This Cranberry Jalapeño Relish is quick, easy, and delicious; made with just five ingredients in under 15 minutes, a sweet and spicy side dish is ready to serve for a family or a crowd.
Thanksgiving dinner is just around the corner, and you're searching for an easy, classic side dish recipe that brings all the fall flavors?
This sweet and spicy jalapeno cranberry relish is an ideal addition to your menu(also this jalapeno peanut brittle).
With simple ingredients like jalapeno and cranberry(fresh or frozen), you can create a memorable dish that could turn into your new tradition, the same as mine.
What I enjoy most about this recipe is how customizable it is. If you want some extra heat, add another jalapeño. Or make it sweeter by adding in a bit more sugar. No matter how we tweak it, this relish always tastes the best!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
⭐️Quick & delicious side!
⭐️It’s make-ahead-friendly And pairs beautifully with everything from turkey to sandwiches.
⭐️This recipe is also dairy-free and vegan.
Ingredients
- Cranberries: For this recipe, I've used fresh cranberries(my grocery store has carried them during this season). I've also used frozen cranberries in the past. Both versions worked very well.
- Jalapeño: We prefer a mildly spicy relish. Therefore, I used only the flesh of the jalapeno and removed the seeds and the white pith inside(which holds most of the heat). If you prefer more intense heat, you can include the whole Jalapeño(see below for more details on adjusting the heat level).
- Apple: Any variety of apples works well for this recipe. I've used honey crisp apple for its crisp texture. Granny Smith or other varieties of apples would also work well.
- Orange: You can stir in the zest of the orange for additional flavor.
- Sugar: I've used granulated white sugar. You can also substitute with brown sugar or honey.
How To Make Cranberry Jalapeño Relish
- Add the roughly chopped apples to a food processor and pulse to a coarse texture.
- Add orange slices to the same food process and pulse again.
- Add the cranberries and pulse(you can also pulse all the ingredients together simultaneously).
- Stir in the finely chopped jalapeño, sugar, and salt until well mixed. Serve with tortilla chips.
♨️How To Adjust The Heat Level
This jalapeño cranberry dish is good to make with mild to medium heat.
The heat comes only from the jalapeños; most of it is concentrated in its seeds and white membrane. Remove these(reserve them so you can add them later) to make the dish milder.
Add the seeds and membrane back a little at a time until it suits your heat tolerance. Or add in another jalapeño or serrano pepper for intense heat.
How To Use
- Spoon it over carved turkey slices as a topping.
- Spread them over a block of cream cheese and serve with crackers(similar to this cranberry jalapeno dip).
- Serve with the stuffings to compliment its savory flavors.
- Smather as the top layer of the sandwich or burger.
- Drizzle over the salad for a quick, delicious dressing.
Tips
Cover the cranberry jalapeno relish and refrigerate for at least one hour for well-rounded flavors.
FAQ
I’ve tried adding chopped cilantro; it tasted excellent. You can also add orange zest for warm fall flavors.
Yes, you can, but note that the sugar in this recipe is required to compensate for the cranberry’s natural tartness. Reducing the sugar makes this relish taste tart.
You can store the leftover cranberry jalapeno relish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 5 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can prepare this dish and store it in the refrigerator for 1 to 24 hours. The good news is that the flavors develop as this jalapeno cranberry relish sits in the fridge.
More Jalapeno-Based Recipes To Try
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know your thoughts in the 📝 comments section below the recipe.
📖 Recipe
Cranberry Jalapeno Relish
Ingredients
- 2 cup fresh cranberries or frozen, thawed
- 1 jalapeño seeded and finely chopped
- 1 apple cored and chopped
- 1 orange peeled and chopped (remove seeds if any)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add the chopped apple to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer it to the bowl.
- Add the orange pieces to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the chopped orange to the bowl.
- Place the cranberries in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped and transfer
- Stir in the jalapeño, sugar, and salt. Mix well until combined.
- Garnish with extra cranberries and orange zest if desired.
Notes
- Remove jalapeño seeds and pith for milder heat, or add them back gradually for a spicier kick.
- Serve with turkey, cream cheese and crackers, sandwiches, salads, or as a savory topping for stuffing.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months;
- No reheating is necessary, defrost it by placing it in the refrigerator overnight and serve it chilled.
Shadi says
This is such an easy and delicious recipe, I cannot wait to make it again!
pepperbowl says
Yay! Thanks Shadi!
Tayler says
I made this cranberry relish for Thanksgiving and it was amazing! The spicy and sweet combo really made it outstanding!
pepperbowl says
AMAZING! Thank you Tayler!
Toni says
This is such an amazing side dish!! Tried it multiple times and always a hit at my house!
pepperbowl says
Hi Toni! Love it! Thanks for sharing!