Cranberry Salsa (Make-Ahead Appetizer!) – Spend With Pennies

Cranberry salsa is a fresh and easy recipe to make over and over again all season long!

Bright and tangy, a handful of ingredients get a quick whirl in the food processor to create a flavorful holiday appetizer. Serve on its own with crackers or tortilla chips or spoon over cream cheese.

Zesty and Delicious

Serve this festive sweet and spicy side dish with favorite dippables like crackers, Crostini, or tortilla chips. The possibilities are endless!

Cranberry salsa is beautifully bright with a sweet and tart flavor.

This recipe has added jalapenos, some cilantro and some onions.

Cranberry Salsa Ingredients

Fresh cranberries are what we used for this recipe, but frozen cranberries taste great too! Just let them come to room temperature before using.

If using frozen, they can be a bit watery and may need to be drained a bit before serving.

Sugar and lime juice give it that signature sweet-tart flavor.

Jalapenos make it just a little bit spicy! If you’re using canned jalapenos, stir a little of the juice into the salsa to up the spiciness!

How to Make Cranberry Salsa

Cranberry Salsa is one of those easy recipes that comes together quickly.

1. Pulse cranberries in a food processor with green onions, cilantro, and jalapeno (per recipe below) until cranberries are chopped fine (but not too finely).
2. Add lime juice and sugar mixture and pulse just to mix.
3. Season with salt and refrigerate before serving for at least an hour.

Tips for the Perfect Dip

Perfect dips are made with the right combination of taste, texture, and presentation.

• Avoid over-processing the mixture so it still maintains some structure.
• Serve cold or scooped over a block of cream cheese for a great presentation.
• Or, simply stir the cranberry salsa directly into the cream cheese for a delicious spread that is perfect on burgers, or for leftover turkey sandwiches!

How to Store and Freeze Cranberry Salsa

• Keep cranberry salsa in a covered container in the refrigerator. It’s even better the next day when all of the flavors have had a chance to blend! Add an extra shot of lime juice or some freshly diced jalapenos to brighten up the flavors before serving.
• Freeze it in zippered bags with the date labeled on them and they will keep for about 2 months in the freezer.
• Once thawed, the salsa will likely need to be drained a bit.

More Holiday Appetizers

Did you make this Cranberry Salsa? Be sure to leave a comment and a rating below! 

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