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A close up view of a perfect holiday appetizer spicy cranberry salsa in a white bowl.

Cranberry Salsa

The tart flavors, fresh herbs and jalapeño pepper make Cranberry Salsa a perfect appetizer that has it all! It comes together fast and travels well! Make it the day before to save time.
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 48 kcal

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
 

  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. 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.
  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. 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

Calories: 48kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 1gFat: 0.4gSaturated Fat: 0.05gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.03gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.04gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 118mgFiber: 2gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 72IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 0.2mg
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