Ginger Orange Cranberry Sauce
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Meet your new Thanksgiving must-have: ginger orange cranberry sauce! Once you taste this vibrant blend of zesty ginger, juicy oranges, and fresh cranberries, you’ll make it an annual tradition (good thing it’s so easy!). Tart and sweet with a gingery kick and subtle citrus undertones, it’ll be the freshest and brightest sauce your table has ever met.
Cranberry sauce is a Thanksgiving classic – yet growing up, we assumed a can of scarlet-colored gelatin was the only choice. But we’ve got some exciting news: Gone are the days of canned cranberry sauce! This delicious sauce is not only simple to make fresh but also an exciting variation on the classic. Zesty ginger shines through the fresh cranberries, with a burst of citrus to finish.
This ginger-orange cranberry sauce is one of those understated dishes that your guests won’t expect to be so memorable. The sweet and tart duet is balanced by a spicy kick from a ton of grated ginger, which provides a warming effect that aligns perfectly with the cozy season. This sauce deserves a good chunk of your Thanksgiving dinner plate.
Ingredients needed
This orange ginger cranberry sauce is made from simmering these four simple ingredients together:
- Cranberries: They can be fresh or frozen.
- White sugar: For sweetness.
- Grated ginger: Balances out the sweet and tart with a little kick of spicy ginger.
- Oranges: zested and juiced for a subtle citrus note.
Recipe FAQs
Can I store leftovers?
Absolutely! In fact, you can make this up to 4 days ahead of time and store it in your fridge in a sealed container.
Can I use frozen cranberries?
You sure can! They will thaw as you heat the sauce up, but you’ll have to adjust your cooking time.
I prefer a subtle ginger taste, can I adjust?
We love the strong peppery ginger flavor and find the sweetness of this sauce balances it perfectly. But if you’d like to adjust it, feel free to use more or less of any of the ingredients according to your taste.
Is it possible to can this cranberry sauce to save it?
Yes! Use the hot water method for canning this. Or sterilize the jars in the oven and then pour the hot cranberry sauce into the hot jars and they’ll seal themselves.
Can this cranberry sauce be frozen?
It sure can! You can freeze it in an airtight container for up to three months, then thaw it in the fridge before serving.
Ginger Orange Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (1 – 12-ounce bag)
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 6 tablespoons grated ginger
- The zest and juice from two large oranges
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a medium-sized pot over high heat. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat to medium. When the cranberries begin to break down, use the back of a wooden spoon to crush them.3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, 1 ½ cups white sugar, 6 tablespoons grated ginger, The zest and juice from two large oranges
- Simmer the cranberry sauce for 10 more minutes, or until it is slightly reduced. Note: the cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.
- Remove the pot from the heat and allow the cranberry sauce to cool before transferring it to a jar.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
More cranberry recipes
For more inspiration, check out all of our Christmas recipes and our Thanksgiving recipes!
This is an amazing recipe! Easy to make and everyone love it!
Checking back in to say again how much I love this recipe! Never find one better and I don’t always wait till the holidays to make it! ❤️
That’s so great to hear! Thanks, Tammy!
I make this every year and it’s always perfect. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Wow,l have to make this recipe, because l can’t find any cranberry sauce at the stores,and since I don’t like the jelly cain, and let me tell you,this recipe is not only super easy,but delicious,so from now on,no more can cranberry.
Truly the best cranberry sauce I ever had! I really thought it would be too much ginger, but that totally makes it! Delicious and yummy!
I’m so glad I pinned this recipient! I was searching and searching the internet for it after trying it for the first time last year and LOVING it! Excellent flavors
Agree–what a great recipe! I used 5 tbsp of ginger (mostly because I got tired of grating it), but it was still delicious. Will definitely be making this again!
This is the same way my mom made cranberry sauce growing up and there is nothing better in my opinion. The flavor is absolutely perfect and so yummy!
I am so excited to find this recipe. I believe it might have originally been from Gourmet magazine back in the 80’s or 90’s. It is not listed on Epicurious. It was a staple for many years of Thanksgiving at my table and I have been searching for it for years. Thank you!
That’s so great to know! You’re probably right … I’ve loved Gourmet magazine for many years now so it easily could have come from them!
This was so yummy!! I got a lot of comments about it at dinner too (even from someone who said he doesn’t usually like cranberry sauce). It’s an impressive elevation to the traditional sauce.
The ginger and orange give it a nice zesty, tangy flavor. I also mixed in a bit of regular orange juice w/pineapple flavor. Came out great!
Thanks !
I forgot to say I only used half the amount of ginger because I didn’t think I would want it to be that strong. It was just the right amount so I’ll probably half it in the future too.
Thanks !
Awesome! So happy you like the recipe!
Couldn’t find my old standby cranberry sauce recipe(s) and so I went a Googling and found this! Similar to mine but instead of the zest, I put in two strips of orange peel (from my old recipe). I think my old one had ginger but not so much but I LOVE this. It is delish! Will use forever! Thanks so much! And Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks, Deborah! So happy to hear that you loved the recipe!