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 moistest turkey breast ever!
When it comes to turkey, I prefer turkey breast over dark meat turkey any day.
In fact, I often opt to have one small whole turkey along with a turkey breast at Thanksgiving.
This ensures there is plenty of turkey for everyone to enjoy and that I am left with leftover turkey breast meat, which I find is just perfect for my Southwest Turkey Soup, Turkey and Cheddar Sandwich and Turkey Quesadilla
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 method also produces the moistest, tender, juicy turkey breast you have ever had.
This Instant Pot 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 roasting the turkey without drying out the meat.
This turkey breast recipe is easy to follow and impressive enough to serve guests!
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 a pressure cooker is to be sure that your turkey breast will fit inside your instant pot.
I test by placing the turkey breast still in packaging inside the pressure cooker to see if I can fit the lid on the Instant Pot.
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
You can use any herbs you like, but I find rosemary and thyme are the perfect compliments for turkey breast.
- Mix together the softened butter with fresh minced herbs and 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Loosen skin on turkey breast using your hand.
- Rub herb butter underneath the skin of turkey breast.
- Season outside of the turkey breast with remaining salt and pepper.
**An important note, do NOT rub compound butter on outside of turkey breast if placing turkey breast meat side down in pressure cooker, this could cause a burn notice. If you do want to rub the butter on the outside of the turkey, simply cook meat side up in a pressure cooker.
Step Three: Cook in Instant Pot
- Pour stock in the inner pot of the pressure cooker.
- Place turkey inside Instant Pot, meat side DOWN.
- Place onion and celery stick in the cavity of turkey breast.
- Close 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.
- Place cooked turkey breast on a baking sheet.
- Place under broiler for 5-6 minutes, watching closely so as not to burn, and brown up the skin of the turkey breast.
- There is no need to brush the skin of your turkey with butter or oil, the herb butter underneath the skin of the turkey breast is all your turkey should need to brown perfectly.
Instant Pot Frozen Turkey Breast
It can be very tricky to cook a frozen turkey breast for two reasons.
- It is hard to get a frozen turkey breast out of its packaging and to remove any gravy packet frozen to the turkey breast.
- It is hard to rub the compound herb butter under the skin of the turkey breast if frozen.
To cook a frozen turkey breast in the pressure cooker you would need to skip using the herb butter and increase the cook time to 10 minutes per pound.
Instant Pot 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 reserve.
- Return 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.
- Cook for 1 minute to cook away raw flour flavor.
- Add in dry white wine and whisk well.
- Slowly add 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid to instant pot whisk well.
- Allow the gravy to bubble and thicken, adding more cooking liquid as needed to reach desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve with turkey.
More Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Stock
Instant Pot Turkey Breast
Ingredients
For the Turkey Breast
- 1-1.5 cup chicken or turkey stock see notes
- 1 5-6 pound turkey breast bone in
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 1/2 tablespoon rosemary chopped
- 2 teaspoons thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1 teaspoon pepper divided
For the Turkey Gravy
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/3 cup dry white wine optional
- 1 cup turkey drippings
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Instant Pot Turkey Breast
- Mix together the butter with fresh herbs and 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Loosen skin on turkey breast using your hand. Rub herb butter underneath skin of turkey breast. And any remaining butter on top of turkey.
- Season outside of turkey with remaining salt and pepper.
- Pour 1 cup stock into inner pot or pressure cooker for a 6 quart instant pot and 1.5 cups for an 8 quart instant pot.
- Place turkey inside Instant Pot, meat side DOWN. Place onion and celery stick in the cavity of turkey breast.
- Close lid on instant pot. Set vent knob to sealed. Cook on high pressure, using manual button, for 6 minutes per pound.
- Once cook time has elapsed, let pressure release 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 to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
- To brown turkey skin, Place cooked turkey breast on baking sheet. Place under broiler for 5-6 minutes, watching closely so as not to burn, and brown up the skin of the turkey breast.
For Turkey Gravy
- Strain cooking liquid from instant pot and reserve.
- Return inner pot back to Instant Pot. Turn to Saute function and allow instant pot to heat.
- Once pressure cooker is heated, add in butter and melt. Add in flour to melted butter and whisk well to form a roux. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add in dry white wine and whisk well. Then slowly add 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid to instant pot whisk well. Allow gravy to bubble and thicken, adding more cooking liquid as needed to reach desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper and serve with turkey.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- For frozen turkey breast, simply season with salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes per pound on high pressure.
- Feel free to use chicken stock in place of white wine for the gravy.
- See Instant Pot High Altitude Conversion if cooking 2500+ feet above sea level.
Nutrition
I made this on 5/1/19 and again on 1/26/20 and it was excellent both times. Family just loves it.
I love hearing this Jeff! Thank you for sharing!