Cranberry Relish

A fresh cranberry orange relish that's spiked with Grand Marnier!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword cranberry orange relish, cranberry relish, cranberry relish recipe, fresh cranberry relish, no-cook cranberry relish

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2

Chilling Time 1

Total Time 1 12

Servings servings (1/4 cup each)

Calories 95kcal

Wash and sort the cranberries. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add the cranberries to the boiling water and blanch for about 2 minutes. The berries need to “pop,” but they should not cook for too long. Drain the cranberries and immediately transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain.
Wash and quarter the orange (do not peel). Remove any seeds.
In a food processor, pulse the orange until it’s in vert small pieces. Add the cranberries; pulse until the cranberries are finely chopped.
Transfer the fruit to a medium bowl. Stir in the sugar, Grand Marnier, vanilla extract, and salt. Taste and adjust the sugar, if desired.
Cover and chill for at least 24 hours, or up to 2 weeks. It gets better as it sits!

Grand Marnier gives the dish a very strong, alcohol-forward flavor! If you prefer a less-boozy, more family-friendly option, cut half of the Grand Marnier with orange juice, or omit it altogether and sub with orange juice, cranberry juice, or apple cider instead.
Uncle Brian uses 1 cup of Grand Marnier, which yields a thinner relish. Feel free to add more if you like, too!
Don't over-process; pulse for chunky texture, not puree
This recipe yields approximately 3 cups of relish (or 12 ¼-cup servings). Double the recipe to serve a larger group. It keeps well in the fridge for weeks, so this is a nice option if you want to enjoy leftovers, too.
Start with ¾ cup sugar; adjust to taste after chilling
Make at least 1-3 days ahead for best flavor
Keeps refrigerated up to 2 weeks
Freezes well for up to 3 months
Mix in ½ cup chopped pecans or diced apple for variation