If you’re a bacon lover (and let’s be honest — who isn’t?), this bacon jam is a game-changer. Slow-cooked with onions, brown sugar, maple syrup, and balsamic vinegar, it turns into a rich, sweet-and-savory spread that’s perfect on burgers, toast, or even crackers with cheese.
I first made it for some smash burgers and wow — it was next-level. The sweetness from the brown sugar and syrup plays off the saltiness of the bacon, and the vinegar cuts through the richness just enough. This stuff stores well in the fridge and tastes even better the next day.
❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
I wasn’t expecting it to be such a hit. It’s one of those things where you make it once just to try something new… and suddenly you’re finding excuses to make it again. The balance of sweet and salty is spot-on, and there’s something satisfying about turning a bunch of simple ingredients into something this flavorful.
🔪 Prepping the Bacon
Start by chopping your bacon into small pieces. I like a fine dice so the jam ends up smooth and spreadable. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat for about 10 minutes until crispy.
Once crisp, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan.
🧅 Cook the Onions
Finely dice your onions — I prefer smaller pieces for a smoother texture, but go with whatever feels right. Add them to the pan with the bacon grease and cook over low heat for 8–10 minutes until soft and translucent.
Add the onions to the pan with the reserved bacon grease. Cook over low heat for 8–10 minutes until they become soft and translucent.
🍬 Caramelize the Onions
Add the brown sugar and stir to coat the onions. Let that cook for another 10 minutes to allow the onions to caramelize and take on a deeper flavor.
🥄 Simmer It Down
Add the bacon back into the pan, then stir in the maple syrup and balsamic vinegar. Cook everything on low for about 20–25 minutes, letting the mixture reduce and thicken until it reaches a jammy consistency.
💭 Final Thoughts
Try hot honey: I’m planning to test this with hot honey instead of maple syrup for a sweet-spicy kick.
Best burger upgrade ever: It was amazing on smash burgers, but I could also see this on breakfast sandwiches, grilled cheese, or even a toasted English muffin.
Storage tip: Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week. Bring it to room temp before serving for best flavor and texture.
Cleanup Tip: Cooking this down for 20+ minutes left my pan a mess the first time. If you’ve got a good quality skillet, you’ll thank yourself later — it holds heat better and makes cleanup way easier. I linked the one I now use below.
Local love: I used real Maine maple syrup — being from Maine, it just felt right. If you want to try the kind I used, I linked it below.
Bacon Jam (Sweet + Savory Magic for Burgers & More)
If you're a bacon lover (and let’s be honest — who isn’t?), this bacon jam is a game-changer. Slow-cooked with onions, brown sugar, maple syrup, and balsamic vinegar, it turns into a rich, sweet-and-savory spread that’s perfect on burgers, toast, or even crackers with cheese.
Chop up bacon into 1/3 inch pieces and cook in pan until crisp (10 minutes).
1 lb Bacon
Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease.
Chop up onions into small pieces and put them in pan with garlic and bacon grease.
2 Onions
Cook onions on medium heat until translucent (8–10 minutes).
Add brown sugar and cook on low until onions are caramelized (10 minutes).
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
Add bacon back in the pan as well as all remaining ingredients and cook on low to allow the mixture to cook down and thicken up (25–30 minutes).
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar, 1/4 cup Maple Syrup, 1 tsp Garlic, 1/3 cup Coffee
Serve and enjoy!
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