What is bacon jam, you ask? Well, THIS Bacon Jam recipe is a delicious, syrupy combo of bacon, onions, raisins, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. It is a great condiment for classic hamburgers, or it would be really amazing on top of these Grilled Pork Burgers! Put a huge dollop on top of your morning eggs, or pour warm bacon jam on top of some room temp cream cheese for an amazing appetizer.
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This is often praised as THE BEST BACON JAM RECIPE EVER. The combination of sweet onions and smoky bacon creates a truly irresistible taste that will take your grilled burgers OVER THE TOP!
RELATED: Dill Slaw for Burgers
Is it Bacon Jam really “Jam”?
The word “jam” is a little misleading when referring to bacon jam. I don’t want you to think this recipe is going to come out like a jelly with bacon in it.
This Bacon Jam recipe is more of a relish with chunks of bacon and sliced onion coated in a sweet and salty syrupy glaze. Yum!
Bacon Jam Burgers
There may be a lot of ways to use bacon jam, however, eating it on top of a grilled burger is my #1 favorite way!
To make this burger exactly like I make it you will need: romaine or arugula, Boursin cheese, a slicing tomato sprinkled with garlic powder, salt and pepper, warm bacon jam, and of course a great hamburger.
How to Make Bacon Jam
Start by chopping 1 pound of bacon into 1 inch chunks. Then in a large non-stick skillet, over medium heat, I cook the bacon in two batches until it is crispy.
Using a slotted spoon I dish the crispy bacon onto a paper towel lined plate.
Reserve 4 tablespoon bacon grease. Make sure to reserve the bacon grease in a heat safe bowl.
Slice 2 small yellow onions in very thin slices. Then rough chop the slices so that you do not have any long strands of onion remaining. See the photo below as a visual reference:
Next cook the onion and garlic in 4 tablespoons of reserved bacon grease, over medium low heat, until the onions are very soft and translucent, about 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile chop through the crispy cooked bacon, so you end up with smaller bits.
Add the bacon and brown sugar to the onion mixture, stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes.
Next add the raisins, Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, and water to the bacon mixture. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5-8 minutes until the mixture has thickened and looks syrupy.
Storing
To store any leftover bacon jam simply place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week.
You can serve it at room temp or warmed through.
After the bacon jam has been in the fridge, some of the bacon fat will harden and turn white. When it warms to room temperature it will look and taste amazing.
Or to serve warm simply reheat in a skillet over medium low heat.
Additional Ways to Serve Bacon Jam
- Make a great appetizer by spreading a little cream cheese on a cracker and then top with warm Bacon Jam.
- Use as a condiment for pulled pork sandwiches or grilled chicken sandwiches.
- Spread on a pizza crust and top with gouda, fresh mozzarella, brie, or your favorite melty cheese. Put it in the oven or place on the grill to warm thru and melt the cheese.
- Fill mini phyllo cups with brie, bake in the oven until the cheese is melted. Top with warm Bacon Jam.
- Top a room temp. block of cream cheese with warm Bacon Jam. Serve it with Ritz crackers for a great appetizer. Tip: Add a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper for a Spicy Bacon Jam & Cream Cheese appetizer. (see photo below)
- Add to a charcuterie board.
More Popular Bacon Recipes
If you are a bacon lover the other recipe you MUST try is this Shrimp Carbonara! Here are a few others to check out as well:
- Creamy Red Potato Soup
- Amazing Corn Chowder
- Broccoli Bacon Salad
- Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Sub bacon for the ham in these Savory Waffles!
- Instant Pot Coq Au Vin
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Did you make this recipe?
I would love to hear your review, especially if you have tips and tricks to add! Pop down to the comment section and connect with me
Knock-Out Bacon Jam Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. bacon - grease reserved after cooking (see below)
- 2 cups yellow onion, - about 2 small onions -thinly sliced then roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves - minced
- 4 tablespoon reserved bacon grease
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon raisins
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup water
- **Optional pinch cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Slice the raw bacon into 1 inch chunks.1 lb. bacon
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy.You may need to cook this in 2 batches to get crispy bacon! With a slotted spoon remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain while cooking the second batch.
- Reserve at least 4 tablespoon of the grease rendered from the bacon in a heat safe bowl- set aside.4 tablespoon reserved bacon grease
- Slice your onions very thin and then give them a rough chop, so you do not have long strands of onion remaining. See photo for reference:
- In the emptied skillet add the 4 tablespoon reserved bacon grease, chopped onions and minced garlic. Sauté over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and translucent, about 15-20 minutes.2 garlic cloves, 2 cups yellow onion,
- Give the cooled bacon a rough chop so there are no large chunks remaining. Add all the bacon and ⅓ cup brown sugar to the onions, stir to coat and cook for 2 minutes.⅓ cup brown sugar
- Add the 2 tablespoon raisins, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire, 3 tablespoon vinegar and ⅓ cup water to the bacon mixture. Simmer over medium low heat for 5-8 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and looks syrupy.2 tablespoon raisins, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire, 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, ⅓ cup water, **Optional pinch cayenne pepper
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Using the Bacon Jam
- You can serve the bacon jam at room temp or warmed through.
- After the bacon jam has been in the fridge, some of the bacon fat will harden and turn white. Leave at room temp for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When it warms to room temperature it will look and taste amazing.Or you can pop it in the microwave for 30 second increments until the hardened fat has melted into the bacon jam.
- To serve warm simply reheat in a skillet over medium low heat until desired temp is reached.
Serving
- See notes for serving ideas.
Storing
- Your bacon jam will stay good in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
Recipe Tips and Notes:
- Ultimate Burger: Grilled Burger, lettuce, slicing tomato seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder, grilled burger, pile on the bacon jam, top with Boursin cheese!
- This bacon jam is also amazing piled on top of a Grilled Pork Burger!
- Make a great appetizer by spreading a little cream cheese on a cracker and then top with warm Bacon Jam.
- Use as a condiment for pulled pork sandwiches or grilled chicken sandwiches.
- Spread on a pizza crust and top with gouda, fresh mozzarella, brie, or your favorite melty cheese. Put it in the oven or place on the grill to warm thru and melt the cheese.
- Add to your favorite grilled cheese.
- Fill mini phyllo cups with brie, bake in the oven until the cheese is melted. Top with warm Bacon Jam.
- Top a room temp. block of cream cheese with warm Bacon Jam. Serve it with Ritz crackers for a great appetizer. Tip: Add a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper for a Spicy Bacon Jam & Cream Cheese appetizer.
Anna Lee
I never made homemade bacon jam but this was delicious. I used Black Mission Fig Balsamic Vinegar and used dried cranberries soaked in some of the sauce.
Thank you!
McCoy
Good good good
Candy
This sounds wonderful. Is there any way to can it so that I could enjoy it at a later time also? I would hate to eat it once and have it go bad. Thanks
Susie Weinrich
I am not super familiar on canning so unfortunately I cant advise you on that. From Google research it looks like it isn’t recommended to can bacon jam. BUT it freezes well. So you could freeze it in smaller cubes and just use a portion, one at a time.
Jill
Made this and it was sooooo good! I called a burger place I knew made bacon jam and they wanted $8 for 4 oz! My daughter didn’t think it would be as good but it was delicious!!! One of the best recipes I feel.
Susie
WOW!!! Thank you for the high praise.
Paola
Made this and it was aaaahmazing!!!!! Thank you so much for the recipe 🙂
Susie
Thank you for reporting back and rating the recipe ( I truly appreciate it!). I’m so glad you loved it.
Natalie
I’m not a huge fan of blue cheese, but these hamburgers sure does look amazing and delicious! I have to try this recipe and make it for my spouse who simply LOVE blue cheese and is hamburger’s fanatic 🙂
Susie
My husband is not a fan of blue cheese either… he loves to eat the bacon jam on his hamburgers and just adds mayo to the bun. It is just as delicious! I hope you give it a try.
Marie
The bacon jam and burger looks amazing. I’ve tried bacon jam before (and really like it), but had no idea how to make it. Thank you for sharing your recipe! Pinning!
Jere Cassidy
Bacon jam on a burger sound sinful. I would love this.
Susie
It is everything your dreams are made of! Pure Yum
Claudia Lamascolo
I have never heard of bacon jam but boy did it get my attention along with this amazing juicy burger a must try soon!
Susie
It is more of a relish than “jam”… but it is 100% delish!!! Definitely give it a try.
Joan Rude
This burger is amazing! I would highly recommend that you give it a try. Salty and sweet is always one of my favorite combinations.
Susie
Thanks!! I’m so glad you like it!