This easy appetizer will be your new favorite for a holiday spread, tailgate party, bridal shower or just a casual night at home! It comes together with less than 15 minutes hands on time, can be made the day before, travels well, and is such a lovely splash of color and texture for any get together. Keep reading to learn how to make Fresh Cranberry Salsa!
The tart flavors, fresh herbs and jalapeño pepper make this a perfect appetizer that has it all!
The only downside that I could come up with for making this festive cranberry salsa is that you will have to run to the grocery store. Or at least most of us don't keep pomegranates and fresh cranberries on hand! Other than that, this really is the perfect complimentary bff to traditional cranberry sauce.
If cranberry season gives you all the feels, I know you will love my grandma's Cranberry Orange Cookies. They are a unique drop cookie that is as delicious as it is beautiful.
Why this recipe works
This is an easy holiday appetizer that is bright and beautiful, and made with fresh ingredients. When we are eating a heavy Thanksgiving dinner, it's nice to have snacks and sides options that balance it out.
Jump to:
- Why this recipe works
- Ingredients for cranberry salsa
- How to make this fresh cranberry salsa recipe
- How to make a cranberry salsa cream cheese appetizer
- Variations
- What is the best cracker or chip for cranberry jalapeño salsa?
- How to store cranberry salsa
- Helpful tools
- Recipe
- Variations
- HOW TO STORE CRANBERRY SALSA
- More delicious side dishes and appetizers!
- Comments
Ingredients for cranberry salsa
- A bag of fresh cranberries | Fresh cranberries are in season during the fall and early winter. If you are making this recipe during the warmer months, try finding frozen cranberries. Make sure to examine the cranberries for bad fruit before adding them to the food processor. I always find a few berries that need thrown out.
- Maple syrup or honey add sweetness and help to mellow the tart cranberries. A half cup of sugar could be substituted, but the maple syrup is my very favorite this time of year.
- Red onion, finely chopped. A bundle of green onions could also be used.
- Jalapeño, finely chopped. If you like it spicy, you could add a serrano pepper or other hot peppers to give it a kick. Just taste test as you add and know that the heat may intensify as the flavors combine.
- Fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped.
- Pomegranate This is optional, but very fun! We love the added crunch and sweetness it brings, but it can also be left out.
- A juiced lime is super important! I also want to experiment with adding a tablespoon or two of orange juice in addition to the lime. Orange and cranberry are sooo good together!
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Optional serving suggestion
- A block of cream cheese softened to room temperature.
- Crackers or tortilla chips.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make this fresh cranberry salsa recipe
1. Open the bag of cranberries and inspect the fruit for damage or imperfections. There's usually a few sneaky tart berries that need to be removed before starting.
2. Add the cranberries to a food processor with maple syrup. Pulse until they’re finely chopped. Transfer the chopped cranberries to a bowl and add remaining ingredients.
3. Wash the cilantro and remove the thick stems, juice the lime, chop the onion, and prep the pomegranate. Remove the seeds and veins from the jalapeño and chop it finely.
4. Taste and season accordingly, adding additional salt, lime juice or maple syrup if desired. Place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes before enjoying. I like to make it the day before to give the flavors plenty of time to release.
How to make a cranberry salsa cream cheese appetizer
This is my favorite way! To serve, spread the brick of cream cheese on a medium sized platter and layer the cranberry salsa on top. I use a spoon to dollop the salsa so that I don't end up with puddles of juice on the cream cheese. If your salsa has created a lot of juice, for example if you made it a day ago, you might even want to pour it through a mesh strainer before putting it on the cream cheese. I really think the tart cranberries paired with the cream cheese create the perfect combination!
I like to save back a sprig or two of finely chopped cilantro, or even green onions, to sprinkle on top as a garnish. It looks so pretty at holiday parties!
Variations
1. Cranberry salsa can be made ahead of time. If you are really busy or traveling for the holidays, make this 1-2 days before the party. Let it sit in the fridge and really release it's juices. The only thing I've found when making this early is that the onion can get pretty strong. I recommend adding everything BUT the onion and stirring it in fresh the day of serving.
2. It's fast! Spicy cranberry salsa took me about 15 minutes to make the first time I tried it, but most of that was searching for youtube videos about how to prep a pomegranate. Now that I have that figured out, I can make this whole salsa using my blender (or food processor) and veggie chopper.
3. This might be a little superficial, but it truly is a gorgeous salsa. The deep shades of red and purple, splashed against the deep green accents... it looks ultra fancy!
4. Make this a sweet or mild salsa. This actually doesn't have to be a spicy salsa. Leave out the peppers, cilantro and onion, and pepper and make this a sweet salsa and add in a tiny splash of orange juice. Serve it sweet! Some recipes recommend adding a cup of sugar, but I think that is too much. I'd double up on the honey or maple syrup first and see how that goes.
5. If you are a family who loves spice, add more jalapeno peppers. Kick it up a notch! I haven't tried it yet, but I plan on making a hot version in the near future for tailgate parties that is spicy and has double the peppers and I'll toss in a red bell pepper for a great addition to this robust fresh salsa.
What is the best cracker or chip for cranberry jalapeño salsa?
I think the best crackers for this are a sturdy cracker that hold up to scooping and dipping, such as my homemade Sourdough Crackers, wheat thins, multigrain crackers or even ritz crackers. But sometimes I think the ritz are a little more crumbly than they used to be.
Tortilla chips are also a good way to eat this salsa, especially if you are serving it as a traditional salsa and not as a cream cheese dip. We like the blue corn style tortilla chip, but any will do! You can also ask your favorite restaurant if they sell their chips and grab a bag the day before.
How to store cranberry salsa
Treat this like you would any fresh salsa. Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for less than a week. I like to use a mason jar.
When it's time to eat, I serve small portions and refill the bowl frequently, rather than putting all of the salsa in a bowl. Any accidental double dipping or cross contamination will affect how long it stays fresh and whether or not it is healthy to eat.
Helpful tools
All you really need is a good chef's knife and cutting board, but if you are like me, it's nice to use a few cheats. To make the prep go faster, there are a few different ways to save time. My blender is the easiest way to chop the cranberries into small, irregular pieces, without worrying about cutting my fingers while they roll around. My sister-in-law made a variation of this recipe for Thanksgiving and her's was very uniform because she used her food processor. So, if you have one, I'd go with the processor.
The other tool that I really like is my vegetable chopper. It cuts my cilantro, peppers and onions into perfectly uniform little squares. If you use this, start with the cilantro so that the other veggies can help "push it through."
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. For more delicious recipes from scratch and homesteading tips, follow me on instagram @NinnescahHomestead
Recipe
Cranberry Salsa
Equipment
- chef's knife and cutting board
- bowl
Ingredients
- 3½ cups fresh cranberries 1 bag
- 1 pomegranate
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 lime juiced
- jalapeño pepper
- ½ red onion
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Open the bag of cranberries and inspect the fruit for damage or imperfections. There's usually a few sneaky tart berries that need to be removed before starting. Wash the cilantro and remove the thick stems, juice the lime, chop the onion, and prep the pomegranate. Remove the seeds and veins from the jalapeño and chop it finely.
- Add the cranberries to a food processor with maple syrup. Pulse until they’re finely chopped. Transfer the chopped cranberries to a bowl and add remaining ingredients.
- Taste and season accordingly, adding additional salt, lime juice or maple syrup if desired. Place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes before enjoying. I like to make it the day before to give the flavors plenty of time to release.
Notes
Variations
1. Cranberry salsa can be made ahead of time. If you are really busy or traveling for the holidays, make this 1-2 days before the party. Let it sit in the fridge and really release it's juices. The only thing I've found when making this early is that the onion can get pretty strong. I recommend adding everything BUT the onion and stirring it in fresh the day of serving. 2. It's fast! Spicy cranberry salsa took me about 15 minutes to make the first time I tried it, but most of that was searching for youtube videos about how to prep a pomegranate. Now that I have that figured out, I can make this whole salsa using my blender (or food processor) and veggie chopper. 3. This might be a little superficial, but it truly is a gorgeous salsa. The deep shades of red and purple, splashed against the deep green accents... it looks ultra fancy! 4. Make this a sweet or mild salsa. This actually doesn't have to be a spicy salsa. Leave out the peppers, cilantro and onion, and pepper and make this a sweet salsa and add in a tiny splash of orange juice. Serve it sweet! Some recipes recommend adding a cup of sugar, but I think that is too much. I'd double up on the honey or maple syrup first and see how that goes. 5. If you are a family who loves spice, add more jalapeno peppers. Kick it up a notch! I haven't tried it yet, but I plan on making a hot version in the near future for tailgate parties that is spicy and has double the peppers and I'll toss in a red bell pepper for a great addition to this robust fresh salsa.HOW TO STORE CRANBERRY SALSA
Treat this like you would any fresh salsa. Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for less than a week. I like to use a mason jar. When it's time to eat, I serve small portions and refill the bowl frequently, rather than putting all of the salsa in a bowl. Any accidental double dipping or cross contamination will affect how long it stays fresh and whether or not it is healthy to eat.Nutrition
If you are reading this in the fall, I hope you have a very happy holiday season! If you are looking for other great make-ahead recipe ideas, or maybe the perfect holiday appetizer, search my Appetizer, Salads & Sides category page! Please leave a comment below and let me know how this recipe worked for you!
Happy cooking!
Meg
More delicious side dishes and appetizers!
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this Cranberry Salsa:
Sofia
A perfect mix of sweet and tart in the same dish! So delicious!
Christa
10/10 recommend! This recipe was so easy to make and such a hit at our Christmas party yesterday! I will be bringing this to many more parties!
Betty
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! Cranberries were on sale, so I bought a bunch of them. I ended up making your salsa as an appetizer on Christmas day! It was gone so fast!