Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe

Published: Nov 4, 2017 · Modified: Nov 12, 2020 by Anna 256 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

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Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe - juicy turkey breast cooked in pressure cooker in just 35 minutes! The best way to save time preparing Thanksgiving dinner.

I serve this turkey breast with my Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce, Sweet Corn Casserole and use the leftovers to make Turkey Tetrazzini.

When I said, that the Instant Pot digital pressure cooker can change your life, I meant it. It's been saving me time in the kitchen since I got it. But this Instant Pot Turkey Breast is a game-changer on a whole new level. I can cook a whole bone-in skin-on turkey breast in my pressure cooker in ⅓ of the time I would take me to roast it in the oven. I can bake side dishes in the oven in the meantime.

INSTANT POT TURKEY BREAST

The turkey comes out juicy and flavorful, the pan drippings are perfect to make the gravy and if the crispy skin is your favorite part, place the turkey breast under the broiler for a few minutes. I also have a recipe for a boneless turkey breast that cooks from frozen to juicy!

HOW TO COOK TURKEY BREAST IN INSTANT POT?

You won't believe how easy it is to cook a turkey breast in the digital pressure cooker. I still can't!

Add two cups of broth or stock to the bottom of the Instant Pot insert. Add sliced onion, garlic and celery.
Set the turkey breast side up in the trivet ( it came with your pressure cooker ) and brush it with herbed and spiced olive oil. It's a simple mixture of oil, paprika, salt, pepper and poultry herb mix ( thyme, rosemary and sage ).
Place lid on the Instant Pot, set valve to sealingposition. Press "manual" and set it the timer.
When the IP is done, let the pressure release naturally. It will keep the turkey moist. Once the pressure pin is down, carefully open the lid away from your face. Check the temperature of the turkey in it's thickest part, not touching the bone. It should be at least 165 degrees F.
Remove turkey from Instant Pot and broil for a crispy skin, if desired. For a low fat option, remove the skin and slice the meat.
Make gravy with liquid remaining in the Instant Pot.

HOW LONG DO YOUCOOK TURKEY BREAST IN INSTANT POT?

My turkey breast weighs about 7 lbs and the35 minutes was perfect. You should check the turkey with a digital thermometer once done to make sure the temperature is at minimum 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast.This size of the turkey breastalso fit perfectly in my 6 qt Instant Pot. After the timer beeps, let the pressure release naturally. It will keep the turkey juicy. If you do a quick pressure release, all of the juices will escape the meat. Set turkey on cutting board and let cool. Remove skin and slice the meat.

If the crispy skin is your favorite part of the Thanksgiving bird, place the cooked turkey breast on a baking pan or dish and set under the broiler for a few minutes. I set my broiler to 440 degrees F and watched the turkey the whole time.

I have the Instant Pot DUO60 6qt and love it. ( affiliate link )

HOW TO MAKE TURKEY GRAVY IN INSTANT POT?

To make the gravy, drain the pan drippings through a sieve to catch the onions and garlic. You can also press them through it to get all the flavor into the gravy. Measure out two cups of the liquid and place back in the Instant Pot insert. Add a mixture of 2 tablespoons or cornstarch with ¼ cup of cold water and whisk well. Saute until thickens. You can use the rest of the liquid from cooking the turkey for soups later. I simply place it in ziploc bag once it completely cools. It's a very flavorful broth and perfect for making soups during winter.

SIDE DISHES TO SERVE WITH TURKEY BREAST:

- mashed potatoes: If you are lucky and have two Instant Pots, I highly recommend making my IP Mashed Potatoes as a side dish. It's the only way I cook them now. Perfect every time!

- roasted Brussels sprouts: my Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts are perfect for Thanksgiving! Even the kids will love them.

- carrots: my Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots are a family favorite here. So easy and so delicious!

- green beans: my classic Green Bean Casserole made entirely from scratch yet still super easy and accidentally gluten free ( completely if you use GF fried onions ) is a must for a family holiday dinner.

- hashbrowns: this Hashbrown Casserole makes for a perfect side dish in place of mashed potatoes. It's cheesy and creamy and everyone loves it!

HOW TO USELEFTOVER TURKEY?

After cooking up the big feast, you won't feel like spending much time in the kitchen on the following days. Save the turkey meat, dice it and use in my One Pot Turkey Tetrazzini recipe. It's perfect to use the leftover turkey meat!

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup - use turkey in place of chicken for a perfect soul-comforting soup.

To see how to cook BONELESS turkey breast (from frozen) in the pressure cooker, check out my new recipe and video for Instant Pot Boneless Turkey Breast with Gravy.

MORE INSTANT POT RECIPES:

Instant Pot Pot Roast

Instant Pot Chicken Thighs

Instant Pot Baked Potatoes

Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Wings

Instant Pot Fluffy Rice

Instant Pot Spaghetti (fail-proof and no burn!)

Instant Pot Whole Chicken

Instant Pot Guinness Beef Stew

If you want to learn more about the Instant Pot, check out my Guide for Beginners! Also, if you experienced the "burn" message, check out my Instant Pot Burn Message post to learn how to fix it and prevent it in the first place.

If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀

Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe

Author: Anna

Ingredients

▢ 7 lb bone-in skin-on turkey breast
▢ 3 Tablespoons olive oil
▢ ¾ teaspoon paprika
▢ 2 teaspoon chopped poultry fresh herb mix rosemary, sage and thyme
▢ 1 teaspoon salt
▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
▢ 2 cups chicken broth
▢ 1 medium onion chopped into large slices
▢ 4 garlic cloves
▢ 2 celery stalks

Instructions

Add chicken broth to Instant Pot insert. Place trivet inside. Arrange onions, garlic and celery.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix oil, paprika, herb mix, salt and pepper.
Wash the turkey breast, remove gravy pocket. Wash and pat dry. Brush turkey breast with olive oil mixture. Place in the trivet, breast side up.
Place lid on Instant Pot. Set valve the sealing. Press "manual", set timer to 35 minutes High Pressure.
When the IP beeps, press "cancel/off" and let the pressure release naturally. It will keep the turkey juicy.
When pressure is released, open lid carefully, away from your face.
Using large fork, remove turkey from pressure cooker. Set on a cutting board, serving platter or if desired on a baking pan, to crisp up the skin in the oven. To do so: place cooked turkey breast in the oven under broiler set to 440 degrees F. Broil until skin is golden and crispy, watching the turkey the whole time. You may have to rotate the pan during broiling.
To make the gravy, drain the pan drippings through a sieve to catch the onions and garlic. You can also press them through it to get all the flavor into the gravy. Measure out two cups of the liquid and place back in the Instant Pot insert. Add a mixture of 2 tablespoons or cornstarch with ¼ cup of cold water and whisk well. Saute until thickens.

Notes

The cook time does not include the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure.

You can use the rest of the liquid from cooking the turkey for soups later. I simply place it in ziploc bag once it completely cools. It's a very flavorful broth and perfect for making soups during winter.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment with rating below!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you use my link and make a purchase on Amazon, I will make a small commission, without any extra cost to you.

Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe - Crunchy Creamy Sweet (2024)

FAQs

Why is my cooked turkey breast tough? ›

Collagen in the bird (one of three protein fibers that attaches muscles to the bone) breaks down into softer gelatin molecules as it unwinds. If a turkey is cooked too long, the muscle proteins coagulate within the meat and cause dryness.

Tell Me More ›

How can I get my turkey breast to stand up in my roasting pan? ›

Use unpeeled carrots as a “roasting rack” to lift up the turkey breast. The carrots add flavor when you tent the turkey to roast.

How do you make turkey not chewy? ›

On the other hand, if you overcook a turkey it's going to be too tough and chewy! The best way to avoid this is by taking out the turkey right before the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C).

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How to cook a 3 pound butterball turkey breast? ›

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F. ...
In a small bowl, stir together butter, thyme, lemon peel, and salt until well combined.
Pat roast dry. ...
Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 170°F about 1 hour and 20 minutes. ...
Tip: The butter mixture can be combined the night before.

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Why not cook a turkey breast side down? ›

The United States Department of Agriculture advises to cook a whole turkey breast side up during the entire cooking time. Turning over a large, hot bird can be dangerous and it's very easy to tear the skin, making the finished product less attractive.

Know More ›

What to do with tough cooked turkey? ›

Use Turkey Stock

Keep some homemade turkey stock, a container from a specialty butcher, or a store-bought box of turkey stock or broth on hand. If your turkey is too dry, heat the broth in a wide, shallow pan and add the turkey slices to rehydrate them.

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Do you put water in the bottom of the roasting pan for turkey breast? ›

"Often, consumers will inquire about adding water to the bottom of their roasting pans. We do not recommend adding water to the bottom of the pan. Cooking a turkey with steam is a moist heat-cook method and is acceptable, sure, but is not the preferred method for cooking your turkey."

Learn More Now ›

Should I cook my turkey breast covered or uncovered? ›

To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.

Is it better to cook a turkey breast side up or down? ›

Roasting a turkey upside down guarantees moist and tender white and dark meat every time. Simply flip the turkey upside down on the roasting rack, so that the thighs cook faster and baste the breast meat with their juices.

Read The Full Story ›

What is the secret to a moist turkey? ›

HOW TO COOK A PERFECTLY MOIST AND JUICY TURKEY. Start by “brining” the turkey. This means soaking it in salt water overnight in the fridge (generally using a brining bag). You can also add a few flavors to the brine if you so desire.

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Why is my turkey breast so tough? ›

While this is caused by overcooking the turkey, it sometimes seems that some birds are just made dry. Step one in dealing with dry turkey is to fill a spray bottle filled with warm chicken stock and spray it over the meat as you carve it (it's best to keep this secret).

Get More Info ›

How to prevent turkey breast from drying out? ›

Elevate the Legs. You may have noticed the 10-degree temperature difference between a ready-to-eat turkey thigh and breast. Keep your breast from drying out before the dark meat is done by elevating or trussing the legs.

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How many will a 3 lb turkey breast feed? ›

How Much Turkey Breast to Buy. One (3-pound) half-breast will feed two to four people. A whole (six- to seven-pound) turkey breast (two breasts, still joined at the breast bone) will feed six to eight people. This method will work for either amount of meat.

What goes well with turkey breast? ›

Here are some side dishes that go well with turkey or chicken:

Mashed potatoes.
Stuffing.
Green bean casserole.
Sweet potato casserole.
Roasted vegetables (such as carrots, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or potatoes)
Salads (such as Caesar salad, Cobb salad, or a simple green salad)
Rolls or bread.
Gravy.

Dec 22, 2023

Find Out More ›

Do you wash a Butterball turkey breast before cooking? ›

Wash your hands, but not the turkey! Many consumers think that washing their turkey will remove bacteria and make it safer. However, it's virtually impossible to wash bacteria off the bird. Instead, juices that splash during washing can transfer bacteria onto the surfaces of your kitchen, other foods and utensils.

How do you make turkey tender after cooking? ›

Place your carved meat in a shallow baking dish and cover it with stock. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in low oven, somewhere around 250 degrees, for 5-10 minutes. The dryness won't be entirely gone after this short broth bath, but the turkey will definitely be more moist than before.

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Why is my turkey dry and tough? ›

Turkey is a lean meat, and Healthline reports that turkey has slightly less fat in its dark meat than chicken. Another reason why turkey may be dry is due to its poor breast-to-leg ratio. By the time one gets the leg meat to cook to temperature so it's safe for consumption, the breast meat often has dried out.