Serving And Storage Instructions
If making this instant pot turkey breast ahead in preparation for Thanksgiving, you can:
- Store Let the pressure cooker turkey cool completely. Then wrap it nicely with cling wrap and foil. Or in an air-tight container or freezer-safe ziplock bag.
- Refrigerate Remember to refrigerate it within 2 hours after cooking and not more than that for food safety purposes. Store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer Freeze it for up to 3 months.
Ingredients For Instant Potturkey Breast Recipe
Bone-in skin-on Turkey breast: It is also known as turkey crown
Salted butter: use unsalted butter if using salt
Vegetable oil: optional
Paprika: I used this for a bit of colour
Dried sage: substitute thyme and sage for Italian seasoning
Dried thyme
Salt to taste: omit this if using salted butter
Chicken broth
Tips & Frequently Asked Questions
- You can use the recipe for the brine on any turkey and any cooking method.
- Use a digital instant-read thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 170ºF in the thickest part of the breast.
- I used a 6 to 7-pound turkey breast and it was ready in about 40 minutes.
- If you use a larger turkey breast, just add about 5 minutes of cook time per pound.
- Do I have to make the brine? No. You can season the turkey any way you like and use the same cooking times to cook the turkey.
- You can use any seasoning combination that you enjoy. Fresh herbs, poultry seasoning, cajun seasoning, BBQ seasoning, garlic butter, or a packet of onion soup mix are both delicious.
Also Check: How To Make Rice In The Instant Pot
How To Make A Turkey Brine
Our favorite way to make turkey is to brine it before cooking. Brining the turkey makes infuses it with tons of great flavor and it is so tender and juicy. To make the brine, in a small bowl, combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar, thyme, pepper, onion powder, basil, and a little cayenne. In a large pot, bring water, the seasoning mixture, and salt to a boil and cook until the salt has dissolved. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. Place the turkey breast in a large ziplock bag or bucket and pour the cooled brine over the turkey. Place the turkey in the refrigerator and chill for up to 12 hours. Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse it off with cold water. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Season the turkey with more of the seasoning blend.
Place the trivet/rack in the bottom of the Instant Pot insert. Place turkey breast side up on top of the trivet. Pour chicken broth into the bottom of the insert. Set the Instant Pot lid in place and seal/lock the lid. Close the vent. Cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. Do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes and then quick release any remaining pressure. Remove turkey from Instant Pot and place on baking sheet. Place under the oven broiler for a few minutes to crisp up the turkey skin, if desired. Let the turkey rest on a cutting board 10 minutes before carving with a sharp knife.
Step By Step: How To Cook The Perfect Turkey
SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Also Check: How Long To Cook Ham In An Instant Pot
The Best Recipes To Serve With Turkey Breast
If youre looking for perfect easy dishes to serve with this amazingly delicious instant pot turkey, check out some of my all time favorites below!
From classic sides like brussels sprouts, green beans, and fresh baked bread to mashed potatoes, cauliflower rice, and more!
- Perfect Sauteed Mushrooms
How To Prepare Turkey Gravy
If desired, you can easily make turkey gravy right inside your pressure cooker after the turkey breast has cooked.
- Strain cooking liquid from instant pot and return the inner pot back to Instant Pot.
- Turn to Saute function and allow the instant pot to heat.
- Once the pressure cooker is heated, add in butter and melt.
- Add in flour to melted butter and whisk well to form a roux and cook for 1 minute to cook away raw flour flavor.
- Add in dry white wine if using, and whisk well.
- Slowly add ½ cup reserved cooking liquid to instant pot whisk well.
- Allow the gravy to bubble and thicken, adding more cooking liquid as needed to reach the desired consistency.
- Season and turn off instant pot and serve.
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The Best Instant Pot Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe
The Best Instant Pot Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe juicy, tender turkey breast roasted in an instant pot for a perfect easy dinner!
Here at Sweet Cs, we have lots of types of readers those who like to get straight to the recipe, and those who would like more information, including tips and tricks to feeling more comfortable in the kitchen.
We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
How To Make Turkey Gravy In A Pressure Cooker
To make the gravy, simply measure 2 cups of drippings in the Instant Pot insert pot. If you would like to make it as low-fat as possible, use one of these fat separators.
Combine cornstarch a the cold water in a little custard dish. This is important because if you add cornstarch to hot liquid or just drop it in a lot of liquid, it’s hard to incorporate it and you get the dreaded lumpy gravy.
Use a whisk to incorporate the thinned cornstarch to the 2 cups of drippings in the Instant Pot and push the Saute button and cook, stirring constantly, just until slightly thickened.
I like my turkey gravy thinner than, say, country milk gravy you pour over biscuits and pork chops because I like to pour it over my turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing….pretty much half of my plate at Thanksgiving!
Oh yeah, it’s the gravy that gilds the lily on this plate of Instant Pot turkey breast! I can’t wait to make it again!
Garnish with a sprig of fresh sage or other fresh herbs, if you like. I like!
Also Check: How To Make Steel Cut Oats In Instant Pot
Juicy Instant Pot Turkey Breast
Its November and Ive got Thanksgiving recipes on my mind. We usually bake our turkey, but this year we are going to cook it in the Instant Pot! I love instant pot recipes! They cook food a fraction of the time. I personally think this recipe is the best way to cook a Thanksgiving turkey.
Since you cant fit a whole bird in the pressure cooker, this recipe is designed for a bone-in whole turkey breast. You should be able to fit a 6 or 7-pound breast inside a 6-quart Instant Pot. That is plenty of turkey for 4 to 6 people. This recipe is great when you have a smaller crowd and dont need a whole turkey. Now, this recipe isnt just for a special occasion like a holiday meal. It is easy enough for a weeknight or just when you get a hankering for a yummy turkey sandwich!
More Holiday Instant Pot Recipes
Want to make a fast holiday meal using ONLY your Instant Pot? Watch me prepare an entire Instant Pot Thanksgiving dinner, including this recipe for turkey breast, along with mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans in just under 2 hours!
I hope you enjoy this delicious, juicy Instant Pot Turkey Breast and I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
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You Can Make Gravy With The Drippings
The great thing here is that you will end up with turkey drippings to make some gravy. You can make the gravy right in the Instant Pot using the Saute setting. Very handy and all done in one pot, which is my favorite thing because theres only one pot to clean.
I love to add half and half to my gravy to make it creamier but thats totally up to you. However, you will end up with the most incredible gravy because as the turkey cooks you get all those juices dripping to the bottom of the instant pot nothing gets wasted.
Why Cook Thanksgiving Turkey In The Instant Pot
Two reasons:
- Quality time with my family
- Oven space to bake sides and pie!
I have fond memories of my Grandma Wilson slow roasting a humongous turkey and bringing it over to our house for Thanksgiving. She would bake it in a large navy blue and not-so-white speckled enamelware roaster with a matching lid.
But this year, I want to offer turkey AND ham but we aren’t serving an army so buying the smaller bone-in turkey breast and a small ham is perfect to please everyone.
I’ll cook the turkey in the 6-quart Duo 7-in- 1 Instant Pot and bake the smaller ham in the oven at the same time as the Candied Roasted Sweet Potatoes.
One of the best things about cooking the turkey breast in the Instant Pot was being able to make the gravy right there in the Instant Pot because it captures all the drippings and you cook it on the saute setting after removing the turkey breast.
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How Do You Make Instant Pot Turkey Breast
Start by mixing together butter, garlic, herbs and spices. Coat a bone-in, skin-on turkey breast with the butter mixture. Pour chicken broth into the bottom of the pot, then add carrots, onion and celery. Place the turkey breast on a trivet inside the pot, then seal and pressure cook until turkey is cooked through. Let the pressure release naturally for about 10 minutes, then manually release the pressure. If you prefer turkey with crispy skin, place the turkey under the broiler until the skin is browned and crisp. Slice the turkey, then serve and enjoy.
How To Store Leftover Turkey
Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home
In our humble opinion, if you make a turkey and dont have any leftovers, youre missing out. Save any leftover Instant Pot turkey in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. You can also store it in an airtight container or freezer storage bag in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.
Have other leftovers? Heres how long Thanksgiving leftovers last in the fridge.
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Why This Recipe Works
Time saving In all my years of cooking turkeys on Thanksgiving, I have never found a quicker way to cook a turkey that still resulted in a juicy, moist, easy quick turkey breast as this one in an Instant Pot is.
Delicious Im sure youre skeptical I was too! In fact, before I cooked a turkey breast in an Instant Pot for Thanksgiving, I did two trial runs on random weekday nights to make sure it was worthy of a Thanksgiving meal and it was perfection both times!
Great for any time Okay so were focusing on Thanksgiving here but honestly this turkey breast roast is great for any meal. Or, make it on Sundays for the week to slice up for sandwiches or easy dinner dishes.
Easy clean up One pot thats all you have to clean up for this recipe. If you line your baking sheet with foil, then you just pull that off, throw it away, and viola nothing to clean there either!
How To Cook Instant Pot Turkey Breast
The Instant Pot makes cooking a full holiday meal as easy as 1, 2, 3!
BROWNING TIP If youd prefer, the turkey breast can be browned in a non-stick pan. Depending on the shape/size it can be easier to handle this way.
If browning in a separate pan, be sure to scrape up the bits in the pan with a bit of broth and add them into the Instant Pot.
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Faq About Instant Pot Turkey Breast
Do I use boneless or bone-in turkey breast?
I used boneless in this recipe but you can use bone-in. It takes about the same amount of time to cook.
How can I be sure the turkey is fully cooked?
If the juices are clear, then the turkey is cooked. Or, you may use an instant-read thermometer to check the minimum internal temperature should be 165 degrees F.
Can I use butter on the turkey instead of olive oil?
Yes! You may either melt the butter or just make sure it is well softened.
Could I use poultry seasoning in place of the sage?
Yes! Poultry seasoning usually contains some mixture of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. You may just substitute 1 teaspoon of this in place of the sage.
Can I use frozen turkey breast?
Yes! You will need to increase the cook time to 50 minutes. Or, if you prefer, you can thaw the turkey breast in the fridge overnight and cook as directed in the recipe.
I would like to cook a different sized turkey breast how do I know how long to cook it?
The guideline is to cook the turkey for 5-6 minutes per pound.
Can I Use Frozen Turkey Breast
Personally, I wouldnt recommend it, turkey is a larger bird and meatier than chicken. It might be safe to cook frozen chicken in an instant pot, but I wouldnt with a frozen turkey. For this recipe, ensure your turkey is completely thawed before pressure cooking. Defrost your turkey quicker by leaving it on a countertop overnight rather than in the refrigerator.
If you would be using frozenturkey for this recipe, allow 10 minutes per lb then natural release.
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Making Turkey Gravy In The Instant Pot
One of the great things about pressure cooker turkey breasts is that you get lots of flavorful liquid that makes a wonderful turkey gravy.
Keep in mind that what you flavor your turkey with will also flavor your gravy. So if you know your familys not crazy about onions, then reduce the amount of onions you use to cook the turkey. If your mom always added rosemary to the turkey, go for it!
After pressure cooking the turkey, taste the drippings left in the cooking pot. If theyre too strong, add a little extra broth to the cooking pot.
I prefer to use cornstarch when making a turkey gravy. Cornstarch is a great thickener with very little taste, and it doesnt need to be long-simmered like flour does.
However, if you prefer the texture of a flour-thickened gravy, Id start with 1/4 cup of flour and 1/4 cup water and whisk until smooth. Slowly combine the flour mixture with the liquid in the cooking pot and whisk until completely incorporated. Then bring to a boil and simmer on low for several minutes to make sure the flour is cooked through.
What Size Instant Pot To Use
Be sure to check the size of turkey breast you select will fit into your Instant Pot if using a larger turkey breast. Boneless breast roasts fit more easily as they are pliable so usually can fit up to a 6 to 6 ½ pound roast.
If substituting a turkey breast with ribs which has bone, check the size in the Instant Pot before starting the recipe. It will need to sit on the trivet and the lid to close.
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How Long To Cook A Turkey Breast In Pressure Cooker
As a rule of thumb, pressure cook a turkey breast for about 6 minutes per pound. This applies to both bone-in and boneless. To be sure it’s cooked through, use a meat thermometer and place it in the thickest part of the breast, close to, but not touching, the center bone. It should read at least 160° F. The temperature of the turkey will rise to 165° 170° F as it rests.
Note: If you are cooking a boneless turkey with the netting on, pressure cook it for 7 minutes per pound.
A 6 quart pressure cooker will typically hold up to a 6.5 pound turkey breast and an 8 quart pot will hold up to 8.5 pounds.
Use at least a 10 minute natural release after the turkey is done pressure cooking to make sure the juices have time to redistribute into the meat. If you have time, I actually prefer a full natural pressure release to ensure the meat stays moist and tender.
