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This Orange Cranberry Sauce is a must-have for your Thanksgiving table. Made with fresh cranberries and a hint of orange, this vibrant, zesty sauce pairs well with turkey, rolls, sandwiches, and more.
What Makes This Orange Cranberry Sauce Special
Every Thanksgiving dinner has that one dish you can’t do without. This fresh Orange Cranberry Sauce might must become that dish for you. For me, it’s a miracle the cranberry sauce makes it to the table. I can hardly resist eating it right out of the pan – it tastes and smells so good!
- The bright, tangy flavor pairs perfectly with turkey, rolls, and especially on leftover turkey sandwiches.
- The orange juice and zest gives the cranberries a delicious hint of citrus and calms the tartness of the cranberries.
- It can be served warm or cold. If serving cold, you can prepare it ahead. It stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Ingredients in Orange Cranberry Sauce
- Fresh cranberries
- Orange juice
- Sugar
- Orange zest
Can I freeze fresh cranberries?
YES! I watch for fresh cranberries to go on sale and freeze them right in the bag. You can freeze cranberries for up to a year, and they retain their taste and texture just as well when thawed and used in cranberry sauce.
Have the kids help!
If you’re looking for a recipe that the kids can help prep on Thanksgiving morning, this Orange Cranberry Sauce is a great one to try. When the cranberries heat up in the pan they make a hissing noise just before they pop. It’s kind of exciting to watch. The anticipation is addicting. When all of the cranberries “pop” or burst and the sauce starts to thicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cranberry sauce is best when made with fresh cranberries. Add liquid and sugar to the cranberries and bring it to a boil. The cranberries will soften and “pop.” As the cranberries cook down, they thicken into a jam-like sauce.
Fresh cranberry sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to a week.
Cranberry sauce can be made at home in 15-20 minutes.
Read more: Thanksgiving Sides Ideas
More Cranberry Recipes to Try
Love cranberries? Here are some more of our favorite cranberry recipes:
Don’t forget the turkey!
While this Orange Cranberry Sauce is a star, the turkey is the main event. Check out our step-by-step turkey guide with photos and video to ensure your bird is juicy and perfectly cooked. Pair it with this sauce for a meal that will impress your guests and have them asking for seconds.
How to Make Orange Cranberry Sauce
Orange Cranberry Sauce
Video
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries about 3 cups
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil at medium heat, stirring occasionally. You will see the cranberries soften and hear them begin to pop. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Serve warm or cold. It's delicious both ways.
I first made this 2 years ago…no idea why I never posted a review until now. But this is by FAR the best homemade cranberry sauce ever. We have it every year, both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I never liked canned cranberry sauce, so I didn’t think I liked cranberries. But this recipe converted me AND my canned-loving family! We haven’t bought a can of sauce since. It’s incredibly easy to make, or scale up/down depending on how much you need. That orange addition gives it a lovely holiday twist and more developed flavor. Do yourself a favor and make this….you won’t go back to canned ever!
I couldn’t agree more! I’ll be making it tomorrow morning. Thank you for your comment!
I love the “Sweet Potato Casserole” ❣️❣️❣️Last year my son in law mentioned how he liked his Aunts Yam recipe. So I was determined to make mine better. After searching
all my recipe files (many…many) and looking on-line, I found this recipe❣️
(I use your families recipes A LOT!
I have at least 4 books)!
I trust your recipes❣️). On Thanksgiving I discovered that I too, like this one better than my old recipe. It was perfect! Just the right seasonings and mashed “Yams” actually, I already these on hand. Even some of the kids tried it too. We all loved the yummy topping. We kind of both wanted the leftovers, so we split it‼️ Thanks!
(Sorry…. I guess I put this in the wrong slot)
OH WELL!! Happy Thanksgiving❣️
I know what I am making for thanksgiving! I love the orange twist on it! Thanks for sharing
I love making homemade cranberry sauce. I am definitely trying your recipe! The orange flavor is perfection!
This is a staple in my house around this time of year! Love the addition of orange, it looks delicious!
You’re so right in that this homemade sauce is better than anything you can get at the store! Love the use of orange juice and actually cut back on the sugar a bit just due to how sweet my juice was.
You just can’t beat homemade cranberry sauce! I can’t wait to try this for Thanksgiving!
I made it last Thanksgiving and cant wait to put it on my table again. All of the kids including my picky nephew were devouring it . They did not touch the can ones . Cant wait ! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Yay! We are glad you like it as much as we do! Thanks for the 5-star rating and Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
I want to make this sauce for Thanksgiving this year, and I am also making another recipe that calls for cranberry sauce to be used in it. I want to use this homemade sauce rather than store bought. I know the recipe says this makes 12 servings, but how large is a serving for this recipe? What would you say the total amount made is? 2 cups? 3 cups? Thanks so much!
Its about 4 cups. I hope you like the recipe! It is one of my all-time favorites!
An online friend said she adds two Gala apples to this, as well as cinnamon and nutmeg and it’s amazing!
Yum! That sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing!
Great recipe. Made it for thanksgiving. Unfortunatly only two of the 5 people there likes cranberries. I was left with half left over which I did end up using most of. My question is how long will this sauce hold for in the fridge? Thank you
It should stay good for a couple weeks. You can also freeze it if you needed to!
My recipe is similar; just adds one cinnamon stick which is discarded after cooling…yummy
Yum, I’ll have to try that!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I’m always worried about trying new recipes on Thanksgiving! I’m so glad you can make ahead! I read one of the reviews where she said its better when left in the fridge for a couple days! Perfect!
We use this recipe every year and everyone loves it! I use less sugar but that’s just because we like it tart
I absolutely love this recipe. it is so very easy and delicious. I like to make it 2-3 days ahead of time. I think it tastes better the longer you let the flavors meld. Thank you for sharing.
This is so good! I made it for Thanksgiving and for a Christmas work thing, and it was recieved with great fanfare! Great recipe!
I’m so glad you like the recipe, Marisa! It is my absolute favorite cranberry sauce. I make it every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love it on turkey and rolls.
Do you mean orange juice bought or fresh squeezed oranges?
Store bought or fresh squeezed will both work fine in the recipe. Use what is most convenient for you. Thanks for asking!
Can this be reheated?
Absolutely! It is good cold or warm. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
My mom also added some chopped walnuts…that’s how I like it!
Oooh – yum! What a great idea!
We made this yesterday for Thanksgiving and it was delicious!!! I made the raspberry cranberry sauce last year, which is also fantastic but I like not dealing with The Raspberry seeds. I did add an extra cup of sugar bc I like it more sweet.