of sweet onion is fine. Chop the onion finely so the texture of the jam isn’t too chunky.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: A splash of vinegar adds a tart aspect to the jam and balances out the flavors.
• Maple Bourbon: Regular bourbon works, too, as there is also maple syrup in the recipe, but if you want extra maple flavor, be sure to look for maple bourbon.
• Strong Brewed Coffee: The flavor of coffee gives the jam mellow undertones. Want to go all out with the coffee flavor? Try using espresso!
• Balsamic Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar adds a rich sweet and savory note.
• Maple Syrup: Maple is a distinctive flavor that always pairs well with bacon, bourbon, and onions! Make sure to buy pure, real maple syrup, not the artificially flavored stuff.
• Brown Sugar: Brown sugar gives this jam lots of sticky sweetness. You could also use dark brown sugar for extra molasses flavor.

Bourbon Tips

There are many brands of maple bourbon; choose your favorite. Regular bourbon can be used, or you can swap in a different type of whiskey such as rye, Tennessee, blended, etc. Each type will give the bacon jam a slightly different flavor.

If you prefer a no-alcohol-added bacon jam, simply omit the bourbon. The jam will have plenty of flavor without it. However, be aware that most of the alcohol will evaporate as the jam simmers.

How it comes together

Fry the bacon. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until it’s browned and crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate to drain and cool. Reserve a couple tablespoons of the bacon grease in the pan. We usually save the remaining grease in case we want to use it later to thin the jam.

Caramelize the onions. Add the finely chopped onions to the skillet with the reserved bacon grease. Over low heat, cook the onions slowly, allowing the natural sugars in the onion to transform into sweet caramelized onions.

Add remaining ingredients to skillet. Add both types of vinegar, bourbon, brewed coffee, maple syrup, and brown sugar to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat down to a low simmer. Cook for 15 minutes. In the meantime, chop the bacon into small pieces. The pieces should be small enough so that the jam will be chunky but still spreadable.

Add bacon to the pan. Once the mixture has cooked for 15 minutes, stir in the chopped bacon and simmer for 15 minutes more. The jam will look quite thick and sticky.

Serve. Allow the bacon jam to cool slightly before serving. It depends how you are using the jam. It can be fairly hot if you are using it to top pancakes or waffles. If you are serving it on sandwiches or as an appetizer, it should be just barely warm.

Whipped Feta Appetizer

For a truly exceptional appetizer, add a few dollops of bacon jam to straightforward-to-make whipped feta. Serve with crackers or from-scratch crostini. Your guests will love it!

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Ways to change it

• Bourbon alternatives: Use regular bourbon instead of maple bourbon, or swap in a different type of whiskey, whatever is your favorite (rye, Tennessee, blended, etc). If you want the jam to be alcohol-free, simply omit the bourbon.
• Spicy bacon jam: Add a dash of cayenne for a spicy kick. A pinch of red pepper flakes is good, too.
• Spiced bacon jam: Adding nutmeg or cinnamon, which are both warming spices, complements the brown sugar and maple syrup nicely.
• Smoky bacon jam: Add a couple of drops of liquid smoke or a half teaspoon of smoked paprika to your jam for a smoky flavor.

Ways to serve it

Breakfast: Bacon jam makes a great topping for breakfast sandwiches, eggs, waffles, and pancakes. Try it with cornbread pancakes or savory waffles. It would be memorable on savory corn cakes and vegetable fritters, too.

Appetizer: Serve it as an appetizer with cheese and crackers. It’s reliable as a topping on our whipped feta recipe, or a simple block of softened cream cheese.

Sandwiches: Spread it on a burger or grilled chicken sandwich. It elevates a grilled cheese sandwich.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: Store bacon jam an airtight container or small jar with a lid in the refrigerator for up to four weeks.

Reheat: We recommend reheating only what you plan to use so that you’re not repeatedly heating and cooling the jam. Place what you need into a microwave safe container and reheat in 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring each time, until warm, not hot. You can also reheat the jam over low heat in a skillet or saucepan on the stove.

• Yield: 8 servings
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Cook: 1 hour
• Total: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon (we use thick cut)
• 1 cup finely chopped vidalia onion ( 1 medium onion)
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup maple bourbon (or regular bourbon)
• ¼ cup strong brewed coffee
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar

Method

1. Add the bacon to a large skillet and brown until it is crisp, but not burned. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Reserve 2 tablespoons of grease; discard the excess grease (see note).
2. Heat the reserved bacon grease in the skillet. Add onion; cook on low heat for about 15 minutes, until onion softens and is translucent. This method of slow cooking allows the onions to begin to caramelize and get sweeter in flavor.
3. Add the apple cider vinegar, bourbon, coffee, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and brown sugar to the skillet. Stir to combine.
4. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and continue to cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, chop the bacon into small pieces. The pieces should be small enough so that the bacon jam is spreadable.
5. After 15 minutes, add the chopped bacon to the skillet. Simmer on low for another 15 minutes until jam is thick and bubbly. Cool slightly before serving.
6. Bacon jam makes a great topping for breakfast sandwiches, eggs, waffles and pancakes. Serve it as an appetizer with cheese and crackers. Try it on a burger or sandwich!

Notes

Bacon: we usually use thick cut bacon which yields about ½ cup of bacon grease when cooked. If you like, save the additional bacon grease in case you want the jam to have a thinner consistency.

For a smoother consistency: If you’d like jam that’s less chunky, put it into a food processor or blender and pulse it until desired consistency.

Storage: Refrigerate in a jar or airtight container for up to 4 weeks.

Reheating: Bacon jam spreads better when it is warm. We recommend only reheating what you plan to use, so that you’re not repeatedly heating and cooling it. Place in a microwave safe container and reheat in 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring each time, until warm. You can also reheat over low heat in a skillet or sauce pan on the stove.