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GET IT NOWMy Instant Pot Turkey Breast Makes The Juiciest Holiday Meal Without The Fuss
This Instant Pot turkey breast was an experiment I did one year when I hosted a smaller gathering. I didn’t want to tie up the oven with a roasted turkey breast or make a whole Thanksgiving turkey, but what started as an alternative turned into a dish my family absolutely loved in its own right. I’ve since tested it so many times to get the time chart I built below. Here’s why it was more than worth it:
- Super tender, flavorful, and juicy turkey breast – Pressure cooking infuses the meat with moisture and herbs from the inside out. The ultra tender texture is a big win for this method! It’s a lot like cooking turkey breast in a Crock Pot, but much faster.
- Saves time (and oven space!) – Cooking turkey breast in the Instant Pot is almost entirely hands-off, with no basting or babysitting. It’s perfect for Thanksgiving when your oven is full, but I also love it on weeknights because it takes under an hour.
- Crispy, golden skin – After pressure cooking, I have a quick step to get that gorgeous roasted skin. I think it’s the best of both worlds.
- Easy to make – Other than the turkey breast itself, this method uses common pantry staples, and the prep takes minutes.
Once you try it this way, you’ll see why I make this pressure cooker turkey breast even when it’s not the holidays. Make it with me!
“I was craving some turkey so I was searching for ideas and this was perfect. I made it and I really love the result. Savory, tender, and so juicy! Plus I really like the herby flavors too! I’ll definitely make this again.”
-Ana
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my Instant Pot turkey breast recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Turkey Breast – I used a 4-pound bone-in turkey breast, but boneless works too, or even frozen turkey breast if you run out of time to thaw it. You can use any size that will fit in your Instant Pot.
- Unsalted Butter – Let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to soften.
- Fresh Herbs – I made a compound butter with a combination of fresh thyme leaves, fresh sage, and fresh rosemary. You can use other fresh or dried herbs, such as parsley, tarragon, oregano, my Italian seasoning recipe, or my poultry seasoning recipe. If using dried, use 1 teaspoon to replace each tablespoon of fresh.
- Garlic – Fresh has the best flavor, but I once substituted 1/2 tablespoon of jarred minced garlic and it worked fine.
- Chicken Broth – This is the liquid necessary for the bottom of the Instant Pot, to avoid the burn notice. I use the reduced sodium kind, but feel free to substitute with regular broth, homemade broth, bone broth, or even just water.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
How To Cook Turkey Breast In The Instant Pot
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Prep the herb butter. In a small bowl, mash together butter, fresh herbs, garlic, sea salt and black pepper.
- Spread over the turkey. Dry the turkey breast with paper towels. Rub the butter mixture on the turkey breast, both under and over the skin. (Be careful not to tear it.)
- Pressure cook. Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of an Instant Pot, and add the trivet. Place the turkey breast in the Instant Pot on top of the trivet. Close the lid, turn the valve to the Sealing position, and cook. See my time chart below! Use the natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then move the knob to the quick release.
- Broil. Transfer the turkey breast to a baking dish or roasting pan. Place under the broiler in the oven, until the skin is browned and crispy. (Alternatively, you can empty the juices from the Instant Pot, add a little oil, and crisp the turkey skin on the Saute setting.)
- Rest. Remove the turkey breast from the oven, and tent the top with foil. Rest for a few minutes to let the juices settle before slicing.
Instant Pot Turkey Time Chart
Much like my Instant Pot chicken breast, the time to cook Instant Pot turkey breast depends on its weight, whether it’s fresh or frozen, and whether it’s bone-in or boneless. My rule of thumb is 6 minutes per pound for bone-in turkey breast, 5 minutes for boneless, 9 minutes for bone-in and frozen, and 8 minutes for boneless and frozen. This assumes broiling at the end, so add an extra 1 minute per pound if skipping that step.
Assuming a standard Instant Pot this size, which I used to test, here’s a handy time chart. I also included the number of servings you should set on the recipe card to scale the ingredient amounts perfectly.
| Amount of Chicken Breast by Weight | # Servings On Recipe Card | Fresh Bone-In Turkey Breast Cook Time | Fresh Boneless Turkey Breast Cook Time | Frozen Bone-In Turkey Breast Cook Time | Frozen Boneless Turkey Breast Cook Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 lb | 3 | 12 minutes | 10 minutes | 18 minutes | 16 minutes |
| 3 lb | 5 | 18 minutes | 15 minutes | 27 minutes | 24 minutes |
| 4 lb | 6 | 24 minutes | 20 minutes | 36 minutes | 32 minutes |
| 5 lb | 8 | 30 minutes | 25 minutes | 45 minutes | 40 minutes |
| 6 lb | 9 | 36 minutes | 30 minutes | 54 minutes | 48 minutes |
| 7 lb | 11 | 42 minutes | 35 minutes | 63 minutes | 56 minutes |
| 8 lb | 12 | 48 minutes | 40 minutes | 72 minutes | 64 minutes |
- What these times mean: These are the times you enter on your Instant Pot, and do not include time it takes to build pressure.
- Important note on natural release: A 10-minute natural release is crucial for your turkey breast to cook through fully. If you do manual release immediately, it will be both dry and undercooked.
- Important note if you don’t plan to broil your turkey: Reminder, add an extra minute per pound if you skip the broiling step! For example, add 4 minutes to the cook time for a fresh bone-in turkey breast.
- How to scale the recipe: My chart above includes a column for “# Servings On Recipe Card” — this is what you’d set on the recipe card (at the bottom of this post) in the Servings section, to scale the ingredients to the amount of chicken you have. Some turkey weights result in some weird measurements, in these cases I would just round up.
- Don’t scale the amount of broth: You always need 1 cup of chicken broth for Instant Pot turkey breast.
My Recipe Tips
- Check the internal temp of the turkey breast with a meat thermometer after pressure cooking. I like this thermometer and it should reach 155 to 160 degrees F. Then, the Instant Pot turkey breast should reach 160 to 165 degrees F after broiling, and at least 165 degrees F after resting.
- What if the internal temperature is too low? You have a couple options. You can put the lid back on the Instant Pot and pressure cook for a few more minutes, then keep the timing the same for broiling. Another option is to go ahead and broil, then if the temp is less than 160 degrees F, reduce the oven to 350 degrees F and bake until it’s done.
- Can I cook frozen turkey breast in the Instant Pot? Yes! I included this as an option in my time chart above, for both bone-in and boneless turkey breast. The main difference is you won’t be able to put the butter under the turkey skin, only on top, so I find the meat is a little less flavorful, but it’s still good!
- My timing here is based on this 6-quart Instant Pot. A larger pressure cooker will probably take longer.
- I love this baking dish that holds my 4-pound Instant Pot turkey breast perfectly. Any dish that has high sides will work, though.
Instant Pot Turkey Breast
My Instant Pot turkey breast recipe is super juicy and flavorful, with fresh herbs and garlic. The perfect easy, hands-off holiday meal!
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Pat the turkey breast dry with a paper towel.
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In a small bowl, mash together the butter, fresh herbs, garlic, sea salt and black pepper.
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Run your hands underneath the skin to separate it from the meat. Rub the butter mixture on the turkey breast, both under and over the skin.
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Add the chicken broth to the bottom of the Instant Pot, along with the trivet.
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Place the turkey on the trivet. Close the lid, turn the knob to Sealing, and cook on High pressure. Set the time to 6 minutes per pound (that was 24 minutes for my 4-pound turkey breast, but adjust based on the weight of yours).
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Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. At the same time, preheat the oven to Broil on High. After 10 minutes, switch the knob to Venting to release any remaining pressure. The temperature of the turkey breast should be at least 155-160 degrees F (71 degrees C) at this point.
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Transfer the turkey breast to a baking dish. Broil in the oven for 5-6 minutes, until the skin is browned and crispy. If the internal temperature has not reached at least 160 degrees F (71 degrees C) by this point (it should), reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (177 degrees F) and bake until it reaches that temperature.
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Remove the turkey breast from the oven, tent the top with foil, and rest for 10 minutes. As it rests, the temperature will increase about 5 degrees.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: ~6 oz cooked turkey breast, or 1/6 of the entire recipe
- Tips & timing: Check out my time chart and recipe tips above to help you make the juiciest Instant Pot chicken breast, without over- or under-cooking.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
- Reheat: You can actually reheat turkey breast in the Instant Pot! Fill the bottom with a cup of chicken broth, place your desired amount of turkey onto the trivet, and pressure cook for 3-5 minutes depending on the amount you’re heating. You can also use the oven or microwave, though the microwave will dry it out more.
- Freeze: Once completely cooled, put the meat (you can keep the bone or cut it into pieces) in a zip lock bag, squeeze out extra air, and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Instant Pot Turkey Breast
Serving Ideas
I have a variety of Thanksgiving dishes you can serve with this Instant Pot turkey breast! I chose cauliflower mash and garlicky green beans above. Here are a few of my other favorites:
- Gravy – If you want to make gravy, you can use the turkey drippings from the bottom of the Instant Pot and cook it on the stovetop with a little cornstarch or a cornstarch substitute (I prefer arrowroot powder).
- Sides – Since Instant Pot turkey breast is an easier centerpiece and often for a smaller gathering, I like pairing it with simpler side dishes, like mashed sweet potatoes or Thanksgiving salad.
- Finishing Touches – Start your meal with a festive Thanksgiving charcuterie board and finish with some healthy pumpkin bars!
If you have leftovers, I like to toss them into turkey soup or turkey salad, or make a leftover turkey casserole.
More Easy Turkey Breast Recipes
Looking for more ways to cook up a Thanksgiving turkey breast? Here are some more of my tried and true recipes:
9 Comments
Debbie Stikeleather
0I could not find cooking times for less than 4 pounds lbs. How long for a 2 lbs. and 21/2 lbs? 3 lbs?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Debbie, You will have to reduce the cook time for a turkey breast less than 4 pounds.
Jackie
0How much time should I allow for a boneless turkey breast? Any other adjustments? Thanks.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jackie, For boneless turkey I suggest following my instant pot chicken breast recipe.
Tammy
0This is a great idea for a smaller crowd when there’s just no need for a big turkey. I love that it’s made in the IP so the oven is free for everything else. I tried it out for dinner last weekend as a test run since it’s also perfect for a Sunday meal and we loved it. Can’t wait to make it for the holiday!
Ana
0I was craving some turkey so I was searching for ideas and this was perfect! I made it and I really love the result, savory, tender, and so juicy! Plus I really like the herby flavors too! I’ll definitely make this again 🙂
Bea
0This Instant Pot turkey breast recipe is a game-changer for anyone who loves a hassle-free holiday meal! I tried it for a small gathering, and the result was a perfectly juicy and flavorful turkey. The blend of fresh herbs and garlic infused the meat with a savory goodness.
Davi
0I just did a test run of this recipe before the big day next week. It came out so well! There are only two of us in my household so a whole turkey just doesn’t make sense. Glad to have found this recipe.
Lea
0I made this recipe for a potluck and it was a hit in the crowd! Everyone loved the juicy and flavorful turkey breast, and they were impressed with the food presentation. I’m so happy with it! I served it with some mashed potatoes and green beans, and it was a perfect meal. I will definitely make it again!