Hot Honey Bacon Onion Jam

Hot honey bacon onion jam is a slow-cooked mix of deeply caramelized onions and crisp bacon, finished with honey, balsamic vinegar and red pepper flakes. It tastes sweet, smoky and a little spicy, and it is made for spooning over goat cheese or tucking inside a grilled cheese. Give it a quiet afternoon and you end up with about 2 half pints in the fridge.

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What goes into hot honey bacon onion jam

• 6 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
• 3 lb yellow onions (about 5 large), halved and thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

The onions set the pace

Three pounds of sliced onions will look like far too much when they first hit the pot. They hold a lot of water, and most of the cooking time goes into driving that water off so the natural sugars can brown. That is why the recipe asks for a wide heavy pot. A wide base spreads the onions out so steam escapes instead of collecting, and a heavy bottom holds steady heat without hot spots that blacken one patch while the rest stays pale.

The salt goes in with the onions on purpose. It pulls moisture out early, which helps them soften and collapse faster. After that, patience does the work. Stir every few minutes, scrape up anything sticking to the bottom, and expect the full 40 to 45 minutes. If you turn the heat up to hurry things along, you get onions that are scorched at the edges and still crunchy in the middle, and the jam will taste bitter instead of sweet.

Slice the onions as evenly as you can. Thin, even slices brown at the same rate, so you don’t end up with a mix of mush and raw strips.

Keep the honey from scorching

Honey burns faster than sugar does. Once it goes in, along with the balsamic and the bacon, keep the heat low and stir often, especially near the end when the liquid has reduced and the jam turns thick. A burnt layer on the bottom of the pot can flavor the whole batch, so if you feel it catching under the spoon, pull the heat back right away.

Bacon and onion fans who want a baked party dish can also make our hot bacon Swiss onion dip .

This smoked paprika bacon onion jam combines golden onions and bacon with brown sugar, vinegar and strong coffee.

How to make it

• Cook the chopped bacon in a wide heavy pot over medium heat until crisp. Lift it out and leave about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot. That fat is where a lot of the smoky flavor comes from, so keep it.
• Add the butter, onions and salt. Cook, stirring every few minutes, for 40 to 45 minutes, until the onions are deep golden brown and very soft. They will shrink to a fraction of their starting volume.
• Stir in the honey, balsamic vinegar, water, red pepper flakes, thyme and the cooked bacon. Simmer over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture is thick and sticky. A spoon dragged across the bottom should leave a trail that fills in slowly.
• Let the jam cool to room temperature, then spoon it into clean jars.
• Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months. This is a refrigerator or freezer jam, so skip the canning pot.

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Spooning it out and keeping it

The easiest way to serve this jam is spooned over a log of goat cheese. The tangy cheese cuts through the honey and bacon, and the pepper flakes give each bite a little warmth. It also belongs inside a grilled cheese, where it melts into the bread and cheese and adds sweetness and smoke in one layer.

Once it has cooled and gone into clean jars, keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months. The batch makes about 2 half pints, so you can keep one jar in the fridge for the week and freeze the other for later.

If you like keeping a jar of something savory and sweet around, try our black pepper bacon onion jam or the tangier bacon balsamic onion jam . For more hot honey, our cranberry brie crostini with hot honey make an easy appetizer, and the honey garlic sausages baked with sticky onions turn the same sweet onion idea into dinner.

Questions about this jam

Can I can this jam in a water bath for the pantry?

No. Onion jam is a refrigerator or freezer jam and is not meant for canning. Keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Why let it cool before putting it in jars?

The recipe calls for cooling it to room temperature first. The jam also firms up as it cools, so you can see its real texture before you jar it, and a cooled jar goes into the fridge without warming everything around it.

My jam still looks loose after 20 minutes. What should I do?

Go by texture over the clock. Keep it over low heat and keep stirring until it is thick and sticky, watching closely since the honey can scorch as the liquid drops. Remember it thickens a bit more once it cools.

Do I have to use thick cut bacon?

The recipe is written for 6 slices of thick cut bacon. Thick slices stay meaty after the long simmer and give off enough fat to leave about 2 tablespoons in the pot for cooking the onions.

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Written and edited by The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team

The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team writes and edits the recipes on Foodie Yummy: classic American potluck salads, holiday sides and easy comfort food, with a few low-carb options. Every recipe lists exact quantities, numbered steps and a printable recipe card, plus notes on swaps, storage and make-ahead timing. Spot a problem with a recipe? Tell us through the contact page and we will correct it. About us