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The magical Instant Pot does it again. First of all—we must stop thinking of turkey breast but once a year. So many of us just cook turkey on Thanksgiving, and ignore this meat for the rest of the year. We buy sliced turkey at the deli for sandwiches all the time, don’t we?
Well, if you are a turkey family, why not start off with a lovely turkey and gravy dinner any time there is a chill in the air, and then have homemade roasted turkey to slice all week long for sandwiches? When I do this, I feel like a full-fledged provider.
Cooking Turkey Breast in the Instant Pot
You probably know by now that the Instant Pot has many functions, but my two favorites, especially in combination, are the sauté function and the pressure cooker. One of the best reasons to get an Instant Pot—or multi-function cooker, to use the generic term for this device—is that you can sauté in the pot, which you cannot do in the majority of slow cookers.
With a slow cooker, you have to sear anything you are cooking in it first in a separate pot on the stove, if you want to have a shot at getting some variety in the texture of your food, and reaping the flavor benefits of the browning or caramelization that takes place in the searing of sautéing process. The Instant Pot saves you that extra pot. In this case, the sauteeing is optional, but gets you a crispier skin on your turkey breast.
Instant Pot Sling
I used this little sling gadget to 1) keep the turkey from sitting in the broth, and 2) to lift if out more easily. A very good (and cheap) investment if you have an Instant Pot! But if you don’t have one, truly don’t worry, the turkey will be fine right in the pot atop the other ingredients.
Instant Pot Turkey Breast: In less than half an hour you can have a tender, moist turkey breast – a few more minutes will get you gravy, all in the Instant Pot!
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Instant Pot Turkey Gravy
This recipe includes gravy making instructions, which you are free to ignore if all you are after is a roasted turkey breast, not a full-fledged turkey and gravy dinner. The gravy is made right in the Instant Pot, right after you take the turkey breast out to sit before carving. Once again, no extra pot to wash at all!
Make sure to let the turkey breasts sit for a bit before slicing, whether you are making the gravy or not.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Turkey Breast:
Serve Instant Pot Turkey Breast with mashed potatoes! Some choices:
- Classic Mashed Potatoes
- Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Roasted Garlic
- Mashed Yukon and Sweet Potatoes with Sauteed Leeks
Other Turkey Recipes:
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Instant Pot Turkey Breast
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Turkey Breast
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ⅔ cup chicken or turkey stock
- 1 4-pound boneless turkey breast
For the Gravy
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup liquid from cooking the turkey
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the 3 tablespoons butter, rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl and use a fork to mash it into a blended paste. Loosen the skin of the bird carefully, and then rub the butter mixture underneath the skin and over the skin, trying to spread it as evenly as possible.
- If you want a crisper skin, Turn the instant pot to Sauté and brown the turkey breast skin side down, first tilting it so the skin browns on one side of the breast, then the other, for about 2 minutes per side, so that most of the skin is at least a bit browned. Remove the turkey breast, and add the onions and celery, and sauté or 3 minutes until softened and golden. Turn off the Instant Pot, add the broth then place the turkey breast into the pot skin side up. If you have a removable rack, such as this one, insert that into the Instant Pot before adding the turkey breast.
- Close the lid and set the vent knob to sealed. Set the instant Pot on High Pressure, for 25 minutes. Once the cooking time has finished, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then open the valve to release any remaining pressure. An internal thermometer inserted into the middle of the breast should read 160 F (the temperature will climb another 5 degrees to a safe internal temperature of 165 F while it is resting). Remove the turkey breast and place it on a cutting board with a little moat to catch any juices and tent with foil. Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
- If you want the skin to be more browned and crispy you can preheat the broiler, and then place the turkey breast skin side up in a baking pan and broil it for a few minutes, watching carefully so that it doesn’t burn.
- Meanwhile, make the gravy: Strain the cooking liquid and discard the solids. Return the inner pot back into the Instant Pot, and set it to Sauté. Add the 2 tablespoons butter and when it is melted add the flour and whisk until it is light brown; this is called a roux and it will thicken the gravy. Add ¾ cup of the strained cooking liquid to the pot while whisking. Continue whisking for another 2 or three minutes until the gravy is simmering and starts to thicken. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thanks I need all the simple tricks with my small kitchen,but. Want a dinner