This cranberry orange relish recipe is a fresh, flavorful side dish to serve with turkey, chicken, pork, or ham - just 3 ingredients and no cooking required!
A serving bowl of fresh cranberry orange relish garnished with orange zest, surrounded by scattered cranberries, an orange, and a serving spoon in the background.

This cranberry orange relish recipe is incredibly easy to prepare. Just toss fresh cranberries, a juicy navel orange (no peeling needed!), and a bit of sugar together, and you’re done. It’s a bright, fresh alternative to traditional cooked cranberry sauce and pairs perfectly with all the classic holiday entrées.

Notes From the MGC Kitchen

My mom first introduced me to this cranberry orange relish recipe at least 20 years ago and it’s been a staple on our holiday table ever since. With just 3 ingredients and no cooking involved, it’s very easy to prepare, but its real appeal is the bright, fresh flavors that lend a refreshing contrast to the richness of traditional holiday fare like roast turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes. If you try it, be sure to check out our ideas for using leftovers below. You might want to whip up an extra batch while fresh cranberries are in season.

A labeled, overhead view of the ingredients needed to make cranberry orange relish including fresh cranberries, sugar, and navel orange.

Key Ingredients

This is an overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. Please see the printable recipe card below for the complete listing, including quantities.

  • CRANBERRIES: Fresh cranberries are available from October through December. When shopping, check the bag for shriveled berries or red juices before buying. Store cranberries in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, or freeze them for longer storage by rinsing, drying, and sealing them tightly in a freezer bag; they can be used straight from frozen in most recipes. Before using, sort through the cranberries to remove any mushy, shriveled, or unripe (white) berries, then rinse in cool water.
  • ORANGE: Because you’ll use the peel in this recipe, we recommend using organic navel oranges. The fact that they’re seedless makes preparation easier.
  • SUGAR: We’ve successfully used both white granulated and demerara sugar for this recipe. We don’t recommend brown sugar, though, because of its more pronounced molasses flavor.

How to Make Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish

This is an overview of how this recipe is prepared. Please see the printable recipe card below for detailed step-by-step instructions.

PREPARE THE FRUIT: Rinse the cranberries in a colander, let drain, then spread them onto a kitchen towel and pat them dry. Wash the orange, trim a slice about 1/4-inch thick from each end, then cut it into wedges.

The work bowl of a food processor filled with fresh cranberries, a whole orange, and sugar that have been processed to a proper relish consistency.

PROCESS THE RELISH: Place the orange and the cranberries in the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until finely chopped. Add the sugar to the mixture and pulse two or three times to combine. Taste and add more sugar if desired.

STORE UNTIL READY TO USE: Store, tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

This fresh cranberry relish will release some liquid as it sits. Give it a good stir before serving and if you feel it’s necessary, drain a little of the liquid off first.

Ideas For Using Leftovers

Should you have any leftover cranberry relish, here are a few easy and delicious ways to use it:

  • Mix 1/4 cup of cranberry relish into a softened 8-oz block of cream cheese and serve as a spread for crackers.
  • Mix 2 to 3 tablespoons of relish into 1 cup of plain or vanilla yogurt, or cottage cheese for a light breakfast (our favorite).
  • Blend 2 parts of the relish with 1 part ketchup as a condiment for turkey burgers.
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A serving bowl of fresh cranberry orange relish garnished with orange zest, on a gray background with scattered cranberries to the right.
5 from 2 votes

Fresh and Easy Cranberry Orange Relish

This cranberry orange relish recipe is a fresh, flavorful side dish to serve with turkey, chicken, pork, or ham – just 3 ingredients and no cooking required!
Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries, (1 bag / 3 cups)
  • 1 large navel orange, preferably organic
  • 1/2 cup sugar, plus more if desired
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Instructions 

  • Rinse the cranberries in a colander, let drain, then spread them onto a kitchen towel and pat them dry.
  • Wash the orange, trim a slice about 1/4-inch thick from each end, then cut it into 8 wedges.
  • Place the orange and the cranberries in the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until finely chopped. Note: If your food processor is small, work in two batches.
  • Add the sugar to the mixture and pulse two or three times to combine. Taste and add more sugar if desired.
  • Store, tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (see notes).

Notes

This fresh cranberry relish will release some liquid as it sits. Give it a good stir before serving and if you feel it’s necessary, drain a little of the liquid off first.
HOW TO USE LEFTOVER CRANBERRY RELISH
  • Mix 1/4 cup of cranberry relish into a softened 8-oz block of cream cheese and serve as a spread for crackers.
  • Mix 2 to 3 tablespoons of relish into 1 cup of plain or vanilla yogurt, or cottage cheese for a light breakfast (our favorite).
  • Blend 2 parts of the relish with 1 part ketchup as a condiment for turkey burgers.

Nutrition

Calories: 102kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 0.5g, Fat: 0.2g, Saturated Fat: 0.01g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.04g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g, Sodium: 2mg, Potassium: 84mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 92IU, Vitamin C: 22mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 0.2mg

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

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Lynne Webb and Erika Pitera, creators of MyGourmetConnection in the kitchen, working on a soup recipe for the website.

About Us

We’re Lynne and Erika, a mother-daughter duo passionate about creating recipes that bring flavor and variety to your kitchen in a simple, approachable way.

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