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Instant Pot Cranberry Chicken made with chicken breasts, cranberry sauce and salad dressing is a super easy pressure cooker dinner ready in about 30 minutes! Just add everything to the pot, and cook!
This quick and easy chicken dinner is budget friendly and perfect for busy weeknights. If you like simple dump and start Instant Pot recipes with few ingredients, you’ll love this cranberry chicken!
Not only is this chicken recipe easy to make, but it also tastes incredibly delicious! We’re talking lick-the-plate-clean good!
My family inhaled this easy Instant Pot dinner, and even my pickiest eater said she’d eat it again. Seriously.
What You’ll Need
You only need a few ingredients to make cranberry chicken, and you might just have most of them in your pantry!
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Catalina or Russian salad dressing
- Whole berry cranberry sauce
- Onion soup mix or a homemade seasoning blend
- Water
- Optional cornstarch slurry
How to Make Cranberry Chicken in the Instant Pot
First, place the chicken breasts into the pressure cooker liner. Then, sprinkle the dry soup mix or seasoning mix over the chicken.
I make my own seasoning blend to cut down on the sodium levels, but either will work. Whatever is easiest for you!
Next, pour the salad dressing over the chicken. Then spoon the whole berry canned cranberry sauce on top.
You’ll also have to add a little water to help the pot reach pressure. Don’t stir everything together — You can stir after it cooks.
Allow the chicken to release naturally for 10 minutes after pressure cooking. Then, remove the chicken, and stir the sauce.
For a thicker sauce, you can make a cornstarch slurry and stir it in while the pot is on saute mode. Then, pour it over the chicken, and you’re ready to eat!
What to Serve with the Chicken
This recipe makes a lot of sauce, which is good because it’s awesome! You can even add more chicken without changing the sauce.
Serve it with Instant Pot Jasmine Rice, or pasta to soak up all of that delicious sauce. Or, serve it with Air Fryer Potatoes or Broccoli or Brussels sprouts for a light dinner!
Instant Pot Cranberry Chicken Recipe
Instant Pot Cranberry Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1.5 pounds to 2 pounds. Can use 6 without changing ingredients
- 2 tablespoons dried minced onions or use 1 packet Lipton onion soup mix instead of homemade seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup Catalina or Russian dressing
- 14 ounces can whole berry cranberry sauce
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts into the Instant Pot pressure cooker, and sprinkle the soup mix OR the sea salt, garlic powder, minced onions and pepper over the chicken
- Pour the dressing over the chicken, then spoon the cranberry sauce on top
- Pour the water over the chicken mixture, Do Not Stir, then place the lid on the pot
- Make sure valve is on sealing position, then hit PRESSURE COOK for 10 minutes. Pot will take a few minutes to reach pressure, then will begin counting down and cook
- Allow a 10 minute natural release, then quick release remaining pressure. When pin drops, carefully open lid and stir.
- Optional — For thicker sauce, remove chicken to platter, and cover. Then mix 1 tablespoon of corn starch with 1 tablespoon of cold water in a small bowl. Hit Saute, and when the sauce starts to bubble, stir in the cornstarch slurry, and cook until sauce thickens. Pour sauce over chicken, and serve
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Easy Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
Burn notice! Grrrr. In a casserole dish now.
I’ve never had this happen. Did you mix everything together? Add water? If you layer the ingredients and don’t mix, it should be fine.
What I love about this Instant Pot version is that the chicken is SO moist! I have made this for years in either the oven or crock pot and the chicken is always dry. This is an awesome improvement and a super easy recipe – thank you!
Thanks! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
How long would you cook it if using frozen chicken breast?
I cook frozen chicken for 20 minutes with a 10 minute release.
Could I use fresh/frozen cranberries?
I’ve never tried this. The canned cranberries make the sauce, so I’m not sure if fresh or frozen would work.
What if I don’t have catalina dressing…have tried italian dressing?
I haven’t tried that combo. Italian dressing is usually thinner, so the sauce would be different.
What a great dinner option! I cannot wait to give it a try! Love a good instant pot recipe!
This was super easy and really yummy! Thank you for another great recipe!
I’m super glad to hear this, Joyce! Thank you so much!
I LOVE the sound of this savory-sweet combo!
Another great recipe for my Instant Pot! Adding this to my dinner line up for the week; looks too good to pass up!
Thank you so much, Sara! I hope you like it as much as we do!
This sounds incredible!! I bet it tastes amaaazing!
It does! Thank you so much, Katerina!
Turkey and cranberry sauce is one of my faves. Never thought to use chicken! Can’t wait to dig into this dish.
It tastes so good! Hope you get a chance to try it!