Cranberry Salsa (two ingredients!)
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This easy two ingredient cranberry salsa will be the hit of the dip table at your next party! Sweet, spicy, and the perfect pairing for tortilla chips.
How long it takes: 5 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: Fine mesh sieve, bowl
Servings: 10
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Perfect for the holidays, this easy cranberry salsa is a unique, fruity twist to ordinary salsa. It’s so beautiful, too, isn’t it, with jewel-like tones of cranberry red garnished with bright green jalapeño? The contrast of the sweet cranberry sauce, savory tomato salsa, with zingy jalapeño peppers, and salty chips is pretty hard to beat.
Although the bright green garnish of chopped jalapeño peppers is totally optional, it does add a nice pop of color. Chopped cilantro would do the trick, too, if you’re not crazy about peppers. The result is a flavorful and festive appetizer for all your holiday entertaining needs!
Easy Cranberry Salsa Recipe
Once again: TWO ingredients. Yes it’s true, this insanely easy cranberry salsa is made with only two ingredients: whole berry cranberry sauce and a jar of thick and chunky salsa. That’s it!
Quick and easy. If you’re looking for a really quick appetizer idea, this one is for you! It mixes together in minutes and if you serve it with a bag of tortilla chips, you can put together your entire appetizer in 5 minutes. Win!
Instant crowd-pleaser. Serve this cranberry salsa at your next party and just watch it disappear. It’s perfect with a festive cocktail like cranberry margaritas or a pomegranate mojito.
Ingredient Notes
- Cranberry sauce: Because there are only two ingredients, make sure you have the right stuff. You need whole berry cranberry sauce, not the jellied cranberry sauce that comes out of the can all in one can-shaped piece.
- Salsa: Use a thick and chunky salsa for best results.
Ingredient Tip
I always grab a can or two of cranberry sauce when I see it on sale at the grocery store so I have it on hand for this salsa. It will often last for years in the pantry, so you might as well stock up when it’s cheap!
How to Make Cranberry Salsa
Strain the salsa. Empty the salsa jar into a fine-mesh strainer and let all the excess liquid run off. You want the chunks, not the juice.
Mash the cranberry sauce. Pour the cranberry sauce into a bowl and mash it a little bit with a spoon.
Combine. Stir the salsa into the bowl with the cranberry sauce.
Finish. Add the jalapeños if desired and serve with tortilla chips.
Possible Recipe Variations
- Adjust the heat level. I like to use medium salsa but maybe you prefer mild, or fiery hot. That’s up to you.
- Add mix-ins. If you want to go beyond the two basic ingredients, stir in finely chopped red onion, chopped fresh cilantro, or a half teaspoon of chipotle powder for smoky heat. (Or maybe you’d like to try my popular restaurant style salsa or homemade pico de gallo!)
- Make a creamy dip. Stir this cranberry salsa into a block of softened cream cheese or just place the block of cream cheese on a platter and pour the salsa over the top. This is fantastic with crackers!
Serving Ideas
Tortilla chips: Choose the tortilla chips you like best. Have you ever tried blue corn tortilla chips? They’re fun to serve with this colorful salsa. Kale/spinach chips with their green tint would be great, too!
Other dippers: Crackers aren’t bad, either. The gluten-free ones made from seeds would be especially delicious. I think crostini would also work well.
More holiday snacks. If you are looking for more appetizers that would go well with this cranberry salsa, try sausage pinwheels with apple, sage, and gruyère or bacon wrapped dates.
This cranberry salsa can easily be made ahead. In a tightly covered container, it will keep well in the fridge for about 5 days. If needed, drain off the liquid before serving.
Prevent your screen from going dark
In a medium bowl, empty the cranberry sauce and mash slightly with spoon.
1 can (14 oz.) whole berry cranberry sauce
Using a fine mesh strainer, lightly drain the salsa, removing some of the excess liquid. Add it to cranberry sauce, mixing until combined.
1 jar (12 oz.) thick and chunky salsa, drained
Garnish with chopped jalapeño peppers, if desired.
2 to 3 tablespoons jalapeño peppers, chopped as garnish
Serve with tortilla chips or refer to the notes below for more serving ideas.
- Salsa: For this recipe, you want a shelf-stable jar of thick chunky salsa, not a fresh salsa, which tends to be more watery. I recommend going spicier than you might typically buy, to contrast with the sweetness cranberry sauce. I usually buy a medium or hot salsa.
- Possible garnishes/add-ins: If you prefer, garnish the salsa with fresh cilantro leaves instead of jalapeño peppers. Possible add-ins are finely chopped red onion, chopped fresh cilantro, or a half teaspoon of chipotle powder.
- Serving suggestions: While this salsa is great with tortilla chips, it also goes well with crackers or crostini. It can also easily be turned into a creamy dip by stirring the desired amount into a block of softened cream cheese. I also like to serve it on cream cheese as a spread for crackers.
- Storage: Refrigerate salsa in a tightly covered container. It will keep for up to 5 days.
Serving: 0.25cup, Calories: 73kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 0.1g, Saturated Fat: 0.01g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.04g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g, Sodium: 225mg, Potassium: 102mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 187IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 11mg, Iron: 0.3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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