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Home » Recipes » The Best Damn Bacon Jam

Published: Aug 13, 2018 · Modified: Mar 31, 2019 by Karly · This post may contain affiliate links

The Best Damn Bacon Jam

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Throw out those other recipes, because there isn’t a Bacon Jam around that can compete with this deliciousness!
Bacon jam in small tulip jars, spoon with bacon jam on itThat’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.

Bacon jam in small tulip jars, spoon with bacon jam on itIf 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.

Bacon jam in small tulip jars, spoon with bacon jam on itBacon jam in small tulip jars, spoon with bacon jam on it
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.

The Best Damn Bacon Jam Recipe | asimplepantry.comLook 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.

The Best Damn Bacon Jam Recipe | asimplepantry.comThe Best Damn Bacon Jam Recipe | asimplepantry.comI 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!Bacon jam in small tulip jars, spoon with bacon jam on it, bacon jam grilled cheese triangles stacked on each otherUse 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.

Bacon jam in small tulip jars, spoon with bacon jam on it

Bacon jam in small tulip jars, spoon with bacon jam on it

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!
4.62 from 49 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Spreads
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 450kcal
Author: Karly Gomez

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ lbs. bacon
  • 2 sweet yellow onions sliced into thin ribbons
  • ½ cup + 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

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
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Bacon jam in small tulip jars, spoon with bacon jam on it, bacon jam grilled cheese triangles stacked on top of each other Bacon jam in small tulip jars, spoon with bacon jam on it

Bacon jam in small tulip jars, spoon with bacon jam on it, bacon jam grilled cheese triangles stacked on top of each other

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

Imagery Shot With

photo-accessoriesCanon EOS 6D | Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens

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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. Yvonne Catton says

    November 20, 2020 at 12:22 am

    How long would you pressure can this?

    Reply
  2. Geraldo Caiado says

    November 17, 2020 at 6:48 am

    5 stars
    The best

    Reply
  3. Cindy says

    October 11, 2020 at 5:43 pm

    Can jam be put in sterilized jars and water bath to be preserved?

    Reply
  4. MOLLY MOSLEY says

    September 18, 2020 at 11:26 pm

    Did any of you answer the question of water bath canning? Geez! This is such an awesome recipe but want to make when I have time in October and give as gifts in December! Please can anyone answer this question

    Reply
  5. Patty says

    April 18, 2019 at 3:19 pm

    I really want to make this as a gift to send to my family up in Minnesota. I never got a good answer on if you can use a bath water canning for this recipe. I need it to last for shipping.

    Reply
    • MiniBooger says

      May 19, 2019 at 1:17 pm

      Can this recipe be doubled or tripled?

      Reply
    • N says

      August 19, 2019 at 11:01 pm

      NO! Pressure can meat ONLY.

      Reply
    • Dena says

      August 05, 2020 at 8:43 pm

      I’d like to know if u could water bath too.. great recipe!!

      Reply
      • Dee says

        December 29, 2020 at 7:01 pm

        I am going to water bath can next time I make this..I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I’ll post after to let you know.

        Reply
        • Lin says

          January 30, 2021 at 11:50 am

          Meat must be pressure canned! Please don’t risk death by using a water bath method.

          Reply
        • Pat says

          September 25, 2021 at 9:56 pm

          5 stars
          Since the meat is already cooked, I believe you can safely use a water bath canner. Raw meat should be canned in a pressure canner for sure.

          Reply
    • Jill says

      August 11, 2020 at 3:23 pm

      Is there a way to keep this for more than a week? Freezer? Canning?

      Reply
      • Gp says

        April 14, 2021 at 6:06 am

        If you want to keep it more than a week, you should freeze it.

        Reply
  6. Leah says

    April 07, 2019 at 9:16 am

    I’m going to put this in a baked brie. I can’t wait.

    Reply
  7. Suzie says

    April 05, 2019 at 11:04 am

    Once complete could you mix it with cream cheese?

    Reply
  8. Kari says

    March 31, 2019 at 8:02 pm

    I have never heard of bacon jam……but I plan on making some. Who doesn’t like bacon or
    fired onions???? Thanks so much for the recipe!

    Reply
  9. Allison N says

    March 28, 2019 at 8:06 pm

    5 stars
    This is so good!!! Thanks for opening my world to bacon jam!!

    Reply
  10. Bo jo rider says

    February 03, 2019 at 1:47 pm

    5 stars
    Unbelievably good!! I wouldn’t change one thing. I used a thick cut hickory bacon. OMG. I put it on deviled eggs and it brought it up to the next level.

    Reply
    • Karly says

      February 03, 2019 at 4:06 pm

      That makes me so happy! And I LOVE how you used it on deviled eggs, I’m kind of drooling over here now, ha ha ha!

      Reply
      • Kathy P says

        April 07, 2021 at 10:07 pm

        Hello Karly, I’m so excited to make this for my daddy but I’m wondering if I can substitute brown sugar with Splenda brown sugar as he is diabetic?

        Reply
  11. Becky says

    February 02, 2019 at 9:06 am

    Hello……my question is about the time for cooking down the onions…..one hour on med to med-low heat……is that correct? Thank you

    Reply
    • Karly says

      February 02, 2019 at 12:12 pm

      Hi Becky!

      Yes! I definitely recommend cooking the onions low and slow for the best caramelization. Depending on the size of the pan and how powerful your stove is (two of the burners on my new stove have a much hotter “low” than the other two, for instance), it could take more or less than an hour. I recommend just stirring every ten minutes until they are a deep deep brown color. I hope that helps!

      Reply
  12. Deb Gehrmann says

    December 27, 2018 at 3:56 pm

    5 stars
    Made it love it yum.
    Giving some as gifts
    Can’t wait to enjoy it yay

    Reply
  13. Debbie says

    August 21, 2018 at 4:18 pm

    5 stars
    I just made this…first time making bacon jam. The only thing I didn’t do was put it in the blender. I’m going to serve it on top of bbq chicken so wanted it chunky! That is…if it makes it to dinner…I could eat it straight out of the pan! Yummy!

    Reply
  14. gregory anderson says

    August 17, 2018 at 5:56 pm

    5 stars
    My next bacon cheeseburger fest is going to be lovely, due to this. I’m going to eat this with relish (yes, pun intended).

    Reply
  15. Misty says

    July 25, 2018 at 9:25 pm

    5 stars
    Thank You for providing a recipe that doesn’t have coffee!!!! While it MIGHT be good with coffee, I just don’t want to risk it since I can’t stand coffee flavor at all.

    Reply
  16. Ola says

    December 27, 2017 at 7:46 am

    5 stars
    I accidentally found it on Pinterest. I love the recipe, can’t wait to try it out! And I absolutely love your writing style, so funny and pleasant to read! Thank you 🙂

    Reply
  17. Cynthia says

    December 11, 2017 at 9:33 am

    5 stars
    I’m dying to make this. I just ordered the bacon from an artesanal meat producer here in Ecuador. I used to eat at one of the Skillet food trucks about 8 or 9 years ago–before they got so huge. Wanted to let you know they are no longer selling their bacon jam so the link doesn’t take you to their product. I was hoping it would make a little more since I’d love to sell it down here. Ah well, if folks want to make their own, I’ll share the recipe. If not, they can buy from me for what it actually costs. I’ll let you know when I’ve made it and how the response is down here at the equator. We don’t have sweet onions available so I’ll be making it with plain white or red onions. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

    Reply
    • Shelli Kuehn-Gilbert says

      October 11, 2020 at 5:18 pm

      Hi Cynthia,
      Im from Seattle as well and miss being able to buy it at the brick and mortar shop on the Hill. I watched a video interview that Skillet did and they used shallots in the video. I switched up my recipe and use 5 shallots and a medium walla walla onion. It was much closer to the Skillet flavor using the shallots. Good luck!!!

      Reply
  18. Kim says

    October 01, 2017 at 2:43 pm

    How many ounces does this make?

    Reply
  19. Elizabeth Fleming says

    January 03, 2017 at 9:29 am

    Happy New Year. I was also wondering if this could be frozen? I saw someone asked it earlier in the thread but didn’t see a reply. If you could please let me know thank you so much.

    Reply
    • Jim MacKay says

      April 04, 2021 at 4:01 pm

      2 stars
      Yum! I opted for a splash of bourbon and liquid smoke instead of balsamic. Fantastic.

      Reply
  20. Denise Madej says

    December 31, 2016 at 6:18 pm

    Oops I meant as a gift!

    Reply
  21. Denise Madej says

    December 31, 2016 at 6:17 pm

    5 stars
    This bacon jam looks delish!!! How much does this recipe yield? I would like to make as aging.

    Reply
    • Karly says

      January 01, 2017 at 11:30 am

      Hi Denise! I find that it slightly overfills a small Ball jar (the 4oz size), so you could fill it for a friend and keep that extra little bit as a treat for yourself!

      Reply
  22. Monica says

    August 06, 2016 at 2:47 pm

    5 stars
    Holy smoke! Yummy! I don’t like overly sweet things. So I tried using 1/3c raw agave syrup w/ 1/3c balsamic vinegar. Along w/ 3 onions and just 1lb bacon (all I had). I will definitely make this again. Can’t wait to try this on a burger as well as a grilled cheese. OOOOOOhWeeee! On a winter day w/ some soup. Thank you for your recipe.

    Reply
  23. carole says

    April 24, 2016 at 8:24 am

    Can this be frozen?

    Reply
  24. Alicia says

    April 23, 2016 at 11:57 am

    5 stars
    Just made this. It’s so good that I am licking the bowl with my fingers!!! Will definitely make again.

    Reply
  25. Anne says

    October 08, 2015 at 2:47 am

    5 stars
    Hi Karly,

    Oe I love this recipe!! I have a very similar one! Never thought about putting it on a toasted sandwich though! Is that cheese ?? I will so try that,

    If I may give an idea for variation, you can also try using maple syrup (or in my case maple flavoured syrup) in stead of brown sugar! 🙂

    Reply
    • Kylie says

      April 11, 2016 at 7:01 pm

      Hi, I was wondering if you know how to extend the shelf life for this? Or if it is possible? Thanks

      Reply
      • Billy G. Gruff says

        November 19, 2016 at 9:51 am

        This will last quite a bit longer than a week. We usually eat it up within a month, but I can tell you with certainty this will last at least 45 – 60 days if you keep it refrigerated. Don’t let it sit out all the time. Reason: salt is a natural preservative, so is th acid in the balsamic vinegar. Most bacon is cured with nitrates (a preservative) & the ones that aren’t have plenty of salt.
        If you want to give it as a gift, you’ll want to can (preserve) it using Ball canning jars & either a pressure-cooker or a large pot with a lid.

        Reply
        • Bimsland says

          November 16, 2017 at 10:45 pm

          You CANNOT safely water bath can this as it is MEAT. This is bad info. Please only follow safe and proven canning methods as mistakes in canning can prove fatal, although it is rare. Do not risk it.

          Reply
          • Nicole says

            December 29, 2017 at 12:03 am

            Which means it can be pressure canned right? If you do that, or vacuum seal it with a Food Saver and then freeze it, how long would it last? I’m wanting to make a large batch as favors for my September wedding in 2018.

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author karly gomez of a simple pantry with a background of red bell peppers
Hi, I'm Karly! Welcome to A Simple Pantry, where you’ll find inspiration for any meal and every occasion with tried-and-tested recipes, step-by-step tutorials, and occasional cooking videos that help you prepare easy gourmet dishes the whole family will love.
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