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Home Recipes by Type Appetizers/Snacks
30 30 Minutes or Less GF Gluten-Free DF Dairy-Free VG Vegetarian 5I 5 ingredients or less

Cranberry Salsa – Easy, only Two Ingredients!

4.34
/5
5 mins
14 Comments
Jump to Recipe
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 10/26/2015Updated: 06/15/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Red salsa in a bowl, text overlay reads "2 ingredient cranberry salsa, rachelcooks.com"
Red salsa in a bowl, text overlay reads "2 ingredient cranberry salsa, rachelcooks.com"
Red salsa in a bowl, text overlay reads "2 ingredient cranberry salsa, rachelcooks.com"
Red salsa in a bowl, text overlay reads "easy 2 ingredient cranberry salsa, rachelcooks.com"
This two ingredient easy cranberry salsa will be the hit of the dip table at your next party - and it takes less than five minutes to make! Get the easy recipe on RachelCooks.com!

Two ingredient easy cranberry salsa will be the hit of the dip table at your next party – and it takes less than five minutes to make!

Overhead view of cranberry salsa and tortilla chips.

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.

If you’re looking for a really quick appetizer idea, this one is for you! You probably have the ingredients you need already in your pantry, especially this time of year.

I always grab a can or two of cranberry sauce when I see it on sale at the grocery store. Often there are stacks of it in the middle aisles. I figure I’ll use it somehow and I always do although not usually on the Thanksgiving table. I like to make my own Cinnamon Apple Cranberry Sauce or Orange Cranberry Sauce with Cardamom. 

Even if you have a couple of cans still hanging out in your pantry after the holidays, cranberry salsa is welcome in the coming months. Serve it at your next party and just watch it disappear. It’s perfect with a festive cocktail like cranberry margaritas or a pomegranate mojito. 

Small white bowl filled with cranberry salsa and a wooden spoon, surrounded by chips.

About this cranberry salsa

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! 

Because there are only those 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. Use a thick and chunky salsa for best results.

So here’s the how-to’s: Open a can of cranberry sauce, put it into a bowl, and break up any largish chunks. Open the jar of salsa, drain lightly to remove some of the watery juice, and add that to the bowl. Stir lightly until the two ingredients are blended. That’s it!

The bright green garnish of chopped jalapeño peppers is totally optional but it does add a nice pop of color. Chopped cilantro would do the trick, too, if you’re not crazy about peppers.

Serve the salsa with tortilla chips. Have you noticed how many different kinds of tortilla chips out there to choose from? Lately one of my friends has been bringing pumpkin tortilla chips to parties. I’m not sure where she buys those but they have just a hint of cinnamon and I could so easily get addicted to those babies. Super tasty!

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! Crackers aren’t bad, either.

Bright red salsa in a bowl surrounded by green tortilla chips.

Make this cranberry salsa your own

Well, since there are only two ingredients, it’s a little hard to be creative with this one. I like to use medium salsa but maybe you prefer mild, or fiery hot. That’s up to you. 

If you want to go beyond the two basic ingredients, stir in finely chopped red onion, chopped fresh cilantro, or finely diced jalapeños. Or maybe you’d like to try my popular restaurant style salsa or homemade pico de gallo. Mexicali dip is always a hit at parties.

Make ahead and storage

This cranberry salsa can easily be made ahead. In a tightly covered container, it will keep well in the fridge for at least a few days. Makes it a rather perfect appetizer idea, right? I love recipes that can be prepared ahead of time although, admittedly, since this one only takes a couple of minutes to make, the advantage of making it ahead is minimal. But hey, anything you can do to avoid the last minute rush is good, right?

Overhead view of a small white bowl filled with salsa made with cranberry sauce and topped with diced jalapeno..

Easy Appetizers

I’m always on the look-out for easy appetizer ideas. Try:

 

  • Homemade French Onion Dip — goes great with potato chips or veggies
  • Mexican Corn Dip
  • Cherry Cheesecake Dip with Lime (10 minute recipe)
  • Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels or Pickle Roll Ups with Ham (Pinwheels)
  • Olive Oil Roasted Almonds or Cinnamon Roasted Almonds (Sugar Free)
  • S’Mores Popcorn
  • Candied Bacon

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Overhead view of a small white bowl filled with cranberry salsa and topped with diced jalapeno.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Two Ingredient Easy Cranberry Salsa

4.34 from 6 votes
Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 5 mins
10 servings
Print Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Two ingredient easy cranberry salsa will be the hit of the dip table at your next party – and it takes less than five minutes to make!

Ingredients

  • 1 can (14 ounces) whole berry cranberry sauce
  • 12 ounces thick and chunky salsa (I use medium), drained of excess liquid
  • 2-3 tablespoons jalapeños, chopped as garnish (optional)
  • tortilla chips for serving

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, empty the cranberry sauce and mash slightly with spoon.
  • Lightly drain the salsa, removing some of the excess liquid, and add to cranberry sauce, mixing until combined.
  • Garnish with chopped jalapeños if desired.
  • Serve with tortilla chips.

Notes

  • Recipe used with permission from Meijer.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/4 cup, Calories: 69kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 258mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 10g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
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  1. Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says

    November 1, 2015 at 1:00 pm

    What an easy but amazing looking salsa! Love when stores take a stance to eliminate things like hfcs, hydrogenated oils and unnecessary preservatives from their foods. It’s nice to see it happening more and more lately!

    Reply
  2. Patty K says

    October 30, 2015 at 12:38 pm

    What a great surprise this would be to serve on Thanksgiving instead of the regular cranberry sauce!

    Reply
  3. kita says

    October 29, 2015 at 9:38 pm

    Two ingredients? Yeah, I have got to try this.

    Reply
  4. Jan says

    October 28, 2015 at 7:05 pm

    We live in Eastern Washington and do not have a Meijer store. Rats!! The only store I have available is a Safeway and/or Fred Meyer. Would this recipe work with what I have available?

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      October 30, 2015 at 3:09 pm

      Yes, it will!

      Reply
  5. Sues says

    October 26, 2015 at 9:35 pm

    Mmm this is most definitely my kind of dip! Soo perfect for the holidays!!

    Reply
  6. Sabrina Modelle says

    October 26, 2015 at 2:54 pm

    Wow, yum! I love cranberries any which way, and cranberry salsa sounds just about perfect. Can’t wait to try this out!

    Reply
  7. Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes says

    October 26, 2015 at 2:39 pm

    I love the simple ingredients in this salsa!! This would look absolutely gorgeous on a holiday table. I’m glad you still had a good trip despite being sick!!

    Reply
  8. denise says

    October 26, 2015 at 1:58 pm

    sounds interesting–I’d eat it, not sure if the guys would

    Reply
  9. Lauren Kelly Nutrition says

    October 26, 2015 at 12:40 pm

    Oh this looks gorgeous and delicious! I love al of the ingredients too. This salsa is perfect for the upcoming holidays!

    Reply
  10. shelly (cookies and cups) says

    October 26, 2015 at 9:09 am

    This sounds fantastic! I just bought some pumpkin tortilla chips from Trader Joe’s that this will be phenomenal with!!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      October 26, 2015 at 9:10 am

      Oh my gosh – YES. What a great combo!

      Reply
  11. Alida says

    October 26, 2015 at 7:32 am

    I definitely have visions of mixing things up during the holidays with this tasty salsa. It looks fantastic!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      October 26, 2015 at 9:10 am

      Thanks Alida! I hope it spices up your holidays :)

      Reply

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