Instant Pot Roast Turkey Breast is made quick and easy in the pressure cooker for stress-free Thanksgiving dinners or Sunday lunches. It turns out super moist and flavorful in an hour and with only a handful of ingredients. Perfect with your favorite sides!
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, and I always look forward to planning a special meal for our family and friends to gather around. However, this year we decided to skip large gatherings or big festivities.
But skipping the crowd doesn’t mean missing a delicious Thanksgiving feast. We still want our fair share of juicy turkey, stuffing, and all the fixings, even if it’s just two of us at home.
Enter the pressure cooker turkey recipe. Like our air fryer version, this Instant Pot method almost seems too good to be true, but it does deliver!
Making it in the Instant Pot is a stress-free way to enjoy your Thanksgiving feast. It’s super easy without sacrificing flavor.
The meat turns out super moist and flavorful with minimal prep and only a handful of ingredients. You throw everything in the Instant Pot and in about an hour, it’s ready to cut and serve.
Instant Pot size
Check to ensure the turkey will fit, and the lid can be closed properly.
- 6-qt Instant Pot- 5 to 7 pounds turkey
- 8-qt Instant Pot- 7 to 9 pounds turkey
Suggested cooking times
Cook on HIGH pressure for 6 minutes per pound and then NATURAL RELEASE 10 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to gauge doneness. Insert in the thickness part of the breast; it should read 165 F.
- 5 pounds= 30 minutes + 10 minutes NR
- 8 pounds= 48 minutes + 10 minutes NR
Cooking tips
- Boost flavor with onions and celery. If the turkey breast has a cavity, you can stuff it with onions and celery. If it’s open, you can just add the veggies in the pot.
- Do NOT poke! When cooked, lift the meat from the pot with two spoons or spatulas. Do not use a fork as this will release juices that keep the meat moist.
- Broil. If you want to crisp up the skin, scrape off the seasonings (these can get bitter) and place the turkey on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil 3 to 5 inches from the heat for about 3 to 5 minutes or until golden. Watch carefully as it can burn quickly.
- Let stand. For a juicy meat, give the turkey a few minutes to rest before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute.
Instant Pot turkey gravy
Plus, as a bonus, you get built-in gravy! The juices in the pot make for a truly flavorful sauce you can drizzle over the meat and dressing to kick things up a notch.
Remove the cooked turkey from the pot and keep it warm. Strain the juices in a fine-mesh sieve and use a fat separator to remove any excess grease, if desired. Thicken with a cornstarch slurry using the SAUTE function and adjust taste with salt and pepper as needed. If the turkey comes with a seasoning packet, add that to boost flavor.
Serving suggestions
Turkey breast is the perfect size for small holiday gatherings, Sunday lunches, or whenever you’re craving comfort food. For a hearty meal, serve with your favorite sides like dressing, mashed potatoes, and green beans!
Storage and reheating instructions
- To store leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 2 months.
- To reheat, place the sliced turkey in a baking dish and add about one teaspoon of butter and 1/4 cup of chicken broth. Cover tightly with foil and heat in a 350 F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the center of the meat reads 165 F.
- Leftover turkey is also great for sandwiches, casseroles, soups, or pies.
Ingredients
- 1 (about 5 pounds) whole turkey breast, fully thawed
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablepoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
Equipment
- 8-qt Instant Pot
- trivet
Instructions
- If the turkey breast comes with a gravy packet, remove and set aside. Rinse the turkey under cold, running water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Place trivet in the Instant Pot. Pour 1 cup of chicken stock at the bottom.
- Drizzle turkey with olive oil and rub with dry seasonings. Place on the trivet and top with fresh thyme.
- Close and lock the lid and set the valve on the SEALING position. Set to Manual and Pressure cook on HIGH for 30 minutes.
- When finished, do a NATURAL RELEASE for 10 minutes and then quickly release any remaining pressure. Carefully remove the turkey from the pot and keep warm.
- To make the gravy, add the seasoning packet to the turkey drippings in the Instant Pot.
- Turn the Saute function on and bring the liquid to a boil.
- In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/4 cup water until smooth and well-blended. Add to the turkey drippings, whisking vigorously to prevent lumps.
- Season the gravy with salt and pepper to taste. Carefully remove gravy from the pot and serve alongside the turkey.
Notes
- Check to make sure the turkey will fit and the lid can be closed properly.
- If the turkey breast has a cavity, you can stuff it with onions and celery. If it’s open, you can just add the veggies to the pot.
- Use a meat thermometer to gauge doneness. Insert in the thickness part of the breast; it should read 165 F.
- When cooked, lift the meat from the pot with two spoons or spatulas. Do not use a fork as this will release juices that keep the meat moist.
- If you want to crisp up the skin, scrape off the seasonings (these can get bitter) and place the turkey on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil 3 to 5 inches from the heat for about 3 to 5 minutes or until golden. Watch carefully as it can burn quickly.
- Let stand for about 10 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute.
Nutrition Information
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
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