There’s nothing I love more than a fresh, raw side dish at a heavy holiday meal. This tangy and bright Cranberry Orange Relish will be the recipe everyone at your table asks for this year—I guarantee it! This fruity relish comes together in minutes (no cooking required!), uses simple budget-friendly ingredients, and can be made ahead of time. Not to mention, the leftovers (if there are any) are fantastic on salads, sandwiches, and cheese boards.
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What is Cranberry Orange Relish?
For people who don’t love the gelatinous texture of traditional cranberry sauce, this relish is a winner! It’s somewhere between a relish and a slaw, and it’s perfectly seasoned. I put fresh cranberries, oranges, brown sugar, fresh ginger, and cinnamon into a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. The result is a chunky, tangy, and slightly sweet side to go with any holiday meal this season! And unlike some of our other relish recipes (see tomato relish and roasted apple cranberry relish), it doesn’t require any cooking at all. So easy!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy cranberry orange relish recipe:
- Fresh Cranberries: You’ll need a 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries, which should be rinsed and drained before using. Look for firm, bright red cranberries without any wrinkled or soft spots! I only ever use fresh cranberries in this recipe, but you can try frozen if you can’t find fresh. I’d thaw them and drain them well before using— just note the texture will likely be softer.
- Oranges: I use fresh oranges, rather than orange juice, for the best flavor and texture. I like navel oranges because they’re typically seedless and have a nice balance of sweetness and acidity. However, you can use any medium-sized orange you like.
- Fresh Ginger: Adds a warm, slightly spicy flavor. Be sure to peel and grate it before using.
- Brown Sugar: For sweetness and added flavor. I usually use packed light brown sugar whenever I make this recipe for fresh cranberry orange relish.
- Ground Cinnamon: Adds a festive flavor and pairs perfectly with the fresh cranberries.
- Salt: Just a pinch of salt to perfectly season this relish!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- The secret to perfectly flavored orange cranberry relish with a beautiful red color is TIME. This is one recipe that I urge you to make at least 24 hours in advance. The flavors will have more time to meld, and the natural red color from the cranberries will deepen. Eating it right away is fine, but I promise it gets better with time!
- Pulse, don’t puree! We are looking for a relish-like texture with small pieces of cranberries and orange peel throughout. I pulse the ingredients in a food processor for short bursts to achieve this texture.
- Adjust sweetness to taste. I only use 2 tablespoons of brown sugar in this recipe to balance out the tartness of the cranberries. However, if your oranges are particularly sweet or you prefer a tarter relish, feel free to adjust the amount of sugar to your liking.
Advice for First Timers!
I know trying any new recipe can be intimidating, but I promise this cranberry orange relish is a great one to start with. It’s simple and requires minimal ingredients and equipment. So PLEASE don’t feel intimidated when I say, ‘suprême your oranges!’ This is just a fancy chef term for separating the juicy segments (the bits you want) from the membrane and pith (the bitter white part). All you need is a sharp knife, a little patience, and my process photos below to guide you.
Once you get the hang of it, it’s a super fun knife skill to practice year-round. But that said, you can totally skip this step and just peel your oranges and pulse them a little in the food processor before adding everything else.
Serving Suggestions
This raw cranberry relish with orange is the perfect palate cleanser for a decadent holiday meal. You already know roasted turkey and cranberries go together like two peas in a pod, but I’ll let you in on a little secret—this relish is also amazing with baked ham or roast chicken. Add some roasted veggies and sausage stuffing for a well-rounded, flavor-packed festive dinner.
Any leftovers would also work well in sandwiches, on cheese boards, mixed into salads (my Thanksgiving salad, for example!), or used to make a delicious cranberry cream cheese dip as a fun holiday appetizer.
Storage Instructions
You can keep your fresh cranberry orange relish in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. The salt may draw out some additional liquid as it sits, so I’d give it a good stir before serving again. You can also freeze this relish for up to 3 months. Keep in mind the texture may be slightly altered once thawed overnight in the fridge.
Cranberry Orange Relish Recipe
Servings 12 servings (3 Tbsp per person)Ingredients
- 2 oranges ($1.54)
- 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated ($0.40)
- 1 bag fresh cranberries (12 oz bag) ($1.78)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar, packed ($0.06)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon ($0.08)
- ⅛ tsp salt ($0.01)
Instructions
- Zest one orange. Then, cut both oranges using the suprême technique* (see step photos below!) by removing the ends of your oranges so they can sit flat on your cutting board. Then, carefully follow the natural curve of the sides of each orange with your knife, cutting away the skin and the pith. Once your oranges are peeled so you can see the juicy pulp, trace the segments of each section of orange with your knife to pop out the juicy pulp part, leaving the pith and skin behind. Don’t forget to squeeze out the juice from the leftover skin and membrane!
- Add the orange segments, grated ginger, fresh cranberries, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt to food processor.
- Pulse ingredients until a relish-consistency forms.
- Let the cranberry relish sit in an airtight container for up to 24 hours so the flavors can meld and marinate together! The bright red color will come after it sits during this time. Enjoy chilled!
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Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
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how to make Cranberry Orange Relish – step by step photos
Zest one orange. Then, cut both oranges using the suprême technique (see step photo!) by removing the ends of your oranges so they can sit flat on your cutting board. Then, carefully follow the natural curve of the sides of each orange with your knife, cutting away the skin and the pith.
Once your oranges are peeled so you can see the juicy pulp, trace the segments of each section of orange with your knife to pop out the juicy pulp part, leaving the pith and skin behind. Don’t forget to squeeze out the juice from the leftover skin and membrane!
Add the orange segments, 1 inch grated ginger, 12 oz bag fresh cranberries, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and ⅛ tsp salt to food processor.
Pulse ingredients until a relish-consistency forms.
Let the cranberry relish sit in an airtight container for up to 24 hours so the flavors can meld and marinate together! The bright red color will come after it sits during this time. Enjoy chilled!
I’m pretty certain this homemade cranberry relish with orange will be a staple on your holiday table for years to come. It’s fresh, easy to make, and full of flavor!
