Bourbon Bacon Onion Jam
Bourbon Bacon Onion Jam is a delicious condiment made from caramelized onions, crispy bacon, and a splash of Bourbon. Slowly caramelizing the onions yields an irresistibly sticky-sweet foundation to this dish. The addition of bacon and a few other ingredients makes this the perfect salty and sweet addition to just about anything!
It's a perfect topping for burgers, sandwiches, or on my Smothered Bacon Jam Pork Chops (these are over-the-top amazing, so go check them out!)
Ingredients
This recipe starts off with onions and bacon, quite obviously. Be sure to pick thick-cut bacon. The long cooking time would likely cause thinner bacon to fall apart. As for the onions, use two extra large sweet onions-the huge, softball-sized ones-and dice them in to about ½-inch pieces. You want these to be pretty big as well. You could also slice the onion in half (top to bottom) and then slice half-rounds. Either way, bigger pieces work best.
After cooking the bacon, add light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, and a pinch of chili flakes and let that caramelize for several minutes. Follow this by deglazing the pan with water and a splash of Bourbon. Then slow-cook everything over medium-low heat for about 40-minutes to get a nice deep brown color. Take everything off the heat and add balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, and kosher salt and pepper to taste. It's important to add the Balsamic and Worcestershire to add acid, which brings some much-needed balance to this. Without the acid components, this can be overly sweet.
This is awesome as a burger topping or as a condiment for hearty sandwiches. You can also finely mince everything once it's cooled down and use it as a spread for a charcuterie board!
Did you make this recipe for Bourbon Bacon Onion Jam?
Let me know in the comments below how yours turned out, and don't forget to leave a rating!
Recipe
Bourbon Bacon Onion Jam
Equipment
- Medium Saucepot
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Thick Cut Bacon Sliced into ½ - ¾-inch Thick Strips
- 2 Large Sweet Onions Rough Diced (about ½-inch pieces)
- ½ Cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 Pinch Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- ½ Cup Water
- 1 ½ Oz. Bourbon
- ½ Teaspoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Worcestershire
- ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt Plus More to Taste
- ½ Teaspoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper Plus More to Taste
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook for 8 to 10-minutes until just barely crispy. Remove from pan, reserving 1 - 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan.
- Add diced onions with a small pinch of kosher salt and cook for 10 to 15-minutes until they are translucent and just barely begin to start to get some color.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook for 20-minutes, stirring frequently until onions and sauce begin to caramelize.
- Return the cooked bacon to the pan, and deglaze with the bourbon, and water. Add the salt and fresh cracked black pepper and cook for 30 to 40-minutes until it reaches a soft jam-like consistency.
- Remove from heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire. Season to taste with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper as needed.
- This can be served warm, or cooled to room temperature.
Wow. Absolutely amazing. Do you know how long it will keep in the fridge?
Thanks, Peggy! Glad to hear you enjoyed it. This will keep in the fridge for about 5 days or so.