5-Minute Cranberry Orange Relish
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All you need is 5-minutes and a food processor to make the easiest and freshest dish on your holiday table! Sweet, tart, and delicious Cranberry Orange Relish is the best no-cook accompaniment for your Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham.
Cranberry Orange Relish
Today’s 5- Minute Cranberry Orange Relish comes to you courtesy of my daughter, Lindsay, who specifically requested relish instead of cooked Cranberry Chutney for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner.
What’s your cranberry sauce preference? Do you like the canned jellied cranberry sauce I remember from my childhood or do you go for homemade cranberry sauce? Not a fan of either?
Then you definitely must give cranberry relish a try. Sweet and tart with a little crunch, this dish is guaranteed to liven up your holiday menu!
Ingredients
- Fresh cranberries — the freshest cranberries will be firm to the touch
- Orange — navel oranges work best
- Apple — a sweet variety, like Honey Crisp or Golden Delicious
- Pecans — or walnuts
- Crushed pineapple — well drained
- Sugar — or maple syrup
- Kosher salt — just a pinch!
- Ground cinnamon — you can also add freshly grated ginger for more zing!
Instructions
Chop and mix. Seriously, it’s that easy. Actually, it’s even easier than that because all the chopping is done by your food processor!
- Place the cranberries in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Empty into a large bowl.
- Cut one orange and one apple into wedges, being sure to remove the seeds and place in the bowl of the food processor.
- Pulse again until the fruit is coarsely chopped. Add to the bowl with the cranberries.
- Next, stir in crushed pineapple, chopped pecans, sugar, and cinnamon. If the relish is too tart, add another quarter cup of sugar.
PRO TIP: Since the crushed pineapple and the orange will have some natural sweetness, start one quarter cup of sugar at a time and add more as needed. I found that one half cup was the perfect balance of tart and sweet for my liking.
Make it ahead of time
Cranberry Orange Relish is actually better when it’s made a day ahead—and it’s one less thing to think about on Thanksgiving or Christmas day!
This relish will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week. Just before serving, stir and garnish with fresh mint, more chopped pecans, or star anise, if desired.
What’s the difference between cranberry sauce and cranberry relish?
Cranberry sauce is cooked until thick while cranberry relish is not cooked. Both are usually served cold and either is a good accompaniment to roast pork, turkey, ham, or even roast beef.
How long will cranberry relish keep?
Cranberry Orange Relish keeps well when covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 to 7 days.
Can you freeze cranberry relish?
This relish can be frozen for up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
What can I do with leftover cranberry orange relish?
- Make a smoothie. Blend together 1 cup leftover cranberry orange relish with a frozen banana, 1 cup of pineapple chunks, 1/2 cup milk, and 1 cup of crushed ice. Refreshing!
- Make a yogurt parfait. Spoon cranberry relish over yogurt and sprinkle with granola.
- Spice up your oatmeal. Add a spoonful of cranberry orange relish on top of your breakfast oatmeal and drizzle with maple syrup—delicious!
- Freeze it! Save the leftovers to serve with another meal.
What does cranberry orange relish go with?
You can never go wrong when you pair cranberry relish with ham or turkey and it always makes a good condiment for turkey sandwiches! Check out these other pairing ideas:
- Brined and Roasted Turkey Legs
- Turkey Melt Sandwich
- Oven-Roasted Pork Tenderloin
- Roast Turkey or Roast Chicken
Other related recipes
Cranberry Orange Relish
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 1 medium navel orange
- 1 small apple
- 1 7-oz. can crushed pineapple drained
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the cranberries in a colander. Place in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Empty into a large bowl.
- Slice off each end the orange and discard. Cut the orange into wedges (do not peel), removing any seeds, and place in the bowl of the food processor.
- Core and cut the apple into wedges (do not peel) and place in the food processor with the orange. Pulse until the fruit is coarsely chopped. Add to the bowl with the cranberries.
- Add the drained pineapple and pecans to the fruit along with the sugar and cinnamon. Stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
I loved the flavor combination, but there was a bitterness that I suspect came from the pith of the orange. I’ll try this again and zest and peel the orange before adding to the food processor.