Bourbon Caramelized Onion Jam

Name: Bourbon Caramelized Onion Jam
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds red onions; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 cup bourbon; 1 cup water; 2 tbsp maple flavoured balsamic vinegar; 1/3 cup maple sugar; 1/2 tsp smoked sea salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper

July 23, 2019 *Updated* July 23, 2019 / By: Gloria | Homemade & Yummy 66 Comments

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This boozy Bourbon Caramelized Onion Jam is the hit of BBQ season this year.

Red onions, combined with bourbon, maple balsamic and maple sugar. Caramelized to perfection. The perfect topping for burgers, sandwiches and so much more.

Are you a bourbon lover? How about onions? This red onion marmalade is over the top delicious. It may even turn onion haters into onion lovers.

I have ALWAYS been an onion lover. My daughter, on the other hand, is an onion hater. My husband cannot stand raw onions but LOVES pickled onions and air fryer onion rings.

He also LOVES bourbon. Boozy Bourbon Iced Coffee and Grilled Nectarine Bourbon Patio Punch have been enjoyed lots this summer. Perfect for bbq parties.

During the holidays, Boozy Bourbon Chocolate Fudge is a hit on the treat tray (makes an excellent Christmas homemade food gift).

Now, when it comes to cooking onions, caramelized onions are over the top delicious. If you have never tried them before, you are REALLY missing out!

Caramelizing onions takes time (you cannot rush this process). Believe me, IT IS WORTH the effort (which is NOT hard). My Homemade Onion Gravy hands down is our favourite gravy ever. The perfect topping for a grilled steak.

CARAMELIZED ONION JAM INGREDIENTS

For this onion jam recipe you will need:

red onions
bourbon
water
olive oil
maple balsamic vinegar
maple sugar
smoked sea salt
cracked black pepper

Most recipes for caramelized onions use brown sugar. Maple bourbon is so delicious, I decided to incorporate some maple flavours into this onion relish. If you have never used *maple sugar before, you really need to give it a try.

For some added depth of flavour, I used *maple flavoured balsamic and *smoked sea salt.

We love this onion confit so much, I know my next experiment will be bourbon bacon onion jam. Bourbon and bacon, bacon and onions, winning combinations for sure. I certainly will make a red wine onion jam too. Might as well try ALL the delicious options.

HOW TO MAKE CARAMELIZED ONIONS

This process is NOT HARD. TIME and PATIENCE is required for cooking onions to perfection.

Thinly sliced onions are first sweated down until they are soft and translucent.
Add the liquid mixture, bring to a boil, reduce and simmer.
Cook with the lid on till the liquid reduces down to half. Some people cook the onions the whole time WITHOUT a lid.
Remove the lid, and continue to slowly cook until the onions turn a beautiful caramel colour, and the liquid is thick and rich.

Remember to stir during the cooking process (which takes about an hour). Slowly cooking onions draws out the natural sweetness, allowing the sugar in them to caramelize.

BEST ONIONS TO CARAMELIZE

Honestly, this is all personal preference. I like red onions since they are on the sweet side. Feel free to try:

Spanish
Vidalia
Walla Walla
Maui
White
Yellow
Shallots

All varieties will work nicely. The end result is sweet, tender, dark-brown onions.

See, it is NOT HARD, but so worth the PATIENCE.

WHAT IS THE BEST BOURBON FOR COOKING

ALL of them!! Pick YOUR favourite. Some brands have more alcohol content than others, and also a difference in taste. They all work in this bourbon caramelized onion recipe.

HOW LONG DOES ONION JAM LAST

This caramelized onion relish will last for about 2 weeks stored in a glass jar in the fridge. I like to serve it at room temperature.

You can also freeze this onion jam recipe. Place in a freezer bag or ice cube trays. It will last a few months in the freezer. Just thaw before using.

If you are looking to have a longer shelf life, you need to do a proper canning procedure. My friend Byron has a great Preserved Onion Marmalade recipe. The perfect food gift!

ONION JAM USES

Where do we start? SO many places like:

burgers, hot dogs and sausages
sandwiches
use it as a chicken marinade
on top of brie
crostini topping
with bacon and eggs
perfect on pulled pork and beef brisket (yes it sure is)
as a pizza topping

I am sure you can think of SO MANY DELICIOUS WAYS to enjoy this thick, rich, sweet onion condiment.

Here are a few recipes for you to try:

If this has not convinced you to give caramelized onions a try, I don’t know what will.

I am heading into the kitchen right now to make another batch of this Bourbon Caramelized Onion Jam. We are hosting a bbq party this weekend. I know this will be a hit with our guests.

What is your favourite onion recipe?

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