Cranberry Orange Sauce

Square overhead shot of a bowl of cranberry sauce with orange that's garnished with fresh orange zest.

5 from 3 votes

Fresh cranberries simmer in orange juice with a little sugar and a pinch of salt until they burst into a bright, sweet-tart sauce. It's ready in about 20 minutes and can be made days ahead for an easy holiday side!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword best cranberry sauce recipe, cranberry orange sauce, cranberry sauce recipe with orange, cranberry sauce with orange, cranberry sauce with orange juice, homemade cranberry sauce

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Cooling Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings people (Yield = 2 ¼ cups total)

Calories 72kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

1 cup orange juice (fresh-squeezed or bottled)
½ cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1 (12 ounce) bag fresh cranberries, rinsed
Optional garnish: zest from 1 small orange

Instructions

Dissolve the sugar: In a medium saucepan, bring the orange juice, sugar, and salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Whisk often until the sugar dissolves.
Add the cranberries: Stir in the cranberries and return to a boil.
Simmer: Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring often. The sauce is ready when most of the berries have burst and it coats the back of a spoon but is still loose.
Cool: Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Serve or chill: Serve at room temperature, garnished with orange zest if you like, or refrigerate until ready to use.

Notes

Frozen cranberries: Use them straight from the freezer. They'll take a minute or two longer to return to a boil.
Sweetness: For a sweeter sauce, increase the sugar to ¾ cup. For a very tart sauce, use ¼ cup. Brown sugar can be swapped in for a hint of molasses flavor.
Warm spices: Add a cinnamon stick, a pinch of ground ginger or cloves, or a little grated nutmeg with the cranberries.
Make ahead and storage: Make up to 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freezing the finished sauce isn't recommended, since it can turn watery.
Serving temperature: It's best at room temperature, so pull it from the fridge about an hour before serving.
Bigger batch: Double all of the ingredients and use a larger pot, since the sauce foams up as the berries pop. Expect it to take a few extra minutes to simmer.

Nutrition