This easy cranberry sauce recipe has been a fixture on my family’s Thanksgiving table for years, served alongside my mother’s elaborate Indian-inspired holiday dishes. With just 10 minutes on the stove and a handful of ingredients—fresh or frozen cranberries, sugar, orange zest, and water—it delivers the bright, tangy flavor that cuts through all the richness of the holiday meal.

My mom started making cranberry sauce after tasting a homemade version at a friend’s house. Over time, she made it her own, dialing back the sugar for extra tang and adding orange zest for brightness. We’ve tried fancier versions with maple syrup, chiles, and warm spices, but always come back to this stripped-down sauce. Anything more dulls the sharp cranberry bite we love.

A splash of orange liqueur is entirely optional, and you can swap some or all of the white sugar for light brown sugar.…