Bacon Jam is easy to make by simmering bacon, onions, brown sugar, and apple juice together for the perfect flavor-packed jam recipe.
Unlike fruit jams like Strawberry and Blueberry, this delicious Bacon Jam recipe has savory, sweet, and salty flavors. You’ll be amazed at just how many Appetizers, snacks, and Main Courses you can add this addicting sweet-savory spread to.
This delicious recipe is what bacon dreams are made of! The idea of bacon-flavored jam might sound strange at first. But one bite of the combination of bacon, brown sugar, apple juice, and other rich flavors and you’ll know just how absolutely incredible it is. The Bacon Jam recipe is sure to be a hit with any bacon lovers.
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Bacon Jam Recipe
Because you’re using real bacon in the mixture, this jam comes together a little differently than most jam recipes. Rather than cooking down fruit, you first have to cook the bacon and render the bacon fat. Then a little bit of the fat and all the bacon pieces are used to add amazing bacon flavor to the mixture.
What is Bacon Jam?
Although it’s called jam, Homemade Bacon Jam is actually more like a relish. It’s a sweet and savory spread perfect for adding extra flavor to your favorite dishes. It’s a rich, incredible addition to Sandwiches, crackers, or over toasty bread. You’ll be amazed just how quickly you use up every drop of the homemade jam. You’ll love all the delicious recipes you can try it with! Bacon Jam isn’t good for canning storage, but you most likely won’t have any leftovers anyway!
Ingredients
- Bacon: Not only is the actual bacon important to homemade bacon jam, but the rendered bacon fat adds lots of flavor to the dish. However, we only use 2 teaspoons of the fat, so it’s not so much it makes the mixture taste greasy or too heavy.
- Onion: Cook the yellow onion until it’s caramelized. That way, they add a rich combination of savory and sweet flavors to the jam.
- Brown sugar: The brown sugar balances out the more savory flavors with its dark, deep sweet flavor that tastes amazing with the salty bacon.
- Spices: For the spices, we used fresh thyme, black pepper, and just a pinch of cayenne pepper for some heat.
- Apple juice: The apple juice is an essential liquid ingredient. As it cooks down to jam-like consistency, the recipe keeps the amazing, tangy, and sweet apple flavor.
Kitchen Tools and Equipment
- Large Heavy-Bottomed Pot: A sturdy, large pot is essential for cooking the bacon jam. Choose one with a thick bottom to prevent burning and ensure even cooking.
- Cutting Board: You’ll need a cutting board to chop the bacon after it’s cooked. Opt for a spacious and easy-to-clean board.
- Strainer: Use a strainer or sieve to separate the crispy bacon from the rendered fat after cooking. This helps drain excess fat from the bacon.
- Spatula or Wooden Spoon: A spatula or wooden spoon is crucial for stirring and sautéing the ingredients in the pot. It ensures that the bacon jam cooks evenly.
- Airtight Container: To store the bacon jam if you plan to make it ahead of time, use an airtight container. This will keep it fresh and prevent it from absorbing other odors in the refrigerator.
How to Make
Time needed: 40 minutes.
- Cook Bacon
Place the bacon strips in a heavy-bottomed pot or heavy skillet. Then cook over medium heat until bacon is crispy and the rendered fat is foaming. The cooking time should take about 10 minutes.
- Drain Bacon
Place a strainer over a bowl. Then strain the cooked bacon and rendered fat so that the fat drains into the bowl. Wait for the fat to drain and the bacon to cool. Then move the bacon to a cutting board, and chop them into small bacon pieces.
- Saute Onions
Return the pot to medium heat, and drizzle 2 teaspoons bacon fat and the 2 teaspoons butter in the pan. Add the diced yellow onions and saute with 1 teaspoon salt for 7-10 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Jam Mixture
Add the brown sugar, vinegar, 1 sprig of thyme, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to the onion mixture. Stir the ingredients together, then add the bacon bits. Stir apple juice into the bacon mixture and continue to cook until the jam is thickened with a brick-brown bacon color. It should only take 10-15 minutes.
- Finish
Remove the bacon mixture from heat and add olive oil. Stir until the mixture is just warm, then fish out the thyme sprig. Let the Homemade Bacon Jam cool entirely before serving.
Can Bacon Jam Be Made Ahead of Time?
Yes, you can make bacon jam ahead of time. Prepare as directed, let it cool, and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
Nutritional Facts
How to Store
Storing
To keep your bacon jam fresh, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to two weeks. Ensure the container is sealed properly to prevent moisture and odors from affecting the jam’s flavor and consistency.
Freezing Bacon Jam
If you want to freeze bacon jam, place it in an airtight container, leaving some space for expansion. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months, preserving its flavor and quality.
Ideas to Serve
There are so many ways to use this delicious spread to name, but these are some favorites. First, you can add it to a cheese platter so that people can add it to their cheese and cracker combo. Crackers with a bit of cream cheese and Bacon Jam are an especially delicious snack or party appetizer.
You can also use the spread in a Grilled Chicken or Grilled Cheese Sandwich. To add it to the grilled sandwiches, spread it over the inside of the crusty bread before toasting it. Another option is using Bacon Jam to flavor meats like Pork Chops or Chicken Breast.
Frequent Questions
Yes, you can use turkey bacon or any other bacon variety you prefer. Keep in mind that different types of bacon may have varying flavors and textures, so the final taste of your bacon jam might be slightly different.
If your bacon jam is too runny, you can return it to the heat and simmer it for a few more minutes to thicken it. Be sure to stir occasionally until it reaches your desired consistency.
Absolutely, you can omit the cayenne pepper if you prefer a milder bacon jam. Adjust the level of spiciness to your taste by adding more or less cayenne pepper as desired.
When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, bacon jam can last for up to 3 weeks, maintaining its flavor and quality.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds bacon , chopped
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 4 large yellow onions , diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Place bacon in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and cook over medium heat until bacon is crispy and the rendered fat is foaming, about 10 minutes.
- Pour bacon and rendered fat into a strainer placed over a bowl to drain fat.
- When fat is drained and bacon is cool enough to handle, remove bacon to a cutting board and finely chop.
- Return pot to medium heat; drizzle 2 teaspoons reserved bacon fat and butter in pan.
- Saute onions and 1 teaspoon salt until soft and translucent, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Stir brown sugar, vinegar, 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, black pepper, and cayenne into onion mixture; add bacon.
- Stir apple juice into bacon mixture and cook until jam is a brick-brown bacon color and has a jam consistency, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat add olive oil, stir until warm then fish out thyme stick and let cool.
Notes
- Click on the “yield” amount to slide and change the number of servings and the recipe will automatically update!
- To convert measurements to grams, click on the “Metric” option next to “Ingredients” in the recipe card.
Nutrition
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Variations on Bacon Jam
- Maple Syrup: Instead of brown sugar, you can use maple syrup or molasses as your sweetener. Either option is preferable to white sugar, which won’t give the homemade Bacon Jam the same rich and dark flavor.
- Vinegar: We used apple cider vinegar in this recipe, but you could substitute it with balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, or sherry vinegar, depending on what you have on hand.
- Apple Bacon Jam: You already get apple flavor in this recipe from the apple cider vinegar and apple juice, but you could also use actual fruit in the recipe. Slice up an apple into small pieces and add them to the onion mixture. The apples will cook down to fill the recipe with a sweet, tangy flavor.
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