Instant Pot Turkey Breast

Instant Pot Turkey Breast is hands down the easiest, most flavorful way to prepare a turkey breast! This herb seasoned turkey breast is cooked to perfection and is served with an easy gravy made right in the Instant Pot. 

You will permanently say good-bye to dried-out turkey! By using the Instant Pot, not only is this turkey ready in a fraction of the time it takes in the oven, but it is also the juiciest turkey breast ever!

Instant Pot Turkey Breast

Cooking a turkey breast in a pressure cooker not only frees up space in the oven for things like Sweet Potato Casserole and Classic Stuffing, but this cooking method produces the best results!

The Turkey Breast is rubbed with an herb butter which helps to flavor the meat and keep the turkey juicy. However, it is the moist heat from the instant pot, that really does a perfect job of cooking the turkey without drying out the meat.

Instant Pot Turkey Breast is easy to make, perfect for smaller holiday gatherings, and impressive enough to entertain with. This recipe is sure to become a family favorite!

How to Cook a Turkey Breast in the Instant Pot

Step One Make sure your Turkey Breast Fits

The most important step to properly cooking a turkey breast inside an instant pot is to be sure it fits!

I recommend placing the turkey breast, while still in its packaging, inside the instant pot on top of the metal trivet/rack to be sure the lid will fit and close properly. Don't worry about your turkey breast extending past the max fill line in your pressure cooker, this is one time that is okay!

In my experience, an instant pot can hold the following sized turkey breasts.

• For 6 quart: 5-6.5 pounds
• For 8 quart: 7-8.5 pounds

Step Two: Prepare Compound Herb Butter

The easiest way to infuse flavor into the turkey breast is to season with compound butter.

A compound butter sounds complicated, but it simply just softened butter mixed with herbs, salt, and pepper. You can use any herbs you like, but I find rosemary and thyme are the perfect compliments for turkey breast.

Step Three: Season Turkey Breast

Instead of rubbing the butter over the surface of the turkey breast, it is best to gently loosen the skin on the turkey breast and rub the herb butter underneath the skin. The butter will melt into the meat of the turkey as it cooks and gives it an incredible flavor.

Step Four: Pressure Cook

• Pour the stock into the inner pot of the pressure cooker. You can use water in place of stock, but if you are planning on preparing gravy, the stock is key.
• Place turkey inside Instant Pot, meat side DOWN on the inner rack. I do this so that the juices flow into the meat, keeping the turkey breast super juicy.
• Place onion and celery stick in the cavity of turkey breast, if you have it on hand. It just adds a bit of extra flavor, but don't stress if you don't have it on hand.
• Close the lid on the instant pot and be sure the vent knob is pointed towards sealed.
• Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes per pound.
• Once cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes naturally, then release any remaining pressure.
• Test turkey breast with a digital thermometer to be sure meat has reached at least 160 degrees. (The turkey breast will continue to cook as it rests and needs to reach 165 degrees.)
• Remove turkey from instant pot and place on cutting board and tent with foil.
• Allow turkey to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Optional: Brown the Turkey Breast

If you would like to get crispy skin or a golden brown appearance brown the turkey breast in the oven AFTER pressure cooking.

• Place cooked turkey breast on a baking sheet and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.
• Place under broiler for 5-6 minutes, watching closely so as not to burn, and brown up the skin of the turkey breast.
• It is still important to let the broiled turkey rest for 10 minutes before cutting to allow the juice to redistribute through the turkey breast.

Instant Pot Frozen Turkey Breast

If you have forgotten to thaw your turkey breast out, do NOT panic!

You can cook a frozen turkey in the instant pot with a few modifications.

• First, be sure to check for any packet of frozen gravy inside the cavity of the turkey breast. If so, run under cold tap water to loosen and discard, as you do not want to cook the turkey with any plastic packets inside the cavity of the turkey breast.
• Because it is next to impossible to loosen the skin of a frozen turkey breast, skip the herb butter and simply season with salt and pepper.
• To cook a frozen turkey breast in the instant pot, increase the cooking time from 6 minutes per pound on high pressure to 10 minutes per pound on high pressure. 

How to Prepare Turkey Gravy

If desired, you can easily make the 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.

Serving Suggestions

Instant Pot Turkey Breast is delicious served for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, a Sunday dinner, or just to make for turkey sandwiches.

When served with Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, and Green Bean Casserole.

If you need ideas for how to use leftover turkey breast, be sure to check out my leftover turkey recipes. One of my favorites to make is Southwest Turkey Soup.

Recipe Tips and FAQs

• An important note, if your turkey will not fit in the instant pot using the rack, you can cook directly inside the inner pot. HOWEVER, do not place the turkey breast meat side down in the pressure cooker, as this could cause a burn notice due to the compound butter under the turkey skin. Instead, cook meat side up or skip the compound butter.
• If you would like to brine this turkey breast before cooking, follow my Turkey Brine recipe. You can skip the herb butter if you opt to brine the turkey breast, as the brine will give it plenty of flavor.
• Leftover Turkey Breast can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Freeze leftover cooked turkey breast for 3 months in the freezer.
• It is not necessary to add the onion and celery to the cavity of the turkey breast.
• If you have a small whole turkey, this recipe will work the exact same way--cook for 6 minutes per pound on high pressure.
• If you would like to prepare the turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans in the instant pot in just under 2 hours for an entire Thanksgiving Feast, be sure to watch my video on Thanksgiving Dinner in 2 hours.
• I love using a dry white wine, like Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay, in my turkey gravy as it adds so much flavor to the gravy, but feel free to omit the wine and use extra cooking liquid.

More Instant Pot Recipes

• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
• Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Instant Pot Whole Chicken
• Instant Pot Chicken Stock

I hope you enjoy this delicious, juicy Instant Pot Turkey Breast and I would love for you to leave a comment and review below. 

This post was originally published in 2017 but was updated with new tips and a video in 2020.