Easy Preserves: The Best Bacon Jam with Caramelized Onion Recipe
Bacon and jam all at one time? Yes! Smoky bacon, onions, and brown sugar – sounds like a pretty decadent combination, doesn’t it? Well, I definitely think it is if I might say so.
The best of savory and sweet come together in this recipe, Bacon Onion Jam!
When you slow cook all of those yummy ingredients together, allowing the layers of flavor to mellow, you get an even richer flavor out of them! This simple bacon jam recipe with caramelized onions is packed with a decadent combination of flavors. Once you make this simple small-batch jam recipe, you’re going to want to prepare it often so you can enjoy it day after day.
If you’ve never had bacon onion jam, you’re in for a treat! It is a quick or drip jam recipe, made in small batches. You can easily double the recipe or as in my case, make it frequently to have fresh on hand in the refrigerator. Try it, share it, love it!
What You’ll Need to Make Bacon Jam:
- Smoky bacon
- Sweet yellow onions
- Brown mustard seeds
- Bay leaves
- Dark brown sugar
- White wine vinegar
How to Make Bacon Onion Jam:
Step One:
- In a large Dutch oven, add the bacon and brown until it’s crispy, which usually takes about 15 minutes. If necessary, make in batches if keeping the bacon strips whole, then crumble once cooled. Reserve one tablespoon of the bacon fat and discard the rest.
Step Two:
- Add the diced onions, mustard seeds, brown sugar, bay leaves, white wine vinegar, and a few tablespoons of water to the pot along with the bacon. Stir the ingredients until well combined. Place a lid on top to cover the pot and cook the ingredients over low heat for about 20 minutes, undisturbed.
Step Three:
- Remove the lid and stir the ingredients, then set the lid askew and continue to cook for about 45 minutes to an hour until the mixture is dark and has a jam texture. If needed, more water can be added to the pot to keep the ingredients from scorching on the bottom of the pan.
Step Four:
- Transfer the bacon mixture to a sterilized jar, seal, and allow to cool. Once cooled, keep in the refrigerator for up to one week. This recipe makes about 1 1/2 – 2 cups of jam.
What Does Bacon Jam Taste Like?
When you hear the word jam, the thought of a sweet, fruity spread probably comes to mind. And while bacon jam does have the consistency of other jams, it is more of a savory-sweet flavor. The addition of the brown sugar not only adds to the deep rich color but also enhances the flavor of the bacon and helps create a jam-like consistency.
Its flavor and texture are more like a chutney than a traditional sweet jelly spread. If you like candied bacon or are a bacon lover, this bacon onion jam has the goodness you’ll love. Pairing well with so many dishes, it’s definitely worth making!
What Do You Eat With Savory Sweet Jams?
The delicious, smoky flavor of bacon jam is the perfect topper for a variety of different recipes! You can use it as a topping, chutney, or spread, making it a great choice for layering flavor in all your meals!
Try these bacon jam recipe ideas to use your jam in a variety of different ways:
- Use it as a sandwich spread to add flavor to plain deli meat
- Spread some bacon jam on a burger bun to top your cheeseburger
- Add it to your next grilled cheese sandwich to take it up a notch
- Spread it on top of crackers for a quick snack
- Make bruschetta, simply spread on toasted baguette slices
- Add it to your next pizza, instead of a traditional pizza, use this as the “sauce”, then add brie, and sliced apples for a brilliant tasting appetizer pizza
- Top your favorite BBQ meat with a spoonful of bacon jam
- Top off a hot baked brie with a few spoonfuls of this caramelized and bacon jam
Tips and Tricks
You won’t believe how easy this jam recipe is to make! Follow these tips and tricks, and you’ll be able to whip up a jar of bacon jam in no time.
- Chop the bacon for faster cooking. To speed up the cook time of your bacon, try chopping the raw bacon into smaller pieces before adding it to the pot. This will allow the bacon to cook faster and more evenly.
- Pulse in a food processer for smoother consistency. After cooking the jam according to the recipe instructions, you’ll end up with a chunky sauce. If you prefer your bacon jam to have a smoother, more jam-like consistency, just put the cooled jam in the food processor. Pulse the ingredients a few times until they’re smooth, then transfer the mixture to your jar to store it.
- Refrigerate your jam after it’s cool. Allow the jam to cool completely before transferring it to a sterile jar. After that, hand tighten the seal and store it in the refrigerator to extend its life. When refrigerated, your bacon jam can be kept for up to a week.
Other Preserving and Canning Recipes to Try:
- Toasted Almond and Peach Jam
- Jalapeno and Cranberry Jam
- Fermented Jalapeno Hot Sauce
- Fig Rosemary and Red Wine Jam
- Small Batch Pepper Peach Jam
- Homemade Fig Jam
How to Make Small Batch Caramelized Onion and Bacon Jam:
The Best Bacon Jam with Caramelized Onion Recipe
Easy to make, small-batch drip jam, Bacon Jam with Caramelized Onions recipe! So decadent and goes well with so many foods from hamburgers to grilled cheese sandwiches to pizza, it's a must try preserving and canning recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon
- 3 large or 4 medium sweet yellow onions, diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 3 - 6 tablespoons water
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, add bacon, diced or left whole, and brown until crispy, about 15 - 18 minutes.
- If you leave the bacon whole, remove it and crumble it into large pieces. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the fat and discard the rest. Return the bacon to the Dutch oven.
- Add the diced onions, brown mustard seeds, brown sugar, bay leaves, white wine vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of water. Stir until well combined. Cover and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, undisturbed.
- Stir and then set the lid askew and continue to cook for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the mixture is dark and has a jam texture. If needed, more water can be added to keep it from scorching.
- Transfer jam mixture to a sterilized jar, seal and allow to cool. Once cooled, keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Notes
Any smoked bacon works great, I prefer to use applewood smoked and thick-cut bacon in this recipe.
If unable to find brown mustard seeds, simply substitute with yellow mustard seeds, or use 1 teaspoon of ground yellow mustard.
You can substitute the white wine vinegar for white balsamic or dark balsamic vinegar if preferred.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 118Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 324mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 0gSugar: 6gProtein: 7g
Stacey is a Southern girl with a taste for travel, thriving on the discovery of the world through food. After spending many years traveling and living overseas, she’s now back home in her beloved deep south enjoying life with her three little ones and loving the adventure. She’s a food stylist and food photographer, as well as, the creative behind Little Figgy Food, where she loves to inspire others to try new flavors and foodie techniques.
Hello. I plan to prepare your Bacon jam with caramelized onions and would love to can jars of it for gifting. Any suggestions to insure success? Thank you.
Hi Brenda! If you want to ensure success, my recommendations are to use quality ingredients, enjoy the process, and definitely follow this guide for preserving https://www.ballmasonjars.com/water-bath-canning.html
I hope this helps! Enjoy 🙂