Bacon-Bourbon Jam Recipe

Smoky, sweet, oaky, and full of umami, bacon makes a versatile jam.

By
Lucy Baker
Lucy Baker
Lucy Baker is a food writer, publisher, and author of two cookbooks: The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets and Edible DIY: Simple, Giftable Recipes to Savor and Share. In addition to her columns on Serious Eats, she has written for The Journal News, Westchester Magazine, and her blog, Turnip the Oven.
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Updated April 28, 2024
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Why It Works

  • Bourbon and coffee give the jam an oaky, bitter edge that brings out the smokiness in the bacon.
  • Using a food processor to finely chop the ingredients gives just the right consistency for spreading or spooning.

Martha Stewart has a recipe for slow-cooker bacon jam that I couldn't stop thinking about. I imagined slathering it on toast, using it in place of mayonnaise on turkey sandwiches, spooning it over pancakes. And basically just eating it straight from the jar.

What's more appealing than sweet, gooey jam infused with the flavors of brown sugar, maple syrup, coffee, and bacon? I certainly can't think of anything.

This weekend I finally made it. Though the recipe sounds a little intimidating (specialty kitchen equipment! four-hour cooking time!) it's really quite simple. Most of the ingredients are things you probably have on hand: onions, garlic, cider vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, and coffee. All I had to buy was a pound and a half of bacon. Save the fancy artisanal stuff for another use—regular supermarket bacon works best here.

After reading over the recipe, I couldn't resist adapting it slightly to my own tastes. It called for 3/4 cup of brewed coffee. What would happen if I reduced the amount of coffee by half and made up the difference with bourbon? The results were deep, oaky, and complex. The bourbon really brought out the smokiness of the bacon, highlighting the rich flavor of the maple syrup.

I made one other small change. The recipe called for cooking the entire pound and a half of bacon in one large skillet. I was worried about overcrowding, so I divided the bacon between two skillets to ensure even cooking. Unless you have a gigantic skillet, I suggest you do the same.

After adding the other ingredients, I transferred the bacon mixture to a slow-cooker and cooked it on high, uncovered, for four hours. The recipe said the liquid would be "syrupy." Mine reduced and thickened slightly, but it definitely wasn't syrupy or jam-like. Though a bit worried at first, it didn't matter. Once I pulsed everything in the food processor, it had a great chunky, chutney-like consistency.

The taste of this jam is truly outrageous. Each bite contains layer upon layer of flavor, from the caramelized onions and garlic, to the sweet bourbon and maple syrup, to the smoky, salty, porky bacon. The recipe yields about three cups, which is enough for three 8-ounce jars or six 4-ounce jars. Theoretically it will keep for at least a month in the fridge, but it's so delicious I doubt it will last that long.

February 2011

Recipe Details

Bacon-Bourbon Jam Recipe

Cook 4 hrs 45 mins
Active 40 mins
Total 4 hrs 45 mins
Serves 24 servings
Makes 3 cups
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds regular, supermarket variety bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

  • 2 medium onions, diced (about 2 cups)

  • 3 medium cloves garlic, peel and coarsely chopped (about 2 teaspoons)

  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar

  • 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

  • 6 tablespoons brewed coffee

  • 6 tablespoons bourbon

Directions

  1. Divide bacon between two large skillets and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned and starting to crisp, about 20 minutes.

  2. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Discard fat from one skillet. Pour off all but one tablespoon fat from remaining skillet. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened and translucent, about five minutes. Add vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, coffee, and bourbon. Bring to a boil and cook for two minutes, stirring and scraping browned bits from bottom of skillet with wooden spoon. Add bacon and stir to combine.

    A skillet filled with cooked onions and bacon.

    Serious Eats

  3. Transfer mixture to a six-quart slow-cooker and cook on high, uncovered, until liquid has reduced and thickened slightly and bacon is a deep burnished brown, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

  4. Transfer mixture to food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Let cool, then transfer to airtight jars. Store in refrigerator for up to one month.

    An overhead view of bacon bourbon jam in a glass jar.

    Serious Eats

Special Equipment

Slow-cooker, food processor

Make Ahead and Storage

Bacon jam should keep in the refrigerator for at least a month.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
80Calories
5gFat
8gCarbs
2gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories80
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g6%
Saturated Fat 2g8%
Cholesterol 8mg3%
Sodium 80mg3%
Total Carbohydrate 8g3%
Dietary Fiber 0g1%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 1mg4%
Calcium 11mg1%
Iron 0mg1%
Potassium 66mg1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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