This Cranberry Orange Salad is the bright, crunchy side dish every holiday table needs. Crisp spring greens, juicy mandarin oranges, sweet-tart cranberries, toasted pecans and creamy goat cheese get tossed with a homemade honey balsamic orange dressing. It takes about 20 minutes, you can prep it the day before, and it’s the salad I make from Thanksgiving straight through New Year’s.
Holiday plates tend to be very beige: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy. A fresh cranberry citrus salad with color and crunch balances all of that richness, and it looks as festive as it tastes. (Looking for the creamy, marshmallow-style side instead? Try my Cranberry Fluff Salad.)
Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Orange Salad
- It’s festive without trying. Red cranberries, orange citrus and green leaves look right at home on a Thanksgiving or Christmas table.
- It’s make-ahead friendly. Everything but the dressing can be prepped the day before.
- It’s light. A fresh, lighter side that balances the heavier dishes on the table.
- It easily becomes a meal. Add leftover turkey or chicken for a high-protein lunch the next day.
- It’s flexible. Fresh, frozen or dried cranberries all work.
Ingredients for Cranberry Orange Salad
Here’s a quick-reference grocery list of the ingredients you’ll need to make this simple, crisp cranberry salad recipe. I’ve linked all of my preferred ingredients to Target, so should you need to do a last-minute Target pick-up they can have your ingredients for you same day!
- Spring Mix, or a mix of your favorite greens – you’ll need about 2 – 5 oz. bags of Spring Mix or other greens. Feel free to do a mix of your preferred greens, like baby spinach, spring mix, romaine, butter lettuce or any other mix.
- Mandarin Oranges – I like to grab a can of mandarin oranges. They are already peeled and packed in water. These are always an economical addition to salads and side dishes and pair wonderfully with cranberries. I also include mandarin oranges in my Orange Jello Fluff Salad.
- Fresh Cranberries – for this salad, grab a bag of fresh cranberries in your produce section. These are always available during the holidays. If you cannot find fresh, feel free to substitute dried cranberries.
- Green Onions – fresh green onions are a fantastic addition to this salad. They are mild and are complimentary to the cranberries and oranges.
- Celery – fresh celery is a fantastic addition and brings the perfect amount of crunch to every bite of this crispy, fresh salad.
- Toasted Pecans – pecan halves take this salad from good to amazing! Wonderfully nuttiness and crunch and elevates the flavor as well.
- Goat Cheese – creamy goat cheese crumbles are amazing in the salad. Very mild, it adds a nice creamy note that goes perfectly with the pecans and sweetness of the oranges. For a stronger option, you could add blue cheese, feta or even gorgonzola.
For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions, be sure to reference the recipe at the bottom of this page.
What other nuts can I use instead of pecans for this fresh cranberry salad?
You can use a variety of nuts – walnuts, pistachios and almonds are all great options!
For the honey balsamic dressing, you’ll need:
- Olive Oil
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Garlic
- Honey
- Orange (for juice and zest)
Just whisk everything together. This dressing is light, bright and a great replacement for most store-bought balsamic dressings. It’s also delicious on my Apple Quinoa Salad, Harvest Salad with Pears and Pomegranates, Kale Apple Salad and Roasted Carrot Salad.
How to Prep Fresh Cranberries for Salad
Raw cranberries are safe to eat, but they’re very tart and firm. My favorite fix takes two minutes in the microwave and softens them just enough to be sweet-tart and juicy.
Steps to cooking cranberries:
- Start by adding the fresh cranberries to a microwave-safe bowl. Add the sweetener of your choice along with fresh-squeezed orange juice. I like granular monk fruit sweetener, like Lakanto or Whole Earth.
- Stir together the cranberries, juice and sweetener. Then, microwave on 1 minute increments, stopping to stir. You’ll likely just need 2 minutes total to cook the cranberries.
- Let the cranberries cool to room temperature, or refrigerate before adding them to the salad.
| Cranberry option | Flavor and texture | Prep | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Softened fresh (my pick) | Sweet-tart, juicy, a few burst berries | 2 min microwave + cool | The classic version of this salad |
| Raw fresh, halved | Very tart, crisp | Slice each berry in half | Anyone who likes a sharp bite; use less |
| Dried cranberries | Sweet and chewy | None; use 1/3–1/2 cup | Fastest option, year-round |
| Sugared cranberries | Sweet crunch outside, tart inside | Several hours (soak + dry) | A showy Christmas garnish |
Want dried cranberries without all the refined sugar? Make my How to Make Dried Cranberries recipe. No dehydrator needed, just 3 ingredients and your oven. They’re also great in cookies, granola, yogurt and oatmeal.
Want to use dried cranberries without all the refined sugar?
Check out my post for How to Make Dried Cranberries recipe! No dehydrator necessary – just 3 ingredients and your oven does the work. This is a great way to add dried cranberries to your salad without all of the refined sugar.
Not only are these dried cranberries great in salads, they are also wonderful in cookies, bars, homemade granola & granola bars, and stirring into yogurt and oatmeal.
The Best Oranges for Cranberry Citrus Salad
I usually reach for a can of mandarin oranges because they’re ready to go, but fresh winter citrus makes this salad even prettier.
| Citrus | Why use it | How to prep |
|---|---|---|
| Canned mandarin oranges | Easiest, budget-friendly, consistent | Drain well; pat dry |
| Clementines or fresh mandarins | Fresh flavor, still easy to peel | Peel and separate segments, or slice into rounds |
| Navel or Cara Cara oranges | Juicy, sweet, beautiful color (Cara Cara are pink inside) | Cut into supremes (below) |
| Blood oranges | Deep red color, berry-like flavor; peak in winter | Slice into rounds or supremes |
How to supreme an orange: slice off the top and bottom, cut away the peel and white pith following the curve of the fruit, then cut between the membranes to release each segment. Squeeze the leftover membranes over a bowl and use that juice in the dressing.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Salad
- Soften the cranberries. Microwave with orange juice and sweetener as above, then cool.
- Toast the pecans. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 6–8 minutes, or toast in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–5 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant.
- Whisk the dressing. Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, orange juice and zest, honey, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Assemble. Add the greens to a large bowl or platter and top with the oranges, celery, green onions, cooled cranberries, pecans and goat cheese.
- Dress and serve. Toss with the dressing just before serving, or serve it on the side.
Make It a Meal: Protein Add-Ins
This salad is a side dish on the holiday table, but with a little protein it becomes a satisfying lunch or dinner that keeps you full for hours. It’s my favorite way to use up holiday leftovers.
| Add-in | Per serving | Approx. protein added |
|---|---|---|
| Leftover roast turkey breast (try my Easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast) | 3 oz | ~25 g |
| Grilled or rotisserie chicken breast | 3 oz | ~26 g |
| Baked salmon | 3 oz | ~22 g |
| Chickpeas, rinsed | ½ cup | ~7 g |
| Hard-boiled egg | 1 large | ~6 g |
Want it already mixed? My Cranberry Chicken Salad brings the same flavors in a meal-prep-friendly format.
Make-Ahead Timeline for Thanksgiving or Christmas
This salad is built for busy holidays. Here’s how I spread out the work so it’s ready the moment dinner is.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Up to 3 days ahead | Soften the cranberries and refrigerate them in a covered container. Toast the pecans and store them airtight at room temperature. |
| Up to 3 days ahead | Whisk the dressing and refrigerate it in a sealed jar. (Because it contains fresh garlic and orange juice, keep it in the fridge, not on the counter.) |
| The day before | Wash and thoroughly dry the greens. Slice the celery and green onions. Assemble the greens and vegetables in your serving bowl, cover and refrigerate. |
| 1 hour before | Take the dressing out of the fridge so the olive oil loosens. Add the oranges and cranberries to the salad. |
| Right before serving | Top with pecans and goat cheese, shake the dressing, and toss or serve it on the side. |
Should you dress the salad before dinner? If you expect leftovers, serve the dressing on the side so guests can add their own and the extra salad stays crisp. If it will all be eaten, toss everything together right before it goes on the table. I use the same approach for my Kale Salad with Brussels Sprouts.
Substitutions and Variations
| Swap | Try |
|---|---|
| Greens | Baby spinach, arugula, butter lettuce, or massaged kale |
| Pecans | Walnuts, pistachios or sliced almonds; pepitas for a nut-free salad |
| Goat cheese | Feta, blue cheese, gorgonzola or shaved Parmesan; skip it for dairy-free |
| Sweetener | Honey, maple syrup or sugar in place of monk fruit |
| Add-ins | Pomegranate arils, sliced apple or pear, avocado, or shaved Brussels sprouts |
| Dressing | The Maple Dijon dressing from my Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad with Kale and Quinoa |
Serving Cranberry Orange Salad for a Crowd
The recipe makes 8 side-dish servings of about 1½ cups each. For a bigger group, double everything; one batch of dressing covers up to 12 servings if you go light. Serve it in a wide, shallow bowl or on a platter so the oranges, cranberries and pecans stay on top instead of sinking.
It’s wonderful with roast turkey, ham, chicken or roast beef. Here are some of my favorite holiday recipes to serve with it:
- Easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
- How to Dry Brine a Turkey and Citrus Turkey Brine
- Salt and Brown Sugar Turkey Brine
- Garlic Herb Roast Beef
- Everything Thanksgiving Stuffing
- Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Rainbow Carrots
- Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows and Pecans
How to Store Leftovers
- Undressed salad: keeps 2–3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Dressed salad: best eaten the same day; the greens soften quickly.
- Dressing: keeps up to 4 days in a sealed jar in the fridge. Let it sit out 15 minutes and shake before using.
- Leftover tip: top the next-day salad with leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken for an easy high-protein lunch.
FAQ’s about making cranberry salad for a holiday dinner:
No. Cranberries are berries, close relatives of blueberries. Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and mandarins come from a different plant family. The two just happen to taste great together, which is why cranberry and orange is such a classic holiday pairing.
Yes. Raw cranberries are safe to eat, but they’re very tart. If you like that sharp bite, halve them and use a little less. For a sweeter salad, soften them in the microwave with orange juice and sweetener for about 2 minutes.
Absolutely. Use about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of dried cranberries for the whole salad and skip the microwave step.
Yes. Thaw them first, or microwave them straight from frozen and add an extra 30 to 60 seconds. Drain off any excess liquid before adding them to the greens.
Yes. Rinse and dry them, then freeze in an airtight bag for up to a year. Grab a few extra bags during the holidays so you can make this salad all winter.
You can assemble the greens and vegetables the day before and prep the cranberries, pecans and dressing up to 3 days ahead. Keep the dressing separate and add it just before serving. See the timeline above.
Either works. I use two bags of spring mix because it’s already a blend of tender greens. If you’re buying heads of lettuce, mixing a tender green like butter lettuce with something crunchy like romaine gives the best texture.
Yes. It’s full of fresh produce, the cranberries bring antioxidants, and the homemade dressing uses just a tablespoon of honey for the whole batch. Using less sweetener on the cranberries, or none at all, keeps the added sugar low.
Do you love cooking with fresh cranberries? Check out some of my other recipes using cranberries:
- Healthy Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Cranberry Fluff Salad
- Cranberry Moscow Mule
- Saint Nickarita Christmas Margarita
- Cranberry No Bake Energy Bites
- Cranberry Coffee Cake
- Cranberry Chicken Salad
What can I serve this cranberry salad with?
This cranberry salad is amazing with roast turkey and chicken. It’s a great side dish to a holiday meal. Check out some of our best holiday recipes:
- Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup
- Easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
- Apple Cider Turkey Brine
- Citrus Turkey Brine
- How to Dry Brine A Turkey
- How to Cook A Moist Turkey
- Oven Baked Snow Crab Legs
- Garlic Herb Roast Beef
- Paula Deen’s Corn Casserole
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows and Pecans
Here are some other recipes perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner:
Here’s the easy recipe for my Cranberry Salad recipe:
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Cranberry Orange Salad
Equipment
- Mini Whisk Fantastic for small batch recipes, this mini whisk is ideal for dressings, sauces and marinades.
- Salad Dressing Storage Jar This ingenious OXO salad dressing shaker and storage jar is perfect for making and storing your own dressing at home.
Ingredients
- 2 (5 oz. bags) Spring Mix or your preferred lettuce mix
- 1 (15 oz. can) mandarin oranges drained, (or 3 clementines, segmented)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries (or ⅓-½ cup dried)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice juice of 1/2 orange
- 2 Tablespoons granular monk fruit sweetener (or honey, maple syrup or sugar)
- 2 green onions sliced
- 2 celery ribs sliced
- 1/2 cup pecan halves toasted
- 1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles
Honey Balsamic Dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice juice of 1/2 orange
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest zest of 1/2 orange
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic about 2 cloves
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soften the cranberries: In a microwave-safe bowl, stir together the cranberries, 2 Tbsp orange juice and sweetener. Microwave in 1-minute increments, stirring between each, until some cranberries burst, about 2 minutes total. Cool for 10 minutes or refrigerate until cold.
- Toast the pecans: Bake on a sheet pan at 350°F for 6–8 minutes, or toast in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–5 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. Cool.
- Make the dressing: Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, orange juice, zest, honey, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Assemble: Add the greens to a large bowl or platter. Top with the oranges, green onions, celery, cooled cranberries, pecans and goat cheese. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Serve: Toss with the dressing just before serving, or serve the dressing on the side.
Notes
- Make ahead: Assemble the greens and vegetables up to 1 day ahead. Cranberries, pecans and dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead. Store the dressing in the fridge and let it sit 15 minutes, then shake, before serving.
- Leftovers: Undressed salad keeps 2–3 days refrigerated. Serve the dressing on the side if you expect leftovers.
- Dried cranberries: Use 1/3–1/2 cup and skip step 1.
- Make it a meal: Add 3 oz sliced chicken or turkey per serving.
Nutrition
I love this salad, especially those bright notes of citrus and cranberry! This would be the perfect thing to serve at Thanksgiving to help cut through the carbs 🙂
I just LOVE this salad!
So colorful and absolutely delicious looking!
What a refreshing side dish to balance out all of the rich, heavy foods on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Delicious, colorful, full of texture…it looks just perfect, Erin! Thanks so much for sharing it as part of our Thanksgiving Menu Blog Hop!
You’re so right- fresh and crunchy textures are always needed at the Thanksgiving table. Love all the holiday flavors in this gorgeous salad!
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I love love Thanksgiving, but (despite my apparent sugar addiction) I always miss a good green salad at the table! This one looks SO good!
Goat cheese and cranberries!! Yummm!! This thanksgiving feast today is such a treat 🙂
Thanks so much, Zainab! Hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving! ~Erin
Love all the bright colors in this salad! It would make a beautiful presentation for the holidays. Pinning!
Thanks so much, Liz!
Love all the vibrant colors in this salad. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Erin!
Thanks so much, Liz! Hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving! ~Erin
Amazing combination of ingredients and amazing colors!
Oh man, this salad looks amazing! Perfect for Fall, and the holidays. Thanks for sharing at On Display Thursday. I will be pinning and sharing this!
Such a pretty fall salad!! All the flavors together sound amazing!
Erin, this Cranberry Citrus Salad with Goat Cheese & Pecans is beautiful and I’m going to make it this Christmas for my family! Your recipe listed several lettuce varieties. Should I buy one head each of a different variety, or do you recommend that both heads of lettuce be the same variety?
Yum! What a perfectly delicious looking salad!
Hello my friend! I wish to say that this article is amazing, nice written and come with almost
all important infos. I would like to see more posts like this .
It gives me SO MUCH satisfaction to successfully make a meal out of all the things in my fridge that *need* to be used up asap.
This was delicious! Cranberries cooked in the microwave?! Who knew. Loved it.
Can you substitute dried cranberries instead How many dried cranberries can be used?
Yes, you could substitute dried cranberries. I would recommend about 1/3 – 1/2 cup for the entire salad. Enjoy! Happy Holidays, Erin