Ginger Orange Cranberry Sauce
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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 be making it a yearly 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.
Looking for more ways to brighten up your Thanksgiving spread? This cranberry sauce with mandarin oranges should be next on your list.
Cranberry sauce is a Thanksgiving classic ā 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 so simple to make fresh but is an exciting variation of the old classic. Zesty ginger shines through the fresh cranberries, with a burst of citrus to top it off.
This ginger orange cranberry sauce is one of those understated dishes that your guests don't suspect to be SO memorable. The sweet and tart duet is balanced out by a spicy kick from a ton of grated ginger, which gives a warming feeling that aligns perfectly with the cozy season. This sauce deserves a good chunk of your Thanksgiving dinner plate real estate.
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.
How to make ginger orange cranberry sauce
You'll never want to look at a can of cranberry sauce again after you see how easy it is to make this fresh version! Here are the instructions for this homemade cranberry sauce:
- Heat it up: Add the orange zest and orange juice, fresh ginger, sugar, and cranberries to a pot and bring it to a boil before reducing the heat. When the cranberries start breaking down, stir and use the back of a wooden spoon to crush them.
- Simmer: Let it bubble away for 10 minutes or until it's slightly reduced.
- Serve: Remove from the heat and let it cool down before transferring to a jar.
What to serve with ginger orange cranberry sauce
This sauce will complete your Thanksgiving spread, and we have an incredible line up of Thanksgiving recipes for you! Serve your orange ginger cranberry sauce alongside a crockpot roast chicken, stuffing, an easy sweet potato casserole, holiday roasted vegetables, a beet and goat cheese salad, and a side dish of sour cream and chive mashed potatoes. Don't restrict yourself to Thanksgiving, it's perfect for Christmas or Easter spreads, too!
If you have leftover sauce, smother it onto turkey sandwiches, or dollop it atop a baked chicken breast, cranberry pork chops, or piece of baked salmon.
It fits in beautifully on a holiday cheese board, or incorporate it into an epic brunch by pouring over cranberry pancakes.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make this gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegan?
You don't have to change a thing ā it already is!
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 theyāll 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 ā 12-ounce bag)
- 1 Ā½ 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 Ā½ 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 transferringĀ 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.
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 Ā this recipe! Never find one better and I donāt always wait till the holidays to make it! ā¤ļø
That’s so great to hear! Thanks, Tammy!
I make this every year and itās 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! Ā I really thought it would be too much ginger, but that totally makes it! Ā Delicious and yummy!
Iām 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 doesnāt usually like cranberry sauce). Itās 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 didnāt think I would want it to be that strong. It was just the right amount so Iāll probably half it in the future too.Ā
Thanks !Ā
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!
6 tablespoons of ginger is way too much. The first time I made it I had to make another “plain” batch and mix them together. Everyone liked the heat of the ginger
so I’m making it again this Thanksgiving but will cut the ginger back.
Thank you for your feedback!
Iāve made this since 2012 and it Is absolutely the best! I make it exactly as directed most of timeā¦last time I reduced the ginger a little and it went over well for those that donāt like a lot of ginger. I highly recommend it!
So happy to hear that you love this recipe, too!