The Best Cranberry Sauce (5 Minutes Prep)

A bowl of cranberry sauce garnished with fresh rosemary sprigs and orange slices on a rustic wooden table.

The Best Cranberry Sauce (5 Minutes Prep)

This easy homemade cranberry sauce cooks in about 15 minutes with fresh or frozen cranberries, orange juice, and orange zest. A handful of whole berries added at the end gives it a lovely texture. Make it up to 5 days ahead for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or Christmas dinner.

Course sauce, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword fresh cranberry sauce, homemade cranberry sauce

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 99kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

12 ounces fresh cranberries or frozen cranberries
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup orange juice freshly squeezed
¼ cup water
pinch salt
1½ teaspoons orange zest finely grated, divided

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prep the cranberries: Rinse the cranberries under cold running water and discard any that are soft or damaged. If using frozen cranberries, there's no need to thaw them first.
Reserve ½ cup of the cranberries. Add the remaining cranberries, granulated sugar, orange juice, water, salt, and 1 teaspoon of the orange zest to a medium saucepan. Stir gently to combine.
Cook the sauce: Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The cranberries will begin to pop and release their juices as they cook. Continue simmering until most of the cranberries have burst and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Add the whole berries: During the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the reserved ½ cup of cranberries. They will soften but stay mostly whole, adding a lovely texture to the sauce.
Finish: Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon of orange zest. The sauce should look glossy and slightly loose at this stage. It will continue to thicken considerably as it cools.
Cool and serve: Let the cranberry sauce cool in the saucepan for about 10 minutes, then transfer it to a serving bowl and allow it to cool for another 20 minutes. Serve slightly warm, at room temperature, or chilled, depending on your preference.
Garnish with a little additional fresh orange zest, thin orange slices, and a few small sprigs of fresh rosemary just before serving.

Notes

Fresh or frozen: Frozen cranberries go straight into the pan without thawing. They may need an extra minute or two to reach a boil.
Adjust the sweetness: Taste the sauce once the berries have burst. If it's too tart for you, stir in another tablespoon or two of sugar while it's still hot.
Smoother sauce: For a smoother texture, skip reserving the whole berries and cook all the cranberries together from the start.
Zest before you juice. It's much easier to zest a whole orange than a squeezed one.
Don't overcook it. The sauce should still look a little loose when you take it off the heat. Cooked too long, it turns thick and jammy once chilled.
Taste and adjust. Cranberries vary in tartness. Stir in an extra tablespoon of sugar while the sauce is still warm if you'd like it sweeter.
Texture: Take the sauce off the heat while it still looks loose. Cranberries set as they cool, and overcooking can make the sauce stiff once chilled.
Too thick after chilling? Stir in a tablespoon or two of orange juice or water to loosen it.
Special Tools: Medium Saucepan | Microplane Zester | Citrus Juicer

Make Ahead and Storage

Make ahead: Making it a day or two early is ideal, because the flavors develop as it sits in the refrigerator. Cook the sauce, let it cool completely, and refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Take it out about 30 minutes before serving if you like it at room temperature, or warm it gently on the stove.
Refrigerator: Cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
Freezer: Freeze the cooled sauce in a freezer-safe airtight container, leaving a little room for expansion, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Before serving: Give it a gentle stir. If it's thicker than you'd like, warm it gently or stir in a tablespoon of boiling water.

Nutrition