Add a refreshing twist to your next party with this delicious homemade cranberry salsa recipe! Perfect for dipping with chips or adding to your favorite dishes. This fabulous salsa is a holiday favorite served over a brick of softened cream cheese.
Sometime in mid-October, the local grocery stores start carrying fresh cranberries. This tart berry makes so many outstanding recipes, including this salsa. Somehow, the spicy flavor of the jalapenos complements the cranberries just perfectly. It is not too spicy from the jalapenos or bitter from the cranberries. If you like this salsa, try pineapple salsa, peach salsa, and mango salsa!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Cranberries: Fresh cranberries freeze very well and can maintain their texture and quality for almost a year, so I usually stock up on extra-large bags from Costco this time of the year.
- Zest: I use orange and lime, but you can use orange and lemon.
- Honey: I prefer honey in this recipe, but you can use granulated sugar.
- Jalapenos: choose mild peppers that are uniformly green in color and free of striations or blemishes.
- Cilantro: fresh chopped is a must for the best flavor
- Citrus juice: fresh lime is the best, but fresh lemon or orange works too
How to Make Cranberry Salsa
Add the cranberries, red onion, orange zest, lime zest, honey, jalapenos, cilantro, and lime juice to a food processor. Pulse several times to chop to the desired consistency.
Remove the lid several times to check for consistency. You don’t want to go too far; this step goes very quickly. If you are not serving it immediately, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Ways to serve this salsa
- Spooned over grilled chicken or fish
- Ladled over a block of softened cream cheese
- With freshly baked cinnamon chips
- As an accompaniment to grilled beef or pork tenderloin
- In baked Brie with puff pastry
- Spooned over baked meatloaf
- With crispy cheese quesadillas
More Cranberry Recipes
Cranberry Salsa Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries
- ½ medium red onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- ½ cup honey
- 2 jalapeno peppers seeded and minced
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 limes juiced
Instructions
- Combine cranberries, red onion, orange zest, lime zest, honey, jalapenos, cilantro, and lime juice in a food processor. Pulse several times to chop to medium consistency. Refrigerate if not used immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Tisha
Fresh and tangy cranberry jalapeño salsa with a spicy kick. Quick and easy to make, perfect for holiday appetizers or gatherings!
Donna
I was wondering why you mentioned this is only good for a week in the fridge. I actually made this two weeks before Thanksgiving and served it Thanksgiving and again at a Christmas party just recently. I kept it in a jar with tightly closed lid and it taste as good today as it did when I made it. All the ingredients were fresh so why wouldn’t it keep?
It is delicious and I also plan on making another batch and giving them away as gifts.
Beth Pierce
Hey Donna! So glad that you liked it! Whenever listing storage times on recipes I am always very conservative as I would hate for someone to get sick. In this recipe the cranberries and cilantro break down first.
Michelynn
I saw this and thought it looked… different. I was worried when I sampled the mixture, seemed not so fantastic. When mixed with the cream cheese, GAME CHANGER!! This is awesome! I am not into jalapeños, but everything melded nicely.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Michelynn! So glad that you liked it.
Jen
How would this be without the onion? I have an allergy. Should I just omit or add something else
Beth Pierce
I think it would still be good. Maybe celery? Maybe
edward valitutto
Just made this (day before Thxgiving) and I really like it! It will probably taste even better tomorrow. Since I avoid sugar, I only used 1 TBS honey and added 4 packets (1g each) of Stevia. This is a nice mix of tart and spicy that most of my guests tomorrow will enjoy! I also made a batch of the regular style sauce!
Beth Pierce
So glad that you like it. I love it too! I might fix this for one of my New Years appetizers.
Sandra
This is seriously amazing! I really love the combination of cranberry and jalapeno!
Allyson Zea
Cranberry salsa is one of my favs! This recipe is delicious!
Amanda Livesay
This is so fun for the holidays! And so easy!
Catalina
Cranberry salsa is a must for our holiday table. The addition of jalapeno makes it irresistible.
Vikki
Super easy and tasty! What a fun salsa