You’ve probably seen bacon jam on the menu at your local burger joint and wondered if you could make it at home. Good news: you can, and it’s easier than you think.

You don’t need any fancy equipment or canning skills. Just a skillet, a few simple ingredients, and a little patience while the onions caramelize and the bacon does its thing. The payoff? A rich, sticky jam packed with crispy bacon, sweet onions, brown sugar, and a tangy splash of balsamic vinegar.

Nothing could be better, and you’ll be the king of the cookout when you serve this one up.

Ways to use Bacon Jam

This homemade bacon jam is so good that you may be tempted to eat it with a spoon. It’s a great way to level up all types of food! Here are my favorite ways to use it:

• Burgers – For a sweet and smoky kick, add a heaping spoonful of bacon jam to your favorite grilled or smoked burgers. 
• Hot Dogs – you can use this bacon jam to kick your hot dogs up a notch.
• Smoked Cream Cheese – If you’ve never added bacon jam to the top of your smoked cream cheese, then you’re in for a treat.

• Eggs – tired of the same old boring scrambled eggs for breakfast? Add a little bacon jam! You can also throw it in the middle of an omelette for a breakfast treat. 
• Grilled Cheese – A great addition to a grilled cheese sandwich.
• Pizza topping – A dollop of bacon jam onto a slice of pizza for a sweet and savory kick.

Ingredients you’ll need to make bacon jam

• Bacon – I prefer to use thick-cut bacon because I like the consistency, but regular bacon will work fine.
• White onion – You can alternatively use a sweet onion or a yellow onion.
• Jalapeño (optional) – I almost always add a bit of heat to my bacon jam, but if you’re not a fan of spice, you can omit it.
• Garlic – Garlic to round out the flavor.
• Brown sugar – Adds sweetness and helps the jam reach a thicker, syrup-like consistency.
• Balsamic vinegar – Adds a touch of acidity to balance the other flavors.

How to make homemade bacon jam

This recipe takes about 1-1/2 hours to whip up, but most of the cooking process is relatively hands-off.

1. Prep

It wouldn’t be called bacon jam if the first ingredient wasn’t bacon!

Take a sharp knife and cut the bacon into small pieces, about ½” to 1” wide.

You can slice the entire pound into pieces at once; there’s no need to separate the slices, as they’ll break apart as the fat renders during the cooking process.

Cut your onion and jalapeño (if using) into a small dice.

Peel and crush the garlic.

2. Cook the bacon

Place a pan over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook it for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the chunks.

As the fat renders and turns into bacon grease, the bacon will start to crisp more quickly, so keep an eye on it and keep stirring.

Once the bacon turns to a caramel-brown color and is crispy, but not burnt, it’s done. Remove it from the pan and place it on a paper towel to get rid of any excess grease. Let it cool.

3. Sauté

There should be a good amount of bacon grease in the bottom of your pan. You want to remove the majority of the grease, leaving about two tablespoons. You don’t need to measure it out; you can just eyeball it.

Reduce the heat to low and add the diced onion and jalapeño. The bacon grease will still be very hot, so add the onion slowly to avoid splattering the grease and burning yourself.

Let the onions saute for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are fully translucent and starting to caramelize.

Then add the garlic and let it saute for another two to three minutes until fragrant.

4. Add some flavor

When the garlic is fragrant, add the bacon back to the pan. Mix it up until the bacon and onions are fully incorporated.

Add the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar, and stir the mixture for about one minute to ensure everything is well combined.

The mixture should be liquid at this point, so it’s time to let it reduce!

5. Reduce

Increase the heat to medium-low and let the mixture simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes to one hour.

Stir the mixture every few minutes to ensure it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick to the bottom.

As the liquid reduces, you should notice the mixture getting thicker and thicker.

You’ll know your jam is done when it reaches a thick, syrupy consistency and there is no liquid left in the bottom of the pan.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl to cool.

You can serve it immediately or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

The jam will harden when stored in the fridge, so you can reheat it in a pan over low heat for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Bacon jam is most popularly known as a topping for burgers, but it can be used in a variety of other ways. Anytime you want to add a smoky, salty, sweet kick to something, bacon jam is the perfect choice.

If you made this bacon jam, let us know what you think in the comments below and leave a 5-star rating. It helps others find the best recipes.

More condiments to elevate your BBQ

Quick Pickled Red Onions

Cowboy Candy (Candied Jalapeños)

24-Hour BBQ Pickle Chips

Easy and Authentic Chimichurri

Print

Easy Homemade Bacon Jam

Smoky, sweet, and tangy homemade bacon jam made with crispy bacon, caramelized onions, and balsamic vinegar, the ultimate burger topping.

Course Condiment/Side

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 266kcal

Author Breanna Stark

Ingredients

• 1 lb bacon thick cut
• 1 white onion diced
• 1 jalapeño (optional) fine dice
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions

• Chop the bacon up into ½” to 1” pieces. You can slice the whole pound at once, no need to separate the slices as they will come apart as they cook.
• In a pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until it just starts to get crispy (about 10 minutes). You want each piece to be fully crisp for the best texture, but do not burn the bacon as it can create a bitter flavor.
• When your bacon is crispy, remove it from the pan and place it on a paper towel to soak up any excess grease while it cools.
• Remove all but two tablespoons of the bacon grease from the bottom of a pan, reduce the heat to low, then add the diced onion and jalapeño (if using).
• Saute for 20 minutes, or until the onions are fully translucent and starting to caramelize.
• Add the garlic and saute for two to three more minutes until fragrant.
• Add the bacon back to the pan with the onions and mix until it is all well incorporated.
• Add the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar and mix until well-combined.
• Increase the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes to one hour, stirring occasionally. You want the mixture to reduce and form a thick syrupy consistency.
• Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. After storage in the fridge, you can reheat the jam in a pan to get it back to the correct consistency.

Notes

Bacon – I prefer to use thick-cut bacon because I like the consistency, but regular bacon will work fine too. 

Nutrition

Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 410mg | Potassium: 153mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 53IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.4mg