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Cranberry orange sauce is a mouthwatering holiday cranberry sauce with a subtle citrus flavor from orange juice and orange zest.
It's not a holiday without turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and healthy green bean casserole. Make fresh cranberry sauce with orange juice your new favorite Thanksgiving condiment.
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Cranberry sauce with orange juice is my favorite way to make homemade cranberry sauce for holiday dinner. The orange juice adds acidity that brightens and balances fresh cranberry sauce's tart and sweet flavors. If using whole oranges, zest it and add the orange zest to the recipe. The zest adds a pop of color with a subtle hint of bitter flavor, making it perfectly balanced. Cranberry orange sauce complements savory holiday holiday turkey and stuffing like no other.
Ingredients
- Fresh cranberries - Fresh or frozen cranberries work perfectly for this recipe.
- Orange juice - Use store-bought orange juice or the juice (and zest) from a whole orange. It's perfectly fine if you don't use orange zest in your cranberry sauce.
- Sugar - I prefer cane sugar for cranberry sauce, but you can use brown or raw sugar for this recipe.
How to make cranberry sauce with orange juice
Step 1: Place fresh cranberries, orange juice, orange zest (if available), and sugar in a 3 quart soup pot over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Bring everything to a boil until the cranberries pop. Remove from heat, mash some of the cranberries, and let the sauce sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. It will naturally thicken as it cools.
Step 3: Allow to cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 7 days. Serve chilled.
Recipe tips
- If using frozen cranberries, there's no need to thaw them before making this cranberry sauce.
- The main advantage of using freshly squeezed orange juice is that you can zest the orange before juicing and add it to the recipe. Otherwise, bottled orange juice will make your cranberry sauce just as delicious.
- You can make cranberry sauce without orange juice by simply substituting water for the orange juice. In this case, you would be making a classic cranberry sauce.
- You can freeze cranberry sauce for up to three months in freezer-safe storage containers or even longer if it's vacuum-sealed. Transfer it to the refrigerator 12-24 hours before serving to thaw.
Essential holiday recipes
- Baked Turkey Breast
- Air Fried Turkey Breast
- 10 Minute Gravy
- Mashed Potatoes
- Cranberry and Apple Crisp
📖 Recipe
Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice
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Video
Note about scaling
When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.
Ingredients
- 1 (12-ounce bag) Cranberries (fresh or frozen), same as 3 cups
- 1 cup Sugar, or ¾ cup for less sweet, more tart flavor
- 1 cup Orange Juice, or ½ cup water + ½ cup orange juice
Optional
- 1-2 teaspoons Zest from 1 orange, *see recipe footnote
Instructions
Visit recipe footnotes for pressure cooker instructions
- Place CRANBERRIES, SUGAR, ORANGE JUICE, and (optional) ORANGE ZEST in the saucepan pot over medium-high heat.
- Bring everything to a boil until the cranberries pop, stirring as needed.
- Remove from heat, mash a few cranberries for a saucy texture, and rest 10 minutes at room temperature to set up.
- To store, cool the cranberry sauce to room temperature. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Serve chilled.
Recipe Notes
Equipment
- chef's knife to cut oranges
- Microplane zester / grater to zest oranges
- citrus squeezer to juice oranges
- 2-quart saucepan or 6-quart pressure cooker
- vegetable masher optional
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.
Tonya says
I’ve made it 3 times now! Even though we have been used to the traditional one from a can…..this has become a big hit, and what a difference!! 🙂
Traci says
Awwww nice! I love knowing my recipe has become a go-to for you. I just love the citrus cranberry smell when it's cooking too. Thank you for making my recipe and for taking the time to share this 🙂 xoxo
Hope says
I cooked the 12 oz. cranberries in 1 cup of orange juice, same amt of sugar and 2 tsp. of orange zest. Everyone loved this recipe!
Traci says
Yay! So glad everyone loved it! I added notes about adjusting the ingredient amounts and appreciate your feedback. Happiest holiday to you and yours!
Patty says
Bringing the homemade cranberry sauce is my dinner contribution every Thanksgiving with family. I'll be making this orange cranberry sauce along with a cranberry sauce without orange flavor for those family members who prefer "regular" cranberry sauce. So easy to make, why buy the canned?
Traci says
I couldn't agree more about how easy it is to make cranberry sauce from scratch. I'm so glad to hear you'll be serving this version along with the classic version. Thanks for the feedback and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Tia says
Just made this for pre-Thanksgiving and love the texture and flavor. I won’t make it any other way from now on! I love your recipes!!
Traci says
Yay!! I'm glad you went for it and have found your new favorite. Thanks for the feedback. Enjoy!
Jeff says
10/10 recommend this cranberry sauce! The orange juice and orange zest adds a bright flavor to perfectly balance the sweet and tart. Love the texture too - so good! Thanks!
Traci says
Awesome! Yes, it's all about flavor balance with cranberry sauce. Thanks for the feedback. Enjoy!
Arlene says
This is the BEST cranberry sauce I've ever had/made! This will be a must-have on every holiday from now on. Thank you!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! So glad everyone enjoyed it. I'm happy to have inspired it and truly appreciate the feedback. Thank you!
JB says
I wasn't sure I was going to like cranberry orange sauce but after making this recipe, I'm sold! I think the orange zest is what really sets the flavor off perfectly. Another winner ... thanks KG!
Lucy says
This cranberry sauce is perfect for the festive season. I love how quick and easy it is to make too.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! I feel the same way 🙂 Thanks so much!
Farah Abumaizar says
Cranberry and orange, a match made in heaven. Can't wait to try this out for Thanksgiving! Thanks so much for this timely recipe
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! Thanks so much and enjoy!
Mandy Applegate says
I'm going to try this with my Christmas dinner - I love cranberry sauce!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yesss! We'll be doing the same. Enjoy!
Tavo says
I loved the orange juice addition! I am having the cranberry sauce on top of my morning coconut yogurt!
The Kitchen Girl says
Perfect! So glad you're enjoying it 🙂 Thanks!
Kristen Wood says
I've pinned this and can't wait to make for Thanksgiving! Thanks for the fabulous recipe. The orange juice sounds amazing. 🙂
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! Yes, cranberry sauce with orange juice is our fav 🙂 Enjoy!