This tangy, sweet and spicy chicken is a fun way to use up leftover cranberry sauce, and it’s really quick and easy to make.
Busy weeknights. Holiday season stress. Leftover cranberry sauce that no one wants to eat. I got you!
This dump-and-go Instant Pot Cranberry Chipotle Chicken is what your weeknight dreams are made of. It’s tangy, sweet, with just enough heat to keep things interesting, and the chicken, which would normally take a couple of hours in a slow cooker, is ready and pull-apart tender in 35 minutes.
One-Pot Recipes For Less Stress
If ever there was a time for one-pot meals, it’s the holiday season. Instant Pot meals have rescued me on more than one occasion, and with so many ways to make a whole meal in it, it’s easy to get variety in your weekly meal plan.
With all of the extra cranberry sauce in the fridge this time of year, I started playing around with the idea of a sweet and spicy chicken dish using up the leftover cranberry sauce. But it had to be easy, quick, not too spicy, and kid-approved.
What Is Chipotle In Adobo?
The key ingredient in this recipe is the chipotle in adobo, a Mexican red sauce made with tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, oregano, and spices like cumin, clove, and chili powder. On its own, the sauce can be mildly sweet and spicy. When chipotle peppers are added (dried and smoked jalapenos), it gives the sauce a smoky, spicy punch. A little bit of this stuff goes a long way.
Chipotle in adobo can be found in the international aisle of most grocery stores, typically in a small, 7-ounce can (about half the size of a soup can), next to the canned green chilis. If you love a sauce with sweet heat, you’ll love how just a couple of tablespoons will balance out the sweet and tangy cranberry sauce in this recipe.
If you’re not crazy about spicy foods, substitute the chipotle in adobo for two teaspoons of smoked paprika. You’ll get all of the smokiness, but none of the heat.
You can also freeze leftover chipotle in adobo up to 6 months for future recipes.
How Do I Serve Cranberry Chipotle Chicken?
However you’d like! Serve with rice and beans, over cornbread, or as a taco, quesadilla, or fajita filling. It’s also great as a “sloppy Joe,” served on a roll.
Enjoy! – Christine
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Instant Pot Cranberry Chipotle Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Southwestern
DESCRIPTION
This dump-and-go Instant Pot Cranberry Chipotle Pulled Chicken puts dinner on the table in 15 minutes.
Listen to learn how to make this recipe, along with some great tips from Christine:
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 12 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 and 3/4 cups of jellied or whole berry cranberry sauce, divided*
- 2 Tbsp. chipotle in adobo**
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
Instructions
- To the inner pot of the Instant Pot, add onion and chicken.
- In a small bowl stir together 1 cup of the cranberry sauce, chipotle in adobo, salt, garlic powder, and sugar until well mixed. Pour over chicken and stir until coated.
- Cover pot, lock on the lid, and set the steam release valve to “Sealing”.
- Select the “Meat/Stew” or “Pressure Cook” button and set the cook time to 10 minutes.
- When the cooking cycle has finished, let stand 5 minutes, then do a quick release by moving the valve to “Venting”. Remove pot lid.
- Using the tines of a fork, shred chicken. Transfer chicken to a bowl; set aside.
- Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup of cranberry sauce into Instant Pot and stir until well combined. Pour sauce over chicken in the bowl and toss with tongs to coat before serving.
Notes
*This amount of cranberry sauce is equivalent to 1 (14oz.) can. Canned and homemade cranberry sauce both work perfectly in this recipe.
**Not a fan of spicy foods? Reduce the chipotle in Adobo to 1 tablespoon, or replace with 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika.
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