Instant Pot Turkey Breast – the most tender and juicy turkey ever!!! Brine the turkey in a mixture of salt, paprika, garlic, brown sugar, thyme, pepper, onion powder, basil and a little cayenne then cook in the Instant Pot. Ready to eat in about an hour! SO easy and SOOO delicious!!! Stress-free Thanksgiving and Christmas meal!!
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Pin This RecipeJuicy Instant Pot Turkey Breast
It’s November and I’ve got Thanksgiving recipes on my mind. We usually bake our turkey, but this year we are going to cook it in the Instant Pot! I love instant pot recipes! They cook food a fraction of the time. I personally think this recipe is the best way to cook a Thanksgiving turkey.
Since you can’t fit a whole bird in the pressure cooker, this recipe is designed for a bone-in whole turkey breast. You should be able to fit a 6 or 7-pound breast inside a 6-quart Instant Pot. That is plenty of turkey for 4 to 6 people. This recipe is great when you have a smaller crowd and don’t need a whole turkey. Now, this recipe isn’t just for a special occasion like a holiday meal. It is easy enough for a weeknight or just when you get a hankering for a yummy turkey sandwich!
How to Make a Turkey Brine
Our favorite way to make turkey is to brine it before cooking. Brining the turkey makes infuses it with tons of great flavor and it is so tender and juicy. To make the brine, in a small bowl, combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar, thyme, pepper, onion powder, basil, and a little cayenne. In a large pot, bring water, the seasoning mixture, and salt to a boil and cook until the salt has dissolved. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. Place the turkey breast in a large ziplock bag or bucket and pour the cooled brine over the turkey. Place the turkey in the refrigerator and chill for up to 12 hours. Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse it off with cold water. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Season the turkey with more of the seasoning blend.
Place the trivet/rack in the bottom of the Instant Pot insert. Place turkey breast side up on top of the trivet. Pour chicken broth into the bottom of the insert. Set the Instant Pot lid in place and seal/lock the lid. Close the vent. Cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. Do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes and then quick release any remaining pressure. Remove turkey from Instant Pot and place on baking sheet. Place under the oven broiler for a few minutes to crisp up the turkey skin, if desired. Let the turkey rest on a cutting board 10 minutes before carving with a sharp knife.
Tips & Frequently Asked Questions
- You can use the recipe for the brine on any turkey and any cooking method.
- Use a digital instant-read thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 170ºF in the thickest part of the breast.
- I used a 6 to 7-pound turkey breast and it was ready in about 40 minutes.
- If you use a larger turkey breast, just add about 5 minutes of cook time per pound.
- Do I have to make the brine? No. You can season the turkey any way you like and use the same cooking times to cook the turkey.
- You can use any seasoning combination that you enjoy. Fresh herbs, poultry seasoning, cajun seasoning, BBQ seasoning, garlic butter, or a packet of onion soup mix are both delicious.
- Is the turkey brine gluten-free? Yes! The brine for the turkey is gluten-free.
- For extra flavor, add some fresh onion and garlic in the bottom of the pressure cooker. Use the turkey drippings to make a delicious gravy.
- Can I cook a frozen turkey breast? Yes! Cooking a turkey breast from frozen or partially thawed is perfectly safe. It will just take longer to cook from frozen, so make sure to plan accordingly.
- This turkey breast is low-carb/keto-friendly and gluten-free.
- Store leftover turkey meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator or in a resealable freezer bag and freeze to eat later.
- Leftover turkey is great in soups, casseroles, and of course, turkey sandwiches!
What to Serve with Pressure Cooker Turkey Breast
This cooking process is virtually foolproof. No more dry turkey The turkey turns out perfectly every time. Even if this is your first time making a turkey, this is sure to turn out perfectly for your turkey dinner. We loved everything about this yummy turkey. It makes GREAT leftover turkey sandwiches!! I am counting down the days until we make this again!!
The best thing about using this instant pot recipe is that it frees up oven space for all those delicious side dishes. Green beans, mashed potatoes, squash casserole, rolls, cranberry sauce, and pecan pie are all a must! Here are a few of our go-to recipes from the blog that do great with this easy recipe!
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Instant Pot Turkey Breast
Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1 (6 to 7) pound bone-in turkey breast
- 5 Tbsp salt
- 6 Tbsp paprika
- 6 Tbsp garlic powder
- 5 Tbsp brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp dried thyme
- 2 Tbsp black pepper
- 3 Tbsp onion powder
- 3 Tbsp dried basil
- 1½ tsp cayenne
- 1 gallon water
- ½ cup salt
- 1 cup chicken broth
Instructions:
- Combine 5 Tbsp salt, paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar, thyme, black pepper, onion powder, basil and cayenne. Set aside.
- In a large pot, combine water, 1 cup of seasoning mixture and ½ cup salt. Heat over medium heat until salt and spices are dissolved without boiling. Remove from heat and chill to room temperature.
- Remove any giblets from turkey breast and save for gravy or discard. Place the turkey in a container large enough to leave 2 inches of space on all sides and over the top of the bird.
- Stir the brine and pour over the turkey. Cover and chill for 8 to 12 hours. Don’t brine more than 12 hours or the turkey will be too salty.
- Remove turkey from brine. Rinse and pat dry. Season turkey with a few tablespoons of remaining spice mixture.
- Place Instant Pot trivet/rack in the bottom of the pot. Place turkey breast side up in Instant Pot. Pour chicken broth into Instant Pot.
- Set the Instant Pot lid in place and seal/lock the lid. Close the vent.
- Cook on manual HIGH for 40 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally, approximately 10 minutes.
- Remove turkey from Instant Pot and place on baking sheet. Place under oven broiler for a few minutes to crisp up skin, if desired.
Notes:
- You can use the recipe for the brine on any turkey and any cooking method.
- Get Slow Cooker Turkey Breast instructions here: https://www.plainchicken.com/slow-cooker-turkey-breast/
- Oven-Baked Turkey Breast instructions here: https://www.plainchicken.com/brined-thanksgiving-turkey/
- I used a 6 to 7-pound turkey breast and it was ready in about 40 minutes.
- If you use a larger turkey breast, just add about 5 minutes per pound to the cooking time.
- I removed the turkey breast from the Instant Pot and popped it under the oven broiler to crisp up the skin a little. This is optional, but I highly recommend it.
- Do I have to make the brine? No. You can season the turkey any way you like and use the same cooking times to cook the turkey.
Steph
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Would this work with a boneless/skinless turkey?
The cooking times would change. Boneless turkey breast wouldn't take as long to cook as the bone-in turkey breast.
Wow that looks so good, I'm going to try it. Also, the seasoning mix looks delicious! Do you use this seasoning on any other recipes? Is it a good all purpose seasoning?
I am assuming this Turkey Breast is completely thawed. Is this correct?
Yes – these are instructions for a fully thawed turkey breast
Can you do this with 2 3lb turkey breasts at the same time in the instant pot? I'm really new to this and my grocery store only sells 3lb breasts
Yes – I would check the turkey after 25 or 30 minutes of cooking time.
I made this today for our Thanksgiving meal. Now who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks! This was absolutely the BEST turkey breast I've ever cooked (or eaten) and I've been cooking for well over 55 years and eating for…well we just won't go there!!! This will definately be the way to go from now on. Thanks Stephanie for sharing all your great and delicious recipes.
OMG!! Best comment ever!! So glad it was a hit. Happy Thanksgiving????
Wow! Very moist! Made this today for our Thanksgiving meal and could not be happier with how it turned out. Thank you so much as I will definitely be making this again.
Yay!!! So glad it was a success????
Thank you!!
Looks delicious and I have used the Instant Pot I bought during Black Friday quite a bit this year, but never for a turkey breast! The turkey breast I have is about 4.75 lbs. and my question is similar to Unknown's question above, I guess. The last thing I want to do is undercook a turkey product:) Do you have any advice? Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!!
I would check the turkey at 35 minutes.
Would the adjustment smaller be the same 5 mins per pound (but lower) from the recipe as published, or is there some probable minimum, regardless of size? Thanks.
Yes – I would adjust the time down 5 minutes per pound. Check the internal temperature and you can always cook it a few minutes more if it isn’t ready.
What size instant pot did you use for this turkey breast? 6 quart or 8 quart? I have a 6 qt so wondered if this size turkey breast would fit.
I used a 6-qt Instant Pot
How would you fix a turkey breast for crockpot? Use the same ingredients for the rub.
Thanks
If you read the post, I linked to the directions for cooking in the slow cooker