Cravings of a Lunatic

I Crave It, I Make It, I Eat It!

Bourbon Bacon Jam

by 108 Comments

This recipe is really easy to make and will have you slathering this Bourbon Bacon Jam on everything in sight.

Bourbon Bacon Jam | This recipe is really easy to make and will have you slathering this Bourbon Bacon Jam on everything in sight.

Yes….I made Bacon Jam.

Yes…I added Bourbon.

No…I don’t feel one bit guilty about any of that.

Make this.

Now.

Slather it on everything in sight.

I guarantee your eyes will roll back in your head.

And that’s a good thing.

Trust me on this one.

Orgasmic jam. Life is good.

Bourbon Bacon Jam | This recipe is really easy to make and will have you slathering this Bourbon Bacon Jam on everything in sight.

My regular readers know I don’t do very well with alcohol and use it sparingly when cooking. But this recipe had to have some alcohol in it. It just had to.

So I added some. I figure why not live a little. Crossing fingers my IBS doesn’t punish me for this decision. In this case it might be worth it though.

I mean it’s bacon jam….with bourbon. So I have to stick close to home for a day or so. Big whoop!

I’ll rent a movie, eat more bacon jam, and live with the consequences. It’s Bacon Jam, so it’s totally worth it.

Plus it’s a good excuse to hop on Netflix and stay in my jammies all the live long day! I never pass up a chance to spend a day in jammies.

I should really find some jammies with bacon pictures on them. Now that would be epic. And awesome. One could say it would be porktastic.

Now run along. Make this Bourbon Bacon Jam. Slather, make, repeat. I mean it IS orgasmic jam after all.

Bourbon Bacon Jam | This recipe is really easy to make and will have you slathering this Bourbon Bacon Jam on everything in sight.

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Bourbon Bacon Jam

This recipe is really easy to make and will have you slathering this Bourbon Bacon Jam on everything in sight.

  • 1 and 1/2 pounds of bacon
  • 2 cups of shallots (finely chopped)
  • 1 cup vidalia onion (or any sweet onion, finely chopped)
  • 4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 cup bourbon
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  1. Cook the bacon in two frying pans to allow for room for it to crisp up properly. Cook over medium heat until it browns perfectly. You want the bacon a little crisper with as little visible fat as possible. Transfer to paper towels to drain excess fat off.
  2. Pulse your shallots and onions in the food processor or cut them by hand.
  3. Leave about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the fat in one of the pan. Add shallot and onion to the pan, cook over medium heat until they start to caramelize. Add the garlic and cook for about one more minute.
  4. Add the chili powder and smoked paprika, stir to combine.
  5. Increase heat to high and add the bourbon (carefully) and maple syrup. Bring to a boil, stir and scrape the pan so all the little bacon bits comes loose Continue boiling for about 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Add vinegar and brown sugar, continue to boil for about 3 minutes.
  7. Using a sharp knife cut the bacon into small pieces. You can also tear it by hand so it looks more rustic, not too perfect. Personal choice.
  8. Toss the bacon into the pan, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, the mixture will thicken and look jam like in the process.
  9. Turn off the stove top. Drain any excess fat off the bacon jam by pouring it through a sieve or use cheesecloth to drain it through.
  10. Now you have two options, you can pop the mixture into a food processor and pulse until it breaks down more. Or you can leave it chunkier (I like the more rustic, chunkier look) and don’t bother pulsing it. Your choice.
  11. Transfer to jars and store in the fridge.
  12. You can heat it up in the microwave whenever you want to top something with the jam. I used it over smoked sausages cooked on the grill. Divine.
  13. Serve with a big old bacon loving smile!
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Bacon Jam

Bourbon Bacon Jam | This recipe is really easy to make and will have you slathering this Bourbon Bacon Jam on everything in sight.

Okay who wants some? Any takers?

Bourbon Bacon Jam | This recipe is really easy to make and will have you slathering this Bourbon Bacon Jam on everything in sight.

I hope you make this. Right now. You deserve a treat today. This Bourbon Bacon Jam is just what you need.

Stay tuned for lots of great bacon recipes this month. Bacon Month rules the world.

Other Awesome Bacon Recipes: 

Jalapeno Bacon Poppers | Cravings of a Lunatic | Jalapeno Poppers wrapped in bacon with a little extra kick of adobo and smoked paprika.

Jalapeño Bacon Poppers

Smoked Bacon Mac and Cheese by Cravings of a Lunatic

Smoked Bacon Mac and Cheese

Candied Tomato and Candied Bacon Pizza | Cravings of a Lunatic | Fabulous recipe full of flavour!

Candied Tomato and Candied Bacon Pizza

Toodles and smoochies! xx

 

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Comments

  2. Darn it kim! I’m trying to lose weight here but of course I just put everything I need for this jam on my grocery list. It looks amazing!

    Reply

    • Thank John, I was sort of surprised I loved it so much. I tend to shake my head at most trends. But this one is freaking worth it.

      Reply

  7. In a perfect world, I’d be lounging on a beach, the wind gently caressing my skin, with someone, anyone, feeding this to me by the spoonful. I’d then wash it down with swigs of bourbon. Like a classy lady. Kim, this is the bee’s knees. And your photos are gorgeous!

    Reply

  8. I was just talking with someone today about making candied bacon with bacon jam. Bacon jam bacon! I think this bourbon jam will be perfect for that.

    Reply

  10. Did Martha say if we could can these 8oz. jars. I know years ago, we just turned jams and jellies upside down. But I think that is a way of the past. I would like to send some out of state.

    Reply

    • I would not think of this as a canning recipe at all, it’s more of a eat now, or keep in the fridge recipe. Since it has meat I’d hesitate to recommend sending it. It would need to be properly preserved. I’ll see if any blogging friends have bacon jam that’s safe for transport for you though.

      Reply

      • Did you ever find out if these can be processed and become shelf stable?

        I’d love to give this as gifts and be able to make it in advance.

        Please let me know!

        Reply

        • Hi Jen. I am not familiar with canning at all. So I can’t give any advice on it for safety reasons. I know people can meat but it’s not my area of expertise so I’m not comfortable giving advice about it. I’ve refrigerated it, and also popped some in the freezer, both work well. I wish I could help but unfortunately I’m not someone who cans. The recipe is intended for using fresh. So sorry I can’t help. Maybe a canning forum would be of some help. xx

          Reply

          • Hi Jill. No, I’m not a canning expert in any way, shape or form so I hesitate to offer advice on it. I do freeze it often.

            I’ll send a note to my sis. She may have some thoughts on canning. She cans all kinds of things so maybe she can offer some advice.

  11. I made this! I made this! (well, with some help 🙂 – and O M G! Forget putting it on anything. Use a spoon! Since I don’t drink I didn’t know about the bourbon, no problems with the bacon though, so I only made half the recipe. I wish I had tripled the recipe. I will, next time. PLUS, it’s so good, I bought a dozen half pint jars to make for Christmas gifts. I wonder what the liquor store will think when I load up on bourbon? 🙂 Thank you Kim. I absolutely love it.

    Reply

  14. This is calling my name! I picked up some smoked bacon not too long ago and I *just* bought some bourbon the other day…. so this is perfect! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

    • Hey Karen. I just sent you an email. I have never canned before so I do not even know how to advise on this one. I know there’s food safety issues so I would not want to steer you in the wrong direction. It does contain real bacon so not sure how that affects pressure canning safety. I personally would shy away from doing it. This will keep for a decent amount of time in the fridge plus it’s just amazing fresh. Not sure that helps you at all. I wish I knew more about canning but it’s an area I have never felt comfortable delving into.

      Reply

  22. I just made this tonight and it’s AH-mazing! Mine came out a little extra thick / candied, I think with the next batch I’ll try a little less sugar (I measured the brown sugar packed, but loose might have been better/correct?), and maybe a little more bourbon!

    Reply

  24. I saw in the earlier comments that you were going to ask your canning friends if this was safe to can or if the had any similar recipes for canning. I was just hoping you could share these with me. I would love to give these as Christmas gifts but I am hesitant to give anything that needs to be put in the fridge as they live out of town. Thanks 🙂

    Reply

    • No one seems to think it’s a good idea. So my advice is no. Unless you’re a canning wizard and know some way to make it safe. I’m not so I’m just not comfortable advising folks on it. I can only recommend making it as is. So sorry, but I would hate anyone to get sick because of something on my site. I made it this way, so I can only recommend this way unfortunately. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. xx

      Reply

    • I haven’t tried it personally but I see absolutely no reason why you couldn’t. I freeze everything in sight. It’s a great way to store extra food.

      Reply

      • fantastic! I figured you probably could, i thought i’d be safe and see if you or anyone else had tried it though. thanks!!

        Reply

  28. About how many shallots does it take to make 2 cups? I am thinking this is a bit pricey to make often, might just be something to indulge in occasionally.

    Reply

    • It completely depends on the size of the shallots, I buy them in bulk so I always have tons on hand. You can buy a monster size bag at Costco for $5. You can use less for this if you on’t want to use that many, or mix it up, use half shallots + half onion. It’s a recipe that can be adapted to your own tastes. But I hate saying how many shallots because they range in size from teeny tiny little ones that barely would give you 2 tablespoons worth, up to large ones that can give you 3/4 cup in one shot. So for the purpose of this recipe it’s better for me to recommend in cups. You can half the amount and it will not affect the outcome greatly, it’ll just have less bite. Hope that helps. xx

      Reply

  29. Ok, So today I found this recipe, and decided to make it, as a topping to goat cheese, on top of toasted baguette slices.

    The only changes I made was, I couldn’t find my Chili powder, so I used about 1 Tbs of a Chipotle pepper in adobo, and I used Blood Orange Balsamic Vinegar, which I had on hand. I cant wait to make this again and try other things, like possibly sun dried tomatoes as an addition…

    So glad I found this recipe, and your site, cant wait to see what the future has in store.
    Happy New Year !!

    Reply

  30. I used Southern Comfort for the bourbon. I wouldn’t suggest it. It just didn’t taste right. Maybe some lemon zest would have fixed it but I didn’t have any lemons. If I tried it again I would try something that didn’t have as bold of flavor as SoCo.

    Reply

    • Good feedback John, thanks for stopping by to let us know. Maybe a more mild bourbon would be better. It should compliment the jam not overpower it. Bummer it didn’t work out for you though. I never like hearing anyone has any issues with recipes. I’m a wuss so I always use the most mild but good quality stuff. Let me know if you try it again.

      Reply

  31. I made this last night and it turned out amazing. I just used fake maple syrup and Evan Williams bourbon, because I always have both on hand. The only thing I might change is maybe a little less sugar and a little more chili powder.

    Reply

    • Yeah, so happy you liked it. I have to admit I’m a total sugar nut so I usually go heavy handed with it. I always have to remind myself not everyone is a total sugar fanatic.

      Reply

    • I’ll talk to my ad reps to get them to tone it down. I’m not a fan of them myself. Are they showing in sidebar for you or inside the post? I’m always open to feedback on the site. While I need to make money, my first priority is the user enjoying the site.

      Reply

  37. This looks wonderful and I’ll make it this week. How much jam does this recipe yield? I want to make some as gifts. Thanks!

    Reply

    • I froze some of the last batch I made. I just put them in small mason jars, the spice size. That way I can pull a week’s worth out at a time.

      Reply

  39. OMG! Absolutely delicious. I made this Jam for a bourbon themed cook – off at a friends house; Smeared atop a flaky puff pastry filled with my bourbon bbq pulled pork, it was incredible! The bowl of this jam was just about licked clean. Now, as a bacon lover, I say the more the merrier, however I used 1 16oz pack of bacon and it was plenty. This recipe has definitely earned a spot in my recipe book, a must try!

    Reply

  42. I Wanna know if this can be canned in a water bath or steam pressure canner so it can be made in big batches and kept on a pantry shel till you open a jar for the fridge ????

    Reply

    • Hi Jim. I know absolutely nothing about canning so I really would not feel comfortable advising people on it. The recipe is meant for storing in the fridge. I know food safety issues come into play with canning. So I’d hate for anyone to get sick. Not sure canning affects meat, I know some people do it but unfortunately I’m not one of them. I know that isn’t much help. I wish I knew more about canning.

      Reply

  44. Delicious. Everyone was asking for the recipe, so I shared the link. I served over cream cheese as a type of dip/appetizer, but some wanted to try it in burgers, others with a roast pork loin. It was a hit! I’ll definitely make it again, and next time I may pulse one of the jalapenos I roast in with the rest, cuz I like it hot!

    Reply

    • I’m so glad everyone liked it Randee. Honestly, I still get nervous every time I post a recipe. Taste is so subjective so I always worry people won’t like things. So I’m always happy to get positive feedback. I love this jam too and can attest to it being amazing on burgers. Among other things. Really good on sandwiches. Let me know how the jalapenos work. I’ve tried with some other peppers but not jalapeno yet. But I’m trying the jam inside of jalapeno poppers for New Years. I have a feeling it will work great.

      Reply

  45. I’d like to add tomatoes to the recipe. Canned, fresh or sun dried? Any adjustments you’d make? I need to make about eight cups for Christmas presents!

    Reply

    • Hi Wes. Sorry this is so late, I took a few days off work for family stuff. I think tomatoes would be lovely in this. I’d likely use sun-dried just so they would hold up better. If you use canned it might break down too much. I also think some hot peppers would be amazing in this. I’ve tried fire roasted red peppers in it. Very good. You could also amp up spices, add some kick with a blast of cayenne, or toss a bunch of red pepper flakes in it. You could add just about anything to this. It’s super versatile.

      Reply

  46. I ended up slow roasting 20 Roma tomatoes and took the skins off before pulsing them in the food processor. Also added a tablespoon of habanero sauce for some heat. Tripled the recipe and left out the sugar as it was just the right level of sweet/hot/salty from the bacon. Friends are getting a tasty Christmas present!

    Reply

    • Wes, that sounds absolutely amazing. I’m going to try your version in January. It sounds seriously scrumptious. Hope your friends loved their gifts. I know I would go crazy if I got bacon jam as a gift. I wish more people gave homemade gifts during the holidays.

      Reply

  47. Try making this in the traditional baked brie in dough. Don’t use another jam for this, ever. Brie with this bacon jam is AMAZING!

    Reply

  48. Tried it… loved it! only problem: a single batch is no where near enough to satisfy! hmm… wonder how many bottles of bourbon would I need to octuple the recipe… 🙂

    My experience with the single batch is it actually barely made 2 and 1/4 cups in the end result. Probably a result of the altitude, I’m currently in Boulder, CO (~5,640 ft elev.). The consistency when heated is perfect, but cold from the fridge or even room temp. is about the equivalent of a really thick caramel. Any thoughts for high altitude? There’s a great bacon dip from Gordon Biersch that uses bacon jam and alfredo sauce I want to try with this but it’s served at room temp.

    Reply

    • I’m so glad you liked it Ryan. We love it too.

      I’ve not cooked at high altitude much. We live in Ontario and it’s flat as a pancake. I know when I visited my son in Alberta I didn’t handle the altitude very well. I got very dehydrated and sick, actually landed in the hospital on our way home. It was horrible.

      Usually when we use this on recipes I warm it up in the microwave. It gets too thick in the fridge. Plus I just like it hot. Especially on burgers.

      Wish I could help with high altitude cooking. The little I know is it takes longer to cook things so you have to adjust the cooking time a bit. My sister and a friend live in B.C. I know my friend uses this resource to help:
      http://www.bettycrocker.com/how-to/tipslibrary/baking-tips/baking-cooking-high-altitudes

      I cooked at my sister’s when I was there and I know the night I made pasta it took quite a bit longer. And the texture was a bit different, probably from not adjusting the ingredients a bit. I hear bread is trickier to make in high altitude. I never tried that while I was there.

      Reply

  49. This seriously looks delicious and what a fantastic recipe! My husband would LOVE this and I think I might need to whip up a batch to give him with his ornament

    Reply

  50. The sugar and bourbon will preserve this for awhile in the fridge. But, it will probably be gone in a few days.
    I think rye whiskey, Bushmills, or Courvoisier will work just fine.
    Lovely recipe! : )

    Reply

  53. I made this… It was fantastic. Perfect on a slice of baguette or a cracker as an appetizer and probably good as a red meat glaze or even a base for barbecue. Additional recipe options to conbsider: 1 tsp dry mustard, 1/2 cup strong coffee, tbsp Worcestershire sauce.j

    Reply

    • Hi Jeff. I’m so happy you liked it. I love that you mixed it up and added some fun ingredients. I’ll have to try that combo next time I make some. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it.

      Reply

  54. Hello! I. Love. This. Post! The recipe sounds amazing and I’m going to attempt it for a Father’s Day gift for my dad and bro. What you wrote made me laugh and is totally relatable, I too will eat something yummy even though I know it’ll give me the tum rumbs. About the bacon pajamas…I have some! I found them at Target a year and a half ago, you may not be able to get them anymore. There’s a link on ebay tho. I absolutely love them!!

    https://www.ebay.com/p/xhilaration-womens-coral-breakfast-waffles-pancakes-thermal-pajamas-sleep-set-m/1370143597?_trksid=p2047675.l2644

    Reply

  56. can this recipe be pressure canned or water bath canned for longer term storage, I’m thinking this would be an interesting/unexpected girt idea but would need a way to store longer….

    Reply

    • Hi Georgia. I have no experience with pressure canning so I’d hate to give advice on something I’m not an expert on. I freeze extra batches in mason jars. That way I always have some on hand. I tried canning once but I’m so paranoid I’ll do it wrong.

      Reply

  57. Oh my…. bacon is cooking now. Serving this as a side to top an Apricot mustard glazed pork loin. Thank you for the great recipe!

    Reply

  58. How long does this usually last in the fridge? Not that I won’t eat it all in one sitting…but just in case. Hehe

    Reply

    • Sorry Nicole, I just saw this. It’s good for a week, no more than two. I highly recommend freezing batches of it. I pop small mason jars of it in my freeze then just defrost and microwave when you want some for sandwiches and whatnot.

      Reply

  59. Fantastic on panini with green apples and ham! I’m just curious about freezer storage, I want to make a bunch and t once and have it stocked. It’s just so good!

    Reply

  60. I know I’m really late to this party, but I wanted to hop on and just add my appreciation of this recipe. It’s fantastic. We found it to be a great complement to a mild cheese like havarti. I used 1 cup of shallots and 2 of sweet onions, I added just 2 Tbsps. of brown sugar rather than the 8, and we found it to be sweet enough like that. One quick tip is to cut your bacon before frying it. It still crisps up nicely and it takes no effort at all to crush it a bit further for use in this jam.. Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

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