{"id":2682,"date":"2019-11-02T21:55:41","date_gmt":"2019-11-03T03:55:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pressurecookingtoday.com\/?p=2682"},"modified":"2020-11-14T16:44:23","modified_gmt":"2020-11-14T23:44:23","slug":"moist-and-tender-turkey-breast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pressurecookingtoday.com\/moist-and-tender-turkey-breast\/","title":{"rendered":"Moist and Tender Pressure Cooker \/ Instant Pot Turkey Breast"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Instant Pot Turkey Breast<\/strong> cooked in the pressure cooker is super moist and tender, with only a 30 minute cook time. Thanksgiving dinner doesn\u2019t need to take hours when you have a pressure cooker and this easy Instant Pot turkey breast recipe!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thanksgiving turkey cooked in the electric pressure cooker \/ Instant Pot is perfect for a small Thanksgiving gathering or just a delicious Sunday supper. This recipe can be paired with <\/span>these other Thanksgiving recipes<\/span><\/a>, including <\/span>Instant Pot Stuffing<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Pumpkin Pie<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Creamy Mashed Potatoes<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditional oven-roasted turkeys have a tendency to turn out dry. Since pressure cooker uses steam to cook, you’ll have tender, moist meat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you pressure cook a turkey<\/strong>, you don’t end up with the classic golden-brown skin right out of the cooking pot. But you can still get crisp skin with an air fryer attachment<\/a> or a quick broil in the oven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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When I’m having a crowd over for dinner, I still cook a large turkey in my big oven. But since my crowd loves white meat, I like to pressure cook a turkey breast as well so I’ll have extra white meat and extra gravy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Cook Turkey Breast in the Instant Pot \/ Electric Pressure Cooker<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This Instant Pot Turkey Breast<\/strong> recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Mealthy MultiPot. Pressure cookers are the perfect moist environment for cooking turkey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve never made turkey in your pressure cooker before, be sure to give yourself plenty of time so you\u2019re not stressed about getting dinner on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before preparing the turkey breast, check to make sure it fits inside your pressure cooking pot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bone-in or Boneless Turkey Breast?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can pressure cook both bone-in or boneless turkey breasts. My recipe is for a bone-in turkey breast. You can cook a boneless turkey breast as well, it will take about the same amount of time to cook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do I Brown the Turkey Breast Before Cooking?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first time I pressure cooked turkey breast, I browned it in the pressure cooker before cooking. It was difficult to brown evenly because of its shape, and I didn\u2019t notice any difference in terms of the flavor of the turkey or gravy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And, after pressure cooking, the turkey wasn\u2019t golden or crispy enough to serve with the skin on.
If you want to serve a beautiful brown turkey breast, I recommend browning it AFTER you pressure cook it. This is easy to do with a Ninja Foodi<\/a>, Instant Pot Duo Crisp (review coming soon!), or Mealthy Crisp Lid<\/a>. You can also use a traditional air fryer or a broiler in your oven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don’t eat the skin anyway, you can skip this step. Just discard the skin and slice the turkey before serving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Long Do I Pressure Cook a Turkey in the Instant Pot?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The cook time on an Instant Pot Turkey Breast<\/strong> depends on the weight and the thickness. There’s no one-size fits all turkey breast cooking time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re cooking a bone in turkey breast,<\/strong> the weight of the turkey breast generally determines the cook time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generally, I use a 30 minute cook time with a 10 minute natural pressure release to cook a 6-pound bone-in, skin-on turkey breast. A 3 to 4 pound bone-in turkey breast has a 25 minute cook time, and a 4 to 5 pound turkey has a 27 minute cook time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you’re cooking a boneless turkey breast,<\/strong> the thickest part of the breast will determine the cook time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boneless breasts can vary in shape. If your turkey breast is long and skinny, your cook time will be less. However, if your breast is more rounded, you\u2019ll need a longer cook time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a general start time, I use a 30 minute cook time with a 10 minute natural pressure release on a round, 3-pound boneless, skinless breast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My Turkey Timer Hasn’t Popped<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For some reason, the tender timer doesn’t always work when you cook the turkey breast in the pressure cooker, so don\u2019t rely on that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Use an instant-read thermometer<\/a> to make sure your turkey is cooked to 165\u00b0F at the thickest part of the breast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can I Cook a Frozen Turkey in the Instant Pot?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Well, you can<\/em>, but that doesn’t mean that you should<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For best results, make sure your turkey is fully defrosted before pressure cooking! (See the USDA\u2019s recommended defrosting schedule<\/a>. It always seems to take longer than expected to defrost the turkey, so be sure to leave yourself plenty of time.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If there\u2019s even a chance the center of the turkey is frozen, you\u2019ll need to add extra cook time. The rule of thumb is to add 5 minutes per pound when cooking from frozen.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember, when you cook from frozen, the outside of the bird will cook faster than the inside. Which means that by the time the inside is cooked to a safe temperature, the meat on the outside will be tougher and dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making Turkey Gravy in the Instant Pot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the great things about pressure cooker turkey breasts is that you get lots of flavorful liquid that makes a wonderful turkey gravy. (I\u2019ve given gravy directions in the recipe so you can make in the pressure cooking pot after the turkey\u2019s finished cooking.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Keep in mind that what you flavor your turkey with will also flavor your gravy. So if you know your family’s not crazy about onions, then reduce the amount of onions you use to cook the turkey. If your mom always added rosemary to the turkey, go for it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After pressure cooking the turkey, taste the drippings left in the cooking pot. If they’re too strong, add a little extra broth to the cooking pot. (Remember, the flavors generally intensify as the gravy cooks down. So if they’re too strong now, they’ll get even stronger.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I prefer to use cornstarch when making a turkey gravy.<\/strong> Cornstarch is a great thickener with very little taste, and it doesn’t need to be long-simmered like flour does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if you prefer the texture of a flour-thickened gravy, I’d start with 1\/4 cup of flour and 1\/4 cup water and whisk until smooth. Slowly combine the flour mixture with the liquid in the cooking pot and whisk until completely incorporated. Then bring to a boil and simmer on low for several minutes to make sure the flour is cooked through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to Use Leftover Turkey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Leftover turkey is one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving! <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I save the carcass to make Pressure Cooker <\/span>Turkey Stock<\/span><\/a> and the meat to make Pressure Cooker <\/span>Turkey Noodle Soup<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My husband also likes to combine the leftover stuffing, cranberry sauce, and turkey to make a loaded turkey sandwich. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storing\/Reheating Leftover Turkey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Leftover turkey should be wrapped and refrigerated within 2 hours of coming out of the pressure cooker.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To reheat, use the <\/span>pot-in-pot method<\/span><\/a>. Place 1 cup water and a trivet on the bottom of the pressure cooking pot. Put the turkey and gravy in a cake pan or oven-safe bowl, and cook at High Pressure for a few minutes, depending on how much you\u2019re reheating. When the cook time ends, use a quick pressure release and check to see if the turkey and gravy has reached the desired temperature. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n