This sweet and savory Balsamic Bacon Onion Jam is beyond delicious. It all comes together in one skillet. Ready to enjoy in under an hour.
Use this yummy jam to top off your avocado toast or as an addition to your egg sandwich. Perfect as a burger topping. Or add to grilled cheese. Be sure to add it to your next cheese board. The ways to enjoy this goodness are limitless.
Let’s get started on making some Balsamic Bacon Onion Jam…
- Chop the bacon into very small pieces.
- For ease of cutting, place the bacon in the freezer for about an hour before proceeding.
- The smaller the pieces, the less chunky your jam will be.
- Cook, over medium heat, until just about crisp.
- Stir often as it cooks.
- While the bacon is cooking, prep the onion and garlic.
- The onion can be chopped as large or small as you prefer.
- The garlic can be minced or grated as I’ve done here.
- Drain the cooked bacon over a heatproof container to remove the excess bacon grease.
- Return the bacon to the skillet along with about one tablespoon of the drippings.
You’ll have quite a bit of excess bacon grease from making this. Once cooled, you can transfer to a lidded container and save it in the fridge for future recipes. Or when solidified, it can be thrown away …container and all.
Bottom line… never pour bacon fat down the drain, as it can cause clogged pipes.
- Add the chopped onion to the skillet.
- Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
- Once the onions are translucent, add the minced garlic.
- Continue cooking for an additional 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Add the brown sugar, vinegars and water.
- Stir to combine and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Add the thyme sprigs and your preferred amount of black pepper.
- Simmer for several more minutes.
- Stir often to avoid burning the jam around the edge of the skillet.
- Remove the sprigs of thyme.
- Allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes.
- Once completely cool, transfer the jam to airtight jars.
- Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
What are the best ways to enjoy my Balsamic Bacon Onion Jam?
- Breakfast – Spread it on avocado toast or add a generous amount to your egg sandwich.
- Appetizer – Serve bacon jam as a topping for crostini & cheese.
- Burgers – Spread bacon jam on a toasted bun before adding your grilled burger.
- Hot dogs – Who wouldn’t love some of this deliciousness piled on top of a grilled hot dog?
- Grilled cheese – Add a layer of bacon jam to your grilled cheese sandwich for a sweet & savory twist.
- Pizza – Use as a topping for your next white pizza along with fresh figs & baby arugula.
- Grilled chicken – Upgrade your grilled barbecued chicken breasts with a topping of melted cheddar, bacon jam & a sprinkling of fresh tomato salsa.
- Salad dressing – For a quick flavor-packed dressing, mix a spoonful of bacon jam with your best olive oil and vinegar.
- Quesadilla filling – Customize your cheese quesadillas by spreading a layer of bacon jam on the tortillas before adding cheese.
- Potatoes – Top off your freshly baked potato with some shredded cheddar, chives and a dollop of bacon jam.
This Balsamic Bacon Onion Jam tends to be somewhat chunky – perfect for topping grilled meats, veggies and burgers.
If you prefer a more “jammy” texture, place some in a container and pulse to your liking with an immersion blender. The blended jam is perfect when enjoying as an addition to your cheese board.
There are so many ways to enjoy this Balsamic Bacon Onion Jam, that you may just want to have a jar of the goodness stashed away in your fridge at all times.
balsamic bacon onion jam
Adapted from Souffle Bombay
Use this delicious jam to top off your avocado toast or as an addition to your egg sandwich. Perfect as a burger topping. Or added to grilled cheese. Be sure to add it to your next cheese board.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds regular-cut bacon
- 1 1/2 cups chopped Vidalia onion, or any sweet onion (about 7 ounces)
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons water (bourbon could be used in place of the water)
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
-
Chop the bacon into very small pieces. Cook, over medium heat, until just about crisp. Stir often as it cooks.
-
Drain the cooked bacon over a heatproof container to remove the excess bacon grease. Return the bacon to the skillet along with about one tablespoon of the drippings.
-
Add the chopped onion and sauté over medium heat until the onions are translucent, for about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and continue cooking for an additional 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
-
Add the brown sugar, vinegars and water. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the thyme sprigs and your preferred amount of black pepper. Simmer for several more minutes, stirring often to avoid burning the jam around the edge of the skillet.
-
Remove the sprigs of thyme and allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes. Once completely cool, transfer the jam to airtight jars and store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
-
The jam tends to thicken up after being refrigerated. To reheat, you may need to add a small amount of water to the jam to return it to the original consistency.
Recipe Notes
This delicious jam tends to be somewhat chunky - perfect for topping grilled meats, veggies and burgers. If you prefer a more "jammy" texture, place some in a container and pulse to your liking with an immersion blender. The blended jam is perfect when offering as an addition to your next cheese board.
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Love the flavor of balsamic vinegar?
