Boozy.Bacon.Jam. Yep, that’s right….Boozy.Bacon.Jam. Don’t those words together just get you all excited?! My first experience (or non-experience) with it was last fall when I was visiting my best friend in Seattle. I had heard of this food truck that sold this magical spread called *Bacon Jam* and I knew that while on my visit it was going to be totally necessary to hunt this truck down and buy boxes upon boxes of this stuff. I was curious, excited and intrigued and couldn’t wait to get my hands on some. Sadly, when I got there we found out that the truck was indisposed for the weekend at multiple private events. Boo. Luckily there was a specialty market downtown that carried it, so we made our way to the market. When we got there we asked an employee to direct us to the bacon jam. We went to the refrigerator and started loading up…… until I noticed the expiration date on all of the jars. The jams had been expired for 3 months. Gross. Really gross. We told the store, they threw away their stock and we left super bummed. Now almost a year later, I still hadn’t tried bacon jam and I finally decided to just make my own. You can serve this warm or chilled, both are really good! Plus, this recipe might look intimidating because of the number of ingredients, but it’s really super simple! I promise. You can use it as sandwich spread, in quesadillas, stirred into soups, or my personal favorite……holding an open jar, in front on an open fridge, eating it by the spoonful (no judgments, please). Enjoy!
Boozy Bacon Jam
Makes 2 cups
Ingredients:
1 lb applewood smoked bacon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
½ teaspoon ground mustard
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ cup sweet bourbon or brandy
2/3 cup strong brewed coffee
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 ½ tablespoons Sriracha
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Render bacon on medium-high for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Drain all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat from the pot, add butter and melt.
3. Add onion, brown sugar and a pinch of salt and cook for 10 to15 minutes.
4. Add shallot, garlic and spices and sauté for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Season with pepper.
5. Return the bacon to the pot and stir until well combined.
6. Pour the bourbon/brandy into the bacon mixture and cook the liquid down for about 3 to 4 minutes.
7. Add the remaining ingredients, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.
8. Remove the mixture from the heat and allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
9. Skim off any fat/grease that has formed at the top and discard.
10. Pour the mixture into a food processor and process until desired consistency is achieved.
11. Serve warm or store in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready to use.
OK, ok… I think I have to try that one. Like now. You girls are the best bacon-lovers I’ve ever… read! ;)
That sounds beautiful!!
I have heard of this legendary truck, but alas haven’t been to Seattle. I’ve been meaning to make some myself. Thanks for recipe. I’m excited to try this out on everyone I know.
HOT DAMN! This is crazy. I need some of this in my life, for real. The last picture is pretty pretty!
drooling right now. Looks like I have a plan for some productivity on Labor Day!
Good heavens, I could boozy bacon jam my face all up on that!
these are a few of my faaaavorite things….
when I heard booze and bacon, I knew you two made a lot of guys very happy :)
I always want to make jam, but after all the specialty jams clogging my fridge, I know that I shouldn’t. I’m just not a jam girl. HOWEVER, i will be making this and eating on everything! I much prefer a savory jam to a sweet one! Great idea!
Beautiful Blog! I was smitten with bacon jam a while ago and don’t think I did it quite right. It was still tasty but this recipe is making me feel like I need to have another go.
Thank you!
I’m the best friend from Seattle!!! Can’t wait to try the jam, ladies, I know it’s better than that mystery truck’s anyway!
Yes you are! Tristi, I’m desperately trying to get a jar up to you. Very hard to find the Styrofoam boxes :( Maybe a weekend project for You, Blair Kaya, and yea sure…even Bea :) xx
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I have to say, YES, those words do get me excited!! This is music to this bacon-lover’s ears! You have done the world a great service by sharing your recipe :)
I LIVE in Seattle and somehow have never heard of this truck. I have obviously failed as a bacon-lover. This lack of bacony goodness in my life needs to be recitified immediately…but maybe I’ll just make my own anyway! :)
What truck? Where?
Maybe I will have to make it myself, also.
But I’d prefer a trial.
Thanks for the great recipe. ;o)
Sweet. Savory. Sour. Luscious. This is a keeper. I am so glad I found you. GREG
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question – what type of roast/coffee do you suggest? i will be preparing said jam, (christmas presents) and want to make this “drop to your knees awesome”
Hi Liz! I usually use a medium roast…strong enough to come through in the final product, but not strong enough to overpower the other flavors. Yay, for bacon jam x-mas gifts! I’m doing that too! :)
YES! Thank you Jenny!
is this recipe okay for canning???
Unfortunately I would NOT attempt canning this recipe. The thickness of the mixture may prevent it from reaching the appropriate internal temperature which is something I personally wouldn’t risk (maybe pressure canning would work, but I would look into this more if you’re considering it…I don’t know too much about the specifics of pressure canning)
Freezing the jars is my recommendation for preserving, in this case.
I have been looking at Bacon Jam recipes on other sites, and this one seems to be the best so far. I have also been researching regarding canning this. From everything I can find, pressure canning for 75 min at 10psi should work. I’m going to give it a try and will let you know how it turns out.
How long will the Boozy Bacon Jam last?
About 3 to 4 weeks refrigerated and about 3 months in the freezer.
Do you *HAVE* to include the coffee in this recipe for it to taste good? I never drink coffee, thus I don’t have access to brewed coffee when I make food.
Hi Angy! Nope, you don’t! While the coffee does add a nice depth of flavor you can just replace the same amount of coffee for water. Hope this was helpful, good luck!
I don’t drink coffee either. So I have substituted a Merlot wine for the coffee and it is spectacular. It pairs nicely with the other ingredients and when it reduces down the natural sugars in the dish come alive! It is really good.
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My husband and I are also making this for Christmas gifts, and I’m curious about the tarragon vinegar. I’ve never heard of it until now; is it something you can buy at a store or do we need to make it ourselves? If so, how? Thanks!!
Hi Emily! I’m so excited you guys are making this for people! Yes, you can find tarragon vinegar at the grocery store…but it is hit or miss. You can also make your own by adding a few sprigs to some white wine vinegar and allowing it to infuse for a bit (the amount of time depends on your desired flavors). Also, you can easily swap the tarragon vinegar for white wine vinegar all together in the recipe. Enjoy! xx
i’ve done it! ohmagah. just..thank you.
Haha, you’re so very welcome! So glad you like it :)
Do you think it’s safe to can and store in mason jars like normal jam?
Hi Allison! I’m no canning expert, but I think the bacon jam is too thick to properly can. I read somewhere that really dense “jarred” foods shouldn’t be put through the canning process because the heat may not reach the center of the jar and kill off all the bacteria.
Again, this is just my opinion..a canning novice, but perhaps there are more thorough answers online somewhere? Wish you the best of luck!
Sounds pretty good! We made a special batch of boozy baconmarmalade for our family this year. They ate it with a spoon!
That sounds very interesting and I think I have to try this one. I don’t have any idea if there’s really a so-called “bacon jam”. I think I could prepare this alone at home. Being a bacon lover, I believe that this processed meat could not just be prepared during breakfast but considered in general as a new class of food. Lots of excellent recipes posted. Thanks!
I was definitely intrigued by this and couldn’t resist a new way to use bacon! I had to add quite a bit more salt than I would expect to make the flavor pop, also added extra brown sugar to balance it out- maybe my ginger was too potent? Served it with chicken and my family adored it!! Thanks so much for the great recipe!
You had me at bacon.
I just have a quick question. On your response to the amount of time it can be frozen there is no number.
Could you clear that up for me?
Thank you,
Lori B.
I saw somewhere above in a reply that she said 3 months in the freezer :)
This recipe is so yummy sounding!
I live in Seattle and the truck/ trailer mentioned about now has a companion brick & mortar location. It might not be “kosher” to add their website here so I won’t but you can google it and find out how o get it ready made. It’s really good too and you will fall over eating it.
This may well be the best thing that ever happened to me.
This is a great recipe!! Love it!! Will be making a double batch next time. I used southern comfort and white wine vinegar and followed the recipe to an exact and it is perfect!! Thank You!!
Just had bacon jam for the first time at a wine bar in San Clemente! They served it with goat cheese, arugula, and crostini. We loved it so much we asked if they would give us the recipe. Turns out the purchase it from Skillet Street Food out of Seattle! Can’t wait to try your recipe, thank you!
I am making this recipe for the second time tomorrow. It is DELICIOUS!!! My guests rave about it. It’s a keeper!
Ok, I know I’m super late to the party on this one, but I just had to say:
I made this just as you have it pictured here (with arugula & cherry tomatoes on crostini) for a party last night, and it was DELICIOUS. I somehow had a bit left over, so I smeared it all over and under the skin of some chicken thighs and roasted them on a bed of veggies… OMG. This was some of the best chicken ever!!!
Miracle workers, you two are.
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I had a bacon jam at the Goose Island Brewery in Chicago and have been dreaming about it ever since. I can’t wait to make this!!! I just picked up some applewood bacon yesterday too!!!
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Everything is better with bacon. I think if you sprinkle bacon bits on a strip of bacon, you go back in time. Hopefully you go back to another time when you were eating bacon!
Oh, what a lucky girl I am to have found your blog in the vast forest of websites! It’ like now I know what life was missing. I cannot tell you anything that hasn’t been repeated over and over again however some things bear repeating. The site and the recipes are sublime. You have a gift. Everything about the blog is truly art. I can only hope with your creativity and asthetic talents that a cook book simply bursting at the seems with your unique and inspired recipes and positivly decedant food styling and photography is pending. I’m waiting. By the way I have never commented anywhere on the internet before.
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wow!!!! I made this last weekend. Unbelievable! I was intimidated by the amount of ingredients, but forged on. I had to make just a few adjustments, due to time and lack of specific ingredients, but I stuck pretty close to the recipe as written. I didn’t have ancho chile powder, so I substituted chipotle. This WAS actually a big change, because it gave the jam a super kick, which is ok, if you can handle it. Not killer, but it’s there. I might not use as much next time. Also, I didn’t have brandy, so I used cognac. Overall, it is really delicious, and eating it right out of the jar seems perfectly natural. Thank you so much.
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This is absolutely amazing! I’m thinking of ordering a pallet of bacon so I can make it for everyone I’ve ever known or even just met. Acute deprivation is never having tasted this manna from heaven!! Thanks for such a great treat. And I’m sure all my friends and relatives will thank you come Christmas!!
This past weekend I had a “bacon celebration” party and added the bacon jam as part of the appy rounds.. served with crackers and brie…
people LOVED it… everyone was asking for the recipe and even fb friends wanted to know it after they saw the pics.. thanks for the recipe.. it was bacon nomz!!
I ended up making an “americano” with my espresso machine for the coffee, and used the white vinegar since i didnt find the terragon, i also only used 1 tbsp of siracha.. and it still had a bit of a kick but was a great result! :)
YAY!
Yes, this can be canned but NOT with boiling water bath (BWB) as you would for fruit jams and other high-acid foods.
This has meat in it which is a low-acid food, so you would need to use a pressure *canner* (NOT a pressure *cooker*!!) with these instructions from the National Center for Home Food Preservation: http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_05/strips_cubes_chunks.html
Also, leave out the butter if you’re canning it – there is plenty of fat from cooking the bacon, and more can cause your jars not to seal properly.
If you’re not up for pressure canning, you can freeze the jam instead.
Assuming you are talking about Skillet in Seattle? Haven’t tried their bacon jam, but yours looks dayum good! Thanks for the lovely recipe.
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Sounds very yummy may have to try!
made this on thanksgiving, put it out as an appetizer with the baguettes, cheeses, etc.
it was devoured. Its awesomely yummy.
thank you!!
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Oh my word that sounds yummy. Can’t wait to try this recipe! Thanks!
Is southern comfort sweet bourbon? Will make this soon!
Oh SoCo….I’m much too familiar from my college days :) it’s actually a “whiskey-like” liquor that’s not actually whiskey…it’ll def work for this recipe, but you’ll get an ever so slightly different flavor. Hope this was helpful!
I don’t drink, so is the bourbon or brandy necessary? Or can I substitute it for something else?
hallo from germany!
i love this recipe! i`ve made this and i can say: really delicious!!!!!
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Can I ask what the herb/leaf is that is under the cherry tomatoes on the above picture??
(I’m new at this, but aspiring.)
Baby arugula!
Jenny,
Thank you SO MUCH for this great recipe – I just found it and must make it but I have a question:
By “render the bacon on med-high for 5-6 minutes” – what is the bacon supposed to look like?
That doesn’t seem long enough to even begin to brown – do you want it semi-crisp or limp?
Sorry for the crazy question but my house of bacon lovers are very particular about their bacon! I am hoping to make before Xmas eve for my family Xmas eve dinner and to give to friends…
Thanks again!
Hi Sheri! I usually render my bacon in two batches, so my bacon tends to come out more crisp with a fatty edge. You can really go either way with the bacon and have great results, but I do prefer my bacon on the more crisp side for this. Good luck!
I made this the other day and it is really BOOZY even though I probably cooked the bourbon out a little longer than the recipe calls for. I am not a fan unfortunately. I’d give it another try with no booze, perhaps.
What does render the bacon mean?
Hi Jenny!
I love this idea–and I just found a Chirstmas present for mys sis and her boyfriend who love bacon. Thanks!
One question: I have never heard of tarragon oil, what is it and where can I find it?
Tarragon vinegar is just tarragon infused vinegar…you can sub white wine vinegar!
I’m making this today and have a question about the tarragon vinegar. Since I don’t have it and will substitute white balsamic, do you think it’s important to add a sprinkle of dried tarragon into the mix? I don’t want to lose our on any of the flava!
Yes, I would add about a teaspoon and a half of fresh tarragon!
OK – mine is cooling right now! I didn’t have brandy, as the only liquor of choice around here is whiskey. I’m hoping it turns out well with the whiskey.
I’m realizing now, that it cooks down quite a bit…should have doubled this stuff! Can’t WAIT to give it to my man on Christmas!
Hey Jenny,
I made it today and it was deeee-lish! Question….I am giving it to a non drinker for a gift. I know she will be put off by the “boozy” taste (although I think it is marvelous). Can I just make it without the bourbon, or what’s a good substitute? I love your blog!
Absolutely!
Amazing recipe, and beautiful website.
Made this for the second time yesterday. For this batch, I used a strong dark beer instead of the bourbon (Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout, but any dark, high-alcohol beer would be good.) It’s less sweet than the bourbon version, and just as tasty.
how long will this last in a air tight jar
About 1 month refrigerated or 3 months frozen.
Absolutely dying to try this recipe! Just one quick question: I happen to already have some uncured hickory smoked bacon in the fridge, would that be okay to use for this recipe? Or would you suggest going out and buying some applewood smoked bacon? Thanks! :)
Any bacon will work great…applewood is just my preference! :) good luck!
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OMGOSH, I just stumbled upon your site and what do I see, BACON BOOZE. I am seriously hving a total moment and cannot wait to make this!!! Thank You. The ictures are beautiful of your food and your site and recieps look amazing. You may it look so easy and approachable. Awesome site, sending to my friends.
I love your blog, guys! Your ideas and pictures are inspirational! I’m from Brazil and made this recipe for Christmas. It was a huge sucess. If you wanna check it out in Portuguese, I posted a little homage on my blog (http://gostodogosto.blogspot.com.br/2013/01/geleia-de-bacon-bebado.html). Thank you so much!
I made this for Christmas eve and it was amazingly tasty. Even more so the next morning on top of scrambled eggs. My only problem is that the bacon got really hard and chewy, so texturally it was kind of strange. I am imagining that this is NOT how is supposed to come out? My gut tells me that I cooked it too long or at too high a temp before the simmering for 1 1/2 hours bit. I kind of think I killed it! Any advice because I’m making it again. Double batch!
OMG! I think this is just delish and can’t wait to try and make it this weekend. I moved back to the Philippines and not sure if applewood smoked bacon is available and if it is it will be expensive. So I’m opting to use a homemade organic bacon that I usually purchase from a local Sunday market here. This will definitely be a good christmas giveaway this Christmas, I have lots of time to perfect this recipe :)
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Hi,
Is it possible to can or preserve this? Would you need to pressure cook it? Sounds so amazing.
this is a wonderful recipe! i omitted the shallot, used maple whiskey, red wine vinegar and fresh tarragon instead of tarragon vinegar and also sliced the bacon into lardoons for better fat rendering and easier food processing. next time i’ll include the shallot. nice blog! i can’t wait to try more recipes!
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I’m making this recipe for x-mas gifts for my co-workers, 15 of them to be exact. How many batches will I have to make to give each one of them a jar? And what size jar?
I just filled 2 8oz jars with one batch! looks like you’ll need this recipe x8.
OMG I just finished a batch of this and am canning it now with my mom for my Christmas gifts because I need to be frugal this year! It’s SO AMAZING! I love the spiciness! I want to make additional batches but maybe with apples? Can you recommend a type of apple and any changes to the recipe that me need to be made. Also, I think this is more of a chutney than a jam! <3
This is SO much better than another recipe I used. The bourbon makes this, don’t leave it out! I did leave out the Ancho chili powder since I couldn’t find it at my local store, so I used a pinch of regular chili powder instead. I can’t wait to try it tomorrow after flavors have really melded together!
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Definitely going to make this to go with some cheddar scones for a ski weekend! How long do you think I could store in the fridge? A week?
It’ll store in the fridge for about two weeks…maybe longer, but I haven’t gotten that far!
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If I wanted to save this for future gifts how would I “can” it for longer shelf life……water bath or pressure can? For how long?
Thank you!
This recipe is amazing and worth all the effort that goes into it. I tripled the quantities and got 2 small mason jars. Now 3 weeks and several bbq’s later, we’re all out and I’m about to make another batch. It really is delicious on just about EVERYTHING!!
can you do the “simmering for 1-1 1/2 hours” in a crockpot?
I believe so…I would just check on the mixture every now and then, bc you may need to increase the cooking time. Good luck!
I’ve made it 3 times already… Always a hit! Going to make it for my boyfriend as a sweetest day present this afternoon! It’s so easy and SOOOOO GOOD!!!
Just made this for the hubby of one week (yep, I’m a good wifey:) ) I didn’t want to bother with coffee and had a leftover mini-Coca Cola, so used that instead – came out very well! I’d likely opt for less brown sugar if using cola again, since there is sugar in that, but it still goes well with the pork. Added more garlic, Sriracha and vinegar than called for; had only a little brandy, so not quite as boozey as the original recipe. Maybe next time will go for a Jack & Coke Bacon Jam…..hmm
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This sounds great & I want to make it but I have a coffee allergy. I was wondering what a good substitute for the coffee would be?
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Quick question. Do you cut up the bacon or leave the pieces whole when rendering? Thanks!
I generally cut it up!
oh I love this till I saw coffee, I have an intolerance for caffeine, can I make this without the coffee?
thanks!!
You sure can!
HUGE fan of your site!
How long will the jam last in the fridge? Thanks!
About 2 months!
Since refrigeration or freezing is recommended, do you gift these to people cold, or are the jars ok at room temperature for a week or two?
Pulling this recipe out again for the holidays -my favorite. Sooo delicious and makes a great extra little gift.