Instant Pot Turkey Breast

Cooking turkey doesn’t have to be hard. This Instant Pot turkey breast recipe is crazy simple. Seasoned turkey that is pressure cooked to perfection. A simple pressure cooker turkey recipe you will want to try.

Slice and serve up a juicy turkey breast for your weeknight plate or a small holiday gathering. This can also be a Ninja Foodi turkey breast recipe, that you use the air fryer lid to crisp it up once cooked.

Pair your turkey with Instant Pot gouda mashed potatoesArkansas green beans or try our rainbow bean salad.

This Turkey Breast Instant Pot Recipe Is…

• Naturally Gluten Free
• Easy To Make
• Juicy
• Flavorful
• Instant Pot Or Ninja Foodi Turkey Breast Recipe
• Minimal Prep Work

Ingredients Needed

Turkey Breast – we did use a skin on and bone in turkey breast for this recipe.

Water – You could also use a broth instead of water for added flavoring.

Salt and Pepper – to taste

Butter – Salted or unsalted works

Oil

Chili Powder – Adds a nice kick of flavor to the turkey meat.

Poultry Seasoning – This worked great but you are welcome to swap it out with your own seasoning mix.

Tips For Making Turkey In Instant Pot

You do need to sear the turkey skin before pressure cooking, otherwise the skin will not have the right texture. It will be rubbery, and not cooked the way you want.

Make sure to allow 10-15 minutes for the pressure cooker to come to pressure before it begins cooking. Many forget to factor that in with the cooking time.

Depending on the size of your turkey the cook time will vary slightly.

Save back the liquid to use as a broth for a future recipe, or have it be the base to a gravy. If you plan to make into a gravy we recommend a chicken or vegetable stock, not water used.

How to Make

Full directions on how to make Instant Pot turkey breast is in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a visual walk through on how to make.

Step One: Start by adding oil into the Instant Pot and select the saute feature, and let it heat up.

Step Two: While the oil is heating up, seasoning your turkey breast. Rub the whole breast with butter, and then season with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and chili powder. Coat all sides.

Step Three: Place the breast skin side down in the Instant Pot. Sear 3-4 minutes on both sides.

Step Four: Next turn off the saute feature, and pour your water in. Then deglaze the pan with a wooden spoon.

Step Five: Place your trivet in the Instant Pot. Next place the turkey breast on top of the trivet so it is not submerged in the water.

Step Six: Next you will secure on the lid, and make sure the valve is set to sealing. Pressure cook on the poultry setting for 7 minutes per pound of turkey. So we did 14 minutes for our 2 pound turkey breast.

Step Seven: Next allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes. Then release off any extra pressure and open the Instant Pot.

Step Eight: You can broil your turkey breast in the oven for 1-2 minutes to crisp the skin more if you would like. Or slice and serve as is.

Storing Turkey Leftover

Feel free to store any leftover turkey in an airtight container or bag. Then you can use the leftover meat for making sandwiches, tossing in casseroles, or reheating and eating as leftovers.

The turkey will store for 3-4 days in the fridge when stored at the proper temperature.

In terms of freezing it can freeze for 3-5 months. You can freeze in a freezer bag, vacuum sealed bag or container. Then thaw in the fridge overnight when you want to use it.

Practical notes

Here are some frequently asked questions when cooking this pressure cooker turkey breast recipe.

How can we tell if our turkey breast is cooked?

You will want to use an internal thermometer and poke into the largest part of the turkey breast, making sure to not touch the bone. The bone will read a higher temperature and give a false reading. The internal temperature of a turkey breast needs to read 170 degrees F in the breast. Or if you are cooking a whole turkey it needs to read 180 degrees F in the thigh.

How long does it take per pound to cook a turkey breast?

For this instant pot turkey recipe you will want to cook your turkey 7 minutes per pound of meat. So if your breast is 2 pounds you will cook for 14 minutes, or a 3 pound breast will cook for 21 minutes.

Is it okay if turkey breast is a little pink?

If the turkey was checked to ensure it was at adequate internal temperature then yes it is safe to eat. If you did not check to ensure it reads the proper temperature you could run the risk of eating undercooked turkey, which could make you sick.

Can we cook an Instant Pot frozen turkey breast?

You an cook a frozen turkey breast in an Instant Pot. The cook time will alter quite a bit. You would add in the liquid and trivet, then slather with butter and season and place on trivet. For a 3-4 pound breast you would pressure cook 65 minutes manual pressure, with 20 minute natural release. Then check to ensure it is fully cooked.

Does turkey need to rest before slicing?

Turkey is delicate and can dry out easily. Once you are done cooking your turkey, let it rest on a plate for 10 minutes, then slice and serve it up. You can use foil to create a tent over the turkey while it rests to keep it warm.

Have you tried the recipe? If so, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below or drop a comment. Also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Facebook Pinterest or our Facebook Group

Ingredients

Makes 2 -3 pounds

• 2-3 pound turkey breast, bone in skin on
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 1 cup water, or chicken broth

Equipment

• Steamer Rack Trivet with Heat Resistant Silicone Handles Compatible with Instant Pot Accessories 6 Qt 8 Quart, Stainless Steam Rack Pressure Cooker Trivet – Long Handles for Easy Chicken & Pot Removal
• MJIYA Silicone Kitchen Tongs (7 inch), High Heat Resistant to 480°F
• Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker

Method

1. The first step is to add oil into the Instant Pot and select the saute feature. Let the oil get hot.
2. As the oil is heating up, slather the softened butter on all sides of the turkey. Then you will add on the poultry seasoning, chili powder, and salt and pepper.
3. Sear the turkey skin side down first, for 3-4 minutes. Then flip and sear the other side for 2-4 minutes.
4. Remove turkey and set to the side. Turn the saute feature off.
5. Add water or broth into the Instant Pot, and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pressure cooker pot. Use the spoon to scrape up any stuck on bits, as this will cause a burn notice.
6. Once pot is cleaned on bottom place trivet in the Instant Pot, and set the turkey breast on the trivet so the turkey is out of the water.
7. Place your pressure cooker lid on, making sure it is sealed and valve is set to sealed as well.
8. Pressure cook for 7 minutes per pound. Our 2 pound turkey we cook for 14 minutes. Do the 14 minutes on the poultry button, and allow the pressure cooker to natural release for 10-15 minutes.
9. After it is done with natural release, press off any extra pressure, by pushing the nozzle on the lid. Then carefully open, and remove the turkey. Let it set for 10 minutes.
10. You can place turkey in oven under broiler for 1-2 minutes to crisp up the skin if you would like.
11. Once done, slice and serve up this juicy Instant Pot turkey breast.

Kitchen notes

Internal Temperature –

You need the internal temperature to read 170 degrees in the breast. Make sure to not touch the bone as it will give a false reading. Cook Time – 7 minutes per pound of turkey. So a 3 pound turkey breast will be 21 minutes. A 2 pound breast will cook for 14 minutes. Resting – Allow the turkey to rest 10 minutes once cooked to lock in juices. Otherwise it can dry out your turkey.