EASY THREE INGREDIENT CRANBERRY SALAD
This easy three ingredient cranberry salad is full of flavor, so easy and delicious! You won’t believe how simple it is.
If you love cooking with cranberries, you will love our Crock Pot Cranberry Pork. It’s only 4 ingredients and a wonderful dish. Don’t forget the mashed potatoes!
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❤️WHY WE LOVE IT
This easy cranberry salad has only 3 ingredients! When we say it’s easy, we mean it. You’re going to take canned cranberry sauce, canned mandarin oranges, and chopped walnuts and mix them together. That’s it! It’s just a simple dish that packs a ton of flavor and looks beautiful on the table. This recipe is a must for your Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas holiday meal. It also makes the perfect dish to take to a potluck or gathering. It always receives rave reviews:
“I found this recipe on your site years ago. I serve it every year for Thanksgiving. My family even ask “you’re making that cranberry orange stuff, right?” It’s a must.” – Laura
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🍴KEY INGREDIENTS
- Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce (in a can)
- Mandarin oranges, drained
- Chopped walnuts (can use pecans)
🥣HOW TO MAKE
This dish is so easy, you won’t believe it!
Step 1: Mix all ingredients together. (That’s it!😉)
⭐EXPERT TIP
If you are making this a day ahead of time, keep it in the refrigerator until it is ready to serve. There will be juice from the cranberry sauce that must be drained. I wouldn’t add the nuts till you serve them.
RECIPE VARIATIONS
You can easily add to this salad to fit your taste! Feel free to add:
- Pineapple Chunks, which is delicious with cranberry.
- Coconut is always good with this type of salad.
- Apples would be delicious too.
- Different types of nuts
“It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving or Christmas without this on the table. I always have to double the recipe because we all love it and want to make sure we have extra for leftovers the next day!” – Mary ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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WHAT TO SERVE IT WITH:
Of course, this dish is excellent for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s so good with our conbread dressing or really any of our Thanksgiving sides. We also love it with our crockpot roast beef. Even when we make our Non-Traditional Thanksgiving dinner, we always serve this cranberry salad.
❓FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
No, you don’t have to chill it before serving it.
Yes, you would just need to cook them first to make the cranberry sauce and then mix in the oranges and nuts.
STORING CRANBERRY SALAD
You can keep this in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Just remember that the cranberry sauce will create juice as it sits, so when you serve it, drain the juice and give a good stir.
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SERVING SIZE
This recipe will serve 8 but you can easily double or triple this dish.
Cranberry Salad
Ingredients
- 2 15 ounce cans whole cranberries in sauce
- 2 14 ounce cans mandarin oranges, drained
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Mix 3 ingredients together.
Notes
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Do I have to use the nuts
No, you dont have to, it can just be 2 ingredients.
I used this recipe at Thanksgiving and it is awesome!! Even my son that “doesn’t like Cranberry sauce” liked it!!
Made this for Thanksgiving. Quick and easy and everybody really liked it!
Has anyone used fresh mandarins in this recipe? If anyone has how much did you use, thanks in advance for your reply.
It would be around the same amount if you use fresh. 14 ounces be around 1.5 cups.
this salad is to die for! all the book club ladies raved when i served it; even my husband, who does not like cranberries, loved this salad. So simple, so colorful in the bowl, so refreshing, so delicious!
Made this for a dinner at church. This combo was a hit I had to make it bigger than just doubling it so I added pineapple tidbits and chopped nuts and 1 grany smith apple peeled and chopped this served about 25 people but no leftovers.
Do you make day of or day before?
I always make this the day of. Thanks!
I found this recipe on your site years ago. I serve it every year for Thanksgiving. My family even ask “you’re making that cranberry orange stuff, right?” It’s a must.
So easy and delicious! I doubled this recipe and it made a ton! Not super sweet but really flavorful
Good
I made this for Thanksgiving! I think next time I make it I will add a little sugar. It was very tasty!
Can this be made the night before eating?
Yes, but you will have to kind of drain it the next day. I would not put on the nuts the night before.
Should this be chilled before serving?
You don’t have to chill it but you can if you want. It’s good either way.
I have a fresh bag of cranberries, and never used fresh before, how would I use them for this salad. We are not a jelled cranberry family and thought this would make a great dish for Thanksgiving using the fresh.
Gerriannn, fresh cranberry sauce is quick and easy, you just have to pay attention to it. Boil 2 cups of sugar in 2 cups of water.. Add your one pound …or 4 cups….of rinsed berries.. stir them until they pop (only takes about 5 minutes) and you’re done! The longer they cook,, the more jellied they become. You can pick your “texture,” and add sugar to suit your taste. Let it cool and then you can follow the rest of Southern Lady’s recipe.
Could you tell me how many servings this would make? Thanks.
About 8 servings.
How about using fresh oranges cut up? I live in Redlands, CA, and orange groves are all around the town, with little stands that sell bags of fresh oranges. They are sweet and good. Thanks!
add shredded coconut..
I wonder what it would taste like heated with butter and curry powder. Just something different
I am going to make this salad for a luncheon tea I am giving for my ladies group at church. I amm sure they will love it!!!!!!
This works equally well using fresh cranberries, sweetened to taste.
I haven’t tried this recipe but I use 1 can of whole cranberry sauce, 1 sm. can crushed pineapple (do not drain) and chopped pecans. All year round, love it.
Do you drain the pineapple / mandarin oranges?
Yes, you drain the oranges.
Thanks for such a quick response! Great recipe!
Sent from my iPad
Yes, whole berry cranberry sauce.
Is whole cranberry sauce the same as “Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce”?
Yes, it is the same thing.
Katherine has an aunt that would make Thanksgiving and serve ambrosia. This reminds me a little of that, but not as decadent. Looks great.
Love the combination of cranberries, mandarin oranges and walnuts. Great idea! 🙂
Yes, use the whole cranberries in sauce that comes in the can, not the jellied cranberry sauce. I changed it on the blog. Thanks for asking.