Skip the can and spice up your meal with this flavorful and slightly fiery Jalapeño Cranberry Sauce. This sweet and spice-ified twist on the classic is downright delightful!
I’ve been seeing jalapeño kissed cranberry sauce popping up on so many restaurant menus lately and I totally get the hype. It’s delicious!
De-seedig the jalapeños helps you control the heat, so you can make this scrumptious sauce mild, medium, or as spicy as you’d like.
You can use it the same way you’d use regular cranberry sauce and it’s amazing as part of a big holiday meal with roasted turkey or chicken, as a spread for cold sandwiches and hot paninis, and as a topping for baked brie.
It’s also a great way to amp up your appetizer game by serving it over whipped goat cheese, whipped feta, or a brick of cream cheese.
I also have it on pretty good authority that it’s AMAZING spread on grilled cheese.
Even better than the flavor is the fact that this rockin’ recipe is so quick and easy to make with just a handful of ingredients.
It’s easily made in advance if you’re meal prepping or party prepping and can be stored in the fridge or freezer until you need it!
Grab these ingredients:
- 12 oz bag Cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- 2 Small Jalapeño Peppers (or one XL pepper)
- Granulated White Sugar (or try it with brown sugar!)
- 1 Large Orange (zested then juiced)
- Sea Salt
- Water
INGREDIENT VARIATIONS + SWAPS
Instead of using a large orange you can opt for 2 limes. Zest one and juice both for a jalapeño lime cranberry sauce. It’s delicious!
You can use all white sugar, all brown sugar, or opt for a combination of sugar and honey to sweeten your sauce.
Fresh minced jalapeños and zesty orange mixed with fresh cranberries join forces a zesty cranberry sauce like you’ve never tasted before! Can’t find fresh cranberries? This rockin’ recipe works with frozen cranberries too!
Jalapeño Cranberry Sauce
This is the perfect cranberry sauce for fans of pepper jam, candied jalapenos, or any sort of spicy sweetness in their recipes.
In the recipe card below, I’ve included some tips to control the spice level to your sauce so you can make it mild, medium, or spicy to suit your tastes. I’m SO excited for you to try this recipe!
PREP THE PEPPERS
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First prep the jalapeños by cutting off the stem and halving the pepper lengthwise.
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Use a spoon to scoop out the insides from each pepper. Set aside to control the heat later. For a spicier sauce you can add some of this back in after taste testing the finished sauce.
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Slice the prepped jalapeno into strips and finely dice.
ZEST AND JUICE THE ORANGE
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Zest about 1/2 tsp of orange zest from your orange and then juice to yield 1/2 cup of orange juice.
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For a fun swap you can use a few limes instead using the juice and the zest to flavor the sauce. It’s great both ways!
COMBINE INGREDIENTS + COOK
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Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat and give it a good stir.
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Once the sugar has melted, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the juices have thickened and the cranberries have popped, about 15 minutes.
TASTE + SERVE
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Once sauce is nice and thick and the berries have burst, allow a spoonful to cool enough for a quick taste. You can also add more orange zest and a little more sweetness if you’d like a sweeter sauce or add some of the jalapenos seeds back in for a spicier sauce. Let your taste buds be your guide and enjoy!
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For a rustic sauce, use a spoon to mash up any still whole berries and serve. For a smooth cranberry sauce, use an immersion blender, blender, or food processor to puree the sauce before serving.
Recipe yields approx. 2 cups of sauce with projected serving size of 2 TBSP per serving. Nutrition Facts below are estimated using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed based on portion size served and enjoy!
Calories: 62kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 0.2g, Fat: 0.1g, Saturated Fat: 0.01g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g, Sodium: 37mg, Potassium: 37mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 47IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 3mg, Iron: 0.1mg
How to Store Jalapeño Cranberry Sauce
Store this scrumptious sauce it in an airtight storage container in the fridge for up to week. For a longer shelf life you can freeze portions of cranberry sauce for 1-3 months.
Leftover cranberry sauce?
Check out my collection of delicious appetizers, side dishes, sandwiches, and other amazing recipes featuring leftover cranberry sauce: Recipes to Make with Leftover Cranberry Sauce.
If you get a chance to try this tasty Jalapeño Cranberry Sauce recipe, let me know! Leave me a comment or review using the form below. I’m always so excited to hear from you, and can’t wait to hear all about your tasty creation!
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