The Best Cranberry Relish Recipe
A grownup version of your favorite holiday side dish! This 4 ingredient Cranberry Relish made with cranberries, Grand Marnier liqueur, oranges, and sugar and is sure to be a Thanksgiving favorite!

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I know, I know….its a big claim to label this blog post “The Best Cranberry Relish Recipe.” I get it. There are so many different variations to cranberry relish that it’s hard to say what’s the best. I understand!
Have leftover cranberries? Try these oh-so-delicious cranberry crumb bars!
Why I love this recipe
- 4 ingredients
- 5 minutes to prep, then just let it sit at least 30 minutes
- tangy cranberries combine perfectly with sweet orange, sugar, and Grand Marnier
Cranberry sauce vs. cranberry relish
Cranberry sauce heats the cranberries and produces a sweeter, more jam-like consistency. Cranberry relish combines raw ingredients in a food processor and lets the flavors blend without heat.
Ingredients
- fresh cranberries
- sugar
- orange zest and juice
- Grand Marnier liqueur
Step by step
Simply pulse all the ingredients together in a food processor and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to come together.
That’s it! It’s too easy!
The best part of this recipe is how easy it is to fit into your Thanksgiving timeline! You can prep it when you have a spare ten minutes during your Thanksgiving cooking and then let it sit, at least 30 minutes, and enjoy!
It’s really a delicious tangy side and the easiest thing you’ll make all day!
Serving suggestions
You can eat cranberry relish on its own but it is also delicious on sandwiches, over waffles or pancakes, with yogurt, or on homemade biscuits.
Storage and freezing
- Store cranberry relish in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
- Freeze in a freezer-safe container (affiliate link) up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Be sure to check out these other Thanksgiving recipes:
Sides
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon
- Cheddar Chive Mashed Potatoes
- Traditional Corn Pudding
- Candied Yams
- Sausage and Herb Stuffing
Desserts
If you try this recipe, please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!
PrintThe Best Cranberry Relish Recipe
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
A grownup version of your favorite holiday side dish, this Cranberry Orange Relish made with Grand Marnier liqueur and is sure to be a Thanksgiving favorite!
Ingredients
- 1 – bag (16 oz.) fresh cranberries
- ½ cup, sugar
- 1 orange, zested and juiced
- 2 ounces, Grand Marnier liqueur
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a food processor.
- Pulse several times to breakdown the cranberries and incorporate the ingredients. It should still be a little chunky.
- Allow the cranberry relish to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors can come together. Serve.
Notes
- After relish has been sitting for 10-15 minutes or so, taste it. If it needs to be a bit sweeter, add a little more sugar and continue to let it sit and come together.
Check the consistency. If it needs more liquid, add a bit more orange juice.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: side
- Method: none
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 102
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 1.1 mg
- Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.6 g
- Protein: 0.4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I have been searching for this recipe for a long time! My mom used to make a similar one that she found in a Sunset Magazine back in the 1960s or 70s. It involved grinding a whole orange and the cranberries together in a blender, and it also included walnuts. It was so tasty after it had set for a few days. Thank you for sharing this!
what a difference from the cranberry sauce I grew up with! this is actually “fancy” tasting, I love it!
My husband loves this and asks for it every year now!