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This Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice is incredible and it screams Thanksgiving! It is tart and flavorful with notes of citrus and cinnamon. It's so easy to make with just a few ingredients. Skip the canned sauce and serve this homemade cranberry sauce on the Thanksgiving Table this year!
Cranberry Sauce is an absolute must on my Thanksgiving Dinner Plate. I've got to have it! It is the tart taste I am looking for to counter balance the rest of my savory dinner. I can honestly say, I would rather go without mashed potatoes than cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving. That's right..I said it. Judge me, but I mean business.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- It's only a few ingredients and so easy to make.
- It is fresh with real cranberries.
- The added citrus and cinnamon are real keepers. You'll know what I mean when you try it!
Looking for more Thanksgiving Recipes, try this Old Fashioned Cornbread Dressing and
Ingredients:
Fresh Cranberries: Fresh, tart little gems of goodness. It turns out a cranberries aren't really considered a berry, so I'm going with gem.
Sugar: To sweeten up the sauce.
Water: Helps to boil the cranberries into a delicious sauce.
Orange Juice and Zest: For a citrus kick.
Cinnamon Stick: The perfect fall spice for a tiny hint of flavor.
Recipe FAQs:
I like fresh for this recipe, to avoid mushy texture. I only make this recipe a few times a year, and fresh cranberries are always on sale at Thanksgiving. Use fresh and thank me later:)
Absolutely and I suggest it! Prep up to 2 days ahead of time & save more time for other sides and the big bird.
How to Make Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice:
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Begin by rinsing the cranberries under cold water in a strainer.
Into a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, add in the strained cranberries, sugar, water, cinnamon stick, orange juice and zest. Give it a good stir.
Allow the mixture to come to a boil. This takes between 5 to 8 minutes.
Stir and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for an additional 10 to 11 minutes.
*If you like the cranberry sauce more on the mashed side, take a potato masher or wooden spoon and crush some of them. I like about half and half, I want some cranberries remaining, but also a lot of sauce.*
Turn off the heat and remove to another burner.
Remove the cinnamon stick and give it a nice lick before tossing in the trash. Hey, you made this amazing side dish and you deserve a taste.
Let the cranberries reach room temperature before transferring into a dish and storing in the fridge. Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 2 days in advance.
Serve cold and ENJOY!
Storage:
This is a great recipe to make ahead the day before Thanksgiving to save on time. Cranberry sauce is served cold, so just pull it out of the fridge at serving time. Don't forget it though because it's a must have!
Any leftovers can be stored in a sealed container and refrigerated for up to 4 days.
More Thanksgiving Recipes to Try:
Recipe
Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This cranberry sauce with orange juice screams Thanksgiving Dinner! It is so festive with citrus and cinnamon tones. Your family will love this recipe! It's so easy to make with only a few ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 (12 ounce) bag of fresh cranberries
- 1 cup white sugar
- ¾ cup water
- the zest and juice from 1 orange
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- First, rinse the cranberries under cold water in a strainer.
- Into a dutch oven or large pot, add in the cranberries, sugar, water, cinnamon stick, orange juice and zest. Stir.
- Place the dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat and allow the mixture to come to a boil. This takes about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Stir and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for an additional 10 to 11 minutes. If you like the cranberry sauce more on the mashed side, take a potato masher or wooden spoon and crush some of them.
- Turn off the heat and remove to another burner. Remove cinnamon stick.
- Let the cranberries reach room temperature before transferring into a dish and storing in the fridge for at least an hour, or up to 2 days.
- Serve cold.
Notes
This is a great recipe to prepare the day ahead of Thanksgiving and store in the fridge overnight.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Thanksgiving Sides
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Thanksgiving sides, cranberry sauce with orange juice
Robert
5 STARS! Loved the orange addition.
★★★★★