This Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe is ready in a fraction of the time and is ultra moist and tender!
Not only can you whip up this ultra tender turkey breast in a fraction of the time, but it also makes the BEST gravy!
Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe:
- Start by making sure your turkey breast is thawed.
- I am using a boneless, skinless turkey breast, but you can also use a bone-in breast as long as it can fit nicely in your pressure cooker.
- Pat your turkey breast dry with paper towels and then brush with olive oil.
The turkey breast was held together with kitchen twine, which I left on until I was ready to slice and serve.
I used a combination of seasonings then rubbed them all over the turkey breast. Once the turkey breast was seasoned I seared it on all sides using the SAUTÉ function of my pressure cooker.
Do I Need to Sear My Turkey Breast?
- The reason we are searing the turkey breast before we cook it under pressure is so that it “locks in” the flavors and moistness of the turkey.
- Is it a crucial step? In my opinion, yes, but it’s not going to ruin your turkey if you skip it.
- Just make sure to DEGLAZE the bottom of your instant pot before bringing the pot to pressure. (scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon)
It’s important to scrape the browned bits off the bottom for two reasons – it makes a delicious gravy, and it also helps the Instant Pot come to pressure.
Use a rack to keep your turkey breast elevated in the instant pot, over the turkey drippings.
Can I Cook a Frozen Turkey Breast in the Instant Pot?
- If you don’t have time to defrost your turkey breast, you CAN cook it from frozen.
- Skip the searing of the turkey breast and rub as much of the seasoning on the turkey breast as possible.
- Cook a frozen turkey breast for at least 12 minutes PER POUND of turkey breast, but check to make temperature is at least 165 degrees in the thickest part of the breast before slicing.
- When cooking a defrosted turkey breast, you’ll want to cook for at least 6 to 7 minutes PER POUND of turkey breast.
- Always allow the pot to release the pressure naturally for at least 10 minutes, to avoid all the juices escaping the turkey breast.
When you cut into the turkey breast you’ll see how extremely tender it is! It practically wants to fall apart!
My whole family LOVED this ultra moist and tender turkey. But what really sent it over the top was the delicious gravy I whipped up using the drippings in the Instant Pot!
Once you remove the turkey breast from the pressure cooker, cover it with foil to let it rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. While it’s resting let’s make some gravy!
How to Make Instant Pot Turkey Gravy:
- Pour the liquid from the bottom of the instant pot through a mesh strainer into a separate bowl and set aside.
- Place the pressure cooker on SAUTÉ mode and add 2 tbsp of butter, let it melt.
- Whisk in 2 tbsp of flour and cook until the flour is browned and no longer raw.
- Gradually whisk in the strained turkey drippings until the gravy is smooth and thickened.
You’re going to impress everyone with this super easy and mega-delicious Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe!
It’s the perfect recipe for a smaller holiday feast.
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Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 lb. thawed boneless, skinless turkey breast*
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup chicken, or turkey broth
For the gravy:
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
Instructions
- Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels, then brush with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Combine the spices (paprika, Italian seasoning, thyme, salt, garlic powder and black pepper) and rub all over the turkey breast.
- Heat the pressure cooker on SAUTÉ high function and add 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp unsalted butter. Once hot, sear the turkey breast on all sides, about 3 minutes per side.
- Remove turkey breast from the pot and pour in the chicken (or turkey) broth, while the pot is still in the SAUTÉ function. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off the bottom. Turn off the sauté function and place a trivet into the pressure cooker and place the turkey breast on top of the trivet.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker and seal the vent to the CLOSED position. Cook on MANUAL HIGH PRESSURE for 24 to 28 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes before releasing the rest of the pressure. Check internal temperature of the turkey breast at thickest portion for 165 degrees F. Remove turkey from pressure cooker and tent lightly with foil for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
To Make Gravy:
- Pour the liquid from the bottom of the pressure cooker through a fine mesh strainer into a separate bowl and set aside.
- Return the inner pot to the pressure cooker and set to SAUTÉ HIGH mode. Melt 2 tbsp of butter, then whisk in 2 tbsp of flour, until the flour is browned slightly and no longer raw (about 2 minutes).
- Gradually whisk in the strained liquid, until the gravy is smooth and thickened. (makes about 2 cups of gravy)
Notes
Nutrition
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Suzanne Hanson
This is literally the most tasty turkey ever, and i bring it to every single Thanksgiving. I was raised vegetarian and don’t know how to cook a turkey. Half my family is vegetarian so I bring this for us other half. Why would I cook turkey all day when this is so easy and delicious. Even my work potluck raved about it. I’m telling you, so easy! Our IP is 8 qt so I add the directed time for the biggest breast i can find.
Annie
Newbie question here…how much liquid do you put in the instant pot?
Shawn
You’ll need at least 1 cup of chicken broth for this recipe!
Chris D
Chris again..
Lol spell checker did it again.
I meant to say after sauteing the turkey breast could I have sauteed celery and onion and continued with the rest of the steps.
A spell checker said sorry instead of celery LOL.
Mind took 25 minutes for a 3 lb turkey roll breast but all the recipes call for 6 minutes per pound… I tried 20 minutes which gave it a little extra but it wasn’t done until I added five more minutes which made it 25. Does that sound right?
Thank you for the recipe I would do this again.
Christine D
Hi there.. I got brave and tried a 3 lb turkey roll instead of the breast like you did. I timed it for 20 minutes after hearing six minutes per pound from everybody I thought I’d be safe but it still wasn’t quite to the right temperature inside so I gave it 5 more minutes and it was perfect. Thank you for giving me courage. Just curious if anyone else found that the little pack of gravy that came with the Butterball turkey roll made my gravy extremely salty I should have left that out and kept my gravy mixture
Without adding that packet.
I liked sauteing the turkey roll first instead of having to Brown it in the oven later, but I’m thinking I would have added sorry in an onions to the mixture after that for flavor?.
Shawn
The time it takes to cook a larger cut of meat will vary based on the temperature of the meat as it goes in. So if it was pretty cold prior to cooking, you can bet it’ll take longer. I’m glad you enjoyed it though!
Diane DiPrete
I have a bone-in turkey breast. How many minutes per pound? would love to try this. thank you
Shawn
Cook the same amount of time!
August
Great recipe, I would advise people to try crock pot if you have time. Instant pots are good when you don’t have enough cooking time.
Shawn
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Christina Samuel
Can’t wait to make this. My family will love this.
Shawn
Hope you enjoy it Christina!
robyn
I rate the recipe 5 stars because I’m sure it’s good, but I’m not sure if there was enough detail about how to set the IP for me to get this right as a newbie.
How are you supposed to know if its internal temp is 165 if you are waiting for the IP to be safe to open? Doesn’t the turkey temperature start to decrease once the timer has finished?
I’m very new to using the IP and when I press the “Manual” button, I didn’t know I was supposed to press the “Timer” button right away and set the time to 21 min (I had a 3lb boneless butterball cajun seasoned turkey breast roast — FuLLY Thawed). This would have been helpful to know!
So when I pressed the “manual” button it displayed “30” then a few minutes later, it displayed “On”. I couldn’t use the “Adjust” button or the “Timer” button to adjust the time. I used my oven timer and set it to 21 min and at the end of 21 min, I wasn’t sure what to do since the IP still had 9 min to go.
So I pressed the “Cancel/Keep Warm” button and the IP displayed “OFF”.
I set the oven timer for another 10 min for the IP to cool down so I could open it. At that 10 min mark, I set the release handle to “Venting” and steam was released pretty quickly — it startled me a bit! So I waited another few minutes, then I opened the IP.
I used my meat thermometer and it read “144.3”, so I wasn’t sure if this is because it had cooled off, and not because the turkey wasn’t fully cooked since approx. 20 mins had passed since I turned the IP off.
So the internal temperature of the turkey breast was not “165”. This is so frustrating. I’m still in the midst of cooking this thing since I reset the IP to another 10 min on High using the Manual setting and Timer. Could anyone tell me how to get this right? I really appreciate the help.
Shawn
I agree it can be difficult to know the internal temperature of the meat while it’s still in the instant pot. What I can tell you though is that it will not drop 20 degrees between the time it’s done cooking and sitting in there under pressure until you release it. If it’s still not to 165 degrees, you’ll want to start it back up again for another 5 to 10 minutes and check it again. So many variables can come into play with pressure cooking like: how cold your meat was going in, how full your IP is, and even your altitude. That’s why it’s best to go with the internal temperature to know for sure. I hope that helps!
peg nelson
We had great results using the High Pressure 7-minutes-per-pound formula for a 3 pound frozen (but fully-thawed before cooking) turkey breast. The meat was so moist and the gravy was very flavorful. We will definitely make this again.
Shawn
That’s great to hear Peg! So glad you enjoyed it!
Lisa
This recipe looks delicious, but I have turkey breast tenderloins (two of them totaling 2 pounds). Can I use this recipe for that?
Shawn
You can definitely use those in here. If they aren’t super big in size, you could reduce the cook time. I’d probably start around 15 to 20 minutes with a 10 min natural release.
Vic Sain
Hey Shawn!
The turkey is looking so delicious and tender. Can’t wait to try this. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
Shawn
Hope you enjoy it Vic!
Elbee
If it was tough do you have to cook longer? I also had to do 15 + 10 mins for 1.5 pounds and it was just at temp, very thick tho.
Shawn
Yeah, you would want to cook it longer if you found it was still tough.
Jen Whiting
Used your 7 minutes per pound for a thawed breast and it was raw in the middle (on Thanksgiving Day).
Shawn
Oh Jen, I’m so sorry! I’m guessing you had an issue with your seal and it not coming to full pressure? The best thing to do is to always use a meat thermometer and check the internal temp before cutting into. If it’s still not fully cooked, go ahead and place it back in the IP and cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes until it’s fully cooked.
Ginny Yoder
I usually don’t make comments on recipes, I just read the recipes and save them for later. They get put on the back burner and most times I never get around to making them.
This one, however “spoke” to me. Now I have to speak!
BOY HOWDY WAS THIS EVER GOOD!!!
The turkey was so moist and delicious! Even my husband who doesn’t particularly care for turkey, raised his eyebrows in approval at the very first bite!
The gravy also was off the chart dee-licious! Thank you so much for this recipe. I will be making this again and again!!!
Shawn
Fantastic! I’m so glad you enjoyed it Ginny. I sure do appreciate your comment!
Robyn
Your recipe stats skinless. What do you do differently if it has skin?
Shawn
I would remove the skin for this recipe. You should be able to just peel/pull it off.
Amber
I usually make 2 breasts for thanksgiving. Can I do them both in the same pot? Should I add more time?
Shawn
Hi Amber! You can definitely do both in the same pot as long as they both fit. I would increase the cook time to make sure you’re getting at least 6 to 7 minutes per pound for fresh turkey breasts.
Michelle
We made this last night and we are Instant Pot newbies! So simple and delicious! The meat was so tender we put down our knives because we could cut it with a fork. I used smoked paprika and poultry seasoning in place of the thyme because that’s what I had. The gravy!!!! So yummy! We are definitely making this again!
Shawn
So glad you enjoyed it Michelle!
Christina
Lovely flavour. Very easy recipe. I ended up with only 1 cup of gravy.
Shawn
So glad you enjoyed it Christina!
October
you know what’s the great part? The way gravy was poured onto the turkey. Surely gonna try this recipe.
Shawn
Haha! Isn’t that the best! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Harry
Used your recipe, in part. Mixed spices in a bowl, excluding thyme. Wife doesn’t like. Added 3 tablespoons olive oil to make a wet rub and brushed onto turkey skin. Next time, I’d apply it under skin too. Added 14 oz. chicken broth to pot followed by 1/2 onion, 1 celery stalk, 4 garlic cloves, sliced. Used 7# bone-in turkey breast placed on a trivet and cooked for 30 minutes followed by a release of pressure after 10 minutes. Delicious! 7# barely fit into 6 qt. pot.
Natalie
The turkey breast was raw in the middle.
Shawn
Sounds like there might be some user error or IP error here. If you’re cooking a turkey breast larger than what’s called for in the recipe, you’ll want to make sure you increase the cook time. Also, check the seal and valve on your IP to make sure you’re getting a good seal and your pot can come to pressure. It’s always best to use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature. If you’re still not getting the right temperature after cook time, place it back in the pot and cook it another 5 minutes and check again. Sorry you didn’t have great results the first time.
geometry dash
Can’t wait to make this. My family will love this.
Barb
I have two Instant Pots and made 2 turkey breasts today. The 7 lb. one fit in the 8 qt. The 6 lb. one fit in the 6 qt. They turned out really good. Both of them had bones in. It turns out one also had part of the back, neck and tail. What a ripoff. The other one was smaller and had part of the back. I will only buy boneless from now on. I’m waiting until tomorrow to make the gravy. Thanks for the recipe.
Shawn
Awesome! Enjoy them tomorrow!
Kay Hankes
Can you use a bone in turkey breast?
Shawn
Yes! You definitely can!
Joan SAXTON
Thank you Shawn,
I love your recipes. Your mother takes care of me in the hair department.
She is amazing like you.
Shawn
Aw that’s so awesome! Thanks for the sweet comment Joan! 🙂
Louise
Where did you purchase that boneless turkey breast? Looks fabulous.
Shawn
I purchased it at a local grocery store in Utah called Harmons. You can pick up boneless turkey breasts just about anywhere though! Most of them will be frozen, so you can either cook from frozen or let it thaw for a couple days in the fridge and go from there. 🙂
Helena Orstem
Can’t wait to make this. My family will love this.