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5 from 18 votes

Instant Pot Turkey Breast

Step-by-Step: How to cook Tender, Moist, Flavorful Instant Pot Turkey Breast. Easy to make pressure cooker turkey breast with rich turkey gravy and buttery mashed potatoes. Enjoy this tasty one pot turkey dinner for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Servings 4 - 6
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 (~2.7lbs/1224g) bone-in turkey breast , 3” thick
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
  • 1 (197g) medium onion , diced
  • 3 (10g) garlic cloves , minced
  • 1 stalk (92g) celery , chopped
  • 2 (112g) medium carrots , chopped
  • A dash of sherry wine
  • 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock (or unsalted turkey stock)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • A pinch of dried rosemary
  • A pinch of dried thyme
  • A pinch of dried sage
  • Kosher salt & ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • tablespoon regular soy sauce

Thickener:

  • tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons cold water

Wet Brine:

  • 90 grams (3.17oz) salt + 1500 ml (6 cups) cold running water or 120 grams (4.23 oz) salt + 2000 ml (8 cups) cold running water

Optional - Mashed Potatoes:

  • 4 - 5 (~2.5lbs or 1100g) Yukon gold potatoes (or Russet potatoes) , halved
  • 1 - 2 tablespoons (14g - 28g) unsalted butter
  • Optional: 30 grams freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 100 ml milk or cream
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Wet Brine for Moist Turkey: Depending on the size of your turkey breast, mix "90g (3.17oz) salt with 1500ml (6 cups) of cold running water" or "120g (4.23oz) salt with 2000ml (8 cups) cold running water" in a large mixing bowl. Make sure the salt has fully dissolved. Fully submerge the turkey breast in the salted water, then place it in the fridge for at least 4 to 8 hours.
  • Sauté Onion, Garlic, Celery, Carrot: Heat up Instant Pot by using Sauté More function. Wait until the indicator says "HOT". Add 1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil in Instant Pot. Make sure the oil is coating the whole bottom of the pot.
    Add diced onion in Instant Pot, then sauté for roughly 2 minutes until softened. Add in minced garlic, then sauté for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
    Add in chopped celery and carrot. Sauté until the vegetables are slightly browned (roughly 5 to 7 minutes).
  • Deglaze: Add a dash of sherry wine in Instant Pot, then deglaze by scrubbing the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
  • Add Turkey Breast: Add 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock, 2 bay leaves, a pinch of dried rosemary, a pinch of dried thyme, and a pinch of dried sage in Instant Pot. Give it a quick stir. Carefully place the bone-in turkey breast in Instant Pot. With the turkey's skin side up and the bone submerged in the liquid.
  • Optional - Add Pot-in-Pot Potatoes (If Making Mashed Potatoes): Place a stainless steel bowl on top of the turkey breast, then add in halved Yukon gold potatoes in the bowl.
  • Pressure Cook Turkey Breast: With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 28 to 34 minutes, then Natural Release for 15 minutes. Turn Venting Knob to Venting Position to release the remaining pressure. Open the lid carefully.
  • Make Mashed Potatoes: Remove the bowl of potatoes, then place all the potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Mash the potatoes with a fork or masher. Add 1 – 2 tbsp (14g – 28g) unsalted butter, 30g grated Parmesan cheese (optional), and 100ml milk or cream. Continue mashing and mixing until desired consistency. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste.
    For creamier mashed potatoes, use more whole milk or cream.
  • Check Turkey Breast Temperature: Use a meat thermometer to make sure the thickest part of the turkey breast registers over 161°F (72°C). Remove turkey breast and set it aside on a chopping board to rest for 15 minutes. The carryover heat will continue to cook the turkey breast to 165°F (74°C).
  • Make Turkey Gravy: Heat up Instant Pot by pressing the Saute button. Mix 2½ tbsp cornstarch with 3 tbsp cold water. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the turkey gravy one third at a time until desired thickness. Taste gravy, then season it with salt and ground black pepper if necessary.
  • Optional - Brown Turkey Breast Skin: Pat dry the turkey breast skin with paper towels. Mix 1 tbsp honey with 1½ tbsp regular soy sauce, then apply it on the turkey breast skin. Use a blowtorch or place turkey breast under broiler for a few minutes to brown the skin.
  • Serve: Thinly slice the turkey breast at an angle. Drizzle turkey gravy over the turkey breast & mashed potatoes. Serve immediately. Enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas~

Notes

1. Best Pressure Cooking Time: The best cooking time depends on the size of your turkey breasts. Be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly (i.e. add more cooking time for bigger turkey breasts), test, then measure the meat's temperature before serving.
2. Turkey Breast
  • Boneless Turkey Breast: Reduce the bone-in turkey breast pressure cooking time by a minute.
  • Frozen Turkey Breast: It's best to completely thaw your turkey breast before pressure cooking. This helps prevent overcooking the outer layer.
  • Brined or Pre-Seasoned Turkey Breasts: If your packaged turkey breast was already brined or pre-seasoned (i.e. Butterball turkey breast), skip the brining step. You may need to skip the seasoning on the onion and garlic depending on how salty is your pre-seasoned turkey breast.
  • Brining Turkey Breast for Over 8 Hours: It may result in a ham-like meat texture.
  • Salt For Brining: You can use any salt for the brine. Make sure you accurately weigh the amount with a kitchen scale.
  • Can I Skip Brining the Turkey Breast? Yes. If you don't have time, you can skip brining the turkey breast. It'll still turn out flavorful.
3. Optional Pot-in-Pot Potatoes: If you want to make the PIP mashed potatoes, make sure your turkey breast is small enough to fit in your Instant Pot laying flat. This allows you to have room to layer the bowl of potatoes on top of the turkey breast without problems closing the lid. 
4. Unsalted Stock: We develop recipes with unsalted ingredients so we can better control the flavors. If you’re substituting it with salted stock, keep in mind that the sodium level can vary a lot between different brands. Always taste and adjust accordingly.
5. Sherry Wine Substitute: You can substitute it with Port wine.
6. Rub the Dried Herbs: Rub the dried herbs with your fingers to “activate” their flavors and aroma.
Rate Amy + Jacky's Recipe: If you've tried our recipe, rate the recipe in the Comments section. Thank you!
Author: Amy + Jacky
Calories: 255kcal

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 584mg | Potassium: 638mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3225IU | Vitamin C: 4.5mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1.3mg