The Best Damn Bacon Jam Recipe (2024)

Home » Recipes » The Best Damn Bacon Jam

Published: · Modified: by Karly · This post may contain affiliate links

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Throw out those other recipes, because there isn’t a Bacon Jam around that can compete with this deliciousness!
The Best Damn Bacon Jam Recipe (1)That’s right folk, you heard it from me first!

This really is the best damn bacon jam, I promise. No weird ingredients like coffee, or mustard, or whatever else people are using to make bacon jam.

Oh no, we aren’t doing that here. I took my ingredient cues from the original bacon jam, Skillet Bacon Jam.

The Best Damn Bacon Jam Recipe (2)If you’ve ever checked out the ingredients list on the label, you’ll see there are literally very few ingredients.

And for good reason, too. You just don’t need them. Seriously. Even though this recipe is all about the bacon, it is also all about the onions.

The Best Damn Bacon Jam Recipe (3)The Best Damn Bacon Jam Recipe (4)
What do you mean, it’s all about the onions?

Onions are just…onions. What is so damn special about the onions?

Well, it’s because they are caramelized, of course! Perfectly caramelized onions are what makes this bacon jam so damn bacon jammy delicious.

Caramelized onions are a labor of love. But not so much labor, because they are really easy to make. It just takes time, and patience, which can be hard when they smell so so good.

In general, onions take about an hour to caramelize, and you check them maybe every ten minutes, to give them a good stir and scrape up the black bits that form on the bottom of the pan. That stuff is flavor gold, so you need it.

I used sweet yellow onions for this recipe, but you can opt for regular yellow onions if you please, they still caramelize great, but won’t be quite as sweet as the sweet yellows.

Look at them, turning all delicious. Even my onion poo-poo’ers love them. I will convert them, I will!

Once the onions are caramelized, you deglaze the pan with a little balsamic vinegar, scraping up the rest of the black bits and anything else in the pan. Then I add some more balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and salt, and stir them up to make a thick, dense mixture.

This mixture will be blended with the bacon that’s just waiting to be made into bacon jam. Try not to eat all the bacon like I did. It is a sad day to be out of bacon whilst making bacon jam.

I put everything in a blender, but I have a feeling my food processor would have gotten the job done faster.

This will be a thick and goopy mixture, so it will take a little time to get blended down. You can stop at any point when you feel you’re satisfied with the texture.

Chunky, or smoother, either way is delish!The Best Damn Bacon Jam Recipe (8)Use it in the same manner as regular jam, just with a savory taste instead. And absolutely, positively, promise me you will try it with some grilled cheese. Bacon Jam Grilled Cheese. It’s a life-changer, my friends.

The Best Damn Bacon Jam Recipe (9)

The Best Damn Bacon Jam Recipe (10)

The Best Damn Bacon Jam

You won't find anything strange in this stunning and flavorful Bacon Jam, just caramelized onions, bacon, and a few not-so-secret ingredients, so get ready to indulge in those best bacon dreams and get cooking!

4.65 from 57 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 450kcal

Author: Karly Gomez

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay the bacon slices out in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 14 minutes, or until the bacon is nice and crispy. Lay out on paper towels to drain and set aside, reserving 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.

  • Add the bacon grease to a large skillet and heat over medium, medium low heat, then add the onions and stir around to coat with the bacon grease. Allow to slowly cook for an hour, checking every ten minutes or so to stir and scrape up any black bits that form on the bottom of the pan.

  • Once the onions are a dark golden brown color, deglaze the pan with the 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, scraping the pan as the vinegar dissolves. Add the remaining balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, salt, and pepper and stir until a thick glaze forms, around 5 minutes.

  • Add the onion mixture and bacon to a food processor and pulse until the desired consistency forms. Scoop the bacon jam into a jar and devour immediately, or refrigerate until future use. Use within one week.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbsp | Calories: 450kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 1310mg | Potassium: 250mg | Sugar: 12g

MADE THIS RECIPE?Click here to leave a comment + star rating! ★★★★★

Share your photo and tag @asimplepantry or #asimplepantry!

Originally Posted: August 16, 2015. Updated August 13, 2018.

« Easy Midwestern Cucumber Salad

Herby Tomato Soup »

About Karly

From her childhood home in Southern Minnesota, Karly embraces the crazy of everyday life by creating delicious dishes her family and friends love, while experimenting with new flavors and techniques and photographing the results. Karly’s love for beautiful foods and joy for creating is infectious to all who meet her.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. David Bender says

    This recipe is outstanding it is not just the best damn BACON jam. It is the best damn jam I have ever had period!!!
    .

    Reply

  2. Ray says

    The Best Damn Bacon Jam Recipe (12)
    This is pretty close to my recipe, except I add some of those “weird” ingredients. Specifically Chili Powder, Paprika, Maple Syrup, and Bourbon.

    Reply

  3. Dave says

    The Best Damn Bacon Jam Recipe (13)
    Just made a batch taste great very nice recipe very easy to make I’m using on a tomato & cheddar sandwich toasted or grilled Muti grain bread

    Reply

  4. Janet says

    What size jelly jars 4 or 8oz!

    Reply

  5. Dotty says

    I made this recipe again and shared it with two other people. They loved it. Try it on a grilled cheese. Delicious!

    Reply

    • Ray says

      Try it on a grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich and you’ll see why Elvis got so fat.

      Reply

  6. Scott says

    The Best Damn Bacon Jam Recipe (14)
    This tastes just like everyone else’s complaints about other recipes ! May as well have saved the time and made a batch of sloppy Joes …. What a waste of time and bacon blechhh

    Reply

    • Josh says

      I just made this, it was delicious until I added the bacon. I’m a bacon lover, but it over powered this sweet balsamic onion jam.

      Reply

  7. Cheryll says

    Can this be frozen or canned?

    Reply

  8. Joe says

    The Best Damn Bacon Jam Recipe (15)
    I just made this for Christmas 2021 to accompany a Sous Vide Beef Shank and Yukon Gold mashed potatoes. I chose to use a large dice pepper bacon instead of putting in a food processor. It was excellent!

    5 days later I reheated and served with a seared salmon, flavor was amazing and so smokey and rich. This is now my number one condiment which I am calling a Caramelized onion, Bacon slaw!

    Reply

  9. Dotty says

    The Best Damn Bacon Jam Recipe (16)
    I have made this multiple times and shared it with my sister. My niece suggested to try it on a grilled cheese sandwich and it was delicious.

    Reply

  10. Donna Irelan says

    How much does this make?

    Reply

  11. Frieda Huntley says

    The Best Damn Bacon Jam Recipe (17)
    WOW! I added to a turkey, provolone on ciabatta. The whole family loved it!

    Reply

« Older Comments

Leave a Review

The Best Damn Bacon Jam Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long will homemade bacon jam keep? ›

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 is the best way to use bacon jam? ›

Here are some creative ways to serve bacon jam that'll be a hit with your friends and family.
  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

How to make jam from Mary Berry? ›

Reduce the amount of water to 1/2 cup.
  1. Place fruit in a large pot.
  2. Cover with water and bring to the boil.
  3. Simmer gently for 5-10 minutes.
  4. Measure and add sugar.
  5. Bring back to the boil and boil hard until well set when tested.
  6. Cool slightly, then pour into small hot jars.
  7. Put lids on and seal.

How do restaurants make perfect bacon? ›

They cook it the best way possible, on a sheet pan in the oven. The bonus is while it takes longer to make this way, you can make more at once, the pieces are more or less flat and they come out crispy. Or they throw it in the deep fryer once it's done.

How long does bacon jam keep for? ›

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.

Is homemade jam good after 5 years? ›

Shelf Life of Homemade Jam

Typically, homemade jam will last around 6 to 12 months when unopened and stored properly. Once opened, it should be consumed within 1 to 3 months to ensure the best taste and quality.

What to serve with bacon jam? ›

Our list of things we want to use this jam in is ever-growing. Here are just a few to get you started: warm potato salad, grilled asparagus, fresh tomatoes, panzanella, grilled cheese, crackers and goat cheese, spinach salad, a spoon, fresh garden peas, scrambled eggs, bagels and cream cheese...

Does lemon juice thicken jam? ›

Lack of acidity: Acids like lemon juice help lower the jam mixture's pH, which reacts with the natural or added pectin to help thicken the jam. If a jam recipe doesn't call for lemon juice or lime juice, it could rely on another ingredient, like added pectin, to set the jam.

What is the best thickener for jam? ›

If you really want to thicken it to a more spreadable consistency, the easiest way is to heat it up with some thickeners such as cornstarch. Arrowroot flour is more delicate and taste-neutral, but most cooks won't have it. Unflavored gelatin may also be used. Bring the syrupy “jam” to boil in a pot.

What can I use instead of pectin? ›

What Are Substitutes for Pectin?
  • Citrus peels. Citrus peels—especially the white part, or pith—are naturally packed with pectin. ...
  • Cornstarch. Cornstarch is a natural thickener that works as a seamless substitute for pectin.
  • Gelatin. Gelatin is a viable option for non-vegans or non-vegetarians.
  • Extra sugar.
Aug 10, 2021

Should jam be boiled slowly or rapidly? ›

Add the sugar and stand back as it starts to foam up the sides of the pan. A sentimentality-inducing childhood smell of sweet fruit fills the air. Allow the sugar to dissolve over a low heat then bring rapidly to the boil. Avoid stirring at this point as you may break up the fruit or cause crystallisation.

Should you stir jam while it's boiling? ›

5. Do Not Stir Once Mixture Is Boiling. Once your jam/marmalade it has reached a rapid rolling boil do not stir it. Stirring it will alter the temperature of the jam/marmalade meaning it will take longer to reach the setting point.

How do you make jam taste better? ›

Feel free to experiment with acid sources: limes or sour oranges can add great flavor to some jams. You can also add neutral-flavored, water-free acids like powdered citric acid, or even malic or tartaric acid if you can find them, but those really pack a punch, so you have less margin of error.

What is bacon jam made of? ›

Bacon jam is a spreadable condiment made from bacon, onions, brown sugar, vinegar, and maple syrup. The bacon is fried until crispy then mixed with the other ingredients and cooked down until the mixture becomes thick and spreadable.

How to make crispy bacon like a restaurant? ›

Bacon-Cooking Method: Baking on Parchment Paper

You simply line one or two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, arrange the bacon on top, and bake at 400°F until it is crisped to your liking. When the bacon is done, you transfer it to a paper towel–lined plate or platter to drain.

How to make the best tasting bacon? ›

Brush uncooked bacon slices with a slurry of balsamic vinegar and maple syrup, brown sugar, or honey, place them on a rimmed, foil-lined tray in a 400°F oven, check every five minutes or two to see how things are faring, flip and baste as needed, and when the bacon is cooked and the glazed thickened, cool the bacon on ...

What is hot bacon jam? ›

Roasted red pepper puree, jalapeno peppers and real bacon combine to create an addictive jam. For a quick appetizer, pour over cream cheese and serve with crackers. Use straight out of the jar as a dip. Pairs perfectly with strong cheeses.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Prof. An Powlowski

Last Updated:

Views: 5708

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (64 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Prof. An Powlowski

Birthday: 1992-09-29

Address: Apt. 994 8891 Orval Hill, Brittnyburgh, AZ 41023-0398

Phone: +26417467956738

Job: District Marketing Strategist

Hobby: Embroidery, Bodybuilding, Motor sports, Amateur radio, Wood carving, Whittling, Air sports

Introduction: My name is Prof. An Powlowski, I am a charming, helpful, attractive, good, graceful, thoughtful, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.