This 20 minute onion bacon jam is the perfect sweet condiment for any bacon lover. It only requires one pot and just seven simple ingredients that are often found in any kitchen. There are also many substitutions that can be made for ingredients in this recipe making it easy for anyone to make even if you might be missing an ingredient at home.
This jam recipe is a great condiment to serve at summer barbecues since it pairs so well with burgers. It is always welcome at any Memorial Day, Labor Day or July 4th barbecues. It also pairs well with a lot of appetizers and dinner rolls and can be great to serve at Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner. This jam can also be a great addition to a mother's day brunch and pairs very well with biscuits.
This was inspired by my Cowboy Butter recipe on this site and pairs well with this bacon jam burger recipe.
Jump to:
Ingredients
A thick cut bacon is used in this recipe to give the jam a good, crispy bacon texture. Since bacon shrinks when cooked, this allows your jam to still have a good amount of bacon flavor. Yellow onions are used because their strong flavor helps cut the sweetness of the jam. Real maple syrup is necessary because its natural sugar helps give your jam a good consistency and authentic flavor while the brown sugar helps sweeten and thicken the sauce. The balsamic vinegar adds a little acidic flavor to the jam, balancing out the flavors.
- bacon
- yellow onion
- garlic
- maple syrup
- balsamic vinegar
- brown sugar
- salt
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1: Chop the bacon. Dice the onion. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove from the bacon grease with a slotted spoon.
- Step 2: Cook the onions in some of the leftover bacon grease. Add minced garlic. Cook until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant.
- Step 3: Add bacon back into the pan with onions. Add maple syrup, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar.
- Step 4: Add in salt. Simmer jam on medium heat until jam thickens, about 6-8 minutes stirring often so the jam does not stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Serve immediately or save for later.
Hint: wait until most of the liquid has rendered out of the jam. You do want there to be some leftover but you want the majority of what is left to be the bacon and onion. This jam texture will not be like a jelly or a jam-like consistency. It will be a little stickier and chunkier.
How to Serve Bacon and Onion Jam
- a delicious toppings for burgers; this is one of my favorite ways to use this bacon jam recipe
- add to a charcuterie board
- serve on crackers with cream cheese
- spread on biscuits or plain scones
- grilled cheese or cheese sandwiches
Substitutions
- Yellow Onions - use sweet onions instead of yellow onions
- Balsamic Vinegar - use apple cider vinegar to replace balsamic vinegar
- Light Brown Sugar - dark brown sugar can be used to replace light brown sugar if necessary
Equipment
To make this recipe, you will need a large skillet, measuring cups and spoons, a slotted spoon and a rubber spatula.
You will also need a plate lined with paper towel to drain the bacon grease from the bacon.
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Reheat before serving, the jam will become hard in the fridge. Microwave for 30-45 seconds to reheat.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top Tip
When allowing the jam to simmer, make sure you are stirring often with a rubber spatula. This will distribute the heat evenly through the jam while it thickens and prevent the jam from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.
FAQ
Bacon grease is excellent to save if you have an outdoor griddle. Bacon fat can also be used to cook eggs, chicken, steak, etc.
When I make a bacon jam burger, I use a dijonaise sauce, lettuce, tomato and a burger patty with American cheese melted onto it. A spoonful of bacon jam is the perfect topping to add on top of your burgers after grilling.
Add a little extra balsamic vinegar or you can add in some spices to help cut the sweetness. Red pepper flakes or ground cayenne pepper are two spices that pair very well with these flavors and will add a little heat to pair with the sweetness.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with bacon onion jam:
📖 Recipe
Best Bacon Onion Jam Recipe with Balsamic Vinegar
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
- 1 sharp knife and cutting board
- 1 slotted spoon
- 1 Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 12 slices bacon
- 2 yellow onions
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Chop the bacon. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove from the bacon grease with a slotted spoon.
- Dice the onion. Cook the onions in some of the leftover bacon grease. Add minced garlic. Cook until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant.
- Add bacon back into the pan with onions. Add maple syrup, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar.
- Add in salt. Simmer jam on medium heat until jam thickens, about 6-8 minutes stirring often so the jam does not stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Serve immediately or save for later.
Notes
- save leftovers in the fridge up to 1 week.
- microwave 30-45 seconds before reserving.
- constantly stir bacon jam while cooking to assure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
Nutrition
If you have any questions about how to make this bacon and onion jam or need other condiment recipe suggestions, leave a comment below!
Nathan says
🤤🤤🤤
Alicia Moyer says
Thank you!
Alicia says
This looks awesome!
Alicia Moyer says
Thank you!