Cranberry Salsa is an amazing holiday appetizer that is served over cream cheese and paired with your favorite chips or crackers. You’re going to love this fun twist on classic party food!
Every time we bring this dish to a party, it is an instant hit! It’s popularity is no surprise though, seeing as we’ve been making this for years, and have been thoroughly obsessed with it ourselves. Everyone expects tortilla chips and salsa at a party, but this gives them a fun twist on a party staple. We love how the cranberries make this salsa so fresh and vibrant, and serving it over a brick of cream cheese with some crackers just makes it all the better. This recipe is so quick and easy to make, that the hardest part is merely choosing what to use to dip! Pick out your favorite crackers or chips, and get dipping!
Cranberries:
Fresh cranberries are commonly sold in the grocery store in 12 ounce packages. They are most often found in the fall right after the cranberry harvest. When working with fresh cranberries, rinse them under cold water. Run your fingers through the cranberries and pick out any that are soft or mushy. Rinse the cranberries again and proceed to use them in your recipe.
If you would like to use frozen cranberries, you will need to thaw them completely before using. We highly recommend fresh cranberries rather than frozen in this recipe, because thawed frozen cranberries will be a bit mushier.
Ginger Tip:
This recipe calls for fresh ginger. When using ginger it is easiest to cut off any gnarled spots before peeling. Once peeled you can grate it easily on a hand grater. Once it gets down to a nubbin of stringiness just toss the stringy mess away.
Spice Level of Best Cranberry Salsa:
The jalapeños give this salsa a nice kick, but you are welcome to make this according to your own taste preferences and use more or less jalapeño.
Serving Suggestions:
A common and popular way to serve cranberry salsa is over a brick of cream cheese. You can also serve it up plain, as you would any salsa. It pairs well with Wheat Thins, Ritz crackers, and tortilla chips.
Storage Instructions:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
If you like this recipe, you may also be interested in some of my other holiday recipe favorites:
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
How early can I make this? Thanks
Up to 24 hours in advance.
I found the cilantro overpowering. So, I reduced it to half the recipe called for and was very pleased with the result.
How long will this keep if refrigerated
It’s best when eaten within 24 hours.
I made this tonight because I wanted something cranberry but different than cranberry sauce and O.M.G. I may have to go buy another bag of cranberries. It’s AMAZING!!
I’m making this for Thanksgiving this year and I’m thinking of substituting pineapple instead of sugar? Any thoughts???
Worth a try!
I use chili jam instead of sugar and half the jalapeño – delicious
I wish I would have used just 1 jalapeño. I’m thinking about adding more lemon, maybe more sugar?
Is there a way not to use the jalapenos? Not much for the heat. 🙁
You can use any kind of pepper so if you don’t like heat, choose a mild one.
Or, use the pepper but eliminate seeds and the veins (the white part where seeds are attached and that will reduce the heat a lot). Love this recipe.
so grateful – thank you. Elaine
Can this be canned
It would be very different if processed and canned.
Could you use dried cranberries?
It wouldn’t be quite the same at all.
since the grocery stores do not sell fresh cranberries this time of year. Do you suggest can or frozen
Frozen will be better than canned.