Go Back
Easy Homemade Cranberry Salsa Recipe (Sweet & Spicy)

Easy Homemade Cranberry Salsa Recipe (Sweet & Spicy)

A no-cook cranberry salsa with fresh jalapeño, lime, onion, cilantro, and sugar. Serve it with tortilla chips or spoon it over softened cream cheese for a festive appetizer.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 minute
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cranberry Salsa
  • 12 ounces Fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over
  • 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
  • 1 medium Medium jalapeño, seeded for less heat or partially seeded for more heat
  • 1/4 cup Finely chopped red onion or green onions
  • 1/4 cup Fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 tablespoons Fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
Optional Add-In
  • 1 small clove Small garlic clove
Optional Serving Ingredients
  • 8 ounces Softened cream cheese
  • as needed Tortilla chips

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Rinse the cranberries thoroughly and pick out any soft or damaged berries. Add the cranberries, jalapeño, onion, cilantro, lime juice, kosher salt, and optional garlic to a food processor.
  2. Pulse several times until the cranberries are finely chopped and the mixture remains textured. Do not continuously blend or puree the ingredients.
  3. Transfer the chopped mixture to a bowl and stir in the granulated sugar. Taste and adjust the sugar, lime juice, salt, or jalapeño to suit your preference.
  4. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chilling for 2 to 4 hours gives the cranberries time to soften slightly and allows the flavors to blend.
  5. Stir the salsa before serving because the cranberries release juice as they rest. Serve with tortilla chips, or spoon the salsa over 8 ounces of softened cream cheese.

Notes

For mild salsa, remove all jalapeño seeds and membranes. For more heat, leave some seeds or add a second small jalapeño. Fresh cranberries provide the best texture, but thawed and drained frozen cranberries may also be used.