THE BEST Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce Recipe | Montana Happy (2024)

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The Best Jalapeño Cranberry Sauce is one of those recipes that is easy to make and full of flavor. This recipe delivers for those of us who love a little spice in our lives.

If you’re looking for more cranberry recipes, Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce is the traditional version. Hot Cranberry Tea is also a wonderful recipe for the holiday season.

THE BEST Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce Recipe | Montana Happy (1)

Cranberry sauce is a must-have Thanksgiving food. It’s the perfect time of year to enjoy fresh cranberries on your holiday table because they are plentiful in the grocery store.

Whether you like just a little heat or a lot, this twist on traditional cranberry sauce will make your taste buds sing with its nice spicy kick. These gorgeous red berries add beauty to any gathering.

What is Cranberry Sauce?

Classic cranberry sauce is made with fresh cranberries, and typically served as a condiment. It is a popular recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Fresh jalapeños add the right amount of spiciness to give regular cranberry sauce a whole new taste.

Our Simple Homemade Cranberry Jalapeño Sauce Recipe is perfect for Spooning over Roasted Turkey, Chicken, Pork Tenderloin, Duck, or Roast

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THE BEST Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce Recipe | Montana Happy (3)

Jalapeño Cranberry Sauce is the perfect addition to your holiday meal for both your Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas gathering for spicy food lovers.

Serve the whole berry cranberry sauce on your holiday table in a beautiful dish and top with minced fresh jalapeños or chopped green onions.

This easy recipe can be made any time of year to add flavor to your dishes. Once you add some spicy jalapeno cranberry sauce to your chicken, roast beef, or turkey sandwiches, you’ll never go back.

One of my favorite cafes made a sandwich called the “Snowbird Nester,” made with smoked honey turkey, cream cheese, cranberry sauce, tomato, red onion, a sprinkling of sunflower seeds, and lettuce.

It’s a heavenly sandwich. Using this jalapeño cranberry sauce instead of regular cranberry sauce would take the sandwich to a different level.

You can also serve leftover cranberry sauce over regular cream cheese or goat cheese and serve it with tortilla chips or crackers.

Interesting Facts About the Jalapeño Pepper

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  • Fresh jalapeños are fully ripe when they turn red. They are hotter when they are allowed to ripen.
  • In the United States, most jalapeño peppers are grown in Texas, New Mexico, and California.
  • One jalapeño pepper plant can grow 25 to 35 peppers.
THE BEST Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce Recipe | Montana Happy (5)

Everything You Need to Make This Spicy Cranberry Sauce

This dish comes together beautifully with sugar, spicy elements, and just a few simple ingredients. You can adapt this recipe to suit your tastes. If you want a little more kick, add more cayenne pepper or jalapeño peppers.

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this cranberry sauce recipe:

  • Fresh Cranberries
  • Sugar
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Jalapeno Peppers
  • Salt
  • Grated Ginger

How to Make this Simple Cranberry Jalapeño Sauce

  1. Add sugar, water, fresh jalapeños, cayenne pepper, and salt in a heavy bottom saucepan. Stir together to dissolve sugar and cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.
  2. Combine cranberries and fresh ginger into the mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat. Cook for about 15 minutes, occasionally stirring until the cranberries are soft and there’s no more liquid in the medium saucepan.
  3. Let the cranberry mixture cool. Adjust the recipe to your taste by adding more jalapenos or cayenne if desired. Store in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Creating a Cozy Life Group

Since you found this recipe for Jalapeño Cranberry Sauce, I’m guessing you love all things cozy living. I created a Facebook group called Creating a Cozy Life with over 113,000 like-minded souls.

It’s a group where we share memories, things that leave you in awe, and how to make your life just a little bit more snug. You can join here to be part of the virtual cozy cottage.

I found this spicy combination sauce in the New York Times Cooking section. It was one of those side dishes that are perfect the way it was written. I didn’t have to change a thing.

Printable Recipe Card for Cranberry Jalapeño Sauce with Nutrition Facts

THE BEST Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce Recipe | Montana Happy (6)

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 17 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

If you want to add a little spice to your meal, this cranberry jalapeno sauce will do the trick. It's so easy to make and tastes amazing.

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 large jalapeños, finely diced and seeded
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger

Instructions

  1. Add sugar, water, jalapenos, cayenne pepper, and salt in a heavy bottom saucepan. Stir together to dissolve sugar and cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.
  2. Combine cranberries and ginger into the mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium heat. Cook for about 15 minutes, occasionally stirring until the cranberries are soft and there's no more liquid in the sauce pan.
  3. Let cool. Adjust the recipe to your taste by adding more jalapenos or cayenne if desired. Store in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Nutrition Information

Yield

10

Serving Size

1

Amount Per ServingCalories 95Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 107mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 1gSugar 22gProtein 0g

Recipe Notes for Making Cranberry Sauce with Jalapeños

  • For a festive flair, you can top the cranberry sauce with freshly diced jalapeños. Fresh jalapeño slices on top also look great for a garnish.
  • Lime zest or orange zest also makes a beautiful topping.
  • Put this jalapeño cranberry sauce recipe on top of a block of cream cheese or baked brie cheese for a fantastic appetizer.
  • You can also add this tart cranberry sauce to top of vanilla ice cream.

How Long Does Spicy Cranberry Sauce Last in the Refrigerator?

Homemade Spicy Jalapeño Cranberry Sauce will last 10 to 14 days in the fridge in a sealed container.

Can You Freeze Jalapeño Cranberry Sauce?

Yes, you can freeze cranberry jalapeño sauce. Before you freeze the fresh cranberry sauce, bring it down to room temperature and store it in an airtight container.

Here’s How You Grow Cranberries

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What to do with Leftover Cranberry Jalapeno Sauce

  • Add cranberry sauce to applesauce for a tangy addition.
  • Mix with your favorite vinaigrette to transform salads.
  • Use it as a meat glaze.
  • Heat and serve over ice cream.
  • Layer on a bagel on top of cream cheese.
  • Mix it with mayonnaise for sandwiches.

If You Love This Spicy Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Don’t forget to join the Creating a Cozy Life Group. You’re not going to believe how amazing it is!

Now you have the perfect recipe to make your own cranberry sauce with jalapeño that will earn raves with little effort. This simple recipe will become one of your favorite sides for your Thanksgiving turkey or Friendsgiving dinners and earn a permanent place in your recipe box.

I created a pin for you below to add to your Thanksgiving table Pinterest board.

You can follow me here on PINTEREST. If you tried this delicious jalapeño cranberry sauce recipe, be sure to tag me here on INSTAGRAM.

Recipes that Compliment Cranberry Jalapeño Sauce

  • Cranberry Rice with Caramelized Onions – wild rice, caramelized onions, and dried whole cranberries are the perfect match!
  • The Best Turkey Brine Recipe – the perfect way to cook turkey for the big day!
  • Perfect Butter Herb Roasted Turkey – an amazing Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey.
  • Salt-Encrusted Prime Rib Recipe – enjoy at a family gathering during the winter holidays.
  • The Best Cranberry Relish with Nuts Recipe – another traditional sauce recipe.
  • Homemade Whipped Cranberry Butter – a wonderful recipe to add to bread or mashed sweet potatoes.
  • The Best Cranberry Recipes – all my cranberry recipes in one spot!

More Homemade Sauce Recipes to Try

  • Dill Sauce for Salmon – one of my favorite healthy recipes.
  • Creamy Horseradish Sauce for Prime Rib – the best sauce for prime rib!
  • How to Make Tzatziki Sauce – easy to make.
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THE BEST Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce Recipe | Montana Happy (2024)

FAQs

What to use the Costco Cranberry Jalapeno Dip? ›

How to Serve Costco's Cranberry Jalapeño Dip. This “bomb” also seems like a good deal—it's almost 2 pounds of cream cheese-based cranberry jalapeño dip for $8.99. It can be served hot or cold, and it works with chips, veggies, crackers, and as a sandwich spread.

What takes the bitterness out of cranberry sauce? ›

If your cranberry sauce comes out tasting too bitter, don't reach for the sugar. Granulated sugar might make the situation worse, especially if you don't have time to reheat the sauce so the sugar can dissolve properly. Instead, reach for another sweetener: maple syrup.

How to jazz up cranberry sauce? ›

Adding a teaspoon or two of fresh lemon or orange zest, a tablespoon of chopped candied peel, or even a splash of juice to your canned sauce will brighten flavors and bring in some homemade flavor.

Is cranberry sauce better warm or cold? ›

Cranberry sauce is best served at room temperature or slightly chilled. (You've got enough things on the menu to warm up! Don't make the list longer!) I tend to make cranberry sauce a few days before Thanksgiving and then set it on the table about an hour or two before we plan to eat.

What do you eat with Cranberry Jalapeño Dip? ›

The sweet and tart (and just ever so slightly spicy) cranberry mixture over the softened cream cheese is amazingly delicious. What is this? Pretzel crisps or thin crackers are the perfect vehicle to inhale this dip.

How do you serve jarred cranberry sauce? ›

You open the can, slide the contents onto a plate, and either slice it into neat rounds, or break it into chunks to serve it. I have known people to eat it with a spoon straught out of the jar. Some people arrange round slices of cranberry sauce on lettuce leaves and top them with mandarin oranges from a can.

How do you tame tartness in cranberry sauce? ›

Some sugar is added to tame the tartness of the berries, while warm spices like cinnamon and star anise infuse together with the juice and peel of fresh orange, creating a perfectly balanced condiment.

What thickens cranberry sauce? ›

Try reducing the sauce down even further so more of the liquid cooks off and the mixture thickens. If that doesn't work, add a thickener like gelatin, pectin or a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch whisked into juice or water). Let the sauce cool before refrigerating to completely set.

Why do you open cranberry sauce upside down? ›

But why? Ocean Spray says this is to get the cranberry sauce out in one intact piece. “The rounded part of the can that looks like the bottom has an air bubble in it,” Ocean Spray's representative explains. The bubble is there so you can “break the seal the sauce makes with the can.”

Why is my homemade cranberry sauce runny? ›

Mistake #2: Your Cranberry Sauce Is Too Runny

You may have added too much liquid to the cranberries. In addition to pectin, cranberries contain water, which means you only need to add a splash of liquid to get the cooking going. Add too much and you'll be stirring at the stove much longer than expected.

Is canned jellied cranberry sauce good for you? ›

Health Benefits

Cranberries are also rich in vitamin C and fiber, as well as the metabolism-boosting mineral manganese. And yes, you reap all these benefits whether the cranberry sauce on your holiday table is homemade or canned, jellied or whole-berry.

Is canned cranberry sauce better than homemade? ›

While there are some editors who prefer homemade cranberry sauce, the canned variety also has quite a following. "There's something so beautifully perfect about the texture of canned cranberry sauce, and none of those homemade mess will ever compete," says Senior Digital Food Editor Kimberly Holland.

What does eating cranberry sauce do for you? ›

The great amount of antioxidants found in cranberries, such as proanthocyanidins, could help lower your chance of getting cancer. However, more research is needed to confirm this. Cranberries have two big benefits for heart health: lowering blood pressure and improving cholesterol.

What if I add too much water to cranberry sauce? ›

What to do if the cranberry sauce is too thin or loose. If you inadvertently added too much water, simply bring the cranberry sauce back to the stove top and bring it to a low boil, cooking it down just a bit to help thicken it up.

How long is jellied cranberry sauce good for after expiration date? ›

As long as an unopened can of cranberry sauce is stored in a consistently cool pantry, it'll keep and taste good for at least a year beyond the date stamped on the can. (That date is the manufacturer's estimate of how long the cranberry sauce will remain at peak quality and is not a safety-related expiration date.)

What is cranberry sauce used on? ›

Cranberry sauce can be used with a variety of meats, including turkey, pork, chicken, and ham. Cranberry sauce is often eaten in conjunction with turkey for Christmas in the United Kingdom and Canada or Thanksgiving in the United States and Canada, and it is only rarely eaten or served in other contexts there.

Can I freeze La Terra Fina Cranberry Jalapeño Dip? ›

Keep refrigerated. Keep refrigerated. Do not freeze. Stir and enjoy within 5 days of opening.

How do you eat cool ranch jalapeño dip? ›

Doritos Cool Ranch Jalapeño Dip

It doesn't taste exactly like Cool Ranch Doritos (my personal favorite Doritos flavor), but it's unmistakably related. I'd use this to dip pizza crust (or drizzle straight onto pizza) or veggies or chicken wings, and I also think it'd be killer on a crunchy veggie sandwich.

Do you heat up whole berry cranberry sauce? ›

It's perfectly fine to serve up cranberry sauce — whole berry or jelled — straight out of the can. But in my experience, heating the canned sauce up takes its flavor to the next level. Plus, it becomes a little more aesthetically pleasing.

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