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Sweet and savory bacon jam is one of my favorite ways to enhance a burger, dress up a charcuterie board, or just round out a piece of good, crusty bread. Perfectly layered with flavors of bacon, caramelized onions, garlic, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar, it’s a total show-stopper that you’ll want to serve with everything!

Overhead, 3/4-angle view of a spoonful of bacon jam being lifted out of a jar, with crostini in the background.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

  • Rich, thick, sweet sauce and salty, savory, chewy bacon mixed with caramelized onion. What more do you need to know?? The flavors are deep and layered and complex and just all-around incredible.
  • This jam goes well on and with so many things – burgers, pizza, crostini, hashbrown toast, grilled cheese, melted brie, French fries… I could go on and on.
  • Needless to say, this is one of those simple-but-feels-fancy recipes that’s sure to wow your friends and family, especially when you tell them it’s homemade.

Please note that, while delicious, this bacon jam is not Whole30-compliant. I highly recommend using bacon jam on burgers, but adding it to the Burger Joint Style Burgers linked above will make your burger no longer Whole30-compatible.

Chef’s Tips

  • A hearty dash of crushed red chili pepper flakes will take your bacon jam to a whole new level. If you like things with a little kick, you absolutely have to try it sometime! Just be careful not to overdo it.
  • You don’t want to overcook the bacon! It should be fully cooked, yes, but you want it to still be on the chewy side rather than crunchy and crispy.
  • Save the rendered bacon fat (except for the 2 tablespoons you need for the jam) in an airtight glass jar and use it later in other recipes! Leftover bacon grease is great for frying burgers, pouring on popcorn kernels before you pop them, roasting vegetables, or turning into bacon gravy.
Side view of bacon jam atop crostini and cheese on a wooden cutting board.

More Bacon Recipes You’ll Love

Overhead view of a jar of bacon jam surrounded by slices of crisp bread.
Recipe By: Jasmine Comer
5 from 1 vote

Sweet Onion Bacon Jam

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 45 minutes
Rich, sweet, and savory bacon jam is the simple-but-incredible condiment you'll want to serve with everything!
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8 servings

Equipment

  • Large skillet
  • Plate lined with paper towels

Ingredients

  • 1 pound thick-cut bacon chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 medium sweet onions diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ⅓ packed cup brown sugar or coconut sugar or Brown Swerve
  • 1 tablespoons water

Instructions

  • Add chopped bacon to large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until bacon is just crispy but still chewy. Be careful not to overcook!
    Overhead view of chopped bacon pieces in large grey skillet with wooden spoon and rendered bacon fat.
  • Transfer fully-cooked bacon to plate lined with paper towels. Drain all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat from skillet and discard or save for other uses.
  • Add diced onions to skillet with 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat. Stir well and cook approximately 10 minutes or until onions have caramelized.
    Overhead view of diced onions in a large grey skillet on a white background.
  • Once onions caramelize, add garlic, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and water. Return cooked bacon to skillet and stir well to incorporate ingredients.
  • Reduce heat to low. Cook mixture approximately 10 to 15 minutes or until jam has thickened. Taste and adjust flavoring, adding brown sugar or salt as needed. Once satisfied, serve bacon jam warm or at room temperature with desired accompaniments.
  • Make it Keto: Use 1 ½ to 2 pounds bacon and only 1 sweet onion. Replace the brown sugar with Brown Swerve.
  • Make it Paleo: Make sure your bacon has no added sugar. Use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar.

Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 306calProtein: 8gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 387mgPotassium: 235mgTotal Carbs: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 14gNet Carbs: 17gVitamin A: 22IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

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Jasmine Comer

Jasmine Comer is a food photographer and recipe developer from North Carolina. She grew up in the kitchen watching her mom cook all types of delicious meals. In 2016 she established Lively Meals, a food blog where she creates healthy recipes. This led to creating recipes for other blogs as well. In her free time she enjoys exploring new places and spending time in nature. Ultimately she’s grateful to be doing work she loves—cooking good food and sharing it with people.

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5 Comments

  2. My new favorite! I love the bacony-oniony-barbecuey taste. I quadrupled the second cooking for canning, so I’d have some for later without the wait!5 stars

    Reply

    1. What a great idea, Sonya! We haven’t tested canning this one so I’m glad to hear you had success with it. Thank you so much for sharing your review!

      Reply

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