This cranberry sauce with orange has only three ingredients, but is packed with bright flavor. It's quick and easy to make, zesty and with a wonderful tartness (though you can make it a little sweeter if you like). So worth the small effort to make yourself!

dish of cranberry sauce with orange with a spoon in back of bowl, orange behind and cranberries around.

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Cranberry sauce is a classic accompaniment to a Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey dinner, and it is certainly a pairing that goes well together. The sweet but tart cranberry sauce with the savory, mild turkey makes for a delicious mouthful.

Our Christmas table growing up in the UK almost always included cranberry sauce. We only occasionally bought it if we didn't get cranberries before they sold out - it was never missed out - but it was always a proper preserve-like sauce.

overhead view of a dish of cranberry sauce with orange with a spoon in it.

Only on coming to the US have I come across the more jelly form of cranberry sauce in a can that I tried once through lack of choice. I know for some people, that's what they know and enjoy, but it's definitely not to my taste.

If time is what has stopped you making your own in the past, then it really shouldn't be. This easy sauce comes together in mere minutes and is incredibly easy to make. And to me, the flavor just doesn't compare - it's packed with vibrant, juicy fruitiness, from both the cranberries themselves and orange.

cranberries in a small saucepan with orange juice.

How to make this easy cranberry sauce

There are only three ingredients - cranberry, orange and sugar. I use a lot of orange juice so this cranberry sauce has very little actual sugar in it, unlike a lot of bought varieties. The orange also adds a lovely fresh zesty flavor that goes well with the cranberry.

This is as simple as placing everything in a small sauce pan and warming it up. As the cranberries cook, you'll hear them pop and burst as they soften. They then release some of their pulpiness which, along with some of the liquid evaporating, thickens the sauce.

Personally I prefer a fairly tart sauce so this recipe reflects that. As a result, you my want to add a little more sugar than I have here. You can do this right at the end when you taste it. I would just suggest you do it while it is still warm as the sugar may not dissolve properly if you wait until it is cold.

cranberry sauce with stuffing and duck behind

Uses for cranberry sauce

This makes a relatively small amount, perfect for a smaller family as a side, so chances are it will be perfect alongside a festive meal for around four, maybe more if you serve slightly smaller portions. It's a perfect pairing to turkey, as is the Thanksgiving/Christmas tradition, but also works well with chicken, roast duck and goose (we've tried it with them all!)

If you happen to have any left, it's great with leftover turkey and stuffing for lunches as we always do. Or pair it with brie in a sandwich. You can also use some to make some cranberry bars or savory cranberry cheese tarts if you make a larger batch.

Homemade cranberry sauce keeps for at least 3 - 4 days, if not longer, stored in the fridge in a sealed container. So it's not only great to use up any leftovers after the main event, it's also great for making ahead, too.

cranberry harvest festival - floating cranberries in flooded bog

I mentioned in my cranberry gin post that we are lucky enough to live not too far from where a big cranberry harvest festival took place (sadly no longer running). We managed to see the whole harvest process and meet growers. The harvest itself is both interesting and so pretty to watch, too. And of course picking up prodice right from the source is an added bonus.

Even if you don't get a chance to visit a cranberry farm, though, I highly recommend giving this sauce a try. It's become a non-negotiable in our house for festive meals, and I hope you'll try it and feel the same.

This cranberry sauce with orange is so wonderfully easy and tasty. It's tart, with a gentle sweetness you can adjust to taste, and so much bright fruity flavor. So give yourself a few minutes to try it then enjoy this spoonful of brightness.

dish of cranberry sauce with orange behind and cranberries around the dish.

Try these other dishes for your Holiday feast:

Rutabaga, date and bacon stuffing
Butternut squash wild rice salad with cranberries
Acorn squash and Brussels sprouts side dish
Fennel, prune and pork stuffing
Plus get more Holiday recipes in the archives.

dish of cranberry sauce with orange with a whole orange behind dish.

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