How to Cook Juicy, Tender Boneless Turkey Breast in Your Instant Pot

Cooking a moist, flavorful turkey breast can seem intimidating, but it’s actually quite easy with an Instant Pot In just over an hour, you can have delicious, fall-off-the-bone turkey breast ready to serve your family or guests. As an avid home cook and Instant Pot enthusiast, I’m going to share my tried and true method for cooking boneless turkey breast in the Instant Pot

Why Cook Turkey Breast in the Instant Pot?

The Instant Pot is a game changer when it comes to cooking turkey breast for a few key reasons

• It cooks the turkey breast quickly. The high pressure environment allows the turkey to cook through in just 25-35 minutes, as opposed to roasting it in the oven for over an hour. This speeds up your cooking time considerably.

• It keeps the turkey breast incredibly moist. The closed environment traps all the natural juices and moisture inside the turkey breast, so it turns out tender and juicy every time. No more dry, stringy turkey!

• It infuses the turkey breast with lots of flavor. The Instant Pot allows you to add aromatics like onions, garlic, herbs and spices right in the pot so they permeate the turkey as it cooks.

• It’s hands-off cooking. Once you set the pot, you can walk away until the turkey is done. The Instant Pot does all the work for you with no monitoring required.

• You can cook from frozen. No need to remember to thaw the turkey breast in the fridge overnight. You can go straight from the freezer to the Instant Pot.

So if you want a fuss-free way to cook turkey breast that’s fast, juicy and packed with flavor, the Instant Pot is the way to go.

Step-By-Step Guide to Cooking Boneless Turkey Breast in the Instant Pot

To get perfect results every time, follow these simple steps:

1. Choose Your Turkey Breast

• For ideal results, choose a boneless, skinless turkey breast that’s about 2-3 pounds. Having it boneless makes it easier to cook evenly.

• You can use a fresh or frozen turkey breast. If frozen, no need to thaw. Just remove any plastic or netting.

• Opt for a good quality, well-trimmed turkey breast for the most flavor and moisture.

2. Prep the Turkey Breast

• Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels. This helps it brown better.

• Rub it all over with olive oil or avocado oil. This adds flavor and moisture.

• Season generously with salt, pepper and herbs. Good options are sage, thyme, rosemary, paprika, oregano.

• For extra flavor, you can rub the turkey with minced garlic as well.

3. Brown the Turkey Breast

• Select the Sauté function on the Instant Pot and let it heat up for a few minutes.

• Add a bit more oil, then carefully add the turkey breast.

• Brown the turkey breast well on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. This builds a nice crust.

• Remove turkey and set aside.

4. Prepare the Pot

• Add 1 cup chicken or turkey broth to the pot to deglaze, scraping any browned bits off the bottom.

• Add any aromatics like onion, celery, garlic and herbs. This adds tons of flavor.

• Insert the trivet and place the seared turkey breast on top.

5. Pressure Cook the Turkey

• Lock the lid and make sure valve is set to “sealing.”

• Set to high pressure for 25 minutes for a 2 lb breast or 35 minutes for a 3 lb.

• When time is up, allow pressure to release naturally for 10-15 minutes.

• Quick release any remaining pressure and carefully remove lid.

6. Check for Doneness

• Use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temp of the thickest part of the breast.

• It should register 165°F minimum to ensure it’s fully cooked through.

• If under, you can simmer uncovered for 5-10 minutes until it reaches 165°F.

7. Make Gravy (Optional)

• For extra flavor, make gravy with the cooking juices.

• Stir in flour, then chicken broth and simmer until thickened.

• Stir in any juices from the resting turkey as well.

And that’s it! Now slice up your perfectly cooked Instant Pot turkey breast and serve it up. I love pairing it with hearty sides like mashed potatoes, stuffing, roasted veggies or a fresh salad.

One of my favorite recipes uses just a handful of ingredients – turkey breast, chicken stock, onion, herbs and butter. It lets the moist, tender turkey shine while still giving it so much flavor. I’ll share it below so you can experience just how good Instant Pot turkey breast can be!

Instant Pot Boneless Turkey Breast Recipe

Here is a simple, foolproof recipe for juicy boneless turkey breast infused with herb flavor and topped with a rich gravy.

Ingredients:

• 3 lb boneless, skinless turkey breast
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp each salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, thyme
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• 11⁄2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• Chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions:

1. Pat turkey dry and rub with olive oil and seasonings.
2. Press Sauté on Instant Pot and brown turkey on all sides, about 5 minutes per side.
3. Add onion, celery and chicken broth to pot. Place trivet and turkey on top.
4. Lock lid, seal valve and cook at high pressure for 35 minutes.
5. Allow natural release for 10-15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet. Whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes.
7. Quick release pot, remove turkey and keep warm.
8. Stir broth from pot into flour mixture. Simmer to thicken into gravy.
9. Slice turkey and serve topped with gravy and parsley.

The beauty of this recipe is that it builds so much flavor with just a few basic ingredients. The onion, celery and herbs infuse the turkey breast as it cooks, keeping it incredibly moist. And the gravy can be mixed up while the turkey rests, for an easy homemade topping.