Refresh your Thanksgiving holiday dinner menu with this sweet, tart, and creamy cranberry relish recipe with horseradish and sour cream. It’s a delicious and unique side dish that’s easy to make ahead and great to serve at any festive gathering!
Jump to RecipeIf you want a different way to serve cranberries for your holiday dinner, this recipe is UNIQUE. If you listened to NPR in the 90s, you remember Susan Stamberg. Every year before Thanksgiving she would talk about Mama Stamberg’s Cranberry Relish and share the recipe. Cranberry, onion, horseradish, sugar and sour cream. What a flavor combination.
This dish uses fresh cranberries. The original recipe called for the cranberries to be ground with the onions, but you can create a similar texture in a food processor if you don’t have a food grinder. Adjust the amount of horseradish to your taste. The final mixture will be a very pretty pink! You can thaw the relish before serving, but I really enjoy it still mostly frozen. It doesn’t freeze solid, so you can easily serve it straight from the freezer if you’d like
If the gelatinous cranberry glob that comes in a can is not your favorite – give this one a try!
Ingredients
Whole Raw Cranberries. Fresh are best to get just the right relish consistency. You can use frozen cranberries, but do not thaw them before grinding with the onion.
Onion. White onion has the best spicy bite and slightly sweet flavor. Peel and roughly chop the onion, but there is no need to finely mince.
Sour Cream. Makes the cranberry relish rich, cream, and tangy. Can be subbed with greek yogurt, if you like.
Sugar. To balance the tartness of the fresh raw berries.
Horseradish. The “secret ingredient” to make the best cranberry relish with a unique and delicious kick of spice.
How to Make Creamy Cranberry Relish
First, grind the raw cranberries and onion together in a food grinder, or process to a coarse grind in a food processor.
In a mixing bowl, fold cranberry mixture and remaining ingredients.
Put in a freezer container and seal well. Freeze overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
Serving Suggestions
Move to the refrigerator a few hours before you are ready to serve. This lets the cranberry sauce soften a bit so it gets nice and creamy and scoop-able.
Serve homemade relish with cranberries as a fun and tasty side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or other holidays and celebrations. The flavors pair great with savory mains like roasted turkey, chicken, and ham!
It is also perfect to bring in a large bowl to share at potlucks and casual gatherings. It’s right at home on the table alongside casual dishes like fried chicken, pulled BBQ and ribs, hamburgers and hotdogs… Or with nearly any comfort foods.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can but do not thaw first. The berries will become mushy when defrosted, so it’s best to leave them frozen when you process with with onion.
Sauce is typically a thick and gelatinous substance. It can have whole or chopped pieces of cranberries, or is made totally smooth. Relish, on the other hand, is a mixture that includes shredded or finely minced cranberries. It is not jelly-like; instead, the consistency is either like a fresh slaw, or a creamy “salad” like this recipe.
This creamy cranberry relish will keep well for up to 2 months in the freezer and 4 days in the refrigerator.
More Recipes to Try
- Olive Salad
- Favorite Pasta Salad
- BBQ Green Beans
- Creamy Tangy Vegetable Dip
- Rich & Creamy Vegetable Casserole