A white bowl filled with cranberry rosemary sauce sits on a white wooden table. There are sprigs of rosemary and whole cranberries nearby. There is also a white and green checked cloth in the top right of the image.

Cranberry Rosemary Sauce combines tangy cranberries, rich balsamic vinegar, earthy rosemary and a touch of sugar to create the perfect complement for roasted meats!

Here’s a potentially controversial opinion: I think fruit and meat are a match made in heaven. You might agree – or you might be like a friend of mine, who once declared that fruit and meat should never, ever be paired together. But I’m willing to bet she hasn’t tried my Cranberry Rosemary Sauce yet, and I’m convinced it could change her mind!

If you’re a fan of the sweet-and-savory magic that happens when these flavors come together, this sauce is for you. Tangy cranberries and rich balsamic vinegar blended with a touch of sugar, all brought to life with the earthy warmth of rosemary.

I originally crafted this sauce as the perfect complement to my Turkey Gouda Sandwich with Cranberry and Spinach, but it’s truly ideal as a side dish for your holiday roasts or any savory meat dish. It’s a little unexpected, but once you taste it, you’ll wonder how you ever enjoyed your Thanksgiving turkey without it. I know I can’t!

Ingredients for cranberry rosemary sauce. There are three small bowls sitting on a wooden plate. Once bowl contains cranberries, another balsamic and the final sugar. There are sprigs of fresh rosemary in the bottom right of the screen and a green and white checked cloth in the top left.

What are Cranberries?

Cranberries are small, red, tart berries that are native to North America. They grow on low-lying shrubs in boggy or marshy areas in cool climates. They are usually the size of a marble and noted for their bright red color. Cranberries have a distinctive sour taste when fresh, which is why they are the perfect ingredient for dishes like this Cranberry Rosemary Sauce that combine tart ingredients (like cranberries and balsamic vinegar) and sweet ingredients (sugar) to create a balanced sauce.

Do Cranberries and Fresh Rosemary taste good together?

Yes, cranberries and rosemary taste really good together! In addition to both being delicious on their own when paired with a roasted meat, the combination of cranberries’ tart, slightly sour taste with rosemary’s earthy, piney notes creates a balanced yet intriguing flavor combination.

The bowl of a food processor filled with unblended ingredients such as cranberries, sugar, rosemary and balsamic vinegar.

The bowl of a food processor filled with blended cranberry rosemary sauce.

Necessary Tool: Food Processor

I prefer using a food processor to blend the cranberries because it makes it easier to achieve a smooth, well-blended sauce and simplifies removing the finished mixture because of the larger bowl. If you don’t have a food processor, a blender will work just fine as an alternative. In either case, I recommend keeping a silicone spatula handy to scrape down the sides of the bowl while blending and to help transfer the sauce once it’s done.

A white bowl filled with finished cranberry sauce.

SUBSTITUTION: Fresh Cranberries instead of Frozen Cranberries?

If needed, you can substitute fresh cranberries 1:1 for the frozen cranberries in this recipe. I prefer to use frozen cranberries since I can find them all year round. I typically only see fresh whole cranberries in the store around the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season.

SUBSTITUTION: Dried Rosemary instead of Fresh Rosemary?

You can certainly try using dried rosemary instead of fresh, but I wouldn’t recommend it as the flavor profiles can differ quite a bit. If you do decide to substitute, the general rule is to use about one-third the amount of dried rosemary as you would fresh, which in this case would be between ⅛ and ¼ teaspoon (I imagine most kitchens don’t have a ⅙ teaspoon!). Fresh rosemary is much brighter and sharper, which I find pairs better with cranberries. Dried rosemary tends to have a more muted, woodsy flavor. If you go ahead with the dried version, start with the smaller measurement and taste as you go. Adjust by adding more if you feel the rosemary flavor isn’t strong enough for your liking.

A white bowl with cranberry sauce sits on a white wooden table. A white plate is topped with some fresh rosemary and a bowl of whole cranberries. There are sprigs or rosemary and fresh cranberries strewn around as well as a green and white checked cloth in the top left corner.

I can’t find Cranberries where I live, what else can I use as a substitute?

If cranberries are unavailable where you live you could try substituting fresh or frozen tart cherries (that have the pits removed) or currents. Both have similar color and tartness to cranberries. Just be sure to taste after blending and adjust with the balsamic and sugar as needed to create balanced tangy but sweet sauce.

A white plate topped with meatballs, green beans, cranberry sauce and a fork.

How to Serve Cranberry Rosemary Sauce

Cranberry Rosemary Sauce is a fantastic accompaniment to a variety of meat dishes such as roast turkey and chicken or even a Swedish style meatball. I also love using it as a spread on sandwiches like my Turkey Gouda Sandwich with Cranberry and Spinach.