The easiest holiday turkey! This juicy Instant Pot turkey breast cooks in under an hour with a simple gravy made right in the same pot.
Cooking a turkey breast in the Instant Pot is the easiest way to make a juicy, flavorful turkey for the holidays. Ready in under an hour, it’s perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas when you don’t need a whole bird. It’s also really great for easy protein meal prep too.
This pressure cooker turkey breast goes great around the holidays with my Crockpot Stuffing, Homemade Cranberry Sauce, and Cornbread Muffins for a simple, stress-free holiday meal. And for dessert, you can’t go wrong with my Chocolate Pumpkin Pie.
ingredients you’ll need
This recipe keeps things simple with classic holiday flavors and everyday pantry staples. You don’t need much to make a juicy, tender turkey breast with a quick and tasty, homemade gravy right in the Instant Pot.
- Turkey breast: Bone-in gives extra flavor and juiciness; make sure it’s fully thawed.
- Olive oil: to brown before pressure cooking.
- butter: softened butter to go under the skin and on the bird with spices. Adds flavor and helps keep the breast tender.
- Spices: Poultry seasoning (or Herbs de Provence), garlic powder, paprika, salt & pepper. Classic flavors that give the turkey a savory, holiday-inspired taste.
- Chicken broth, onion, celery: Adds moisture, flavor, and a base for easy homemade gravy.
- Tapioca starch (or cornstarch): Thickens the drippings into a smooth, rich gravy.
can I use boneless turkey breast
Making a boneless turkey breast in the air fryer is my preferred method if I’m trying to save on oven space, but you can easily make yours in the instant pot and the cook time won’t change. Full instructions are in the recipe card below.
What Size Turkey Breast Should I Use?
- Bone-in (5–7 lbs): Feeds 6–8 people without leftovers or 4–5 with leftovers. Extra flavor and juiciness, but will take a bit longer to cook.
- Boneless (3–4 lbs): Perfect for smaller gatherings or 2–4 people. Cooks a little faster and still turns out tender. Anything over 7lbs will not fit in a 6qt electric pressure cooker – ask me how I know 🤪
how to make in the instant pot
It’s incredibly easy to make a turkey breast in your electric pressure cooker in less time than the oven, and you’ll save that space for other dishes on the big day! A win all around.
I like to add onion and celery under the trivet with the broth to add flavor and aromatics. This is something similar I do with my instant pot corned beef. You will discard the aromatics before serving.
- Mix butter + seasonings. Rub under and over the turkey skin.
- Sear turkey in the Instant Pot with oil until golden, 5–8 min. Set aside.
- Sauté onion & celery 2–3 min, then turn off Sauté.
- Add trivet + broth, place turkey breast on top. Lock lid, cook High Pressure 30 min, natural release 10–15 min.
- Rest turkey 10–15 min. Optional: broil 5–10 min for crispier skin.
Gravy: Whisk tapioca starch + 1/3 cup drippings into boiling liquid, cook until thick, season to taste.
How to Get Crispy, Golden Skin on Instant Pot Turkey
Crispy, flavorful turkey skin is the best part of Thanksgiving! The Instant Pot won’t brown the turkey on its own, but you can pop it under the broiler for about 5 minutes on a sheet pan before carving — that’s exactly what I did for the photos here.
Do I need to use a trivet in the instant pot
I recommend using the trivet (sometimes called the rack) to keep the turkey breast elevated from the liquid and aromatics (broth, celery and onion) so that the skin doesn’t turn soggy.
Storing, Reheating & Freezing
- Fridge: Let leftover turkey cool to room temperature, then store it in an airtight container. It will keep for 3–4 days in the refrigerator — perfect for turkey sandwiches, salads, or reheating for a quick meal.
- Reheating: To warm up slices, cover them loosely with foil and heat in the oven at 325°F for 10–15 minutes, or microwave in 30-second intervals until warmed through. If you saved some gravy, drizzle it over the slices to keep them juicy.
- Freezing: Turkey breast freezes beautifully! Slice or leave whole, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag or container. It will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. Gravy can be frozen separately in a freezer-safe container and gently reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Ways to Use Up Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey
There are so many tasty ways to use up leftovers, whether you’re looking for quick lunches, cozy dinners, or a creative twist on classic recipes. Here are some of my favorite ideas:
- Turkey Salad: Dice or shred your leftovers for a refreshing lunch, like my Harvest Chicken Salad or Apple Chicken Salad.
- Cozy Dinner: Swap in leftover turkey for chicken in comfort dishes like Skillet Chicken Pot Pie.
- Quick Weeknight Meals: Turn turkey into a fast stir-fry or fried rice, similar to my Chicken Fried Cauliflower Rice.
- Taco Night: Shred turkey and pile it onto tostadas or tacos — try my Chicken Tostadas for inspiration.
Easy Instant Pot Turkey Breast with Gravy
Ingredients
bone-in turkey breast
- 5-7 lb turkey breast, bone in – thawed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil - or avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons butter or ghee - softened
- 2 teaspoons dried poultry seasoning - or you can use Herbs de Provence
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth or water
gravy (optional)
- 1/3 cup drippings/liquid from instant pot
- 2 tablespoons tapicoa starch, or can use cornstarch or arrowroot
Instructions
bone-in breast
- To a bowl, combine softened butter, with poultry seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper
- Pat turkey breast dry with a paper towel. Rub turkey breast with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mixture under the skin, using your fingers.
- Rub remaining mixture on top of the skin.
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting. Add 1 tbsp oil. Sear the turkey breast on all sides. Should take about 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the breast to a plate or a cutting board.
- Saute onion and celery for 2-3 minutes, just to soften for aromatics. Once soft, turn saute function off.
- Add trivet insert over aromatics, and pour chicken broth into pot. Place turkey breast on top of trivet.
- Place the lid on the pot and lock into position. Turn the vent valve to the SEALED position. Set to manual high pressure for 30 minutes. Once done, allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally, about 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer the breast to a cutting board, cover completely with foil and let rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting into it. If crispier skin is desired, broil it in the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes.
gravy (optional)
- Remove trivet, and discard celery and onion. Set your electric pressure cooker to SAUTE. Whisk together tapioca starch and 1/3 cup of pan drippings to make slurry. Once the liquid in the pot comes to a rapid boil, stir in the slurry and whisk as it thickens. Turn the pot off, season to taste with any salt and pepper (might not need, and if so, start with 1/2 TSP of salt and pepper, to taste)
Notes
boneless turkey breast instructions:
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To a bowl, combine softened butter, with poultry seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. If boneless breast came with netting, leave on until ready to carve.
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Rub turkey breast with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mixture under the skin, using your fingers.
-
Rub remaining mixture on top of the skin.
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Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting. Add 1 tbsp oil. Sear the turkey breast on all sides. Should take about 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the breast to a plate or a cutting board.
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Saute onion and celery for 2-3 minutes, just to soften for aromatics. Once soft, turn saute function off.
-
Add trivet insert and pour chicken broth into pot. Place turkey breast on top of trivet.
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Place the lid on the pot and lock into position. Turn the vent valve to the SEALED position. Set to manual high pressure for 30 minutes. Once done, allow the Instant Pot to depressurize naturally, about 10-15 minutes.
-
Transfer the breast to a cutting board, cover completely with foil and let rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting into it. If crispier skin is desired, broil it in the oven for an additional 5 minutes. Remove netting and carve/serve.
- Bone-in. Generally, you want to buy a pound per person which includes the bone. This should give you at least a half pound of meat per person.
- For boneless, 1/2 pound per person is perfect.
Nutrition
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