Did I ever tell you I’m the queen of condiments? At any given time I can whip out several “secret weapons” to transform what I’m eating. Bacon jam is the new favorite of everyone in my house. That sweet-tangy mixture of bacon and caramelized onions is easy to make and my new favorite way to jazz up burgers, grilled cheese, and lots of other things!
Bacon Onion Jam makes the perfect condiment
Anything you’d put bacon on would be a great vehicle for this bacon jam. Like I said, we loved it on burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, and combined with some cream cheese as a dip!
Recently I put some on a baked potato with a smear of Smoked Cream Cheese and… time stopped. Best decision I made all week.
It’s only a few ingredients and not hard to make at all!
What is Bacon Jam?
Bacon jam is a combination of deeply caramelized onions, crispy bacon, and a sweet-tangy sauce. Sometimes it’s called bacon marmalade. It’s not like traditional fruit jams.
Bacon Marmalade ingredients
- Bacon
- Yellow or sweet onions
- Jalapeno (optional)
- Maple syrup, brown sugar, or coconut sugar
- Red wine vinegar
How to make Bacon Jam
- Cook all of the bacon until it’s as crisp as you like. Remove the bacon and most of the bacon drippings.
- Add the onion and jalapeño to the skillet and cook until the onions are deep golden brown.
- To the skillet add the sweetener, vinegar, and some water. Bring to a boil and simmer until most of the liquid has cooked off leaving a thicker syrup-like coating.
- Stir the crispy bacon bacon into the skillet. Serve!
Onion Bacon Jam uses
Here are a few ideas to use this delicious sweet-tangy condiment!
- Add it to a burger
- Put it in a sandwich or a grilled cheese
- Combine it with some cream cheese for a tasty dip
- Add it to a baked potato
- Stir it into potato or pasta salad
Storing this Bacon Onion Jam Recipe
When you’re ready to store it, transfer it to a lidded container and store chilled.
When you pull it out to use it again you’ll notice that the bit of bacon drippings in the mixture will have firmed up, leaving it thicker and clumpy. Pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up and you’ll have the original consistency back.
How long will bacon jam last?
Bacon jam will last up to 10 days stored chilled in the refrigerator.
Recipe for Bacon Jam FAQs
You probably didn’t simmer it long enough. You’ll want to get almost all of the liquid cooked off, leaving just enough to moisten the mixture. When you run a spatula across the bottom of the pan, the space should remain free of liquid for a few seconds.
Bacon jam has all of the smoky flavors of bacon mixed with sweet caramelized onion flavor. And a sweet-tangy touch from the vinegar-sweetener sauce.
See these grilled cheese sandwiches?
I made the one on the left with smoked gouda. Then I overcooked one side because I was distracted with my phone. (oops) Still delicious.
But.
Steve came home and made himself another one with muenster which looked WAAAAY better than mine and had a pretty wicked cheese pull coming out of his mouth.
Guys, I literally pulled the sandwich from his hand and said, “Can I borrow this for a second?” as I went into the other room and snapped some pics.
The End.
More Recipes with Bacon on Perrys’ Plate
Are you a bacon lover like I am? You might like one of these other recipes featuring bacon!
If you make one of my recipes, be sure to post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!
Bacon Onion Jam Recipe
Bacon jam is my new favorite condiment! That sweet-tangy mixture of bacon and caramelized onions is easy to make and my new favorite way to jazz up burgers, grilled cheese, and lots of other things!
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked bacon, cut into small strips
- 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and diced small
- Sea Salt
- 1 jalapeno, seeded, and diced (optional)
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add the sliced bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is crispy.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the pan. Drain all but about 3 Tablespoons of the bacon drippings from the skillet. Set the bacon aside for now.
- Return the skillet to medium high heat and add the onion and jalapeno. Cook, stirring often, until the onions have dark golden brown spots, about 10-12 minutes. You'll want them to have a lot of color on them.
- To the skillet, add the vinegar, maple syrup, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and cook on medium high heat for about 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has cooked off. The mixture should be somewhat thick and a spatula ran down the center of the pan should remain clear for a few seconds.
- Stir the crispy bacon into the mixture. Remove it from the heat and let it cool. Transfer it to a serving dish or a lidded container for chilled storage. Bacon jam should keep for up to a week.
Notes
- If your bacon comes in 12-ounce or 1.25 lb packages, it's fine to use either one. I've used all three amounts and the bacon jam comes out great either way. You'll just have more grease to drain with a larger amount of bacon.
- Jalapeno is optional. If you want to add a spicy bite to this, leave some the seeds in.
- I like maple syrup in this, but brown sugar and coconut sugar works well, too.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1/4 cupAmount Per Serving Calories 404Total Fat 30gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 50mgSodium 603mgCarbohydrates 22gFiber 1gSugar 19gProtein 10g
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.