Instant Pot Boneless Turkey Breast and Gravy Recipe - make delicious turkey breast from frozen to ready! The easiest way, with no prep ahead of time. The gravy is the perfect finish to this amazing boneless turkey breast!
INSTANT POT BONELESS TURKEY BREAST
When I shared my Instant Pot Turkey Breast recipe last year, I had no idea it will become so popular and made all year long. I also got a lot of questions about making a boneless frozen turkey breast in the pressure cooker. I knew I had to try it. You guys, it totally works! You can make juicy and delicious boneless turkey breast in the Instant Pot, without thawing it out.
This Instant Pot Boneless Turkey Breast is perfect for smaller holiday dinners as well as to make as meal prep and use throughout the week. It's so easy and you don't have to remember to thaw out the turkey!
HOW TO MAKE BONELESS FROZEN TURKEY BREAST IN INSTANT POT?
- Start by setting the trivet in your Instant Pot. Add 1.5 cups of water.
- Run the frozen turkey breast under warm tap water to release the gravy packet. I never use the gravy that comes with turkey, so I discarded it.
- Make the seasoned oil mixture and rub all over the turkey breast.
- Set turkey breast on trivet and arrange veggies around it.
- Set the Instant Pot to 55 minutes for a 3 lb turkey breast, on manual setting and high pressure. The Instant Pot will take about 8 minutes to come to pressure.
- Once done, let the pressure release naturally, it may take about 12 minutes.
- If you want to save on calories, remove the skin and slice the turkey breast to serve. You can also, pour a tablespoon of the juices from the bottom of the Instant Pot insert all over the cooked turkey breast and pop it under the broiler to crisp up the skin.
SEASONING FOR TURKEY BREAST
I have my go-to seasoning I use in all of my turkey recipes: a mixture of olive oil, paprika, poultry herb mix, salt and pepper. If you have one that you love, feel free to use it. The addition of celery, onion and garlic is supposed to be mainly to infuse the gravy with flavor. You can also use melted butter in place of oil.
Another option is to cook the turkey breast seasoned with oil, salt and pepper and once it's done, brush it with maple glaze and pop under the broiler. So delicious!
HOW TO MAKE GRAVY FOR TURKEY BREAST?
Once the turkey breast is out of the Instant Pot, measure out 2 cups of the pan drippings. You can cook it in the Instant Pot or on the stove in saucepan. Add ¼ cup of water mixed with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. It will make a smooth and clear gravy. If using flour, use 3 tablespoons (add more if needed). The gravy will be cloudy.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COOK FROZEN TURKEY BREAST IN INSTANT POT?
My boneless turkey breast was 3 lbs and pretty rock solid frozen. After 55 minutes of cooking, the center of the breast was not at the 165 degrees F so I added 8 more minutes of cooking time and it was perfect. If you bought turkey breast straight from the open freezer in your store and brought it home, 55 minutes for a 3 lb breast should be enough time to cook it thoroughly. Always check with the kitchen thermometer to make sure the turkey is at least 165 degrees F.
My Instant Pot took 8 minutes to come to pressure and 12 to release the pressure naturally. Once you add up the time (total timing: 75 minutes) it may seem like a lot but don't forget that the turkey breast we are using is frozen. No thawing time needed!
If you are cooking thawed boneless turkey breast, cook for 5 minutes per pound.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BONELESS TURKEY BREAST:
Instant Pot Bacon Brussels Sprouts
Garlic Parmesan Brussels Sprouts
Best and Easy Sweet Potato Casserole
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀
Check out my Instant Pot Guide for Beginners, filled with all the info you need to get started with your new appliance!
INSTANT POT BONELESS TURKEY BREAST RECIPE
Instant Pot Boneless Turkey Breast with Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lb frozen boneless turkey breast
- 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chopped poultry herb mix sage, rosemary and thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ white onion cut into slices
- 1 celery stalk cut into 3 pieces
- 2 garlic cloves
Instructions
- Start by setting the trivet in your Instant Pot. Add 1.5 cups of water to the stainless steel insert.
- Run the frozen turkey breast under warm tap water to release the gravy packet. I never use the gravy that comes with turkey, so I discarded it.
- In a small bowl, whisk together oil, paprika, herb mix, salt and pepper. Rub all over the turkey breast.
- Set turkey breast on trivet and arrange veggies around it.
- Set the Instant Pot to 55 minutes for a 3 lb turkey breast, on manual setting and high pressure. The Instant Pot will take about 8 minutes to come to pressure.
- Once done, let the pressure release naturally, it may take about 12 minutes.
- If you want to save on calories, remove the skin and slice the turkey breast to serve. You can also, pour a tablespoon of the juices from the bottom of the Instant Pot insert all over the cooked turkey breast and pop it under the broiler to crisp up the skin.
- Once the turkey breast is out of the Instant Pot, measure out 2 cups of the pan drippings. You can cook it in the Instant Pot or on the stove in saucepan. Add ¼ cup of water mixed with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. It will make a smooth and clear gravy. If using flour, use 3 tablespoons (add more if needed). The gravy will be cloudy.
Jennifer says
My whole family loved it. Easy to make, and freed up the oven and stove top to make other items for our impromptu turkey dinner.
Anna says
That's absolutely fantastic! Thank you so much, Jennifer!
Sandra says
First of all, I knew with my amazing psychic abilities that this wouldn't be good -- not the recipe, but a giant skinless (ick, dry, why did I order this from the farm?) turkey breast turning into a delicious meal was going to be impossible. But I already bought it (great source of protein, I was thinking, and I'm doing the Whole30) and, as it turns out, it's really, really good! It reminds me of high school lunches; everybody's favorite day was Thursday, which was "Turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes" day, and it was always yummy.
I put all this in the Instant Pot and then left for a few hours. My husband was home, so after the pressure went down without venting, he checked on it. He said it was "hard" (whatever that means!) so he put it back on for another 10 minutes (I had a 4.5 lb breast from a local farm and I tried 23 minutes). I made a gravy (there was barely 2 cups liquid there) using arrowroot powder. My only regret was that I didn't make mashed potatoes. The turkey was just the right texture, sort of falling apart but still in slices.
By itself it was OK, but for me the gravy is mandatory. (When I'm off Whole30, I'll probably make some cranberry sauce too). I microwaved a potato and put the turkey on top with gravy over it all, and I'm still blissful. In fact, I think that's what I'm going to have for breakfast! (If you don't know anything about the Whole30, it's suggested that you have "First meal, second meal, and third meal," rather than categorizing things in a tradition way and having eggs and sausage or bacon until you never want to see an egg again; works for me!)
Thanks for the one recipe I've made lately that I was certain would be lousy and turned out to be a favorite!
Michelle says
This turned out great! We had a 3Ib turkey breast and set it in the Instant Pot for 60 minutes (1 hour) plus the time it took to get to pressure. I let it manually release for 8 minutes before venting it. This was so juicy and amazing. I can't wait to use this recipe so I can make turkey noodle soup and turkey pot pie!
Anna says
Thank you for making my recipe, Michelle! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Mike Thomas says
55 min plus the 12 min from frozen still raw in middle.
Anna says
Hi Mike! Sometimes the turkey can be frozen rock hard. You can place it back and cook for 10 more minutes. I hope this helps!
Diane says
Excellent recipe. I cooked for 65 minutes just to be sure and I think I’ll go to 75 minutes next time. The seasoning is very nice and the gravy turns out delicious. Thank you and it’s so nice to use the Instant Pot for perfectly moist turkey.
Anna says
Thank you so much, Diane! I am so glad the turkey was a success!
Joan says
How long to cook a frozen 5pound turkey breast?
Kim says
I keep finding similar recipes and they all call for sauteing of veggies etc.... Whats with the veggies? Are they really necessary? Like if I just put the trivet in and the chicken broth and frozen turkey will it still cook since there are no veggies with it? Sorry but we like to have open faced turkey sandwiches and I forgot to pull the turkey yesterday to thaw it properly. So I came to the internet to learn if I could cook a frozen one in the IP. Please let me know what the big deal is for veggies and if they can be omitted!
Chloe says
I think the veggie flavor is to infuse the drippings with flavor to them turn it into gravy. If you aren’t making gravy you probably don’t need the veggies, just the stock liquid at the bottom so you don’t get a burn notice.
Sandra says
The gravy was easy and delicious, and I'd highly recommend using the veggies. I think it's more flavorful that way. I also think the turkey itself is probably better steaming in there with all that onion, celery, and garlic. But I agree with the previous reply -- if you're not going to make gravy, you could probably skip the vegetables. But I definitely needed the gravy -- no matter how good, I'm not a big fan of turkey breast because it's always a little dry. This one was as moist as it gets, but still better with the gravy.
Molly says
Question. How long to cook for a thawed 3lb. Butterball turkey breast. Also, sear or not
Jean says
I did not sear mine but went by the 5 min per pound for a 3 pound thawed breast. The thermometer read only 126 after 20 minutes plus pressure up and 12 min release. Trying now for another 20 minutes cooking time. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Donna Coombs says
I cooked a 3# thawed Butterball breast tonight, using 6 minutes/pound as suggested. As like you, mine was only reading 120 degrees so I put it back to pressure for another 8 minutes with a natural release in pressure (10 minutes). It was reading 185 degrees after that and came out delicious and moist. I did broil it for 4 minutes to brown the top a bit. Did not alter ingredients in original recipe.
Laura says
How would you incorporate the air fryer lid?
Carolyn says
Interested in this as well if anyone has tried it.
Sheila says
I have used this recipe several times now and it has worked great every time! My husband doesn’t even like turkey very much but he likes this recipe! Thanks!
Anna says
That's wonderful! Thank you so much, Sheila!
Jan says
The flavouring was great, but oh so dry. I had to drown it in gravy for it to be edible. I followed your instructions exactly. The Breast weight was 4lbs. I think if I were to try again, I will cut the time by 10 minutes or immediately release and tent to stay moist!
Anna says
Hi Jan! If you release the pressure immediately, the moisture will escape the turkey breast. I highly recommend natural release for any meat recipes in the Instant Pot.
DTrolan says
I agree with Anna. We just finished eating the 3 lb Butterball Turkey Breast Roast you use in your recipe. I took your advice and did 55 mins + 8 mins (63 mins total) and the turkey came our perfect. We took Anna's advice and let the Instant Pot release naturally. The turkey was moist and I had used 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock, onions and celery and used the drippings in my stuffing and in my gravy. The only thing I did wrong was to remove the fabric net so my turkey fell apart slightly. Still one of the best Thanksgiving meals to date.
Anna says
Thank you so much! I am so glad the turkey was a success!
Kaye M. says
Can you cook a 3 lb boneless in a 3 quart Mini?
Anna says
Hi Kaye! If it fits, it should be fine.
Linda says
How’s many minutes per pound for a frozen one? Mine is 4 pounds. Any adjustments needed for more liquid? Thanks!
Cherie Ashby says
Can you stuff this?
Anna says
Hi Cherie! My turkey breast was one whole piece. Bone-in breasts are better for stuffing. Hope this helps!
Laura says
I making a 7 lb boneless Turkey breast freash not frozen. How long should it be cooked i know it surpose to 165 i think temp . Any help please making it tomarrow .
Anna says
Hi Laura! I suggest you cook it for 5 minutes per pound so about 35 minutes. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees F. I hope this helps! Let me know how it goes.
Tim says
This worked great. I automatically added the extra 8 minutes and once done it was cooked perfect! Will be using this recipe for use during the year and not just holidays!
Anna says
Hi Tim! That's wonderful! I am so glad it was a success! Thank you for trying my recipe and for the feedback.
Tara says
How many people did the 3lb boneless Turkey breast feed? Thinking of doing 2 for Thanksgiving since no one eats the dark meat.
Tara says
Nvrm sorry I see servings. I wasn’t looking.
Jessica Scroggin says
Around 5-6, depending on how think you slice it.
Lynn says
Would you double the time to cook 2 small frozen boneless turkey breast?
Anna says
Hi Lynn! Cooking time stays the same. However, I did not test this recipe with 2 turkey breasts. The Instant Pot will take longer to come to pressure since they are both frozen. Also, make sure to check the internal temperature once the cooking process is done.
Laura says
I have just your basic modern pressure cooker. Is it possible to follow the instant pot directions ~ with the pressure cooker? I'd like to just do a turkey breast as have only myself and a sis for Thanksgiving. Thanks muchos!
Anna says
Hi Laura! What brand is it? Is it a stovetop pressure cooker or digital pressure cooker?
cynthia says
Hey there. My 3lb Turkey Breast is already defrosted. How long should I cook for? I keep reading 'frozen' however mine is thawed.....
Heylee says
I believe she said 5 minutes per pound
Jane Peck says
I am cooking one now. It was completely thawed. I seared it first in a frying pan on the stove because I was cooking potatoes in the instant pot first. Then I added the turkey breast and set the pressure for 18 minutes. I let the pressure come down almost all the way then opened it and the internal temp was 104. So I put it back in for 12 more minutes. Maybe that is too long. Shall see. I would love this Instant Pot cooking if there was a little more certainty on the timing. I hope it isn't overcooked.
Anna says
Hi Jane! If you cooked potatoes in the Instant Pot just before the turkey breast, that can affect the cooking time of the bird. The Instant Pot will take less time to come to pressure since it was already warm. This is common for dishes when you saute something just before pressure cooking. I hope the turkey turned out great anyways! Let me know!
jim says
My experience is for the 3lb defrosted boneless breast, figure 30 minutes. I started at 15 min plus about 15 release and it was just under 120F internal. I ran it through another 10 min plus 15 release. I didn't check the temp, but it was completely cooked through without being dry.
Tim says
She actually has another post about just that. It's how I found this. I think it was roughly 35 minutes for defrosted one.
Fiona says
At what point do you remove the netting?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Fiona! You need to remove it after cooking, before broiling. Hope this helps!
Jen says
Trying this as my 1st Instapot recipe. The pot keeps going to “BURN”. I’ve added another 1 1/2 cups of water, and again.. burn. No clue how to adjust recipe or what I did wrong... help!
Jen says
Figured out my problem! Again, it was my first time using it... I had turned the “venting” or “sealing” switch too far.. so my pot was venting the whole time- I had no clue it wasn’t supposed to kick out steam the whole time. Fixed the problem, cooked faster (this was after 2hrs of frustration) and meat was perfect! Recipe is a keeper!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Jen! Yay for solving the issue! I am so happy you tried the recipe and kuddos to you for tackling turkey breast as the first dish to cook in your new Instant Pot! Awesome! I am so glad you love it!
Joey Balsley says
How long for a frozen 8.6 lb breast?
Diane says
Has anyone tried cooking a frozen bone-IN turkey breast? If so, for how many minutes for a 6 lb?
Wanda Henley says
I forgot to add, I do have a pressure cooker. Could it be made in that?
Thank you
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
If it's a digital pressure cooker like the Instant Pot, then it will be just fine. If it's the stove-top kind, I am afraid it won't work.
Wanda Henley says
Thank you.
Wanda Henley says
Since I don't have an instant pot, do you have directions for crock pot?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Wanda! I did not test this recipe in a slow cooker so I cannot promise what the result will be. So sorry! I think that a 5 or 6 lbs bone-in turkey breast will need 7 to 8 hours in the slow cooker.
karin says
I cook frozen turkey breast in the Ninja crock 8 hours on low with 2 jars of turkey gravy for liquid!
Bruce says
Have not tried the instant recipe yet, but I have cooked defrosted 3 pound turkey breasts in a crock pot, in a slow cooker bag. First on low for 3 hours, then for 2.5 hours. I hoped the bag would keep it more moist. I put about a half cup of water in the pot to ease cleanup. Never really came out as moist as some precooked turkey breasts I bought at ALDI but didn’t like the seasoning on the breast. I scrub it off with a vegetable brush. I own an insta-pot and was wondering if I could use it for my turkey breasts and found many recipes, which were basically all the same. Hope to put it to the test tomorrow. Lots of good input here.
Kimberly says
I love the convenience of this and that turkey breast looks perfect!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
It's just so easy and no prep time. Gotta love that!
Jennifer Sullivan says
So I have a 6 lb if I am going to cook from frozen how long would you add timewise and would you add more water?
Jacque Hastert says
The perfect way to cook for a smaller family.
Dee says
This looks so tasty! I love all the flavors in it!
Amy says
This turkey looks so tasty! I love that it is made in the instant pot too!
Pam Price says
I made this tonight, thank you for the recipe! It tasted amazing!! The center was a little pick though so I think next time I will add five mintues and hope that’s enough time to cook the center a little more.
Jamielyn says
It doesn't get any easier than this! Love that there's no prep ahead of time!
Taylor W. says
This looks SO easy and delicious! Need to try this!!
Kara says
I have a hard time remembering to defrost my meat, so this is the perfect recipe for me. The turkey looks amazing!
Lori says
Perfect Thanksgiving recipe for my small family!
Erin says
This is seriously making me hungry!
Chrissie Baker says
I think it's a good idea for a festive table. A good combination of ingredients. I really like. I'm sure this is very tasty.
Melanie Bauer says
This is absolutely fabulous! Looks really delicious and really can't wait to make this!
Julia says
OMG! Just what I was looking for! I had to try this recipe asap. It's AMAZING! Love how juicy the turkey is. And no thawing! Gotta love that. Thank you so so much for the recipe, Anna!!