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!
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! 
Maple Bourbon Bacon Jam
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
- 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.
- Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the vinegar and deglaze the pan.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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: 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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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.
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)?
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.
Wow, what a disgusting thing to say. Obviously your mother never taught you any manners.
FAT DOES NOT MAKE YOU FAT!! Lucky for you, neither does being mean.
That must be heavenly!
I am going to make this tomorrow – and I don't care if it's going to be close to 100 degrees outside! All I need is the onion. Can't wait to taste it!
Just to clarify, when you say coffee you mean the drink, right? Not the ground beans?
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??
Terrific! I bet it is highly addictive.
Cheers,
Rosa
Anonymous: Yes, a brewed cup of coffee.
Barbara | Creative Culinary: I have not tried making my own bacon yet but it sounds like it would be great fun!
Can we process this for long term storage? Would love to make some for gifts.
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 !
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.
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.
Maxine: It Should keep about 4 weeks in the fridge.
That is something so different, I usually eat bacon in sandwiches but this would be nice with hamburgers.
I've been hearing so much about bacon jam – really going to have to give it a try
Oh my! This is probably good on EVERYTHING!
It's good stuff, isn't it? I really like the idea of adding bourbon!
So glad you posted this Kevin! I, myself, just recently heard about bacon jam. I feel like I've been left in the dark. These looks awesome. Thanks for sharing!
Oh my goodness, this is outrageous in every good sense of the word! This is going straight to the top of my "must-make" list!
What a great idea! It sounds like a breakfast all wrapped up in jam form. YUM!
imagine having that with a cheese omelet.
I can.
LOL
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!
Veronika: You can can it in a pressure canner for longer term storage.
This looks amazing. Im going to make it tomorrow! would be great on a BLT.
"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…
Silly question. What if you don't have bourbon on hand? Is there a substitute? Thanks :0)
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.
You sure know how to make a girl drool Kevin… it looks AMAZING!
Anne: You can omit the bourbon completely or you could replace it with your favourite drinking whiskey.
How about Tequila?
Wow, Kevin! This looks amazing! Can't wait to try it. Love the idea of maple syrup instead of sugar!
Hmmm, RUM might be a good alternative to the bourbon. I love bacon and seriously need to make this as a canner batch for gifts.
any insight as to how long to pressure can it?
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.
Penandra: I will have to try the slow cooker next time!
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.
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
Anonymous: Tequila would work as well.
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.
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
I wonder if you could freeze it instead of canning it – any thoughts?
if I do not have chipotle what can i substitute it for. Thank you for all your amazing recipes.
Marsha: I have not tried it but you should be able to freeze it.
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.
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.
Robin Sue: I would definitely go with the pressure canning.
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
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!!!
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!!!
just ran across this site..fantastic! I live in a beach house and the kitchen is a closet..literally…looking forward to making all kinds of stuff..but first is the BACON JAM!
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.
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..
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,
Best thing I've ever made. The chipotle was a fantastic idea. An energy drink for the soul.
Jay: Glad you enjoyed it! That BLT sounds tasty! I updated the recipe to clarify the coffee being brewed.
Jessica Hansen: The Wild Turkey's American Honey should work well!
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
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.
It is almost impossible to find chilis in adobo suace in stores. What do I use in it's place?
Anonymous: You could make it more spreadable by simmering it with some more brewed coffee or even more bourbon. Glad you enjoyed it!
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!
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!!
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!!!-
Renzo Bolivar: A few hours out of the fridge should be ok and water bath canning could not hurt. Enjoy!
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!
so what happens when you don't have a food processor? is it absolutely necessary bc I really want to make this!! 🙁
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!
Tera: Yes, you could easily double or triple the recipe, though you may need to cook the bacon in batches. Enjoy!
thanks so much! looking forward to making it!
Obviously, I have missed out–I've never HEARD of bacon jam before! My taste buds are dancing just thinking about it!
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!
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.
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…
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.
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
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.
Kevin:
I'm not allowed any kind of coffee whatsoever.
What can I substitute without watering it down?
Have a Joyful Day :~D
Charlie
Charlie: I would go with either a black tea or water and a touch of cocoa powder. Enjoy!
Thanks Kevin!
Charlie
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!
Love it!!!! Hubby will be thrilled with this 🙂
And yes – YOU MUST USE A PRESSURE CANNER. It is unsafe to water-can anything with meat in it! 🙂
Heaven. Just heaven. Will be a staple condiment in our home. Thanks for sharing.
Served this with sauted baby scallops on a cracker and the crowd went wild.
Anonymous : With scallops and crackers is a great way to serve it!
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.
Found it. Please disregard previous message. Sub with tea or water and cocoa powder. Thanks again.
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?
Abby: You would have to pressure can it or pack it in a cooler pack with an ice pack and ship it next day.
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.
shells4: That omelette sounds great!
OMG this is DIVINE!
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.
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!
I need this in my life! Pinning for later when I have bacon in the house….lol
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!
Vee C: I'm glad you enjoyed it! I definitely make this bacon jam all the time! 🙂
have been getting this at a restaurant now for a couple of months and wanted to try it myself – it was wonderful in scrambled eggs!! Thanks for posting the recipe!!
Hi, what can I use instead or bourbon?
OK to omit?
Karen: You can omi the Bourbon or replace it with a teaspoon of vanilla extract.