Recipe for Bacon Jam! (2024)

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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??

Recipe for Bacon Jam! (1)

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!

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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!!

Recipe for Bacon Jam! (3)

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.
Recipe for Bacon Jam! (4)

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:

  1. Bacon Cheese Jalapeno Quick Bread!
  2. Glazed Bacon Wrapped Sausage Bites
  3. Grilled Bacon Wrapped Chicken Skewers
  4. Steamed Green Beans With Bacon Jam
  5. Sriracha Candied Bacon (Pig Candy)
  6. 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! (6)

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

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

Follow me on Tik Tok for 1 minute videos

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.

Recipe for Bacon Jam! (2024)

FAQs

What is the bacon jam made of? ›

Crisp salty bacon is simmered for hours with onions, maple syrup, brown sugar, and a couple of secret ingredients to create a soft, spreadable jam that's divine on crackers, toast, crostini or bruschetta, fresh vegetables, pita bread, new potatoes... the list goes on and on!

How long does homemade bacon jam last? ›

Bacon jam can be safely refrigerated for two to four weeks. Any amount that you keep in the fridge will need to be used within that length of time. You can store bacon jam in any refrigerator-safe container. Many bacon jam enthusiasts choose to use mason jars for aesthetic reasons.

Why is my bacon jam not thickening? ›

To achieve a thick texture, all of the liquids need time to reduce. Make sure you're cooking your bacon jam without a lid over your Dutch oven, so your bacon jam can evaporate. If it's still not thick enough, it just needs more time.

What do you eat with bacon jam? ›

How to Serve Bacon Jam
  1. Bacon Jam Biscuits.
  2. Bacon Jam Omelet.
  3. Pimiento Cheese and Bacon Jam Sandwiches.
  4. Add Bacon Jam to a Charcuterie Board.
  5. Add Bacon Jam to Grilled Burgers.
  6. Cream Cheese and Bacon Jam.
  7. Grilled Cheese and Bacon Jam.
  8. Bacon Jam Baked Beans.
Nov 24, 2021

Do you refrigerate bacon jam after opening? ›

For safety, we strongly recommend that bacon jam be refrigerated for times suggested by the recipe (2-4 weeks) or that it be frozen for longer storage. Why is botulism such a big deal? Botulism is as serious as food poisoning gets.

What ingredient thickens jam? ›

Add pectin.

Whisk a tablespoon of powdered pectin (preferably the no-sugar-needed variety) into the pot of cooking jam. Test for thickness and add another tablespoon if needed. Learn More About Pectin: What's the Deal with Pectin?

Do you put homemade jam straight in the fridge? ›

If you don't have jars or other glass containers, allow the jam to cool in the pot, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge.

Does homemade jam go bad after opening? ›

A: Opened home-canned jams and jellies should be kept in the refrigerator at 40°F or lower. “Regular” – or pectin-added, full-sugar – cooked jams and jellies are best stored for 1 month in the refrigerator after opening.

Can you eat homemade jam right away? ›

But it's still a good idea to eat it as soon as possible, says Lee. "Once opened, jams and jellies will be exposed to air, which contain mold and bacterial spores. These will grow over the six-month time period in the jam [or] jelly," says Le.

Does lemon juice thicken jam? ›

Lemon is crucial to balancing those sweet flavors, but it also helps the pectin to firm up the jam. It can be added at the start of the cooking process or towards the end, but what must be taken into account is that adding liquids to the jam mixture will inevitably require the jam to cook for longer.

What is a substitute for pectin? ›

Pectin Substitute

Cornstarch - Another plant-based thickening agent, cornstarch is a great substitute for pectin. Gelatin - For non-vegan menu items, you can substitute gelatin for pectin, but it will yield a different consistency.

Can you put too much pectin in jam? ›

You will need approximately half the amount of pectin that is indicated by your recipe. Please be careful when adding pectin as too much will leave you with a set that is too solid and it is not possible to rectify this so always add less than you think is necessary and test the set and then add more if required.

Where is bacon jam popular? ›

The Bacon Jams, a gourmet food producer in the Philadelphia area, which sells at festivals and nationwide online.

Who invented bacon jam? ›

Martin and Suzie Cowley have invented bacon jam and it's flying off the shelves. Yes, BACON jam.

Does bacon jam taste good? ›

Depending on which bacon you use, it may taste like barbecue sauce. But it's usually a little sweeter. The taste of bacon jam is fantastic because, although it is salty, it is also sweet at the same time. It can even feel like maple syrup.

What is the jelly like substance on bacon? ›

Slime: If your bacon is slimy, it's a sure sign that bacteria are present and spreading on the meat. Toss it out!

What is candied bacon made of? ›

What is Candied Bacon. Also known as Pig Candy, Candied Bacon is made by coating thick sliced of bacon in something sweet such as brown sugar, maple syrup, or caramel before baking until caramelized. It's fantastic crumbled on a salad or just served alongside a pint of your favorite beer.

What is bacon snacks made of? ›

Many store-bought bacon bits are made with soy

They also feature other ingredients, such as canola oil, salt, caramel color, yeast extract, natural and artificial flavors, as well as other flavor enhancers to give them their great bacon-tasting flavor.

What were bacon bits made of? ›

So what are these bits actually made from? They're basically just flavored soy protein chunks. The texturized soy flour gives that same meaty texture you get from tofu or textured vegetable protein. This is an easy (and most likely affordable) way to make a shelf-stable version of our favorite cured meat.

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