Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce is the only kind of cranberry sauce I will let touch my plate. I do love cranberries, but that jiggly canned cranberry sauce is just not for me. Even plain fresh cranberry sauce pales in comparison to this yummy spiced orange version. In my humble opinion, this is the best cranberry sauce ever and what you need for your Christmas or Thanksgiving meal menu!
The delicious cranberry orange sauce recipe is easy to make, so there is really no reason to buy the canned stuff . The sauce even stores well, so you can make it a few days in advance of Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, if you like. There is no reason not to serve this on your holiday table this year.
Orange Cranberry Sauce with Ginger
This Thanksgiving cranberry sauce is so easy to make. The cranberry sauce recipe uses only orange juice as a liquid, no water. The citrus flavor is further enhanced with freshly zested orange peel and ground ginger. Sugar is reduced slightly, as the juice brings some sweetness itself and is ample to subdue the bitter fresh berries in the recipe.
The results of this orange cranberry sauce recipe is a cranberry sauce you will want to eat with a spoon. It's not just for the Thanksgiving turkey dinner either. It goes great with chicken and pork as well, and is even great on pancakes in place of maple syrup. For a Christmas sauce, cranberry orange is definitely a fabulous combo of flavors for the season too!
I guess it is pretty obvious I am keen on the combination of cranberries and oranges and think a bowl of it should be on your family holiday menu along with your roast turkey or ham as a delicious side dish.
Have a lot of dried cranberries on hand? Try my Cranberry Chutney. It is a delicious somewhat jam like cranberry and sweet onion mixture and is fabulous on sandwiches.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Sauce
Let's make this easy cranberry sauce with orange and ginger is the perfect compliment to your Thanksgiving meal. Conveniently, this is also a side you can make ahead of time.
Prep Time: 2-3 minutes Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- grater to zest orange
Ingredients for the Sauce
Here is everything you need to make the cranberry sauce with orange.
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (brown sugar is fine if you prefer)
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch of salt (Kosher or Sea)
- fresh orange zest
- 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries (frozen cranberries will work in a pinch)
Method
If you want to see visual recipe, a short video in included in the recipe card below.
Place the saucepan over medium-high heat. Toss in the sugar, orange juice, salt and ginger. Zest ½ of an orange with a microplane or box grater (just the outer orange part avoiding the white pith) into the pot as it comes up to a boil.
Dump in the fresh or frozen cranberries and stir. Bring to a boil then reduce heat down to medium. Continue to cook while stirring. You will start to see the berries begin to burst.
Once most of the cranberries burst, take the pot off the burner. Let cool completely. The sauce thickens as it cools.
Serve fresh cranberry orange sauce at room temperature or chill to serve cold. Transfer to serving bowl when it is time to set the table.
Try serving this delicious homemade cranberry sauce as a side dish with my equally yummy Orange Herb Roasted Turkey. Thanks a Happy Thanksgiving!
Variations
Here are a few twists you can make to the ingredients in this orange cranberry sauce. It will still be wonderfully sweet and tart.
- If you are not a fan of ginger by all means swap ground cinnamon or toss in one or two cinnamon sticks while cooking the sauce.
- Feel free to omit salt. Most fresh cranberry sauce recipes don't use any. I think a pinch adds a little balance but I have skipped it myself half the time.
- For those on Keto or looking for a diabetic cranberry sauce, swap orange juice for water. Add a little more orange zest and opt for a calorie free sweetener such as erythritol.
You will need to store the fresh cranberry sauce in an airtight container to preserve it properly. It will last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator if sealed and stored within 4 hours of making. You can absolutely make this condiment ahead of time for the holiday meal.
Honestly, I would personally toss it after 7-10 days myself.
Yes, you can absolutely freeze cranberry sauce. The important part is to get as much air out as possible before sealing in a freezer safe airtight container.
The standard is it will last up to 3 months in freezer, but I've used a well sealed batch about 9 months after freezing and it was still great.
If you have leftover cranberry orange sauce consider making my super easy Cranberry Dump Cake recipe or Cranberry Meatballs with it.
Of course, it also makes a fabulous topping for leftover turkey sandwiches!
Yes, absolutely. Making it the evening before the holiday is ideal, and will allow the flavors to meld. Make sure to store it in an air tight container.
You could make it up to 3 days before you serve and it will last a few more after.
No, when you simmer the berries they burst and release pectin which is a natural thickener. As the sauce cools it will thicken up.
I hope you enjoy this classic Thanksgiving side dish. It really is the best cranberry sauce recipe in my humble opinion. Don't ever buy canned cranberry sauce again!
Cranberry Orange Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- grater to zest orange
Ingredients
- 1 cup orange juice
- ¾ cup sugar swap granulated sugar for brown if you prefer
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch of Sea Salt
- orange zest from half an orange
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Place the saucepan over medium-high heat. Toss in the sugar, orange juice, salt and ginger.
- Zest ½ an orange and add the orange zest into pot as it comes up to a boil.
- Add the cranberries and stir. Once it comes back up to a boil reduce the heat to medium and continue to simmer while stirring. It is done cooking when most of the cranberries have popped.
- Take off burner and allow to cool to room temperature before serving. Once fully cool scoop into serving bowl or storage container.
Video
Notes
Storing
Feel free to make cranberry sauce in larger batches. It stores well. Simply scoop into an airtight container or ziploc bag and seal with as little air as possible. It will last in refrigerator up to a maximum of 2 weeks. Freezing will extend life to at least 3 months. If you have a pound of cranberries (4 cups), you will need to adjust sugar to 1 cup and OJ to 1 ⅓ cup.Sugar Free Cranberry Orange Sauce
Swap up to 1 cup of water for the orange juice. Add a bit more orange zest or a few drops of orange extract to make up for the citrus flavor. Use erythritol, allulose or another measures like sugar sweetener in the recipe.Nutrition
Cranberry Orange Recipes
Here are a few more recipes you may enjoy that feature cranberry and orange together.
- Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies with Walnuts
- Madras Drink
- Cranberry Orange Donuts with Orange Ginger Glaze
Mai says
Great recipe! I'll be making it every year now.
Melody Jean says
I love this recipe. So easy and delicious. HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Miranda D says
Love the added spice in this cranberry sauce. Made it for Thanksgiving and everyone liked it so much better than canned sauce.
Kyla says
This looks good. Im going to make it this year for Thanksgiving dinner.
Theresa says
Thank you. I would like to replace as many of my grandmothers recipes as I can and this seems to be the closest to hers that I've found. I know she put zest in hers.
Karen Young says
I want to jar this cranberry/orange sauce. Do I need to water bath and if so for how long?
Robin Gagnon says
The sugar content in this would not qualify as a jam. I would recommend a water bath. I am not sure on the specific timing and such. I expect about the same as a fruit pie filling.
Beth says
Cranberry and citrus is such a delicious, classic holiday combination. I love this variation on the recipe,
Claudia Lamascolo says
This is my new favorite way to eat cranberry great recipe the whole family loves this with turkey and chicken!
Vicky says
You know, I used to think I didn't like cranberry sauce because I thought it was all the gel stuff you get in a can. But when I discovered homemade, my tune changed. I love the addition of the orange flavor in this sauce. It would be a great side dish to a fall meal.
ali randall says
I always make my cranberry sauce from scratch and love the taste of oranges as it goes so well with turkey. I will hang on to this recipe since I think its easy to follow and the pictures look absolutely delicious!