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Instant Pot Turkey Breast! Yes you can make a delicious turkey breast in your instant pot in under 35 minutes. No more spending hours baking a turkey in an oven. This method is easy and makes the turkey super moist and tender.
Do you want to make the ultimate BEST turkey this Thanksgiving? Super juicy, moist, delicious and cooked in 35 minutes or less. Coming right up!
No more worry about overcooking the turkey in your oven, running out of space because the turkey’s taking up the entire oven or having the oven on for yours.
Grab your Instant Pot friends and let me show you how to make the only turkey you’ll ever want to make.
Instant Pot Turkey Breast
A pressure cooker is the best place to make a turkey because it adds moisture. It’s by far the best method I’ve ever found for turkey making and you’ll never go back to your oven when you taste this goodness.
Beyond the incredible taste, cooking a turkey in an Instant Pot only takes 35 minutes for a 7-pound turkey (more on this below). I don’t know about you, but I’m all about cooking a good turkey in LESS time.
What You Need
- Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Trivet
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Sage, Parsley, Thyme, Garlic Powder, Salt & Pepper
- Chicken Broth
- Onions
- Baby Carrots
- Celery
- Cornstarch or Arrowroot Powder
How to make your Instant Pot Turkey
First, your turkey should be thawed completely before cooking. For a 7-pound turkey, it will pressure cook 35 minutes in a 6-quart pot. If your turkey is frozen, you can still cook it in an Instant Pot but it will take longer.
When I tested this, it took 75 minutes for 3-pound turkey breast to cook to 165 F internal temperature. That was completely frozen so if your turkey is larger, it will take longer. Make sure you check the temperature to ensure it is cooked through.
To cook the turkey, begin by cleaning it and patting it dry with towels. Then use a basting brush to brush the oil and seasonings all over it including under the skin. Place the trivet inside the IP insert and place the turkey in it breast side up.
Pour the broth in, add the rosemary and vegetables. Then set the IP to steam for 35 minutes. It will take about 30 minutes for it to come to pressure before it starts so, plan accordingly for that.
Helpful tips
I recommend you allow the pressure cooker to naturally release when it’s done cooking. This will really lock in the moisture for the turkey and preserve the juices.
The Instant Pot steams the turkey so when it comes out it will not be crispy on the outside. If you like yours crispy, place it under the broiler 3-5 minutes (in a baking pan) until it’s brown on the outside. It will be perfect. Hope you love it! Let me know if you enjoyed it in the comments.
Instant Pot Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 7 lb turkey breast, thawed, bone-in or without
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sage
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 stem rosemary
- 1/2 cup white onion, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup baby carrots
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 tablespoon corn starch, or arrowroot powder for Whole30, Paleo
Instructions
- Clean the turkey and pat very dry with a towel. Set aside on a plate or cutting board.
- In a small bowl, add the olive oil, paprika, thyme, garlic powder, dried parsley, salt and pepper. Mix together then using a basting brush, brush the oil all over the turkey. Brush it under the skin to add flavor.
- Place the Instant Pot trivet inside the Insert then add the turkey breast, breast side up. Pour the broth inside and add the onions, carrots, celery and rosemary stem.
- Place the lid on your Instant Pot and set to valve to sealing. Set to steam or pressure cook for 35 minutes. It will take the IP about 30 minutes to build enough pressure since the turkey is larger. Make sure the turkey is thawed before otherwise 35 minutes will not be enough cook time.
- Once finished, let the pot naturally release pressure to increase the moisture of the turkey. When it's finished, carefully remove the lid and life the turkey out of the insert and place on a plate.
- Optional: you can add the turkey to a baking dish and broil 5 minutes to get it extra crispy.
- Drain the drippings from the Instant Pan insert using a sieve. Place the liquid back in the Instant Pot insert with the cornstarch. Cook on saute and whisk together until thick 5 minutes. You may need to use a little extra cornstarch or arrowroot powder depending on how much your turkey drips during the cooking process.
Notes
- 4 ounces equals 1 serving for this recipe, making 28 servings for a 7-pound turkey.
- For a frozen unthawed turkey breast, I’ve tested this method with a 3-pound turkey breast which took 75 minutes to reach 165 F in the center.
- My Amazon shop has more products similar to those used for this recipe and that I recommend to my nutrition clients.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
