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Maple Bourbon Bacon Jam

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Maple Bourbon Bacon Jam
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A sweet, salty, smoky, spicy and down right tasty bacon jam that is the definition of umami! This bacon jam goes well on toast for breakfast and makes for a great condiment in sandwiches and burgers of all sorts!

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I do not know how I could have possibly missed the whole bacon jam band wagon when it came around a while ago but I recently discovered it and jumped right on board! I mean, how could you possibly go wrong making a jam where the primary ingredient is bacon? I was completely smitten with the idea and had to make a batch right away!
Luckily it was pretty easy to find a bacon jam recipe online, there are a ton of them and each one was a little different. After poring over dozens of recipes the base seemed to come down to; lots of bacon, some onion, garlic, vinegar, coffee and sugar and from there you can go with whatever you like. I chose to go with some of my favourite things including with maple syrup and a splash of bourbon and I could not resist adding a source of spicy heat in the form of some smoky chipotle chili peppers. With all of the ingredients in this jam, you know that it is just packed with flavour and umami with a nice balance of salty from the bacon, sweet from the brown sugar and maple syrup, tangy from the cider vinegar and spicy from the chipotles!
Bacon jam is really easy to make which is good because you are going to be wanting to make it all the time! In fact, I recommend doubling or tripling the recipe!

Maple Bourbon Bacon Jam
While I was writing the recipe and making the jam ideas of how to use it were flying through my head and I look forward to sharing some of them with you later in the week. Of course the first way that I tested out my shiny new batch of bacon jam was the easiest way, simply spread on toast and I now look forward to enjoying it that way for many happy breakfasts to come!
Bacon Jam and Avocado Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Fried Egg

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Maple Bourbon Bacon Jam

Maple Bourbon Bacon Jam

Prep Time:10 minutes Cook Time:1 hour 50 minutes Total Time:2 hours Servings: 1

A sweet, salty, smoky, spicy and down right tasty bacon jam that is the definition of umami! This bacon jam goes well on toast for breakfast and makes for a great condiment in sandwiches and burgers of all sorts!

ingredients
  • 1 pound thick smoked bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 3/4 cup coffee (brewed)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • 1-2 chipotle chilis in adobo, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • pepper to taste
directions
  1. Cook the bacon in a large sauce pan an over medium heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon starts to get crispy and set aside, reserving 1 tablespoon of the grease in the pan.
  2. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
  4. Add the vinegar and deglaze the pan.
  5. Add the coffee, brown sugar, maple syrup, bourbon, bacon, chipotle chilies, cumin and pepper, reduce the heat and simmer until reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 1-2 hours.
  6. Process the jam in a food processor to smooth it out a bit but not too much as you want to have the texture of the bacon.
  7. If you do not finish it all in one sitting, store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
Tip: Chipotles chili peppers in adobo can be hot and everyone hase their own preferences for heat. I recommend that you add the chipotles in adobo a bit at a time, taste testing as you go, to bring the heat up to the point where it is a nice undertone without overwhelming.
Tip: I prefer the bacon jam warm so I take out what I need and give it a few seconds in the microwave before using it.
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Use in:
Bacon Jam and Avocado Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Fried Egg
Bacon Jam Crostini with Melted Brie and Roasted Tomatoes
Bacon Jam BLT
Bacon Jam and Guacamole Quesadilla with Fried Egg with Bacon Jam Vinaigrette Drizzle
Bacon Jam Chicken Club Sandwich with Avocado and Chipotle Mayo
Grilled Asparagus with Bacon and Balsamic Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese
Bacon Jam Breakfast Sandwich with Fried Egg and Avocado
Bacon Jam Baked Brie

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Barbara | Creative Culinary says

    August 5, 2012 at 10:39 pm

    I made maple bacon bourbon jam last year; right after I made my own maple bourbon bacon!

    I don't follow trends but I did start doing some charcuterie and making your own bacon is easy and rewarding beyond measure. Using it for this recipe? Before the quandry of what to serve it on could be answered I believe half the jar was eaten with a spoon.

    Reply

  2. mamacasz says

    August 6, 2012 at 12:12 am

    I see you're using a canning jar. Are you actually processing them in a water-canning process? If not, how long does it keep (presuming it's not gobbled up right away)?

    Reply

  3. Anonymous says

    August 6, 2012 at 12:24 am

    Is the person who post and cooks the food posted on this site the same person on the profile photo? If so, that's a pretty skinny person for all the fatty foods in here.

    Reply

  7. Maxine says

    August 6, 2012 at 2:50 am

    Thanks Kevin! This sounds amazing. Assuming we don't eat the whole batch of jam on the day it's made, how long can this be kept? Must it be refrigerated??

    Reply

  12. cassie says

    August 6, 2012 at 11:24 am

    I've been making bacon jam for years & you can use different flavor profiles . Try adding some carrot for a hint of sweet sub the brown sugar for maple sugar & clove,allspice cayenne for spices . Fabulous on grilled sea scallops !

    Reply

  13. Anonymous says

    August 6, 2012 at 12:54 pm

    Hi Kevin. Every recipe I've made of yours has been amazing! I'm sure this will be the same. How do we store this? Is a canning jar in the refrigerator ok? Or do we have to heat and seal the jars? Thank you for your help.

    Reply

  14. Kevin says

    August 6, 2012 at 12:56 pm

    mamacasz: The masons jar was just hand, I knew that the bacon jam would not last long enough to need proper canning procedures. 🙂 I would say that it should last about 4 weeks in the fridge.

    Reply

  24. Kevin says

    August 7, 2012 at 11:33 pm

    Anonymous: I am glad that you have been enjoying my recipes! You can store the bacon jam in any sealable container in the fridge and it will keep for about 4 weeks. Enjoy!

    Reply

  27. Kathleen Richardson says

    August 8, 2012 at 11:15 am

    "If you do not finish it all in one sitting…" This made me laugh out loud! Since it's just me, I'm glad you mentioned that Bacon Jam keeps in the frig up to 4 weeks. I expected too many ingredients, and was surprised and pleased to see that it really is a simple recipe. Another great creation, Kevin!

    Keep writing…

    Reply

  29. Matt H says

    August 8, 2012 at 2:40 pm

    For those wanting to make a large batch and can some, due to the low acid content and the meat in it, you would need to pressure-can for long-term storage. Hot water bath canning would NOT be sufficient. With pressure processing, I would guess a shelf life of 6 months to a year.

    Reply

  35. Penandra says

    August 9, 2012 at 6:26 pm

    Kevin:

    An alternative to cooking this on top of the stove until it gets syrupy, is in mid-point step 5. After bringing everything to a boil, pour it into a slow cooker and cook for a couple of hours until the preferred consistency.

    Yes, it is another pan to wash. However, not having to attend to something cooking on the stove is worth it to me!

    Thanks for the recipe . . . . I've not had this with chiptole's will have to try your version.

    Reply

  37. Lisa P. says

    August 10, 2012 at 10:26 pm

    Kevin:

    This is amazing. I can't keep my husband and son out of it. I hope I have enough left to make the Bacon Jam and Avocado Grilled Cheese sandwiches for supper. This is the first recipe I have tried from Pinterest. I can't wait to try more. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

  38. Elena says

    August 13, 2012 at 4:03 am

    OMG this is the BEST and I mean the BEST bacon jam ever!!! The only change I did was use Cognac instead of the bourbon because I had it on hand. I doubled the recipe and it gave me 3 small jars which are already spoken for among my friends. I guess I will just have to make more this week

    Reply

  40. gina@cateror says

    August 19, 2012 at 4:46 pm

    Oh. My. I think I know what I'm making as holiday gifts this year. If I can manage to share it, that is. This looks phenomenal! Love the idea of changing up the liquor in it, as well.

    Reply

  41. Anonymous says

    August 21, 2012 at 4:20 pm

    Dear Kevin,

    I am an amateur cook and sometimes I find it difficult to follow your directions. I used ground coffee for the recipe instead of a cup of brewed coffee because (as english is not my first language) coffee in my mind did not imply brewed coffee.

    However, I used whiskey for the recipe and brandy and it turned out great (eventually, despite the undissolved coffee).

    May I also suggest that you add your recipes in metric or at least add a conversion function (both for portions and from/to metric)? I am sure you have a ton of fans outside north america who would greatly appreciate the conversion.

    cheers and thanks for the recipe
    Theo – Cyprus

    Reply

  45. Kevin says

    August 24, 2012 at 6:19 pm

    Victoria Garcia: You could omit the chipotles in adobe completely or you could replace them with some smoked paprika for the smokiness and any kind of fresh chilies, chili powder or sauce for the heat.

    Reply

  46. Robin Sue says

    August 28, 2012 at 4:47 pm

    Kevin would I be able to can this using the normal water bath canning? I'm a vegetarian and my boyfriend is not, but I know he would love this recipe and I like to make several jars of stuff at once. I'm afraid he won't eat it all up in 4 weeks if left in the fridge.

    Reply

  48. Anonymous says

    August 30, 2012 at 5:43 am

    I decided to finally make a batch today but had to sub whiskey for the bourbon. I really didn't find that my mixture ever came to a syrupy state. The liquid reduced, and got marginely thicker and perhaps tasted saltier than expected. I wonder if the chipotle peppers caused the extra saltiness? Still delicious but I had to stop cooking sooner than an hour because the liquid was just about cooked out. I used an immersion blender right in the pot to smooth the texture which worked out well. Thanks, Deni

    Reply

  49. Amber says

    September 8, 2012 at 2:59 am

    Bravo Kevin!!! Some of the best stuff I have ever had – just finished making this recipe and it was delish! I wasn't going to use the chipotle because I normally am not a fan but went with the original recipe and it was perfect – I am so glad that I had already eaten dinner or the whole bowl would have been gone – thank you!!!

    Reply

  50. Amber says

    September 8, 2012 at 2:59 am

    Bravo Kevin!!! Some of the best stuff I have ever had – just finished making this recipe and it was delish! I wasn't going to use the chipotle because I normally am not a fan but went with the original recipe and it was perfect – I am so glad that I had already eaten dinner or the whole bowl would have been gone – thank you!!!

    Reply

  52. Anonymous says

    September 20, 2012 at 3:36 pm

    I am so bummed! I am making the jam right now and as soon as I dumped in the coffee I thought something doesn't look right. Then I scanned the comments and discovered you meant brewed coffee. Well, I came this far so I'm going to finish reducing it and see if its edible. If not, the smells alone will make me start over again tomorrow.

    Reply

  53. Jessica Hansen says

    September 21, 2012 at 2:32 pm

    I don't have regular bourbon in the cabinet… Do you think Wild Turkey's American Honey would work?? After all it is bourbon with a hint of honey..

    Reply

  54. Anonymous says

    September 21, 2012 at 2:51 pm

    Kevin
    Well, I started from scratch this morning, using brewed coffee this time. As I expected, the finished product was out of this world delicious. And a lot less gritty without coffee grounds covering everything. I made blt sandwiches with the jam and a great green goddess dressing I make with avocado, sesame tahini, rice wine vinegar, fresh oregano and basil.
    Thanks for the great recipe! I now must explore your site for other yummy concoctions to make.
    Jay,

    Reply

  58. Anonymous says

    September 24, 2012 at 9:27 pm

    We have a Hot Dog Cart in Florida. Bacon Jam makes the best topping ever. Actually had people say Hold the dog, just give me Bacon Jam on the grilled bun

    Reply

  59. Anonymous says

    September 28, 2012 at 4:22 pm

    Hi: I made this last night and it is seriously fabulous. I over simmered mine though and it's too thick. How would you suggest thinning it so it's more spreadable. Served it on cornbread, yum. I'm also going to try it in acorn squash with a pad of butter 😉 P.S. I used a red onion.

    Reply

  62. Kevin says

    October 4, 2012 at 12:34 pm

    Anonymous: Ground dried chipotle chilies would work as a substitute, otherwise you can get the heat by using pretty much whatever form of chili that you do have, say cayenne, and then if you want the smokiness from the chipotles, add some liquid smoke. Enjoy!

    Reply

  63. Jen says

    October 13, 2012 at 4:04 pm

    I very much wish I had found your recipe earlier. So there I am with my very first batch of bacon jam firmly in the slow cooker, when it hits me….BOURBON!! So I threw some in, but now I wish I had thought to add some of my wonderfully lovely smoked chili powder! Ah well, there will be a next time!!

    Reply

  64. Renzo Bolivar says

    November 20, 2012 at 5:51 pm

    I'm super excited about making this for my friends for holiday gifts! My fiance and I are going to try and make it tonight for a "test run"- but I have a few questions: 1. Since we intend on giving it away as gifts, they obviously won't be in the refrigerator once we take it our to give it to them.. is that ok? If not, 2. I have a little experience with water bath canning, but everyone says I would need to pressure can and I've never done that before. Is there another alternative? I think the 4 week shelf life in the firdge is totally ok, I just want to know if it's of if the jam isn't refrigerated for a few hours (like a work day) when we put it in a cute basket to give to our friends. Maybe water bath canning is better than nothing? Help! We really love the idea of giving this as gifts!! Thank you SO SO SO much!!!-

    Reply

  66. Tera says

    November 27, 2012 at 4:26 pm

    This looks delicious and I plan on making it as Christmas gifts for the men in my life. Would it be ok to double or triple the ingredients to make more at one time? Thanks for the idea!

    Reply

  68. Kevin says

    November 30, 2012 at 11:46 am

    Jessi: A food processor is not required. It is used simply to make the bacon jam a bit smoother and more spreadable but chunky is also good. If you have a blender, a small pulse or two would also work. Otherwise you could start by cutting the bacon into smaller pieces. Enjoy!

    Reply

  71. Anonymous says

    December 8, 2012 at 3:52 pm

    Obviously, I have missed out–I've never HEARD of bacon jam before! My taste buds are dancing just thinking about it!

    Reply

  72. Jules says

    December 11, 2012 at 2:07 am

    This is, without a doubt, the best thing I have ever made in the kitchen. I was eating it with a spatula, right out of the food processor. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  73. Anonymous says

    December 13, 2012 at 2:20 am

    I'm making this right now and I almost can't wait. I'm thinking about dipping bread into it while its cooking. You're awesome Kevin.

    Reply

  74. Vera says

    December 16, 2012 at 7:48 pm

    I've made this today und it tasted delicious when it was warm – but now it's cold (because I stored it in the fridge) and this my bacon jam is hard as stone… what can I do against it? I'm not able to get it out of the glass, it's so hard…

    Reply

  75. Kevin says

    December 17, 2012 at 1:53 am

    Vera: It should definitely not be that hard! You should easily be able to spoon it out of the jar. If you throw it into the microwave for a few seconds it should become more manageable. I actually prefer the bacon jam when it is warm so I generally spoon out what I needed and warmeit up in the microwave a little before using it.

    Reply

  76. Anonymous says

    December 23, 2012 at 12:16 am

    Do you take the seeds out of the peppers? I just made this and took out half the seeds to be on the safe side and Wow…it is still so spicy! I get one second of sweetness and them its all just heat 🙁 I can hardly even taste bacon

    Reply

  77. Kevin says

    December 23, 2012 at 1:16 pm

    Anonymous: It should not have ended up that hot! There should be an undertone of heat and not be overwhelming. I recommend adjusting the amount of the chipotles in adobo based on your tolerance for heat.

    Reply

  81. Sarah J. A. Rowan says

    January 20, 2013 at 11:58 pm

    Definitely going to make this! Thanks for the recipe. And no… This is NOT safe to water-bath can because of the meat – not enough acid. So either pressure can or fridge/freezer. Yum yum yum – my hubby is gonna LOVE this!

    Reply

  86. Joni Chism says

    August 5, 2013 at 11:02 pm

    I may have missed it somewhere, but can you suggest a substitute for the coffee. As I'm LDS I don't drink coffee, but would really love to try this recipe. Thanks so much.

    Reply

  88. Abby says

    December 10, 2013 at 5:29 pm

    This sounds absolutely divine! If I wanted to ship some bacon jam I make myself to friends and family, do you think there'd be any issue with the bacon going bad in-transit?

    Reply

  90. shells4 says

    December 23, 2013 at 6:26 am

    I love bacon jam as well. Thank you for posting ideas for using this jam. One of my favorite ways to use it is in omelets. Particularly made with shallots, mushrooms, parmesan cheese and a couple of teaspoons of bacon jam. yum. I often triple my recipe and freeze it in small batches. It freezes very well.

    Reply

  93. jo says

    February 11, 2014 at 10:47 pm

    What can I substitute for any/all of the alcohol ? The amount stated is a large part of the liquid in the recipe. Other than that it looks like it will be a hit in our family! Thanks so much.

    Reply

  94. kevin says

    February 11, 2014 at 11:03 pm

    jo: You can replace the bourbon with a half a teaspoon of vanilla and either 1/4 cup more of coffee or water or just leave it with the vanilla. (There is 1 & 1/4 cups of liquid provided by the other ingredients.) Enjoy!

    Reply

  96. Vee C says

    April 3, 2015 at 10:46 pm

    This jam is AMAZING! It made one pint size mason for me – just under 2 cups. I followed the receipe exactly, using one chipotle pepper and it was perfect. I made breakfast sanwiches yesterday – English muffin, fried egg, American cheese and topped them with the jam – yummy. Tonight I made burgers and again topped them with the jam along with some blue cheese crumbles. Thanks Kevin for another great recipe!

    Reply

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