Easy Instant Pot Turkey Breast with Gravy
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Cooking a turkey breast in the Instant Pot will result in one of the juiciest turkey breasts you’ve ever had. Incredibly easy to make in under an hour. Perfectly seasoned with herbs and spices and even makes its own gravy!
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Choosing the Turkey Breast
Choose a fresh, thawed turkey breast that ranges between 4 and 5 pounds. The turkey breast in this post was bone-in and weighed about 5 lb. It just fit in my 6-quart Instant Pot. A 4 lb to 4 1/2 lb turkey breast would fit easier.
Turkey breasts come bone-in and also boneless. Either one works.
How Many Does This Instant Pot Turkey Breast Serve?
A 4 to 5-pound turkey should serve about 8 people. However… I always have to make this disclaimer, my guys, especially the son, can eat enough for 4 people at one sitting.
How to Make Instant Pot Turkey Breast
I love freeing up the oven on Thanksgiving or Christmas and putting it to use cooking the holiday sides we love. Plus, honestly, this turkey breast is so juicy cooked in the Instant Pot, I’ve come to love it not only for its time and space-saving, but also the flavor!
The cooking process is super easy. You will add 1 cup of water in the bottom of the pressure cooker and set the trivet in place. Next, rub the seasoning into the turkey breast, and set it on the trivet. Cook for the prescribed time (see the time chart below).
And then let the Instant Pot do its magic. Hands-free.
Searing the Turkey Breast
Some of you are not going to like this! But… I don’t sear the turkey breast ahead of time. I know! I can hear you through the screen.
Yes… searing is always best. But on busy feast days, I find myself skipping the process more times than I don’t. And the meat, truly, tastes wonderful. In a perfect world, or if you have time, sear the turkey breast in a little olive oil on all sides before placing it into the Instant Pot.
Or, you can sear it inside the Instant Pot using the saute setting.
Gravy is Made Inside the Instant Pot
As you know, the best gravy is made with drippings from the bird. With this Instant Pot Turkey Breast, the gravy is made in the pressure cooker after the turkey is cooked.
So simple!
After you lift the turkey out, leave the drippings in the bottom of pressure cooker. Select the saute setting, add butter and let cook until it melts.
Then whisk in flour and continue to cook for a few minutes. Finally, add the chicken broth and cream, half-and-half, or milk for a creamy, delicious gravy. Whisk and cook until it is thickened to your preference.
That’s it!
Cooking Chart
The formula for cooking a turkey breast in the Instant Pot is 6 minutes per pound with a natural release time of 10 minutes.
4 pound turkey breast = 24 minutes, plus 10-minute natural release.
5 pound turkey breast = 30 minutes, plus 10-minute natural release.
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Easy Instant Pot Turkey Breast with Gravy
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 lbs turkey breast thawed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt and freshly cracked pepper
- 1/4 tsp sage
- turkey cooking juices
- 2 tbsp butter unsalted
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup cream half and half or milk
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and sage; set aside. Add 1 cup of water to the base of the Instant Pot and set the trivet into the base. Drizzle the olive oil over the turkey breast and rub it in. Then sprinkle the herbs you combined over the turkey breast and rub that in as well.
- Set the turkey breast onto the trivet inside the Instant Pot and lock in the lid, turning the valve to "sealing". The set the Instant Pot to the Manual high-pressure setting and set the timer to 25 minutes for a 4 lb turkey (or 30 minutes for a 5 lb turkey breast).
- Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and then quickly release any remaining pressure. Transfer the turkey breast to a carving board, cover with foil, and let rest 10 to 15 minutes.
- For the Gravy: Leave the accumulated cooking juices inside the base of the Instant Pot. Select the saute setting and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Let the broth cook until the butter is melted. Into the butter and cooking juices, whisk in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes. Then whisk in the broth and milk (or cream); cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until the gravy has reduced and thickened to your favorite consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.