Instant Pot Turkey Breast

This Instant Pot Turkey Breast recipe is the best method for moist, tender, and flavorful turkey! Just 10 minutes to prep, 40 minutes in the instant pot, and you’ve got perfectly cooked turkey ready to go!

Serve this turkey breast with homemade gravy using the leftover cooking liquid!

Got leftover turkey? Try this Leftover Turkey Soup or this Turkey Noodle Soup!

There are plenty of ways to enjoy turkey every day, but we always crave it around the holidays!

Turkey pot pie, turkey chili mac and cheese, turkey burgers, and turkey noodle soup are some of our year-round favorites, but this Instant Pot Turkey Breast is one we have to have around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Sometimes the best way to enjoy turkey is just straight up turkey breast brushed with oil, loaded with seasonings, and cooked until fall-apart tender.

This instant pot turkey breast is one of my favorite instant pot recipes and one of my favorite ways to eat turkey! Not only is it so much faster than an oven-roasted turkey breast, but the result is the most tender, moist, and flavorful turkey breast imaginable.

Need help planning your holiday meal? Check out these 20+ Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas!

Instant pot turkey breast ingredients:

This pressure cooker turkey breast recipe is made up of just a few simple ingredients you probably already have around!

• Turkey Breast: I use bone-in turkey breast, but boneless will work as well. There’s no need to change the cooking time.
• Canola Oil: coats the outside of the turkey breast to help the seasonings stick.
• Seasoning Salt, Garlic Powder, Dried Parsley, Dried Thyme, Paprika, and Black Pepper: a simple blend of herbs and seasonings that gives the turkey breast so much flavor.
• Chicken Broth: used as the liquid in the instant pot to help it come to pressure but also to add even more flavor to the chicken breast. I use low sodium chicken broth. You can use regular chicken broth, but you may want to lessen the amount of salt you add yourself.

To make gravy:

To make a super quick homemade gravy, you’ll use the cooking liquid from the turkey and three simple additional ingredients!

• Chicken Broth: again, I use low sodium chicken broth, but regular will work as well.
• Cornstarch: thickens the gravy. You can also use flour, but you will need more of it since it’s not as powerful of a thickener as cornstarch.
• Salt and Pepper: added to taste.

How to cook turkey breast in the instant pot

1. Rub with oil and seasonings: Remove the turkey breast from its packaging, then coat with oil. Combine all of the seasonings in a small bowl and rub the mixture liberally over the turkey breast.
2. Add broth and turkey to the instant pot: Pour the chicken broth into the instant pot and add the trivet. Place the turkey on top of the trivet, then close the lid and turn the valve to sealing.
3. Cook: Select Manual or Pressure Cook and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. When the cook time is up, let the pressure release naturally, then open the valve and remove the lid. If desired, you can place the breast skin side up on a baking sheet to brown the top in the oven. Otherwise, let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
4. Make the gravy: After removing the turkey from the pot, strain the cooking liquid, then add it back into the pot. Hit Sauté on the instant pot. In a small bowl, whisk together chicken broth and cornstarch, then stir that into the juices in the instant pot. Cook and stir until thickened, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Serve: Remove the skin from the turkey, slice, then serve topped with homemade gravy!

How long to cook turkey breast in the instant pot

For the 5 pounds of turkey I used in this recipe, 45 minutes yielded the perfect result!

Although many people cook turkey breast in the instant pot is 6 minutes per pound, I actually found that 8-9 minutes per pound worked best. Every time I cooked for just 6 minutes per pound, I ended up having to turn the instant pot back on and cook longer (and no one wants that hassle!).

Should you sear the turkey breast first?

There’s no real need. You can sear the turkey before you cook it in the instant pot, but the skin won’t really be crispy after pressure cooking.

If you want that crispy finish, the better option is the broil the turkey in the oven after pressure cooking until the skin is golden-brown!

Should you brine the turkey?

It’s not totally necessary, but you definitely can! Brining the turkey allows it to absorb extra moisture and also breaks down the meat so it’s even more tender.

If you want to take the extra step to brine your turkey, check out my easy turkey brine recipe.

Can you use frozen turkey breast?

You can! To cook frozen turkey breast in the instant pot, simply increase the cooking time to 12 minutes per pound. That’s just 60 minutes for the 5 pounds in this recipe!

Tips, tricks, and notes for pressure cooker turkey breast

• Broil after cooking. This is optional, but it’s the best way to give the turkey that golden-brown, slightly crispy finish.
• Let it rest. After the turkey is done cooking, let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing to give the juices time to redistribute throughout the meat. If you slice into it too soon, the moisture will just seep out and the turkey will be dry.
• Check the temperature. Use a meat thermometer to check that the turkey is a minimum of 170ºF in the thickest part of the breast before serving.
• Don’t discard the cooking liquid. You can use it to make the homemade gravy!
• You can place the turkey breast in the instant pot skin up or skin down. This depends on what you prefer. Skin down results in juicier meat, but if you’re searing or browning after you may not want the skin sitting in the liquid. Either way, the instant pot makes the turkey breast super moist so both options work great.
• I use an 8 quart instant pot, but a 6 quart will work as well if that’s what you have.
• For other cooking methods, check out my crockpot turkey breast or my oven-baked roast turkey breast with cranberry marinade.

Serving suggestions

Here are a few of my favorite side dishes to serve next to turkey breast:

• Scalloped Potatoes
• Honey Glazed Carrots
• Garlic Herb Dinner Rolls or my Mom’s Homemade Buns
• Creamed Corn

How to store

Leftover cooked turkey will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.

To enjoy again, thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen, then use the following methods to reheat:

• Oven: Preheat the oven to 300ºF, wrap the turkey in foil, or place in a covered casserole dish with a couple of spoonfuls of chicken broth or gravy to moisten, then cook for 30 minutes.
• Stovetop: Place the turkey in a skillet with chicken broth or gravy, then bring to a simmer and cook until the turkey is warmed through.
• Microwave: Cut the turkey into smaller pieces, add some gravy or chicken broth to keep it moist, and microwave until warmed.

More easy instant pot meat recipes

• Instant Pot Whole Chicken
• Instant Pot Pulled Pork
• Easy Instant Pot Ribs
• Juicy Instant Pot Chicken Breast