Orange Cranberry Jalapeño Relish (Doubles As Dip!)

This super easy, 6-ingredient Orange Cranberry Jalapeño Relish recipe is a bright and tangy alternative to the sweet jellied cranberry sauce of my youth—perfect for a non-traditional turkey dinner. As a bonus, this spicy-tart salsa-like condiment also makes a great appetizer dip when paired with crackers and cream cheese!

Fresh cranberries, orange supremes, pungent red onions, bright mint and spicy jalapeño come together for a fresh twist on cranberry sauce that is out of this world. There is far less sugar in this zippy relish, and you don't have to do a lick of cooking. The result is bright, tart, spicy and barely sweet—perfect for adding to your Christmas or Thanksgiving menu. 

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love Raw Orange Cranberry Jalapeño Sauce
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• How to Make Fresh Cranberry Jalapeño Relish
• Expert Tips 
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Holiday Recipe Inspiration
• Fresh Orange Cranberry Jalapeño Relish (or Dip or Salsa!)
• 💬 Reviews

Why You’ll Love Raw Orange Cranberry Jalapeño Sauce

• Bright & Fresh - Don’t get me wrong—I still love traditional cooked cranberry sauce, especially if I’m building a classic Thanksgiving leftover sandwich. That said, I find this lighter, less-sweet, slightly spicy raw version is the perfect foil for an otherwise heavy holiday menu.
• Quick & Easy - I love this spicy cranberry relish recipe because it requires exactly zero cooking—it comes together in just 10 minutes. Plus, it’s perfect for making ahead of time because it gets better as it rests. One less thing to worry about on the big day!
• Multi-Purpose - While I originally concocted this fresh cranberry jalapeno relish as an accoutrement for my Dutch oven turkey breast recipe made with Indian tandoori spices, we’ve found that it also works well as an easy appetizer. Joe loves eating it like a cranberry jalapeno salsa with tortilla chips, while I love serving it over whipped cream cheese (or whipped feta) as a dip with butter crackers. 😋

Ingredients & Substitutions

As promised, you only need a handful of ingredients to make this raw cranberry relish. Here's what to grab:

• Cranberries - Fresh cranberries are definitely the best option for this recipe. However, if you can't find fresh, the next best option is frozen—the relish will just end up a little juicier. Alternatively, you could also opt to use pomegranate arils instead, though the consistency and flavor will be a bit different.
• Orange - We’ll use both the zest and the segments to get the brightest punch of citrusy flavor. I used a simple naval orange, but feel free to experiment with any kind of orange you like. Try blood orange (if you want to embrace the color red), Cara Cara oranges (for a sweeter twist), or mandarins if you prefer. Note that mandarins are smaller, so you’ll need 2-3.
• Granulated Sugar - Plain white sugar has a neutral sweetness that allows the produce to shine. Feel free to use an equal amount of cane sugar or superfine/caster sugar. You can also use honey or agave nectar if you prefer, but you may need to adjust how much you add.
• Red Onion - With a beautiful magenta hue and a slightly sweet bite, red onion is my go-to for this relish. That said, you can use milder shallot, pale yellow onion, or sharp white onion if you prefer.
• Jalapeños - Using one pepper will give your relish a medium heat, but Joe and I love spicy foods, so we’re not shy with how much we add. You can always start with one, then add more to the mix if you want more kick. If you aren't a big fan of spicy foods, remove the seeds and white membrane from the jalapeño prior to mincing. Most of the capsaicin lives in the seeds and membranes, so using just the flesh will give you a little heat.
• Fresh Mint - The contrast of cooling mint against the spicy chiles and tart cranberries and citrus is lovely. If you prefer more of a cranberry jalapeño salsa vibe, cilantro also works great!

How to Make Fresh Cranberry Jalapeño Relish

Step 1: Prep Orange. Remove the zest with a microplane first, then use a sharp knife to peel the orange. Using the same sharp knife, cut the oranges into supremes. Each supreme should then be cut into 3-4 pieces. Use your hands to squeeze the last bit of juice from the body of the orange.

Step 2: Mince your jalapeño pepper (or peppers) and red onion quite finely. (Feel free to use your food processor if you like!) Roughly chop your mint leaves, leaving behind all woody stems.

Step 3: Pulse Cranberries. Bust out your food processor and pulse rinsed cranberries until roughly chopped. Top with sugar and process 1-2 more times to combine.

Step 4: Stir all ingredients together, cover and allow to macerate in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Enjoy!

Expert Tips 

• Zesting smarts. Make sure you're only using the brightly colored part of the orange peel since the white pith is pretty bitter. A microplane grater makes this very easy.
• To quickly strip the leaves off of mint, pinch the top tip of the stem with your non-dominant hand, then slide your lightly pinched thumb and forefinger of the other hand down the stem toward the root end.
• Wait to add the mint until a few hours before serving to keep the color vibrant.
• Taste and adjust. The overall flavor profile of this relish should be sweet-tart and a little spicy. If there's too much heat for your palate, add more sweet orange or sugar. Not hot enough? Add another jalapeno. The ingredient amounts aren't set in stone, so just tweak until you find the right balance.

Serving Suggestions

This orange cranberry jalapeño relish is one of those magical condiments that sneaks into every corner of your fridge and somehow makes everything taste better. The citrus and jalapeño make it feel right at home in all kinds of savory, snacky situations. If you make a double batch, you’ll find a dozen ways to use it. 

Sure, it’s a fresher, brighter stand-in for the canned stuff on your Thanksgiving or Christmas table, but don’t stop there. Try it:

• With Meat: Pile it onto turkey or roast chicken, use it as a bright condiment for pork tenderloin, or pair it with grilled fish for an unexpected pop of brightness. You can also mix a few tablespoons into pan drippings for the fastest, freshest pan sauce ever.
• As Salsa: Grab a bag of tortilla chips and call it a day. It’s also excellent spooned over leftover turkey tacos or with melty quesadillas.
• Dippity-Do-Da: For the world’s easiest appetizer, make cream cheese cranberry jalapeno dip—pour the relish over a block of softened cream cheese or a bed of whipped cream cheese and serve with crostini or crackers. The creamy-cool base with that sweet-spicy cranberry zing? Delightful! 
• Cheese Please: Upgrade your cheese board by serving it next to softened goat cheese or spooned atop baked brie.

Storage Instructions

• Refrigeration: Cranberry jalapeño relish tastes best when it has had a bit of time to marinate. You can make it up to a day ahead. 
• Make-Ahead Tip: If you want to make it even further in advance, just omit the mint. It will keep for 3-5 days in the refrigerator. Mix in the mint an hour or so before serving to keep the color vibrant.
• Freezing: Not recommended. The cold breaks down the cell walls of the produce and makes them taste a bit soggy after defrosting.

FAQs

More Holiday Recipe Inspiration