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    Home » Instant Pot Chicken Recipes » Instant Pot Cranberry Chicken

    Instant Pot Cranberry Chicken

    Published: Oct 8, 2022 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Instant Pot Cranberry Chicken is a one-pot sweet and tangy chicken dinner. This easy recipe turns a few pantry-staple ingredients into a delicious dinner with almost no prep!

    Four cranberry chicken breasts on a white platter.

    Instant Pot cranberry chicken is tasty one-pot dinner recipe. This flavorful recipe is a great combination of sweet, sour, and savory.

    This recipe is the Instant Pot version of the classic baked chicken. That recipe is made from Catalina dressing, cranberry sauce, chicken, and a packet of onion soup mix.

    This recipe keeps the same flavors but uses a few common seasonings in place of the onion soup mix. And since it's made in the Instant Pot, there's almost no prep!

    How to make Instant Pot cranberry chicken

    Chicken breast in an instant pot inner pot.

    Step 1: Place the chicken breasts in the Instant Pot inner pot of a 6 quart pot.

    Chicken breasts and chicken breast in an Instant Pot inner pot.

    Step 2: Pour the chicken broth over the chicken.

    Minced onion and spices over chicken breast in an instant pot inner pot.

    Step 3: Sprinkle the dried onion, garlic powder, pepper and salt over the chicken.

    Catalina dressing and cranberry sauce over chicken breast in an instant pot inner pot.

    Step 4: Pour the dressing over the chicken.

    Step 5: Add the cranberry sauce over the dressing. Do not stir.

    Step 6: Close and lock the lid. Be sure that the pressure release valve is set to sealing. Press manual high pressure and adjust the cooking time to 10 minutes.

    Step 7: Once the cooking time has finished, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
    Release any remaining pressure.

    Step 8: Remove the chicken to a plate, and give the sauce a good stir. Serve the sauce over the chicken.

    A cranberry chicken breast on top of mashed potatoes next to green beans on a white plate.

    Serving suggestions

    This is a saucy chicken recipe. I recommend serving the chicken over mashed potatoes, rice, quinoa to help absorb some of the flavorful sauce. Since the sauce is fairly rich, I like to serve the chicken with steamed green beans or a fresh green salad.

    Cranberry chicken mashed potatoes and green beans on a white plate.

    Storage

    Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The chicken will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored in the fridge.

    More Instant Pot chicken recipes!

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    • Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
    • A black plate with Olive Garden chicken pasta on it.
      Instant Pot Olive Garden Chicken Pasta

    If you’ve tried this Instant Pot cranberry chicken recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!

    You can follow me on Pinterest or Facebook even more delicious food.

    Four cranberry chicken breasts on a white platter.

    Instant Pot Cranberry Chicken

    Instant Pot Cranberry Chicken is a one-pot sweet and tangy chicken dinner. This easy recipe turns a few pantry-staple ingredients into a delicious dinner with almost no prep!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Pressure Release: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 615kcal
    Author: Kate at Eating in an Instant

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot/Electric Pressure Cooker

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
    • ½ cup chicken broth
    • 2 tablespoons dried minced onions
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup Catalina dressing or Russian dressing
    • 14 ounces can whole berry cranberry sauce

    Instructions

    • Place the chicken breasts in the Instant Pot inner pot of a 6 quart pot.
    • Pour the chicken broth over the chicken.
    • Sprinkle the dried onion, garlic powder, pepper and salt over the chicken.
    • Pour the dressing over the chicken.
    • Add the cranberry sauce over the dressing. Do not stir.
    • Close and lock the lid. Be sure that the pressure release valve is set to sealing.
    • Press manual high pressure and adjust the cooking time to 10 minutes.
    • Once the cooking time has finished, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
    • Release any remaining pressure.
    • Remove the chicken to a plate, and give the sauce a good stir.
    • Serve the sauce over the chicken.

    Notes

    • Chicken broth: I use reduced-sodium chicken broth to avoid a saltier dish.
    • Garlic powder: Be sure to use garlic powder, not garlic salt. 
    • Stirring: It's important to avoid stirring the sauce before cooking. The dressing and cranberry sauce will cause a burn notice if you stir it before cooking. 
    • To thicken the sauce, stir 2 tablespoons of corn starch together with 2 tablespoon of chicken broth in a small bowl.
      Press sauté, and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Let the sauce cook, stirring regularly, until thickened. Serve over chicken.
    • Nutrition values are estimates. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 615kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 1195mg | Potassium: 941mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 112IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Leave me a comment below to let me know!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Pat

      November 02, 2022 at 11:45 pm

      5 stars
      This was amazing! I love the simplicity of the recipe and the sub for onion soup mix. Since there's only the two of us, I decreased the amount of chicken to just enough to cover the bottom of the pot. Skipped adding salt because of the sodium in the dressing and, when heating the sauce to thicken it, added a handful of dried cranberries. It was absolutely delicious and so fast and easy!

      Reply
      • Kate

        November 03, 2022 at 4:55 am

        Thank you! I'm so glad that you liked it!

        Reply

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    Hi! I'm Kate. Dinner can be a struggle, but the easy Instant Pot dinner recipes on this site will get you eating in an instant!

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