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This is the easiest, most zingy, colorful and flavorful Cranberry Relish. Make your next turkey sing with this fresh relish. It’s super easy, full of fresh flavors and tops just about anything!

Add some color to your Thanksgiving this year! This will go with so many dishes but I do love it with Juicy Butter Herb Turkey or Cast Iron Skillet Pork Chops.

Sweet and zingy Cranberry Relish.

Cranberry Orange Recipe

Cranberry relish is absolutely divine. It’s fresh and uncooked, giving the cranberry an entirely different flavor. It’s so easy to make that you don’t have to stress. Because you throw it all in the food processor you don’t have to worry about it taking up space on the stove on a busy holiday baking day.

The zing, sweet and tart flavors are a match made in heaven and liven up any meal you serve it with. It will transform your holidays or your every day meal. You’ll want to put this on your to do list this holiday season!

Fresh Cranberry Relish Ingredients

  • Fresh Cranberries: These are usually found in the produce section of your local store when in season.
  • Orange: Cut it up but leave the peel on
  • Green Apple: Chop for best results
  • Pecans: Adds crunch and flavor
  • Sugar: You need the sugar to combat the bitter and tartness of the cranberries
  • Orange Juice:  Adds enough flavor and a bit of liquid to create the right consistency.

Making the Relish!

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse till coarsely ground. It is simple and will make a sweet and tangy relish that is to die for!

Making easy sweet and zingy Cranberry Relish.

Tips for the Best Cranberry Relish

  • Difference: This is called a relish because it uses fresh cranberries and fresh ingredients. Cranberry sauce is cooked.
  • Pick your Cranberries: Wash and pick through your cranberries and take out any bad ones. You can do this easily by putting them in a bowl of water. The good cranberries will float, any bad ones will sink. Just skim off the top and through the bad ones out.
  • Make A-Head: This is a great recipe to make ahead, up to 3 days in advance actually. I recommend allowing the relish to sit in the fridge for at least an hour or more to let the sugar break down the bitterness of the cranberries. And let the flavors meld together.
  • Customize: Make this to your liking. Add pear or pineapple instead of apple, cinnamon or ginger for extra spice.  For extra crunch add in celery or more nuts.
  • Fridge: You can keep this relish in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks.
  • Freezer: It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Let thaw in the fridge before use.

Blended Cranberry Relish.

Uses for Homemade Relish

Besides eating it straight from the jar, there are lots of uses for this cranberry relish.

  • Meat: Cranberry is a shoe-in for Turkey but you can use it with chicken, pork or even beef with success
  • Dip: Pour over cream cheese and serve with crackers or chips.
  • Brie: Serve over baked brie
  • Dessert: Serve on top of cake, ice cream, or cheese cake. Divine!
  • Top it: This is yummy as a topping for waffles, pancakes, yogurt or toast.
  • Spread it: Use instead of mayo on your next sandwich.

Sweet, zingy, colorful Cranberry Relish.

More Amazing Cranberry Dishes

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Cranberry Relish

5 from 1 vote
By: Alyssa Rivers
This is the easiest, most zingy, colorful and flavorful Cranberry Relish. Make your next Turkey sing with this fresh relish. It's super easy, full of fresh flavors and tops just about anything.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8 People

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound fresh cranberries
  • 1 orange sliced with peel on
  • 1 small green apple chopped
  • 1/4 cup pecans
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons orange juice

Instructions 

  • In a food processor add cranberries, orange, green apple, pecans, sugar and orange juice. Pulse until coarsely chopped and serve!

Nutrition

Calories: 164kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 119mgFiber: 4gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 89IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

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3 Comments

  1. I make this every Thanksgiving and it is always a big hit. I do peel my orange and just put in a small amount of grated orange peel. So much better than the jellied sauce.

  2. I have made this recipe for years, per my mother in law.
    We enjoy it more if it’s marinated in a glass jar for a few days.

  3. 5 stars
    wow, this is much better than the typical cranberry goo, or jelly, love the texture in your relish, thank you!