Bacon Onion Jam with Chipotle
This sweet, spicy, and savory Bacon Onion Jam with Chipotle is the perfect combination for grilled burgers. Smokey Chipotle chiles pair well with thick-cut bacon and sweet and red onions, all simmered to perfection. The mouthwatering flavors are so good together, you will love it!
I LOVE a great burger with all the fixings. This recipe was built for just that, but I’ve also enjoyed a great Bacon Onion Jam on a fab cheese board, so I decided to make my own, and of course, with a spicy twist. The result? Decadent and filled with mouthwatering flavors, perfect for burgers and beyond.
Ingredients
- Thick applewood-smoked uncured bacon – use bacon with a balanced meat-to-fat ratio.
- Onions: red/purple and sweet onions. I highly recommend sweet onions for this recipe.
- Good extra virgin olive oil
- Salted butter
- Chipotles in adobo – minced.
- Clove of garlic
- Sugar – I use white sugar for a little sweetness, but you can also use brown sugar, honey or maple syrup. See FAQ’s for more on sweeteners.
- Vinegar – white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. These vinegars work great with Chipotle. Many recipes use Balsamic vinegar, which doesn’t pair well with the chiles in my recipe.
- Kosher salt or sea salt. If you are using table salt, check out my guide here.
- Ground black pepper
Tried and true tips
- Use good-quality, thick-cut bacon. Good quality bacon renders less fat because it has less fat and more meat.
- If you use thin bacon or bacon with more fat, drain some of the fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the pan for the onions.
- Chipotles in adobo are available canned (whole) and minced in a jar. If you can’t find the minced jar version, make your own by using a food processor to mince the whole chipotles with adobo. Pulse both the chiles and the sauce. Use the amount for the recipe, and store the remainder in a jar in the fridge for up to 3 months. You can also freeze into smaller portions. Don’t know what to do with all those chipotles? Try my Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese, Blueberry Bourbon Chipotle BBQ Sauce, or Chipotle Crema.
Step-by-step directions
- Using a large skillet, over medium heat. Cook the bacon until the fat has been rendered. About 8 minutes.
- Once the bacon fat has been rendered, use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked bacon and place it on a paper towel-lined plate, and set it aside.
- Add the extra-virgin olive oil and sliced onions, then start cooking them down.
- After about 10 minutes, when the onions have sweated, add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and half a tablespoon of butter.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low.
- Continue to stir and cook onions for about 30 minutes until they have turned golden brown.
- Add bacon pieces, minced chipotles, white sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Stir gently until the mixture is fully combined, then cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool.
- Bacon onion jam with chipotles is ready to serve.
- If the jam is too thick, you can add a little water to thin its consistency.
Serving ideas for Bacon Onion Jam with Chipotle
This bacon jam recipe is so versatile! It can be used in so many delicious ways. Some of our favorite ways to use this mouthwatering bacon jam are on burgers (smash burgers are the bomb), hot dogs, charcuterie boards, hello bagels with cream cheese, breakfast sandwiches, pizza and flatbreads, baked brie, and small appetizers (like my mini stuffed potato appetizer).
Storage and reheating
This recipe yields 2 cups of bacon onion jam. This jam keeps in the fridge for one week. I like to freeze it in smaller half-cup portions for later use. Store in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 6 months.
When you are ready to use it, defrost the bacon jam in the fridge. Once defrosted, I like to warm it through on the stovetop (in a nonstick pan) on low heat before using it so the fat used to make the jam can be reincorporated.
FAQ’s
Add a pinch of sugar (a little at a time) until the desired sweetness is achieved. Make sure to taste for salt too.
For the minced chipotles, the following is a good rule of thumb:
1 tablespoon for mild, 2 tablespoons for medium heat, and 3 tablespoons for spicy hot!
Yes, the equivalent is 3/4 teaspoon of honey to 1 teaspoon of sugar. Honey is sweeter than sugar. Same for maple syrup. Also note that both honey and maple syrup impart their flavors into the jam. (and yes, they are complementary!)
Use good-quality, thick-cut, meaty bacon. I can’t stress this enough. When you are buying bacon, ensure the meat-to-fat ratio is balanced. This will reduce the fat during cooking and give you tasty bacon bits and enough bacon fat for the onions.
If you love spicy foods as much as I do…try these delicious recipes!
If you tried this recipe, please help other readers by commenting below and sharing some stars! We 🫶🏼 appreciate you!
All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
Bacon Onion Jam with Chipotle
May 31, 2026
Equipment
- 1 large skillet 12 inch
- 1 jar or airtight container 2 cup capacity
Ingredients
- 5 slices bacon, thick cut (or 6 ounces) applewood-smoked, uncured
- 1 1/2 pounds onions mix of red and sweet onions
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil good quality
- 1/2 teaspoon butter
- 3 tablespoons Chipotles in adobo – minced.
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon sugar white, granulated
- 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt or sea salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Using a large skillet, over medium heat. Cook the bacon until the fat has been rendered. About 8 minutes.
- Once the bacon fat has been rendered, use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked bacon and place it on a paper towel-lined plate, and set it aside.
- Add the extra virgin olive oil, sliced onions , and start cooking them down.
- After about 10 minutes, when the onions have sweated, add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and half a tablespoon of butter.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low.
- Continue to stir and cook onions for about 30 minutes until they have turned golden brown.
- Add bacon pieces, minced chipotles, white sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Stir gently until the mixture is fully combined, then cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool.
- Bacon onion jam with chipotles is ready to serve.
- If the jam is too thick, you can add a little water to thin its consistency.
Notes
Storage and reheating
This recipe yields 2 cups of savory jam. This bacon onion jam keeps in the fridge for one week. I like to freeze it in smaller half-cup portions for later use. Store in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 6 months. When you are ready to use it, defrost the bacon jam in the fridge. Once defrosted, I like to warm it through on the stovetop (in a nonstick pan) on low heat before using it so the fat used to make the jam can be reincorporated.Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated online and should be used as a guide.
All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
I’m thrilled you’re here!
My name is Ana Coronado, and I’ve spent more than three decades cooking, tasting, and refining recipes that bring people together. What began as a lifelong passion has become a profession- now I develop, style, and photograph recipes designed for today’s modern home cooks who want food that’s both beautiful for the eyes and good for the soul (and stomach!).
I’m equally excited to share my passion for creating delicious food with you. Your interest and support mean the world to me, and I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to connect with you through our shared love for food. ❤️