Fresh cranberry relish is a simple holiday side dish that pairs perfectly with your turkey or glazed ham. You just blitz everything together in a food processor and serve!
Cooked Cranberry Sauce Is So Last Year!
I jest, of course. I could never turn my back on my favorite cranberry sauce recipe, nor its creamy frozen counterpart that’s had pride of place on our Thanksgiving table since I was a kid.
But I’m a gal who likes options, and the sweet and tangy flavor of this cranberry orange relish has had me sneaking spoonfuls from the fridge all week long as if it’s ice cream.
This is quite possibly the easiest holiday side dish I’ve ever made. There’s just 4 basic ingredients, and everything gets dumped into a food processor and blitzed to combine.
Since this is a no-cook recipe, the fresh cranberry flavor really shines. Cranberries are naturally quite puckery, and I balanced out their astringent flavor with a little sweetness in the form of a whole orange and canned crushed pineapple. It’s sweet, tangy, and refreshing, just the way I like it.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Discard the orange peel. Many recipes have you add the entire orange into the food processor, but that means all of that bitter white pith is going straight into your cranberry relish. I prefer zesting the orange, then using a small paring knife to remove all of the skin so that just the fragrant zest and juicy flesh is used.
Don’t drain the crushed pineapple. The pineapple juice provides some much needed moisture, flavor, and sweetness to the relish.
Chill before serving. The relish tastes best after it’s had 8+ hours to sit in the fridge. This gives the sugar time to dissolve and for all of the flavors to mingle.
The 4 Ingredients You’ll Need
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Fresh cranberries — Give them a good rinse, then add them to the food processor as is.
- Granulated sugar — Just ¾ cup tames the tart cranberries without masking their flavor entirely.
- Orange — You’ll be using just the zest and flesh; the peel will be discarded.
- Canned crushed pineapple — Look for pineapple that’s packed in its own juices for the best flavor.
Ingredient Swaps and Substitutions
- Add chopped apple for more body and fruity flavor.
- Toss in a handful of finely chopped pecans or walnuts for extra texture.
- Add a stalk or two of celery for a savory crunch.
- Stir in a little ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and / or cloves for festive flavor.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Relish in a Food Processor
- Pulse the cranberries to chop. I prefer my relish to have some texture to it, so I only pulse the cranberries until they’re finely chopped. If you prefer a smoother, almost saucy relish, blend yours longer than I did.
- Fold in the sugar by hand. You’ll want to do this in a separate mixing bowl.
- Zest the orange, then cut off the skin. This preserves all of those fragrant essential oils from the peel but prevents the bitter white portion of the skin from getting mixed into the relish.
- Pulse the orange to chop. I cut my orange into sections to help out my food processor.
- Bring it all together. Add the chopped orange and crushed pineapple with its juice to the cranberries and mix to combine.
- Chill overnight. You can prepare this fresh cranberry relish up to 2 weeks before the big day. It’s a wonderful make-ahead holiday side dish!
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Fresh Cranberry Relish Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups crushed pineapple
- 1 orange
Instructions
- Mix the cranberries and sugar. Add 12 ounces of cranberries to the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in ¾ cup sugar, and set aside.
- Prepare the orange. Zest the orange on a cheese grater. Cut away the skin and as much of the white part under the skin. Cut the orange into sections and add to the food processor with its juice, add the orange zest, and process until finely chopped. Stir into the cranberries.
- Add the pineapple. Stir in 2 cups pineapple with juice. Refrigerate overnight before using. Refrigerate for 2 weeks, or freeze in an airtight container up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
Storage Tips
Cranberry orange relish will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge if stored airtight. To my knowledge, you can’t freeze this dish.
More Easy Thanksgiving Side Dish Ideas
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