Ditch the canned stuff and upgrade to this Citrus Cranberry Chutney. The flavor and texture is fantastic and it's the perfect compliment to your turkey.
Try these other awesome recipes featuring cranberries: Cranberry Apple Crisp, Cranberry Sauce with Shallots and Dried Cherries and Orange Cranberry Torte.

Cranberry Chutney Recipe
As a kid, I only wanted the canned, jelly cranberry sauce. I refused to even try to real stuff (sorry mom! I deal with that nonsense now with my two gals and it's frustrating!). Boy was I missing out!
Now that I've learned how delicious it can be when made fresh, I look forward to a good homemade cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving each year. And I'm so excited for you to try this chutney with cranberries!
It's a delicious mix of sweet, tart and savory. The recipe is really easy to make and it actually tastes better when made ahead, so one less thing to worry about on the big day!
Tips for how to make this chutney recipe
- Prep the ingredients before you start cooking, the recipe goes fast, so it's good to have your mise en place ready to go.
- You'll know the sauce is ready for the last step of adding the walnuts and salt and pepper because the berries will begin bursting and it will have thickened up slightly.
- This can be served warm or chilled. It tastes great either way.
Helpful ingredient information
- Cranberries: This recipe works very well with both frozen or fresh cranberries.
- Fruits and Veggies: Diced apple and orange add awesome flavor and texture. I peel and core my apple before dicing and zest and supreme my orange before dicing it). Shallots add a delicate, savory flavor.
- Seasonings: The flavor rounds out beautifully with cinnamon, ground cloves, brown sugar, course prepared mustard, white wine vinegar kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Other ingredients: Olive oil helps avoid sticking when you're sautéing the shallot. I add a little water to help balance flavors and thin it out a bit and walnuts add a delicious texture.
What is chutney?
Originally made in India, chutney is a condiment made with fruits or vegetables, spices, sugar and vinegar. While this version is not authentic to Indian cuisine, it's a delicious option for Thanksgiving.
How do you supreme and orange?
It's super easy and a great way to avoid the bitterness and texture of the pith. Start by slicing off the top and bottom of your orange. Then use your knife to peel the orange so that there is none of the white pith on it. Then take your knife and cut along each side of the pith that divides each wedge of orange so that the wedge comes out easily with not white pith left on it anywhere.
How do you thicken cranberry chutney?
As the chutney cooks it reduces and the natural pectin in the cranberries thickens it just right.
How long does cranberry chutney keep?
This will last for up to a week covered in the refrigerator.
How do you serve cranberry chutney?
My favorite way to eat this is alongside my Thanksgiving turkey. This is also a flavorful addition to a sandwich, a nice add-on to chicken salad and a great option for topping baked brie or to serve on your cheese platter.
Leftovers:
This lasts up to a week covered in the fridge and tastes great cold or warmed.
Ingredients that can be prepped ahead:
- Dice shallots
- Wash apple and orange
- Chop walnuts
Helpful tools:
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Citrus Cranberry Chutney
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, diced
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 orange, zest reserved and then peeled, supremed and chopped.
- 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons course mustard
- ⅓ cup white wine vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 1 12 ounce bag cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium pan over medium heat.
- Add shallot and sauté until softened stirring periodically, about 3 minutes.
- Add cinnamon and cloves and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
- Add orange zest, diced orange supremes, apple, brown sugar, coarse mustard, vinegar and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Add cranberries and raise heat to medium high to bring to a boil.
- Cook for 10 minutes stirring periodically until the berries burst and chutney has thickened.
- Stir in walnuts and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook for 1 more minute then remove from heat and cool completely. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
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