Bacon Jam

This homemade bacon jam recipe has the ability to transform dishes from ordinary to extraordinary. It is the perfect addition to sandwiches, crostini, pizza, pasta, or anytime you want to add a punch of savory and sweet. This bacon jam is made with caramelized onions, garlic, bacon, brown sugar, and vinegar. You can also add some candied jalapeños for a little kick!

What is Bacon Jam?

The base of bacon jam are caramelized onions and bacon. The rest of the ingredients vary slightly but for the most part there is a sweetener and a vinegar, as well. I have seen people use sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey as the sweetener. I prefer to use brown sugar in this recipe, even though maple syrup is usually my go-to. To make the bacon jam you cook all of the onions first until perfectly caramelized and then you add in the other ingredients. Cook everything together until it gets jammy and then add it to a food processor to blend. The result is an incredible sweet and savory condiment that you will want to add to everything.

Caramelizing onions takes a bit of time and effort. I actually like to make a big batch of caramelized onions in my slow cooker about twice a year. Then I freeze them in silicone containers and use them throughout the year. I tend to use a lot of caramelized onions in the winter, so instead of spending hours on multiple occasions making onions for a recipe, I make them all at once in a slow cooker overnight.

I made this bacon jam from frozen caramelized onions so my bacon jam came together in less than 30 minutes. However, if you are going to make a fresh batch of bacon onion jam from raw onions, be prepared for this recipe to take closer to 90 minutes. Caramelizing onions takes a long time, and honestly, just as a lesson in life, most good things in life take time.

Bacon Onion Jam Uses

• Sandwiches: Adding bacon jam to the bread of a sandwich is such a boss move! It takes a boring turkey and cheese sandwich to gourmet with just a couple of tablespoons. Honestly, it is superior. I have a recipe on my blog for a turkey and cheese sandwich with fig jam, but this bacon jam also pairs so nicely with it. I tend to like the bacon jam a little more for a summer sandwich because it goes so well with lettuce and tomatoes too (think BLT).
• Crostini: Sliced bread rounds, a little melted brie or triple creme, plus a spoonful of bacon jam is such a delicious and elegant appetizer. This is great for both summer parties or a holiday gatherings.
• Burgers: Use this as a spread on a cheeseburger to take it up a notch! My favorite cheese to pair this bacon jam with is sharp cheddar but it also goes great with melty brie.

Bacon Jam Ingredients

• Bacon: You need about a pound of bacon for this recipe. I used regular bacon from trader joe’s, no need to splurge on thick cut.
• Onions: two yellow onions are perfect for this recipe. Slice them up thin and then caramelize them in bacon fat and butter.
• Garlic: I used three cloves
• Brown Sugar: Brown sugar has the perfect sweet taste to accompany the onions, bacon, and vinegar
• Vinegar: I use mostly apple cider vinegar with a generous splash of balsamic vinegar
• Jalapeños: I do not add enough for it to spicy, it just adds extra depth to the flavor.

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 lb bacon
• 2 small yellow onions thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 6 slices candied jalapenos or pickled jalapenos
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• large drizzle balsamic vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Cut the bacon strips into 1″ pieces and then cook it in a large pan over medium low heat until cooked. You do not need to make it super crispy, just make sure they are cooked and firm. Remove the pieces from the heat and add them to a paper towel lined plate to rest. Keep the bacon fat in the pan.
• Cut each onion in half and then cut into thin slices. Add the slices to the large pan on low heat. Cook on low heat, stirring frequently for 50 minutes or until fully golden brown and caramelized. Once they are getting close to being done, add in minced garlic. 
• Add in bacon, brown sugar, jalapeños ,and vinegar and stir on low heat. The sugar should start to dissolve and melt into the mixture.
• Once the mixture looks jammy, remove it from heat and let it cool slightly. 
• Add it to a food processor and process until you have a chunky jam consistency. 

NOTES

I prefer to make my caramelized onions in a big batch ahead of time. I have a recipe on my blog for slow cooker caramelized onions. If you use pre made caramelized onions to make bacon jam, you can add in 1-2 tablespoons of bacon fat to your caramelized onions after you cook your bacon. This will give it a deeper bacon-y flavor.