Sweet and Savory Bacon Jam Recipe

By
MacKenzie Smith
MacKenzie Smith
Recipe developer, food stylist, author, and teacher with a passion for sandwiches. She's behind the popular blog Grilled Cheese Social.
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Updated on 01/3/23
Sweet and savory bacon jam recipe

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 3 hrs
Total: 3 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 32 servings

Bacon jam is one of those things that could potentially change your life. Crispy bacon is rendered down with caramelized onions, sweet brown sugar, tart apple cider vinegar, fragrant coffee, plus spiced chili powder, to create a jam that will pretty much make anything it touches 100% better. Don't believe me? Try it yourself!

I recommend using a thick-cut bacon that's made from the good stuff. I'm talking about buying something that's hormone-free, farm-raised, and righteously delicious. No facon bacon or anything like that here. You want to start with a base that will make your bacon jam shine! 

You can even get more creative than I did and add fresh rosemary or thyme to give it a little more herbal essence. And this jam is totally versatile and can pretty much go on anything you've ever dreamt about. Breakfast sandwiches will never be the same. Brussel sprouts will never be the same. You will never be the same!

A word to the wise, though, make this stuff once every few months, because if you have it more than that, I don't want to be responsible for heart disease. This stuff isn't healthy by any means, but it sure is good. Plus, at the end of the day, indulgence in moderation is probably the best thing we've got going. 

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds bacon (chopped)
  • 2 large onions (finely chopped)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
  • Dash cayenne pepper
  • Splash of coffee
  • Dash salt
  • Dash pepper
  • 1 ounce whiskey (optional)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for sweet and savory bacon jam
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. In a medium-sized sauté pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until the fat has rendered out and the bacon is almost crisp.

    Cook the bacon over medium heat
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  3. Remove cooked bacon, leaving the grease in the pan.

    Remove cooked bacon
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  4. Add onions and sauté until caramelized and soft—about 15 minutes.

    Onions in pot
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  5. Add chopped crispy bacon back to the onions and stir in brown sugar.

    Chopped bacon
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  6. Add vinegar, chili powder, cayenne pepper, coffee, curry powder, and salt and pepper and cook on low for for at least an hour in a half or until a thick jam forms.

    Stir bacon jam
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  7. Using a handheld immersion blender, gently pulse the bacon jam until it's mostly creamy with a few chunks of bacon left. 

    Bacon jam blended
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  8. Enjoy!

    Bacon jam
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
168 Calories
11g Fat
5g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 32
Amount per serving
Calories 168
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 15%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 31mg 10%
Sodium 481mg 21%
Total Carbohydrate 5g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Protein 11g
Calcium 8mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)