Tart, sweet, spicy, zesty, fresh. This Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa is all of the things. Whip it up in just 5 minutes and you’ve got a unique holiday appetizer that’ll make your taste buds dance.
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About the salsa
If you’re looking to try a new recipe for a holiday party this year, this Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa is it. It’s super unique in flavor with some heat from the jalapeño, some sweetness from the honey, some tang from the lime and vinegar, some freshness from the herbs and some sweetness from the honey.
This Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa takes just 5 minutes to make and not to mention its also gorgeous. A quick and easy appetizer that will look gorgeous amongst your holiday spread is a win if you ask me.
I paired mine with crostinis spread with cream cheese and it was altogether the perfect balance. Below I’ve included some other ways to enjoy too, but however you choose it's absolutely delicious!
If you're looking to try other unique salsas, check out this Peach Jalapeño Salsa, Fresh Mango Salsa, or Food Processor Salsa, too! Or for another holiday appetizer, try this Charcuterie Wreath!
Recipe Ingredients
- Fresh Cranberries - Fresh cranberries last a while in the fridge. We are only using ½ a standard sized bag so you’ve got plenty extra to save for another recipe, too.
- Jalapeño - Deseed the jalapeño if you don’t love spice.
- Lime - Citrus brightens up the flavors in this recipe.
- Cultured Oil - This helps to marinate all of the flavors together. Another neutral oil is also suitable.
- Red Wine Vinegar - Vinegar brings more acidity to the salsa. You can use another lime instead if you’d like.
- Green Onion - A little onion-y taste without being too bitter.
- Honey - You NEED sweetener in this recipe to balance the tartness of the cranberries. I found 3 tablespoons to be enough, but don’t be shy to use 4-5 tablespoons of honey if needed.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make This Recipe
1. To a food processor (or blender) add the fresh cranberries and 1 jalapeño (depending on your level of spice, remove the seeds if needed). Pulse 3-4 times or until the cranberries and jalapeño are finely minced. You still want them to have some texture, not pureed.
2. Transfer the minced cranberries + jalapeño to a mixing bowl. Add the lime juice, oil, vinegar, chopped green onion, cilantro, honey, and salt. Mix with a rubber spatula until everything is well combined.
3. Serve with chips, on a crostini and cheese (my personal favorite), or next to your thanksgiving turkey!
Optional: Try adding a cheese to it - a crumbled goat cheese would balance the tartness of the cranberries wonderfully. Adding cheese reminds me of this Avocado Crack Dip or Spicy Street Corn Feta Dip. Salty, savory cheese with plenty of freshness from the additional ingredients.
Recipe FAQs
This Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. As the salsa sits, however, it will gather excess liquid. Use a slotted spoon to transfer into a fresh dish if needed.
There are many ways to serve this salsa. My favorite way is on a crostini with cheese:
To make the crostinis, slice baguette bread into ¼ - ½” slices and brush with olive oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350°F, flipping halfway through. After baking, spread the crostini with cream cheese and add the salsa on top.
Some other serving suggestions include:
- With tortilla chips or crackers
- On fish or chicken
- As a taco garnish
- Mixed into salad
Cranberries are TART! If you are trying to make this low sugar, use a sugar replacement like granulated stevia or a “keto honey” rather than leaving out the sweetener all together.
Adjust the jalapeño depending on your preferred level of spice. If you like less heat, de-seed the pepper. If you like more, leave the seeds in or even consider using two.
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Recipe
Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa
Equipment
- Food Processor or blender
- Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Spoons
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 6 oz fresh cranberries, (½ standard sized bag)
- 1 small jalapeño
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar, can omit and use another lime
- ½ tbsp cultured oil, or other neutral oil
- 2 tbsp chopped green onion
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro
- 3 tbsp honey, more to taste
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- To a food processor (or blender) add the fresh cranberries and 1 jalapeño (depending on your level of spice, remove the seeds if needed). Pulse 3-4 times or until the cranberries and jalapeño are finely minced. You still want them to have some texture.
- Transfer the minced cranberries + jalapeño to a mixing bowl. Add the lime juice, oil, vinegar, chopped green onion, cilantro, honey, and salt. Mix with a rubber spatula until everything is well combined.
- Serve with chips, on a crostini and cheese (my personal favorite), or next to your thanksgiving turkey!
Nutrition
Notes
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I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
Courtney Paige says
I brought this to a holiday party and my guests loved it!! Do not skip on the honey though. Cranberries are tart! It must balance it out.
Sydney Van Acker says
This is so tasty on tilapia! served with white rice and green beans, too. Yum!