Bacon Onion Jam

Bacon onion jam is sweet, salty, and as easy as it is irresistible with this fuss-free recipe for your new favourite relish.

Bacon onion jam

I’ve gone quite mad for bacon jam. The most delicious sweet, salty, savoury relish, it is just impossible to resist and has won my heart much as onion marmalade did. In this recipe, I have brought the two together in a marriage made in heaven.

See also

• Bacon jam – the original
• This easy three ingredient pear jam is perfect with cheese
• Frozen mixed berry jam is intensely fruity and made with a bag of frozen mixed berries
• There are lots of delicious variations for bacon jam in my roundup

As with the plainest bacon jam, the magic works by bringing together all the flavours. There’s sweet, salt and savoury, a bitter hint from the coffee and acid from the vinegar. The balance is beautiful and you will want to eat it on everything.

The final jam is very concentrated, reducing down to about 400 ml in total, but those little pots are packed with very big flavours.

This version is a bit more frugal than my straight bacon jam recipe, which contians the same ingredients but with a lot more bacon and a lot less onion. The emphasis is different but I love it all the same.

The uses for your bacon and onion jam are limited only by your imagination. It really does seem to go with almost any savoury dish. Try on top of cheese on toast, on a crouton on your favourite soup, on a cheese platter or with steak frites. You’ll never want to stop.

Why make bacon and onion jam

• It’s delicious

• Goes with everything

• Impresses everyone!

Bacon and onion jam ingredients

• Bacon – Use a good quality dry cured back bacon. I prefer smoked for making bacon jam. Unsmoked will work but it will lack that extra layer of flavour, so I really do recommend smoked.

• Onion – any yellow onions. If you are feeling lazy you can buy frozen chopped onions or use leftovers that you have kept in the freezer.

• Garlic – two large fat cloves

• Coffee – Ideally you want espresso or a strong, good-quality instant coffee. I don’t drink instant but I do find that the modern microground instant coffees are very good for cooking.

• Sugar – soft brown, either light or dark to taste

• Balsamic vinegar – you want a fairly thick and sticky vinegar but nothing too expensive. Avoid very thin versions. It should have some body.

How to make bacon jam – step by step

Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this bacon and onion jam recipe perfectly every time.

Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.

Step One – Before you start, put clean, dry jars in the oven to sterilize and warm. Then chop the bacon into 1 cm pieces and fry slowly in a little oil over a low heat.

Stir from time to time and cook for about 15 minutes until golden.

If you use a good bacon, it shouldn’t release water, but if your bacon isn’t quite so good or if it has been frozen, this can happen. Pour off any liquid. The bacon needs to fry rather than steam.

Fuss Free Tip

Use a pair of good sharp kitchen scissors to cut the bacon up, dropping it straight into the pan so you can start cooking it as you go.

While the bacon cooks, peel and chop the onions. Aim for pieces of about the same size as the bacon. Peel and finely chop the garlic.

Once cooked, remove the bacon from the pan and reserve. Drain off most of the rendered fat, leaving just a little to fry the onions.

Step Two – Put the onions in the pan and fry gently until everything is golden and fragrant. Allow ten to fifteen minutes for this and do not rush.

Step Three – Return the bacon to the pan, add the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Step Four – Gently simmer over a low heat, so that the sugar, vinegar and coffee combine to form a syrup with the consistency of maple syrup. Stir constantly. The liquid will thicken as it cools down, so don’t reduce it too much.

Step Five – Fill small, sterilized jars with the bacon and onion jam, and seal. Use a jam funnel if you have one, as it saves mess and waste. The recipe makes around 400 ml or around one and a half cups, so choose your jars accordingly, and store them in the fridge once cool.

Serving suggestions

Bacon and onion jam is delicious with so many things. Just make sure you serve it at room temperature, so the syrup can loosen and any remain fat melt.

Try it on goat’s cheese croutons or bruschetta as a starter or use it to dress a baked camembert.

Use it as a burger or hot dog relish, or serve it with steak.

Add it to sandwiches or use it to garnish a savoury pie or tart.

Top poached or scrambled eggs, or serve it with an omelette.

Fill a baked potato with melted cheddar, and top with bacon and onion jam.

Storage

Fridge – Keep bacon and onion jam in the jar with the lid on for up to three weeks. Take what you need out before serving, as it is so much better at room temperature. Bacon and onion jam is not a jam in the traditional sense and cannot be kept for months as a traditional preserve.

Freezer – Bacon and onion jam can be frozen and will last for three months in the freezer. It does not freeze solid, which means it can be scooped out of the jar without any defrosting. Do make sure the lid is on tight and that the jar is upright.

Hints and tips

• Use good bacon.

• Do not be afraid to add a little oil at the start. You will drain off the excess fat once the bacon is cooked.

• Fry both the bacon and onion for gently over a medium heat and take your time. Don’t rush them.

• Serve at room temperature to get the most from the flavour.

FAQs

More related recipes

• Baked Camembert – delicious with your bacon and onion jam!

• Easy Sticky Onion Marmalade – another moreish sweet-and-savoury topping or addition to all sorts of dishes.

• Preserved Lemons – Southern Mediterranean magic for all sorts of dishes

• Roasted Sweet Pepper and Tomato Chutney – a lovely, light, piquant relish