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Home » Recipe » Hoof & Feather » How to make bacon jam

How to make bacon jam

Published on February 27, 2017 by Elizabeth Atia 48 Comments
Last Updated on October 22, 2020

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Smoky back bacon, red onions, Canadian maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce are slow-cooked to perfection to make the most delicious, sticky, multi-purpose bacon jam recipe. Make it, you’ll be glad you did.

 

Photo of homemade bacon jam on a toasted, buttered crumpet with smashed avocado topped with a perfectly poached runny egg.

Table of Contents

  • That time I got lassoed…
  • Crumpets and candied bacon
  • What is bacon jam made of?
  • How to make this bacon jam recipe
  • What can I use bacon jam for?
  • How long does bacon jam keep in the fridge?
  • Bacon Jam Recipe

That time I got lassoed…

True story.

I was only 19 and living in Banff, Alberta, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains in Canada. My (then) boyfriend and I had just broken up. We’d just had a huge row and I’d stormed out of the house in a rage to walk it off. Not even a minute later, as I stomped down the street thundercloud crashing above my head, I found myself abruptly halted with a lasso around my ankle.

You see, the annual Calgary Stampede was on that weekend. There wasn’t enough room in the city to house the influx of cowboys and rodeo participants, so many of them were staying in nearby Banff.

I looked up from my confines to meet the gaze of a rather young and handsome cowboy with his suede cowboy hat, blue jeans and oversized belt buckle.

I glared at him, wordlessly, as I lifted my ankle to have the lasso removed.

The poor lad was so apologetic, quickly removing the rope and letting me continue on my rage-stomp down the road. If I could go back in time and apologise to him I would.

Talk about missed opportunities!

Another photo of homemade bacon jam on a toasted, buttered crumpet with smashed avocado topped with a perfectly poached runny egg. No seriously, that egg drip is to die for.

Crumpets and candied bacon

What has that got to do with crumpets, you might wonder (and rightly so!).

I love crumpets, especially toasted and eaten warm with lashings of butter and some strawberry jam.

That’s not nearly quirky enough a recipe to blog about, so I set to thinking: maple syrup and bacon would work well on a crumpet, wouldn’t it? How could I serve it – grill the bacon so that it’s gorgeously crispy and pile it up like a tower and drizzle in maple syrup?

What about candied bacon?

Candied bacon….. Mmmmm! Bacon candied made with maple syrup…

Then, as I went for my daily hill walk, inspiration struck: an easy bacon jam recipe! Bacon jam is a delicious condiment prepared by slow-cooking bacon with onions, a sweetener (brown sugar or maple syrup), vinegar and spices.

Avocado and a poached egg also go really well with bacon jam too, and so this delicious brunch idea was born.

Top down image of the ingredients needed for making bacon jam.

What is bacon jam made of?

  • 300 grams smoked back bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
  • 80 ml Canadian maple syrup
  • 3 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 80 ml water
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Step by step collage image how to make bacon jam from scratch.

How to make this bacon jam recipe

  1. Add your chopped bacon to a cold, dry pan and then heat over medium-high heat. 
  2. Fry the bacon for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until it starts to crisp up and brown.
  3. Lower the heat to medium and add the onions. Cook for a further 8-10 minutes until the onions begin to soften.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients and turn the heat down to low.
  5. Simmer for 30-45 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally, until it is thick and glossy. Add a little more water, if needed. 
  6. Cool for 10 minutes and process to a coarse blend in a food processor or blender.

What can I use bacon jam for?

  • toasted crumpet with smashed avocado and a poached egg 
  • on a baked potato with cheese (warmed up so it melts the cheese)
  • serve on a beef burger 
  • spread it on toast
  • add to it your grilled cheese sandwich
  • panini with bacon jam and cheese
  • try it as a ravioli filling
  • quesadillas with bacon jam and cheese
  • spoon it out of the jar and get it in you
  • add a spoonful to your bolognese sauce 

How long does bacon jam keep in the fridge?

  • two weeks.
Gluten Free Crumpet with Avocado, Bacon Jam and a Poached Egg

Bacon Jam Recipe

Smoky back bacon, red onions, Canadian maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce are slow-cooked to perfection to make the most delicious, sticky, multi-purpose bacon jam recipe. Make it, you’ll be glad you did.
5 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 66kcal
Author: Elizabeth
Cost: £6

Ingredients

Metric - US Cup Measures
  • 300 grams smoked back bacon
  • 1 medium red onion finely chopped
  • 80 ml Canadian maple syrup
  • 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 80 ml water
  • sea salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
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Equipment

large cooking pot
wooden spoon
high speed blender
200 ml preserving jar

Instructions 

  • Add your chopped bacon to a cold, heavy-based pan and heat over medium-high heat.
    Image of bacon beginning to fry in a pan.
  • Fry the bacon for 10-15 minutes, until it begins to crisp and brown.
  • Lower the heat to medium and add the onions. Saute gently for a further 8-10 minutes until they begin to soften.
  • Add the remaining ingredients, season well, reduce heat to low and pop the lid on.
    Image of bacon jam ingredients in pan.
  • Simmer for 35-45 minutes until the jam is thick and glossy.
    Image of bacon jam in pan.
  • Allow to cool for 10 minutes before blending to a coarse spread in a high-speed blender or food processor.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 66kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 247mg | Potassium: 123mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

Environmental Information

Tried this recipe?Mention @TangoRaindrop or tag #elizabethskitchendiary!

Pin this bacon jam recipe for later


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Filed Under: Hoof & Feather, Pork, Recipe Tagged With: bacon recipes, condiment recipes, onion recipes

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Comments

  1. Jess says

    October 22, 2020 at 1:54 pm

    5 stars
    Bacon makes everything better. This bacon jam is life-changing!

    Reply
  2. Taylor Kiser says

    October 22, 2020 at 1:37 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my word!! This looks so delicious! Definitely a must make!

    Reply
  3. Tania | Fit Foodie Nutter says

    October 22, 2020 at 1:05 pm

    5 stars
    Such a great idea! Although I don’t eat myself, I know my meat loving guests will love it for brunch!

    Reply
  4. Dannii says

    October 22, 2020 at 12:50 pm

    5 stars
    Oh I am definitely making this for my breakfast at the weekend.

    Reply
  5. Gina says

    October 22, 2020 at 12:41 pm

    5 stars
    This is the ultimate breakfast sandwich topping, we love making it and giving as gifts too!

    Reply
  6. Margaret Gallagher says

    March 22, 2018 at 8:18 pm

    What a delight – weekend treat for all our family

    Reply
  7. Katie says

    January 21, 2018 at 11:33 am

    This looks so good! I’m going to try it with a giant crumpet for dinner one night this week. I bet it would make a nice brunch as well. Your egg is just perfection!

    Reply
  8. Leigh-Ann says

    March 25, 2017 at 3:28 am

    I am going to have to go to the shops now! This look delish!

    Reply
  9. Vicky Cristina says

    March 15, 2017 at 4:01 am

    that’s a whole meal there. so delicious. thanks you for teaching us and sharing this lovely recipe

    Reply
  10. Jennifer says

    March 8, 2017 at 9:00 am

    Wow, the dish looks so beautiful and delicious, I will make it at this weekend. My husband will love it very much! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  11. Steve | Big Stevie Cool Food Blog says

    March 7, 2017 at 8:59 pm

    This looks incredible! I have all of these ingredients at hand so will be trying this for brunch at the weekend. I’ve had a jar of bacon jam in the fridge for a couple of weeks but didn’t know what to use it for!

    Reply
  12. Davena Ma says

    March 7, 2017 at 3:11 am

    So excited to try this! I’ve been waiting for the Bacon Jam recipe! Thank you!
    We live about three hours north-east of Banff AB. Avocados have become quite popular in Canada, but they can be rather expensive here. Almost $2 a piece at times! Which makes me wonder how expensive they must be in Shetland !?

    Reply
  13. Sarah James @ Tales From The Kitchen Shed says

    March 6, 2017 at 6:17 pm

    Oh wow, what an ingenious idea, you really have took a crumpet topping to a whole new level. I love crumpets and I just have to try this!

    Reply
  14. Krystal // The Krystal Diaries says

    March 6, 2017 at 6:03 pm

    You totally had me at avocado. This looks so good! I love poached eggs too.

    Reply
  15. Manju | Cooking Curries says

    March 6, 2017 at 10:54 am

    Love that you made the bacon jam also. It all looks so very delicious!

    Reply
  16. Nisha Syam says

    March 5, 2017 at 11:04 am

    Yummy.. This looks so delicious. It looks super easy to prepare also. Even looks very beautiful.

    http://www.learn2livefully.com

    Reply
  17. Thomas says

    March 5, 2017 at 9:40 am

    Wow! Look so delicious, especially when I am so hungry as now. I think I can do this easy recipe without the help of my wife.Thank for your sharing!!!!!

    Reply
  18. Chasa Fulkerson says

    March 5, 2017 at 12:26 am

    Hmm being lassoed by a cowboy sounds found and the crumpet looks good. The whole meal does, but I couldn’t eat sweet with savory. I am sure my husband would like to try the jam though.

    Reply
  19. Karyl | Karyl's Kulinary Krusade says

    March 4, 2017 at 7:21 pm

    I love watching the old British comedies on PBS so I’ve heard of crumpets, but never seen a recipe using them! At first glance I thought it was an English Muffin. I absolutely love avocado and bacon, so this looks like a wonderful breakfast or snack.

    Reply
  20. neha says

    March 4, 2017 at 4:49 pm

    That seems like one yummy recipe. It’s going to be tried in my breakfast tomorrow. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

    Reply
  21. Gillian Thompson says

    March 4, 2017 at 2:44 pm

    I’ve always loved crumpet. We don’t get them much in HK. If we could I’d be making this recipe. Love your lasso story, I can imagine that for a while you looked back and kicked yourself for being clouded by your temper – ha ha!

    Reply
  22. Marie-Pierre Breton says

    March 4, 2017 at 12:36 pm

    Bacon jam!!! what?!?! I need that asap! This looks like it could become quite easily my new favorite breakfast/brunch dish! Lovely recipe!

    Reply
  23. Stephanie Jeannot says

    March 4, 2017 at 7:47 am

    Boy does that look like a tasty food to eat. Maybe you can call it the foodie melt.

    Reply
  24. Amy says

    March 4, 2017 at 6:37 am

    I love your story – so funny! These crumpet sandwiches sound delicious! I have never tried bacon jam but it sounds excellent!

    Reply
  25. Fred says

    March 4, 2017 at 1:28 am

    This is totally new to me but it looks and sounds yummy. The only problem is there are no crumpets in Sand Diego. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  26. Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy says

    March 3, 2017 at 9:40 pm

    Ok so this is my kind of breakfast. Ah yes the Calgary Stampede….I remember those days. We always went west every summer. My mom was from Saskatchewan and dad was from Manitoba. As for crumpets….well my husband’s grandparents were from England. He LOVES crumpets with condensed milk!! I love them with peanut butter…but this great looking sandwich is a “must try” for sure.

    Reply
  27. Nicole says

    March 3, 2017 at 8:05 pm

    I love crumpets toasted, with tons of butter and a dollop of jam, but this is much healthier. Sounds delicious, thanks for this.

    Reply
  28. Aish Das-Padihari says

    March 3, 2017 at 7:44 pm

    Honestly, these pics are making me hungry. And that perfectly done egg!! Heavenly.

    Reply
  29. Alicia Taylor says

    March 3, 2017 at 6:12 pm

    I absolutely love the story about how you came up with the name! Ha! Love it.

    Reply
  30. Becky Excell says

    March 3, 2017 at 10:57 am

    These crumpets are amazing aren’t they?! Thanks for sharing, I love a good crumpet topping!

    Reply
  31. Maria Han says

    March 2, 2017 at 11:25 pm

    This is the first time that I heard about this recipe and it really sounds good to me, I bet my hubby would love this too

    Reply
    • Elizabeth says

      March 3, 2017 at 5:07 am

      That’s because there’s nothing out there like it. I invented it! 😉 My husband thoroughly enjoyed his when I served it to him. 🙂

      Reply
  32. Basim says

    March 1, 2017 at 10:56 am

    this looks so delicious. i just wanna eat it from the picture lol

    Reply
  33. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says

    March 1, 2017 at 9:38 am

    I would give anything to have just one bite of this.

    Reply
  34. Elizabeth O. says

    March 1, 2017 at 5:31 am

    Bacon and avocado has always been a good combination! This sounds amazing! I love that you can have this filling recipe for breakfast and still have enough time to get ready for the day ahead. I’m sure the kids will love it.

    Reply
  35. Anna nuttall says

    February 28, 2017 at 8:02 pm

    Yum this look amazing! Such a great idea with Crumpet. I never thought of that. xx

    Reply
  36. Glenda says

    February 28, 2017 at 6:44 pm

    My son and husband would love the crumpet avocado, bacon and egg sandwich. I think I am going to try it this weekend for them. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
  37. Cameron says

    February 28, 2017 at 6:36 pm

    These look so good! We don’t really have crumpets here in the US, but put it on a southern biscuit (which aren’t like your biscuits haha) and we’re good to go!

    | diaryofasouthernmillennial.com

    Reply
  38. Catvills says

    February 28, 2017 at 5:13 pm

    that poached egg looks very perfect to this meal! i like it

    Reply
  39. dana vento says

    February 28, 2017 at 2:44 pm

    that looks so delicious and easy to prepare! thats very interesting!

    Reply
  40. Angel says

    February 28, 2017 at 3:30 am

    This looks so good! And easy enough for a cooking-newb like me to make too~ Now if only it comes with a cowboy…

    Reply
  41. Author Brandi Kennedy says

    February 28, 2017 at 12:43 am

    Good lord – bacon jam on a grilled cheese! Yes please! Or on a cheeseburger – yum!

    Reply
  42. Ang. says

    February 28, 2017 at 12:31 am

    This looks SO good. But the name is cracking me up! So clever. I Love it!

    Reply
  43. Agentizerozerosetter says

    February 27, 2017 at 9:49 pm

    This recipe is so funny ,colourful ,cool and yummy!Love the name,it’s perfect!

    Reply
  44. Kate | Veggie Desserts says

    February 27, 2017 at 6:18 pm

    What a great story! Accidentally lassoo’d – ha, ha ha. I love the thought of this hipster crumpet. I love Warburton’s crumpets and you’ve turned this gluten-free one super-glam. Lovely brunch idea.

    Reply
  45. Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

    February 27, 2017 at 6:17 pm

    Ooooh you can’t beat a good crumpet, gluten-free or not. I usually just have them with far too much butter (love the way it melts into the holes!), but this looks far more exciting! Can’t wait til I can eat runny eggs again!

    Reply
  46. Sus // roughmeasures.com says

    February 27, 2017 at 3:51 pm

    I love the name of this recipe! I always forget about crumpets, but this recipe has me running to the shop to grab some!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Quick Poached Egg & Garlic Spinach Bagel says:
    March 29, 2019 at 12:47 am

    […] “The Hipster Cowboy” Crumpet with Avocado, Bacon Jam & a Poached Egg […]

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About Elizabeth

Daydream adventurer. Expat Canadian. Foodie. Calls Shetland home - for now. One eye is always on the horizon. Read More…

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