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This fresh Cranberry Salsa recipe is easy, delicious, and pretty. It will become your favorite go to appetizer for holiday parties.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
Easy and Festive! This recipe is always on repeat during the holidays for several reasons It is so easy to make and literally comes together in 10 minutes and the red and green color is perfect for the holidays.
Make Ahead. During the holidays it is always nice to have a recipe that can be made a day or two ahead. Cranberry Salsa can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavor is actually better after it sits in the fridge a while.
Delicious. Most importantly, cranberry salsa is delicious. The flavor combination of cranberries and cilantro is amazing! It can be served all on it’s on with crackers or chips, as a condiment with meat or over a block of cream cheese with crackers.
Ingredients Needed
- Cranberries, fresh whole cranberries. You will find these in the produce section, usually in a 12 oz bag.
- Cilantro
- Green Onions
- Sugar
- Limes
- Cumin
- Jalapeno
- Cream Cheese, room temperature
- Crackers
How to Make Cranberry Salsa
- Wash and drain the cranberries and remove any rstems that may still be attached.
- Place the cranberries, green onion, jalapeno and cilantro in a food processor and add in sugar, cumin and lime juice.
- Pulse to chop up the ingredients and combine.
- Chill the salsa until ready to serve.
Tips from leigh Anne
- Don’t over chop the cranberries with the food processor. You want a rough chop.
- Make the salsa ahead of time so it has at least an hour to chill in the refrigerator. It gives the flavors a chance to come together.
- Serve salsa it in a bowl and add some tortilla chips or, my favorite way to serve it, pour salsa over a brick of cream cheese and eat with crackers. I like to use water crackers but you could also use Ritz crackers, Wheat Thins or your favorite cracker.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will cranberry salsa keep?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and use within 3-4 days for best results.
The salsa can also be frozen. Let it come to room temperature in the fridge before serving.
Can I make this with frozen cranberries?
You can but it will definitely have a different texture. The frozen cranberries will be soft when they thaw and the salsa will have a softer texture. I much prefer fresh cranberries but if all you have is frozen be sure to thaw them first.
Can I make this without a food processor?
You can chop everything by hand if you don’t have a food processor. Just be sure to chop everything up small.
How spicy is cranberry salsa?
The jalapeno adds just a mild bit of spiciness to the salsa. The seeds of the pepper are what add the heat so if you don’t want much heat, be sure to clean out all the seeds before chopping.
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Cranberry Salsa Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 oz cranberries
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 2 green onions
- jalapeno pepper seeded
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 limes juice of two limes
- 1/4 tsp cumin powder add up to 1/2 tsp depending on taste
Instructions
- Wash cranberries and remove any stems.
- Remove seeds and stem from jalapeno pepper.
- Place cranberries, cilantro, green onions, jalapeno, sugar, cumin and lime juice in food processor and pulse to chop.
- Place mixture in a bowl and chill for an hour in the refrigerator.
- Serve over cream cheese or just with chips
- Also would be yummy as a side sauce with turkey, pork or chicken
Tips & Notes:
- Don’t over chop the cranberries with the food processor. You want a rough chop.
- Make the salsa ahead of time so it has at least an hour to chill in the refrigerator. It gives the flavors a chance to come together.
- You can serve it in a bowl and add some tortilla chips, but my favorite way to serve it is over a brick of cream cheese with crackers. I like to use water crackers but you could also use Ritz crackers, Wheat Thins or your favorite cracker.
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Ann Marie says
I don’t know why it has taken me a long time to comment on this since I have been making this recipe for 3 years now. I wanted to say that it is absolutely delicious and indeed addictive!!
Leigh Anne says
Ann Marie, I love hearing that!!!
lauri says
This sounds delicious and “different” for a Thanksgiving appetizer. Thinking a throwing in a little jalapeno, though, what do you think?
Leigh Anne says
I think a little jalapeno in it would be amazing!
Bonnie@WhatAboutPie says
Ok, I am going to make this for a snack for me and my sister. She is coming in from Long Island NY and I want to have something special tomorrow night…just a snack, not a special dinner…hahaha! she’s not that special! just kidding, of course she is!! I have to admit, I am wondering about the tartness, but I see that there is 1 cup of sugar and I read all of the reviews here and people are raving about! So I am going for it!!! I trust you! I’ll let you know how it goes!
Leigh Anne says
Bonnie – you won’t be sorry!!
Taylor says
I certainly like dishes with Cranberries, especially around the holiday season, but I hadn’t heard of this one before.
Serving it with cheese and some crackers sounds pretty good to me.
We’ve got a family get together coming up and I think I will give this a try.
Thanks for providing all the good info on this.
Mage says
That looks inviting! I would gladly try making some as a side sauce for chicken. Now, the thought of it makes me drool. LOL . Thanks for sharing this!