Sweet cherries, warm spices, bright orange, and tangy balsamic vinegar come together in this easy Instant Pot Cherry Chutney.
It’s the perfect accompaniment for roasted meats, charcuterie boards, sandwiches, burgers, and even a spoonful over cream cheese with crackers for an easy appetizer. Using frozen cherries makes this recipe especially simple since there’s no pitting required.
Try it in these scrumptious Ham, Brie, and Cherry Chutney Croissants.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in about 30 minutes
- Made in the Instant Pot for hands-off cooking
- Sweet, savory, and slightly spicy
- Perfect for holiday entertaining or everyday meals
- Great with pork, chicken, turkey, duck, cheese boards, and sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chopped red onion (about ½ medium onion)
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more or less to taste)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
- 1 large orange, peeled and cut into chunks
- 12 ounces frozen cherries, thawed with their juice and roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons water
How to Make Instant Pot Cherry Chutney
Select the Sauté function on the Instant Pot and set it to High.
Add the olive oil and chopped onion. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes until the onion softens and begins to brown.
Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes, fresh ginger, and salt. Continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the spices become fragrant.
Pour in the balsamic vinegar and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits.
Add the brown sugar, orange zest, orange chunks, and cherries with their juices. Stir well, then turn off the Instant Pot.
Secure the lid and set the pressure release valve to Sealing. Cook on Manual (High Pressure) for 3 minutes.
When cooking is complete, perform a quick release by carefully moving the valve to Venting. Once the pressure has fully released, remove the lid.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Stir it into the chutney.
Transfer about two-thirds of the chutney to a blender or food processor. Pulse several times until mostly blended but still slightly chunky.
Return the blended mixture to the Instant Pot and stir. Simmer on Sauté for a couple of minutes until the chutney reaches your preferred consistency.
Tips
- Frozen cherries are the easiest option because they’re already pitted.
- If using fresh cherries, be sure to remove all pits before cooking.
- If cooking with frozen cherries straight from the freezer, increase the pressure cooking time to 5 minutes.
- Start with larger pieces of orange and cherry. They’ll soften during pressure cooking, and blending part of the mixture later gives the chutney the perfect texture.
- Adjust the crushed red pepper flakes to make the chutney milder or spicier.
Serving Suggestions
Cherry chutney is especially delicious served with roasted pork, grilled chicken, turkey, or baked ham. Try it as a topping for these Pinwheel Turkey Sandwiches for an easy lunch or brunch, or spoon it alongside Asian Pork Lettuce Wraps for a sweet and savory contrast. It makes a great dip for Corn Flake Chicken Fingers. I love to add it to cheese and charcuterie boards too!
Storage
Store leftover chutney in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.
You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Important
Although this recipe looks lovely served in small mason jars, it is not a canning recipe. Do not process or store it as shelf-stable preserves. Keep it refrigerated and use it within 5 to 7 days, or freeze it for longer storage.
If you’re looking for safe home food preservation information, the National Center for Home Food Preservation is an excellent resource.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh cherries?
Yes. Fresh cherries work well, but you’ll need to pit them first.
Can I make it less spicy?
Absolutely. Reduce or omit the crushed red pepper flakes for a milder chutney.
Do I have to blend part of the chutney?
Blending only part of the mixture creates the ideal texture—thick and spreadable while still leaving plenty of chunks of fruit.
What does cherry chutney taste like?
It’s sweet, tangy, savory, and warmly spiced, with bright citrus notes and just a hint of heat.
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Instant Pot Cherry Chutney
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chopped red onion about ½ medium onion
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more or less to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger peeled and finely minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
- 1 large orange peeled and cut into chunks
- 12 ounces frozen cherries thawed with their juice and roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons water
Instructions
- Select the Sauté function on the Instant Pot and set it to High.
- Add the olive oil and chopped onion. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes until the onion softens and begins to brown.
- Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes, fresh ginger, and salt. Continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the spices become fragrant.
- Pour in the balsamic vinegar and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits.
- Add the brown sugar, orange zest, orange chunks, and cherries with their juices. Stir well, then turn off the Instant Pot.
- Secure the lid and set the pressure release valve to Sealing. Cook on Manual (High Pressure) for 3 minutes.
- When cooking is complete, perform a quick release by carefully moving the valve to Venting. Once the pressure has fully released, remove the lid.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Stir it into the chutney.
- Transfer about two-thirds of the chutney to a blender or food processor. Pulse several times until mostly blended but still slightly chunky.
- Return the blended mixture to the Instant Pot and stir. Simmer on Sauté for a couple of minutes until the chutney reaches your preferred consistency.
Notes
If using fresh cherries, be sure to remove all pits before cooking.
If cooking with frozen cherries straight from the freezer, increase the pressure cooking time to 5 minutes.
Start with larger pieces of orange and cherry. They’ll soften during pressure cooking, and blending part of the mixture later gives the chutney the perfect texture.
Adjust the crushed red pepper flakes to make the chutney milder or spicier. Storage Store leftover chutney in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.
You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Important Although this recipe looks lovely served in small mason jars, it is not a canning recipe. Do not process or store it as shelf-stable preserves. Keep it refrigerated and use it within 5 to 7 days, or freeze it for longer storage.
Nutrition
