Jalapeno Bacon Jam Recipe - Helen's Fuss Free Flavours (2024)

This jalapeno bacon jam is a fabulous sweet, salty relish with a touch of heat from pickled jalapenos.

Bacon jalapeno jam

I adore bacon jam. The most delicious sweet, salty, savoury relish, it is unbelievably moreish and makes a wonderful addition to all sorts of savoury dishes.

See also

• Bacon jam – the original
• With the extra sweetness of an onion marmalade, this bacon onion jam is irresistible
• Frozen mixed berry jam is intensely fruity and made with a bag of frozen mixed berries
• So many flavours work can be included; our bacon jam roundup is the place to go

As with the plainest bacon jam, this is a magic combination of all the flavour groups. There’s sweet, salt and savoury, bitterness from coffee, acidity from vinegar and in this case, heat from jalapenos. The balance is perfect.

The resulting relish is intense, reducing down to about 400ml in total, but packed with wonderful flavour.

Try your jalapeno bacon jam as a relish to Mexican dishes, on cheese on toast, on a cheese platter or with steak frites. It goes with anything!

Why make jalapeno bacon jam

• It’s full of flavour

• Delicious on almost anything

• The perfect treat for bacon lovers

Jalapeno bacon jam ingredients

• Bacon – Good dry cured back bacon. I prefer smoked for an extra layer of flavour.

• Onion – any yellow onions. If you are feeling lazy you can buy frozen chopped onions or use leftovers that you have kept in the freezer.

• Garlic – two large fat cloves

• Jalapenos – pickled and sliced. I keep a jar in the fridge all the time as they are so useful for adding some heat to pasta, toasties, tacos and other dishes. Pickled jalapenos have good flavour and crunch, and are so much easier to prepare than fresh jalapenos.

• Coffee – Ideally you want espresso or a strong, good-quality instant coffee. Modern microground instant coffees are very good for cooking. This does not make the end bacon jam taste of coffee at all.

• Sugar – soft brown, either light or darkto taste

• Balsamic vinegar – Avoid very thin versions. It should have some body.

How to make jalapeno bacon jam – step by step

Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this jalapeno bacon jam recipe perfectly every time.

Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.

Step One – Start by putting clean, dry jars in the oven to sterilize and warm. Then chop the bacon into 1cm pieces and fry very gently in a little oil over a low heat.

Stir from time to time and cook for about 15 minutes until golden.

If you use a good bacon, it shouldn’t release water, but if this happens, dump all the bacon in a sieve to drain it, then return to the pan. The bacon needs to fry rather than steam.

Fuss Free Tip

Use a pair of good sharp kitchen scissors to cut the bacon up, dropping it straight into the pan so you can start cooking it as you go.

While the bacon cooks, peel and chop the onions. Cut pieces of about the same size as the bacon. Peel and finely chop the garlic.

Once cooked, remove the bacon from the pan and reserve. Drain off most of the rendered fat, leaving just a little to fry the onions.

Step Two – Put the onions in the pan and fry gently until they are golden and fragrant. Allow ten to fifteen minutes for this and do not attempt to rush. Good onions need time!

Step Three – Return the bacon to the pan, add the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Step Four – Simmer gently over a low heat, so that the sugar, vinegar and coffee combine to form a syrup with the consistency of maple syrup.Stir constantly. The liquid will thicken as it cools down, so do not reduce it too far.

Step Five – Fill small, sterilized jars with the jalapeno bacon jam, and then seal tight.Use a jam funnel if you have one, as it saves mess and waste. The recipe makes around 400ml or around one and a half cups, so choose your jars to suit, and store them in the fridge once cool.

Serving suggestions

Jalapeno bacon jam is delicious on so many dishes. Serve it at room temperature, so the syrup can loosen and any remain fat melt.

Use it as a burger or hot dog relish, or serve it with steak.

Try it on goat’s cheese croutons or bruschetta as a starter or use it to dress a baked camembert.

Add it to sandwiches or use it to garnish a savoury pie or tart.

Fill a baked potato with melted cheddar, and top with jalapeno bacon jam.

Top poached or scrambled eggs, or serve it with an omelette.

Storage

Fridge – Keep jalapeno bacon jam in the jar with the lid on for up to three weeks. Take what you need out before serving, as it is so much better served at room temperature. Jalapeno bacon jam is not a jam in the traditional sense of a preserve, so make sure you keep it in the fridge and use it fairly quickly.

Freezer – Jalapeno bacon jam can be frozen and will last for three months in the freezer. It does not freeze solid, which means it can be scooped out of the jar straight from the freezer. It also means that you should make sure the lid is on tight to avoid leaks!

Hints and tips

• Use good bacon.

• It is OK to add a little oil at the start. You will drain off the excess fat once the bacon is cooked.

• Fry both the bacon and onion gently over a medium heat and take your time. Never rush them.

• Serve at room temperature to get the best flavour.

FAQs

• Baked Camembert – delicious with your bacon and onion jam!

• Easy Sticky Onion Marmalade – another moreish sweet-and-savoury topping or addition to all sorts of dishes.

• Preserved Lemons – Southern Mediterranean magic for all sorts of dishes

• Roasted Sweet Pepper and Tomato Chutney – a lovely, light, piquant relish