Bacon Jam

This bacon jam recipe is a great combination of sweet and savory jam and is the perfect topping for any burger you’re looking to make. Or even using as an appetizer to serve with some crackers. It’s made by slowly cooking bacon, onions, brown sugar, coffee, bourbon and spices until it becomes jam-like.

Have you ever had bacon onion jam? If you haven’t, you are totally missing out. It has become a staple of ours during the summer to put mainly on top of burgers like this bison bacon jam burger.

The first time I had bacon onion jam was on a burger at Maxine’s on Shine in Orlando. To this day it is still the best burger I’ve ever had.

No this isn’t your typical “jam.” It isn’t loaded with fruit. What it is loaded with is bacon and onions. The sweet onions and smoky bacon just make this hard to resist.

Recently, I decided to try my own version of it. And needless to say I wasn’t disappointed with the result!

Since that moment, I’ve made this bacon jam recipe a few times to recreate my favorite burger. It will last about 4 weeks in the fridge, but trust me if you make this it will be gone long before then!

Jump to:

• Recipe Ingredients
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Skillet Option
• Do I Have to Use Bourbon?
• Jam-Like Consistency
• Jam Uses
• Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
• Other Jam Recipes
• Bacon Jam

Recipe Ingredients

• Bacon – the star of the show.
• Sweet onions and garlic – helps caramelize everything to make a jam-like consistency.
• Brown sugar and maple syrup – adds some sweetness.
• Coffee – complements the jam.
• Apple cider vinegar – adds necessary acid.
• Bourbon – bourbon and bacon just go together.
• Cumin, paprika, chili powder – enhances the flavor.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Heat large skillet over medium heat and cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon and transfer to paper towel-lined plate. Pour off bacon fat, but leave about 2 tbsp in skillet.
2. Return skillet to medium heat and add onion and garlic,  Cook until onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add brown sugar, coffee, apple cider vinegar, bourbon, maple syrup, cumin, paprika and chili powder to skillet and bring to a boil.
4. Stir in bacon pieces and remove from heat.
5. Add mixture to slow cooker.
6. Cook on high for 4 hours, leaving uncovered.

Skillet Option

Instead of transferring the bacon mixture to a slow cooker after it comes to a boil, just reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes until it becomes jam-like. I personally just like to throw in the slow cooker to let it do the rest.

Do I Have to Use Bourbon?

If you don’t have bourbon or don’t want alcohol, just replace the bourbon with more coffee. So instead of 1/2 cup of coffee, use 3/4 cup of coffee.

Jam-Like Consistency

I personally like the texture of the jam where you get the bits of bacon and onion throughout. But if you want it all to meld together, just throw in a blender or food process until you reach your desired consistency.

Jam Uses

Obviously the most obvious use for this bacon jam recipe is on a burger but you can use it in a variety of way. Some include:

• Cheese plate addition
• Grilled cheese sandwiches
• On top of salad
• Mixed with roasted vegetables
• Spooned into soup

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

• Use Quality Bacon – When bacon is the start, don’t skimp on it. You’ve got to go with the real deal bacon. I like to get thick-cut if possible.
• Use Coffee and Bourbon – Like I mentioned above, if you don’t want to have bourbon in your jam, you can just replace with additional coffee, but combined that add a great flavor profile to the jam. I mean bourbon and bacon are meant to go together.
• Leave Slow Cooker Uncovered – It is key to leave the slow cooker uncovered to allow the liquid to evaporate at a slower rate than it would covered.
• Don’t Throw in Food Processor – I think bacon onion jam should have bits of bacon and onion throughout. If you throw in food processor or blender, you take that away.

Other Jam Recipes

• Apple and Pear Jam
• Mango Jam
• Strawberry Jam

If you’ve tried this bacon jam recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I’m up to.