With this easy bacon jam recipe from Pioneer Woman, you’ll get a savory and sweet combination. Try this caramelized bacon and onion spread on burgers, cheese boards, or biscuits for a unique twist.
What is Pioneer Woman Bacon Jam?
Rather than a relish, this savory-sweet concoction is made by slow-cooking bacon with onion, vinegar, sugars, and spices. The Pioneer Woman uses a certain amount of sugar for her recipe so that it qualifies as a jam. After it cooks down, the sugars become more caramelized, giving the finished product a thick and jammy consistency.
It’s savory and sweet, and it’s great on bread, toast, crackers, and more.
Why We Love It?
If you are feeling a bit skeptical about making bacon jam, do not worry. There are a lot of reasons to break out the bacon and jam.
- Bacon: It’s hard not to love something made with bacon, isn’t it?
- Pairs with everything: This homemade Pioneer Woman Bacon Jam is great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and even dessert! Perhaps dessert is a bit of a stretch… or is it?
- Great for gifting: This is a great recipe to make for a hostess or holiday gift.
- Supremely easy to make: In addition, it cooks in just one pan, making cleanup a breeze.
What Does Pioneer Woman Bacon Jam Taste Like?
The flavor of Pioneer Woman Bacon Jam is more sweet than savory. It tastes like a sweet, caramelized jam. Bacon can have a smoky flavor, like BBQ sauce, depending on the type of bacon you use.
Depending on how finely you chop the bacon and onions, the texture may vary. It can be fine, with a texture similar to jam or preserves, so it is easier to spread. If you want a more textural jam (like conserves or relish), you can cut the pieces bigger.
Ingredients That You’ll Need
- Bacon: The most important ingredient in this Pioneer Woman recipe. To make the jam, I recommend using thick-cut bacon.
- Aromatics: In a bacon fat base, onion, shallots, and garlic cook together to make a delicious jam.
- Liquids: Vinegar, water, and coffee give the sweeteners a liquid to thicken with while adding a depth of flavor.
- Sweeteners: Maple syrup, light brown sugar, and honey combine to sweeten and thicken Pioneer Woman bacon jam.
- Spices: A little ground allspice and chili powder give this jam an extra kick.
What Bacon Is Best For Pioneer Woman Bacon Jam Recipe?
You can’t go wrong with thick-cut bacon for this Pioneer Woman Bacon Jam Recipe. Higher-quality bacon will obviously result in a better jam. If all you have is regular-cut bacon, that will also work! Smoked bacon will give your jam a nice rounded-out smoky flavor that will go great with burgers.
The Pioneer Woman Bacon Jam doesn’t work well with pre-cooked bacon, as there aren’t enough drippings to make it. Avoid getting maple-flavored bacon, as it may change the flavor.
How To Make Pioneer Woman Bacon Jam?
- Using a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, cook bacon over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 20 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Then reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, shallot, and garlic to the rendered fat in the pot.
- Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are completely softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add the bacon back to the pot, then the coffee, water, vinegar, maple syrup, brown sugar, honey, allspice, and chili powder.
- Stir occasionally as you bring it to a simmer (cut down the heat if it’s actually boiling) and cook until the mixture thickens and a rubber spatula or wooden spoon leaves a distinct trail across the bottom of the pot, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Remove the bacon mixture from the heat and allow it to cool for 15 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a food processor using a slotted spoon, make sure to discard any excess fat.
- Pulse the bacon mixture until finely chopped, about five pulses, or to your desired consistency.
- If you plan to store the jam in the refrigerator, store it in a tight-fitting glass jar.
- Serve your Pioneer Woman Bacon Jam at room temperature.
Pioneer Woman Bacon Jam Serving Suggestion:
I love to eat this homemade Pioneer Woman Bacon Jam slathered on plain bread, but there are literally a million ways to use it:
- Serve this homemade bacon jam on top of a juicy burger.
- Serve it with an egg sandwich for breakfast.
- Put it on a sandwich such as a BLT.
- Serve it over freshly baked potatoes.
- Make homemade pierogies with this sweet and salty jam.
- Serve it with warm biscuits at brunch.
- Serve it with fruit preserves and baked brie on a cheese plate.
FAQ Section
Because of the possibility of botulism in low acid foods, it is not recommended to can meat. When it comes to canning this Pioneer Woman Bacon Jam, it’s best to do a little research to see if it’s right for you (or not.) If you decide to can the jam, you must use a pressure cooker; boiling water will not do the trick.
You can refrigerate freshly made Pioneer Woman Bacon Jam in a glass container for up to two weeks. Serve at room temperature or warm slightly before serving.
For longer storage, freeze Pioneer Woman Bacon Jam. When filling the jar, leave some headspace at the top and store it in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
Place your Pioneer Woman Bacon Jam in the refrigerator to thaw and store for 2 weeks after it is moved to the fridge.
If you want your Pioneer Woman Bacon Jam to thicken, you should let the liquid reduce on the stove as it cooks. Draw a line in the jam with a spoon or spatula to determine its thickness. When you see a distinct trail, the jam is thick enough. If it does not leave a trail, keep cooking until it does. Also, know that it will thicken more as it cools.
Certainly! You can freeze your Pioneer Woman Bacon Jam for up to 3 months. Just store it in a freezer-safe container or in a freezer zip-top bag.
Try More Recipes:
Bacon Jam Recipe Pioneer Woman
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g) thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large yellow onion halved and thinly sliced
- 1 shallot minced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ cup (180 ml) brewed coffee
- ½ cup (120 ml) water
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup (104 g) maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- Using a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, cook bacon over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 20 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Then reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, shallot, and garlic to the rendered fat in the pot.
- Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are completely softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add the bacon back to the pot, then the coffee, water, vinegar, maple syrup, brown sugar, honey, allspice, and chili powder.
- Stir occasionally as you bring it to a simmer (cut down the heat if it’s actually boiling) and cook until the mixture thickens and a rubber spatula or wooden spoon leaves a distinct trail across the bottom of the pot, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Remove the bacon mixture from the heat and allow it to cool for 15 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a food processor using a slotted spoon, make sure to discard any excess fat.
- Pulse the bacon mixture until finely chopped, about five pulses, or to your desired consistency.
- If you plan to store the jam in the refrigerator, store it in a tight-fitting glass jar.
- Serve your Pioneer Woman Bacon Jam at room temperature.
Dove
Thursday 14th of November 2024
This was really yummy.
Barbara Hankins
Saturday 15th of April 2023
We tried this today... omitted the chili powder... it was delicious... Thank you for sharing this recipe