Onion Bacon Jam is not the traditional flavor of preserves you may be used to, but it is definitely worth a try! It’s a savory and unique preserve that will elevate your taste buds. With a definite onion flavor supported by the saltiness of the bacon, Onion Bacon Jam is great on crackers with cheese or even mixed in ground beef for your next meatloaf recipe! I also have whiskey bacon jam and tomato bacon jam you will have to check out!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Bacon: The bacon can be broken up into pieces before or after being cooked. Do not make it ahead of time, since you will use some of the bacon grease to cook the onions and shallots. You could also use turkey bacon if preferred.
Onion: Look for one large yellow onion or about 3 small onions. You will need about 3 cups of chopped onion for the recipe.
Shallots: Shallots are a type of onion that are known for their sweeter, milder taste and delicate flavor. They are smaller in size compared to regular onions and have a long, narrow shape.
Sauce: The brown sugar, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and chili powder give you a sweet and spicy sauce.
How to Use Onion Bacon Jam
If you are looking for ways to use up your Onion Bacon Jam before it goes bad, there are many delicious options to consider:
- Use a dollop on a cracker with some cream cheese.
- Spread it on your grilled cheese sandwich before you grill it.
- Substitute Onion Bacon Jam for the bacon on your BLTs.
- Add it to your scrambled eggs.
- Use it as a topping for a hamburger or cheeseburger (my favorite).
- Mix it in with your macaroni and cheese.
- Top your favorite roasted vegetables.
These suggestions will help you fall in love with this jam. Let me know if you found other flavorful ways to use Onion Bacon Jam!
How to Store Onion Bacon Jam
Onion Bacon Jam is a delicious and popular condiment that can be used in a variety of dishes. However, it should not be stored at room temperature as it can spoil quickly. The best way to store it is in the refrigerator or freezer. When stored in the refrigerator, it will last for 2-4 weeks, while freezer storage will give it a longer shelf life. Since Onion Bacon Jam cannot be safely canned, it is important to consume it within 2-4 weeks when stored in the refrigerator or freeze it for longer storage. When freezing, be sure to use straight-sided mason jars (or glass jars) and leave about an inch of space at the top to allow for expansion.
More Appetizers
Onion Bacon Jam
Ingredients
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon, diced
- 2 large yellow onions, finely chopped (about 3 cups)
- 2 large (or 6 small) shallots, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (85 g) maple syrup
- ⅓ cup (79 g) apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chili powder, optional, but highly recommended
Instructions
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. While the bacon is cooking, line a plate with a paper towel.
- Place the cooked bacon onto the lined plate. Set aside.
- Leave about 4 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pan, carefully removing the rest.
- To the pan, add the onion and diced shallots. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the onions and shallots are caramelized, 15-20 minutes, stirring often.
- Mix in the garlic, brown sugar, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, chili powder, and pieces of cooked bacon.
- Simmer for 7-10 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened. It should be about the consistency of a jam.
- Serve warm or cold, but you may want to warm slightly if it has been refrigerated.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Is it possible to can this for longer term storage? Such as pressure canning?
It says no in the article….
I was wondering the same thing because you can can meat in a pressure canner.
How long dies this last in refrigerator
I got this same recipe on another site and it said to can at meat times. I’m getting ready to try canning it. 🤷♀️
If you got this “same recipe” on another site then they stole it from me. If you want to follow advice from thieves and potentially get botulism then by all means, go follow the advice from this mystery site. But don’t come onto my page and share your bad advice.
Can you Canet and keep it for a long time and how long will it last in your refrigerator?
This Bacon Onion Jam is incredible! I definitely recommend adding the chili powder, it doesn’t make it spicy rather it adds a depth of flavour. For an appetizer this is delicious with Ritz crackers and cream cheese.
This is a fabulous recipe. Made it today for the first time and my husband loved it. Each step takes a bit longer than the recipe indicates, but it’s worth the extra time. The only modification I made was to reduce the cayenne to 1/2 tsp, because I can’t really eat spicy food, so there was just a hint of a bite to counteract the sweetness of maple syrup and brown sugar. I wonder how it would be on a baked brie?
It doesn’t call for cayenne. It calls for chili powder, completely different animal, not spicy at all, just a rich Smokey flavour.
Recommend, 10 out of 10. Now that I’ve made it, need to plan some burgers for dinner this week. ☺️
I made this tonight to put on burgers. This is delicious. My family loved it. I wouldn’t change anything.
Didn’t have scallions, so used sweet onion(that’s what was on hand) and it turned out amazing. Love this recipe.
Hello, thank you so much for sharing! I would love to have this at a friend’s flat top cooking party tomorrow. I was thinking about making this on a flat top to spread over chunks of Halloumi or Mastelo cheese also grilled on the flat top. Then people could dip crackers into it and enjoy.
Do you think the flavors in the jam will go well with either cheese? Thanks so much!
Why can’t it be safely canned?
Meat has to be pressure canned to be safe in a sealed jar at room temperatures, and a bacon jam mixture is so dense that there would be major heat penetration issues in sterilizing the contents of the jar.
Another reason is botulism. Onions are grown under ground which, for some reason, makes them more suspect to botulism. Botulism loves anaerobic conditions so canning onions could be a bit risky. One of the largest botulism outbreaks in the US was caused by a person sauteing onions, putting them in an air-tight container, then refrigerating them and serving at a later date.
I made this today and I like it. I have had it warm only…I hope there is enough left to cool and refrigerate for tomorrow. I am finding the cider vinegar a bit more obvious than I would like so will likely reduce the amount a bit next time but maybe it will fade after refrigeration. The times as the recipe states them, were not nearly long enough . I had to double or more all of the three stages. I will make this again. I am a very experienced cook so knew what the bacon should look like and what caramelized onions look like. A newer cook might follow the times in the recipe and end up with a negative impression of the recipe. Can this be frozen without losing taste or texture?