This Instant Pot Cranberry Relish recipe takes only four minutes of cooking at pressure. It’s easy, healthy, and delicious enough to serve all year round.

instant pot cranberry relish with whole cranberries

Cranberry Relish 

I’m of the mindset that cranberry relish should be a thing all year around. It’s not just great with turkey, but can be served with oatmeal, toast, pasta, pancakes, and meatloaf! Am I crazy or do you agree?

Cranberries are pretty amazing little berries, they have lots of antioxidants and they’re known for helping to prevent urinary tract infections. They’re just so darned pretty, too.

Recipe Tips

Of course, as anyone knows who has tried to eat a plain cranberry, they’re tart beyond words. They get sweetened so nicely with freshly-squeezed orange juice and maple syrup in this recipe, and I allow for some adjustment with the sweetness level.

If you want your relish less sweet, use only 1/2 cup maple syrup (but add another 1/2 cup water to make sure you have enough liquid). If you want a sweeter more traditional cranberry relish, use the full cup of maple syrup and don’t add any water to the pot.

Cranberry relish ingredients

3-Quart Mini Instant Pot

I used my 3- quart Instant Pot for this recipe, but you can also use a 6-quart. I bought the appliance specifically with this exact recipe in mind. Since I usually make my Instant Pot holiday recipes, I like to have both hands on hand. I use my 6-quart to make my Instant Pot Turkey Breast with gravy.

Cranberry relish made in 3-quart Instant pot

Steps

1. Combine the cranberries, orange juice, and maple syrup in the base of a 3-quart or 6-quart pressure cooker.

2. Cook on high pressure for four minutes and then let the pressure come down naturally for 10 minutes.

3. Serve hot or cold, but the relish will thicken if you put it in the refrigerator.

instant pot cranberry relish process shot

Q&As

Can I use fresh cranberries instead of frozen?

Yes, I have tried it both ways. But, you are less likely to get foam when you use frozen cranberries.

Will the relish thicken as it cools?

Yes, it does! I like to make mine the day before I want to use it, and let it cool and thicken overnight in the fridge.

I thought you weren’t supposed to cook cranberries in the Instant Pot because of foam?

In my experimentation, there is a lot less foam when you use frozen cranberries. I did have foam and sputtering when I tested this using fresh cranberries, so my recommendation is to use frozen cranberries.

instant pot cranberry relish with orange juice

Instant Pot Healthy Holiday Recipes

If you like this Instant Pot Cranberry Relish, you might like these other Instant Pot recipes.

You can also download my free Instant Pot Thanksgiving Holiday e-book. All I ask is that you join my free newsletter list. Subscribe now; unsubscribe anytime. The free e-book is my gift to you!

Here’s the recipe:

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Cranberry relish front

4-Minute Instant Pot Cranberry Relish

★★★★★

5 from 12 reviews

  • Author: Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 10 1x
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Description

An easy side dish that can be served all year round.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 10-ounce bags of frozen cranberries
  • 1 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
  • 1 cup maple syrup (use ½ cup for less sweetness + ½ cup water)
  • pinch of sea salt

Instructions

  1. Combine the cranberries, orange juice, and maple syrup in the base of a 3-quart pressure cooker.
  2. Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Let the pressure come down naturally for 10 minutes and then use the quick-release to release any remaining pressure.
  3. Serve hot or cold. The relish will thicken in the refrigerator.
  4. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to a week.

Notes

If you want your relish less sweet, use only 1/2 cup maple syrup (but add another 1/2 cup water to make sure you have enough liquid).

If you want a sweeter more traditional cranberry relish, use the full cup of maple syrup and don’t add any water to the pot.

  • Category: Side dishes
  • Method: Pressure cooker
  • Cuisine: Paleo, vegan, healthy

Keywords: thanksgiving cranberry relish in the instant pot pressure cooker, instant pot cranberries, cranberry relish

 

 

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