This Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe makes juicy turkey breast in the pressure cooker in just 35 minutes! It's the best way to save time preparing Thanksgiving dinner.
I serve this turkey breast with my Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce, Sweet Corn Casserole and use the leftovers to make Turkey Tetrazzini.

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Why this method works
When I said, that the Instant Pot digital pressure cooker can change your life, I meant it. It's been saving me time in the kitchen since I got it. But this Instant Pot Turkey Breast is a game-changer on a whole new level. I can cook a whole bone-in skin-on turkey breast in my pressure cooker in ⅓ of the time it would take me to roast it in the oven. I can bake side dishes in the oven in the meantime.
The turkey comes out juicy and flavorful, the pan drippings are perfect to make the gravy and if the crispy skin is your favorite part, place the turkey breast under the broiler for a few minutes. I also have a recipe for a boneless turkey breast that cooks from frozen to juicy!
How to cook turkey breast in the Instant Pot?
You won't believe how easy it is to cook a turkey breast in the digital pressure cooker. I still can't!
- Add broth or stock, sliced onion, garlic, and celery to the bottom of the Instant Pot insert.
- Set the turkey breast side up in the trivet ( it came with your pressure cooker ) and brush it with herbed and spiced olive oil. It's a simple mixture of oil, paprika, salt, pepper, and poultry herb mix ( thyme, rosemary, and sage ).
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, and set the valve to a sealing position. Press "manual" and set the timer.
- When the IP is done, let the pressure release naturally. It will keep the turkey moist. Once the pressure pin is down, carefully open the lid away from your face. Check the temperature of the turkey in its thickest part, not touching the bone. It should be at least 165 degrees F.
- Remove turkey from Instant Pot and broil for a crispy skin, if desired. For a low-fat option, remove the skin and slice the meat.
- Make gravy with the liquid remaining in the Instant Pot
How long do you cook turkey breast in the Instant Pot?
My turkey breast weighs about 7 lbs and the 35 minutes was perfect. You should check the turkey with a digital thermometer once done to make sure the temperature is at a minimum of 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast. This size of the turkey breast also fits perfectly in my 6 qt Instant Pot. After the timer beeps, let the pressure release naturally. It will keep the turkey juicy. If you do a quick pressure release, all of the juices will escape the meat. Set turkey on cutting board and let cool. Remove the skin and slice the meat.
If the crispy skin is your favorite part of the Thanksgiving bird, place the cooked turkey breast on a baking pan or dish and set it under the broiler for a few minutes. I set my broiler to 440 degrees F and watched the turkey the whole time.
I have the Instant Pot DUO60 6qt and love it.
How to make turkey gravy in the Instant Pot?
To make the gravy, drain the pan drippings through a sieve to catch the onions and garlic. You can also press them through it to get all the flavor into the gravy. Measure out two cups of the liquid and place back in the Instant Pot insert. Add a mixture of 2 tablespoons or cornstarch with ¼ cup of cold water and whisk well. Saute until thickens. You can use the rest of the liquid from cooking the turkey for soups later. I simply place it in ziploc bag once it completely cools. It's a very flavorful broth and perfect for making soups during winter.
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Side dishes to serve with turkey breast:
- mashed potatoes: If you are lucky and have two Instant Pots, I highly recommend making my IP Mashed Potatoes as a side dish. It's the only way I cook them now. Perfect every time!
- roasted Brussels sprouts: my Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts are perfect for Thanksgiving! Even the kids will love them.
- carrots: my Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots are a family favorite here. So easy and so delicious!
- green beans: my classic Green Bean Casserole made entirely from scratch yet still super easy and accidentally gluten-free ( completely if you use GF fried onions ) is a must for a family holiday dinner.
- hashbrowns: a Hashbrown Casserole makes for a perfect side dish in place of mashed potatoes. It's cheesy and creamy and everyone loves it!
- stuffing: my Slow Cooker Sausage Stuffing is another time and work saver in the kitchen during the holidays. It's perfect for this Instant Pot Turkey Breast!
How to use leftover turkey meat?
After cooking up the big feast, you won't feel like spending much time in the kitchen on the following days. Save the turkey meat, dice it and use it in my One Pot Turkey Tetrazzini recipe. It's perfect to use the leftover turkey meat!
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup - use turkey in place of chicken for a perfect soul-comforting soup.
To see how to cook BONELESS turkey breast (from frozen) in the pressure cooker, check out my new recipe and video for Instant Pot Boneless Turkey Breast with Gravy.
More Instant Pot recipes:
If you want to learn more about the Instant Pot, check out my Guide for Beginners! Also, if you experienced the "burn" message, check out my Instant Pot Burn Message post to learn how to fix it and prevent it in the first place.
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe
Ingredients
- 7 lb bone-in skin-on turkey breast
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoon chopped poultry fresh herb mix rosemary, sage and thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 medium onion chopped into large slices
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 celery stalks
Instructions
- Add chicken broth to Instant Pot insert. Place trivet inside. Arrange onions, garlic and celery.2 cups chicken broth, 1 medium onion chopped into large slices, 4 garlic cloves, 2 celery stalks
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix oil, paprika, herb mix, salt and pepper.3 Tablespoons olive oil, ¾ teaspoon paprika, 2 teaspoon chopped poultry fresh herb mix, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Wash the turkey breast, remove gravy pocket. Wash and pat dry. Brush turkey breast with olive oil mixture. Place in the trivet, breast side up.7 lb bone-in skin-on turkey breast
- Place lid on Instant Pot. Set valve the sealing. Press "manual", set timer to 35 minutes High Pressure.
- When the IP beeps, press "cancel/off" and let the pressure release naturally. It will keep the turkey juicy.
- When pressure is released, open lid carefully, away from your face.
- Using large fork, remove turkey from pressure cooker. Set on a cutting board, serving platter or if desired on a baking pan, to crisp up the skin in the oven. To do so: place cooked turkey breast in the oven under broiler set to 440 ℉. Broil until skin is golden and crispy, watching the turkey the whole time. You may have to rotate the pan during broiling.
- To make the gravy, drain the pan drippings through a sieve to catch the onions and garlic. You can also press them through it to get all the flavor into the gravy. Measure out two cups of the liquid and place back in the Instant Pot insert. Add a mixture of 2 tablespoons or cornstarch with ¼ cup of cold water and whisk well. Saute until thickens.
Notes
- The cook time does not include the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure.
- My turkey breast weighs about 7 lbs and the 35 minutes was perfect. You should check the turkey with a digital thermometer once done to make sure the temperature is at minimum 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast. This size of the turkey breast also fit perfectly in my 6 qt Instant Pot Duo60.
- You can use the rest of the liquid from cooking the turkey for soups later. I simply place it in ziploc bag once it completely cools. It's a very flavorful broth and perfect for making soups during winter.
Judith says
Last year I accidentally steam cooked my turkey breast with broth and it was the best breast I have ever eaten. No crispy skin but who cares. Moist and tasted so good. Anyone heard of this method. Is pressure cooking similar?!
Kristina says
I made this this morning so my son could take turkey to his class’ Thanksgiving party. It was a perfectly quick (for turkey) recipe and I used the broth and tapioca starch to make a paleo/more allergy friendly gravy for the kiddos.
Nikki says
Question; I read a few comments by people who crisped their skin right in their instant pot (various brands) and since my broiler isn't working, I have a Mueller 10-in-1 6 Quart model that came with a "Crisping lid." I would this by the name that it would work for crisping the turkey skin, but I've never used it before so I wanted to ask someone with more experience than do using an instant pot. Thanks in advance for any help!
Ella says
This is one of the few recipes I have tried from any site that I didn't feel the need to tweak the second time I made it. It is absolute perfection just as written! Moist, tender, easy and delicious! Thanks for sharing this one with us!
oz67401 says
Amazingly good & moist!! Did 5lb defrosted turkey breast, stuffed cavity with onions/garlic & used olive oil rub. Within one hour, I had delicious turkey. Hate dry whhite meat, so never attempted before. But this method is golden! I love every recipe I've tried from your site. Many thanks & Happy Thanksgiving!!
Anna says
I am so glad the turkey was a success! Thanks so much!
Jane says
Hi - I'm curious whether your turkey breast was bone in and if you followed the recipe with the amount of liquid and same cook time as a 7 lb size? Thanks!
leslie says
Absolutely the moistest turkey breast i have ever prepared, in only 35 minutes cooking time! Wonderful recipe, i just used Italian seasoning since it had all those ingredients in it. We will always instant pot thanksgiving turkey from now on! thank you!!!
Anna says
Love that! I am so glad the turkey was a hit, Leslie! Thank you for making my recipe and for the comment!
Joann Hood says
Can you cook the turkey breast and slice it a day ahead of time? I was wondering if the meat remains juicy after refrigeration, and how I would go about reheating it? I have 3 bone-in turkey breasts I am cooking for our family gathering this year and it would be really helpful if I could do it the day before Thanksgiving.
Anna says
Hi Joann! You can certainly cook and slice the turkey a day ahead, but it won't be juicy as one served after cooking. That's the nature of turkey. To keep it moist, you could pour the stock or pan drippings over it, then refrigerate. Reheat it with the liquids. I hope this helps!
Karl Shifflett says
Tomorrow, I'm going to brine the turkey breast before pressure cooking it. This might help with the turkey breast being juicy the second day. I've always brined turkey breast before smoking or indirectly cooking on the grill.
I leave a comment at the top with the results of brining before pressure cooking.
Best regards, Karl
Anna says
Hi Karl! That sounds great! Looking forward to your comment with the results! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Karl Shifflett says
Anna,
I cooked and SLICED my turkey breast on Wednesday. Today is Friday. The turkey breast was just as juicy Friday as on Wednesday.
Brining the turkey breast is the key.
I did layer the slices and added some gravy to each layer.
I really like this method of cooking when a smoker is not available.
Anna says
Perfect! I am so glad the turkey was a success! Thank you so much, Karl!
Mandi says
I'm having guests for Thanksgiving for the first time ever this year! I've used this recipe for my family and it has been amazing, so this is my first pick recipe for this event. Question though: I'd like to do a bigger turkey breast since there's more of us. Can you make size and cook time suggestions for this recipe in an 8qt instant pot instead please? I appreciate your thoughts and expertise!
Diane Bustamante says
According to Anna's response to a n earlier post, figure cook time at 5 minutes per pound.
Vicki Taylor says
Great recipe. I stuffed the vegetables into the turkey breast. Worked find and allowed my turkey to fit nicely into the instant pot! Thanks!
Anna says
Perfect! Thank you so much, Vicki!
Danielle says
Hi Anna!
I have a 3lb boneless turkey breast roast. Would you still recommend 5min per/lb?
Anna says
Hi Danielle! The 5 min per lb recommendation is for any size. I hope this helps!
SusiR says
I had my doubts but this was so easy and fast! I cooked a 6 lb bone in turkey breast and it did fill up my Instant Pot, don't think I could have gotten a larger one in there. Make sure your turkey breast is fully thawed. I served with a side of roasted root vegetables and it was delicious. I love being able to eat turkey for lunch that's not deli turkey with all the unnatural ingredients. Excellent, thank you!
Anna says
Thank you so much, Susi! I am so glad the turkey was a success and you are enjoying leftovers too.
Adorisa says
I followed the recipe as written. My family really enjoyed this. The gravy was delicious!
Corinna Gregory says
Can I put 2 half breast in the IP at the same time & cook the same way as you described?
France says
Sorry to say that, there is no chicken broth in the ingredient list so how much chicken broth should i use ?
I have a 3 quart IP pressure cooker, i don't think a 7 pound turkey will fit in it, what turkey breast size should i take ???
France says
Sorry i didn't read well for the chicken broth !!!! forget the chicken broth question !!!
Lauren says
I used a can of chicken noodle soup and a cup of water
Judy says
Made this turkey tonight and it was absolutely delicious!!! Very moist and the gravy was excellent!! Thanks from our family for this wonderful recipe. Will definitely be making many more times.
Anna says
Hi Judy! Yay!! That's wonderful! I am so glad you like it. Thank you for giving it a try!
Sherry says
I made this for Christmas 2020. I subbed dried herbs for fresh (what I had on hand). I had trouble fitting my 6lb turkey breast in the Instant Pot with the veggies but squeezed it in and it came out perfect. I could not get over how juicy the meat was. I saved the stock for soup instead of making gravy. I will definitely make this again in the future.
Anna says
Thank you so much, Sherry! I am so happy to know the turkey breast was a success! Thank you for trying my recipe!