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–+ servings

Orange and Cranberry Relish for Thanksgiving Turkey and More!

Overhead photo of orange and cranberry relish garnished with fresh orange zest in a white serving bowl with a serving spoon inserted into the relish.
Brighten up your Thanksgiving feast with the best Cranberry Relish! Featuring a delicious blend of tart cranberries, vibrant oranges, sour pomegranate juice, and sweet brown sugar, this flavor-packed orange and cranberry relish is the perfect complement to your holiday turkey and side dishes. Best of all, you'll need just 9 ingredients and 20 minutes to make it.
Author: Cheyanne Holzworth
Total Time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

  • 1 Medium Saucepan

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons Vegetable Oil
  • 1 medium Shallot - finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
  • ¼ Cup Pomegranate Juice
  • 3 TBS Orange Liqueur (or Orange Juice Concentrate)
  • 2 TBS Pomegranate Molasses
  • 2/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar - packed
  • ¾ tsp Fresh Thyme - chopped
  • 1 (12 ounce) bag Fresh Cranberries
  • ½ Cup Pomegranate Arils
  • 2 tsp Orange Zest (zest only!)
  • to taste Coarse Kosher Salt

Instructions

  • Sweat the Shallots: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the shallots to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the Liquids, Sugar, and Thyme: To the pan, add the pomegranate juice, orange liqueur, pomegranate molasses, sugar, and thyme. Season with a generous pinch of salt.
    Use a whisk and stir the ingredients together until combined.
    Increase the heat under the pan to medium and bring the contents to a boil.
    Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.
    Cook the relish, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 12 minutes.
  • Add the Cranberries: Add the cranberries to the pan and increase the heat to medium.
    Bring the relish to a simmer. Once simmering, immediately reduce the heat to maintain simmer.
  • Simmer the Relish: Let the relish simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have just burst, about 4-5 minutes.
    Once the cranberries have burst open, remove the pan from heat.
  • Add Pomegranate Arils and Orange Zest: Stir the pomegranate arils and orange zest into the cranberry relish.
    Taste and adjust the orange cranberry relish for seasoning - adding more salt for overall flavor, honey for sweetness, or orange juice for tang.
  • Store or Serve Cranberry Relish: If you prefer a hot dish, transfer the cranberry relish to a serving bowl and garnish with more orange zest and fresh thyme. Enjoy!
    Alternatively, transfer the relish to a storage container or cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve.

Video

Notes

  1. Orange Liqueur: The recipe below calls for a very small amount (3 TBS) of orange liqueur. If you aren’t a fan of cooking with liqueur, please note that the alcohol cooks out of the sauce. The orange liqueur simply adds a bright, citrusy, acidic flavor to the relish. I highly suggest you don't skip it.
  2. Pomegranate Molasses: This recipe also utilizes pomegranate molasses which is simply reduced pomegranate juice (sometimes with a touch of sugar). It adds a depth of sweet and sour flavor to the relish, which tastes amazing! You can find pomegranate molasses in either the ethnic or international isle of most major grocery stores.
  3. Storage: This cranberry orange relish can be made up to two days in advance and stored in a container with a tight fitted lid in the refrigerator. Just remove the relish from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to using to remove the chill.
  4. Homemade Pomegranate Molasses:
    • Ingredients:
    • 2 cups (100% Pure) Pomegranate Juice
    • 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
    • 1 TBS Lemon Juice
    • Directions:
    • Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to a simmer while stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
    • Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced to 1/2 of a cup and reaches a syrup-like consistency, about 55-60 minutes.
    • Taste and adjust to your liking adding more sugar if you want it a bit sweeter, or more lemon if you want it a bit more tart.
    • Let the pomegranate molasses chill completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  5. Need to Scale the Recipe? Hover your mouse over the number of servings in the recipe card. You'll see a sliding scale pop up, you can use that to scale the recipe up or down as needed.
  6. Got questions? I've got answers! If you ever run into an issue, have a question, or need any clarification - please feel free to drop them in the comments section. I'm happy to help when I can! 
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 6 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.

Nutrition

Calories: 168kcal    Carbohydrates: 36g    Protein: 0.4g    Fat: 2g    Saturated Fat: 0.3g    Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g    Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g    Trans Fat: 0.01g    Sodium: 11mg    Potassium: 108mg    Fiber: 1g    Sugar: 33g    Vitamin A: 15IU    Vitamin C: 3mg    Calcium: 27mg    Iron: 0.3mg
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American