This quick and easy Instant Pot Turkey Breast and Gravy recipe uses a whole bone-in turkey breast, so you get tender, juicy white meat and a simple yet flavorful gravy every time!
Michelle's Recipe Rundown
I've cooked a lot of turkeys over the years. And yes, a whole roasted turkey is a gorgeous presentation...but it can take a long time to cook, and it can be tricky to keep the breast from drying out.
These days, I forgo the big presentation. Besides, all those "oohs" and "aahs" only last for a few seconds. What everyone really wants (and remembers) is tender, juicy and tasty turkey. And when you cook a turkey breast in the Instant Pot, that's exactly what you get!
Here are more reasons why you'll love this recipe:
- The turkey breast cooks in a fraction of the time of oven roasting. It's ready in just 1½ hours. And that includes making 3 cups of gravy right in the Instant Pot.
- The recipe is forgiving. In my experience, the meat stays tender and juicy even if it's cooked to a slighty higher temperature.
- It's great for smaller gatherings (you get about 8 servings). Plus, I find that many people prefer white meat turkey over dark.
- The oven is freed up for making your side dishes.
- There's no need to brine the turkey breast since the meat stays moist when cooked under pressure (but you can brine it if you want).
- You can brown and crisp the skin under the broiler for a nicer presentation, or you can skip this step and just remove the skin before serving.
- It's perfect for Thanksgiving or other holidays, but it's so quick and easy that you can make it any time of the year!
Don't have an Instant Pot?
Try my easy Slow Cooker Turkey and Gravy (it's made without any canned soup or gravy packets).
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Ingredients & Notes
Here are all of the ingredients you need to make this turkey breast and gravy in the Instant Pot, along with some notes on prepartion and making the best selections.
Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Whole turkey breast (bone-in and skin on) - Fresh or frozen; about 4 pounds. If using a frozen breast, thaw it completely in the refrigerator before cooking. A bone-in turkey breast has better flavor, and the bones and skin help retain moisture during cooking.
- Chicken broth or stock - Use one that has a good flavor. Not only will it infuse the turkey breast with flavor during cooking, but it will also be the base for the gravy. I use Better Than Bouillon roasted chicken base (#notsponsored) mixed with water.
- Olive oil - This is used to brown the skin under the broiler. Use a lighter olive oil that is intended for higher heat and that has a more neutral flavor. Avocado oil or vegetable oil can be used as well.
A Note on Instant Pot Size
Your turkey breast must fit inside your Instant Pot on the trivet and still allow the lid to close properly.
A 4-pound bone-in turkey breast (give or take a few ounces), as called for in this recipe, easily fits into my 6-quart Instant Pot. You may be able to get a slightly larger one to fit, perhaps up to 5 pounds; but check it first.
If you want to cook a larger breast, say 6 to 8 pounds, you'll need to use an 8-quart Instant Pot.
Substitutions & Variations
- Although I like to simply season my turkey and gravy with just salt and pepper, you can add other seasonings or herbs.
- If you have an Instant Pot with a crisper lid, you can use that instead of the broiler to brown and crisp the skin.
- To make the gravy using a roux instead of cornstarch: Use the sauté function (normal) to melt 3 tablespoons of butter, then add 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, whisk to combine, and cook while stirring for one minute. Whisk in the strained broth and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened.
- You don't have to make the gravy if you don't want. Strain the broth and freeze it to use another time.
How to Make Instant Pot Turkey Breast and Gravy
This is just a brief overview of the steps. The full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions is in the recipe card below.
Optional:
Take the turkey breast out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Loosen the skin from the meat on both sides of the breast, put softened butter under the skin, and then press it down to spread it out.
Season the breast with salt and pepper.
Put the trivet into the Instant Pot, then pour the broth in the pot. Place the turkey on the trivet, breast side up. Put the lid on the pot, put the steam release valve in the sealed position, and set the pot to cook on high pressure for 24 minutes (6 minutes per pound). After cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes, then quick-release any remaining pressure. Test the internal temperature with a meat thermometer to make sure it is at least 165°F.
To brown and crisp the skin: Place the cooked breast on a baking sheet and brush the skin with oil. Broil until the skin is golden brown. Allow the breast to rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Alternately, if you don't want to brown the skin: Place the cooked breast on a cutting board and let it rest for 20 minutes before removing the skin and carving.
To make the gravy: strain the broth, return it to the pot, and bring it to a boil using the sauté function. Mix together the cornstarch and water, add it to the pot and whisk to combine. Cook until the gravy has thickened.
Remove each breast half from the bone by running a knife along one side of the bone while gently pulling the breast away from the bone. Cut each breast into slices and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- If using a frozen turkey breast, make sure it's thawed completely before cooking (this can take several days). If it's still partially frozen, this will affect the cooking time and the meat won't cook evenly.
- I like to let the turkey breast sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes to take the chill off before cooking, as it helps the meat cook more evenly. But this is optional.
- Use the Instant Pot trivet. Not only do you not want the turkey sitting directly on the bottom of the pot as this could cause a burn notice, but the trivet's handles make it super easy to remove the cooked breast from the pot.
- Don't skip the natural pressure release! The turkey finishes cooking during this time, and this step helps keep the meat much more juicy.
- The cooking time is just a guideline. Always take the turkey's internal temperature with a meat thermometer to make sure it's properly cooked. It should be at least 165°F at the thickest part of the breast.
- Be sure to let the turkey rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing to keep it moist.
- If using a larger or smaller turkey breast, 6 minutes per pound is a general guide for the cooking time.
Storing Leftovers, Freezing & Reheating
Refrigerate: Store any leftover turkey breast and gravy, once cooled, in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Freeze leftover turkey breast and gravy, once cooled, in separate freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before reheating.
To Reheat Leftover Turkey: Place the sliced turkey in a baking dish, drizzle it with some chicken broth to keep it moist, cover the dish with foil, and bake in a preheated 300°F oven until heated through. I don't recommend reheating turkey in the microwave because it can quickly overcook and become tough, dry and rubbery.
Alternately, you can heat the sliced turkey right in the leftover gravy in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat.
To Reheat Leftover Gravy: Place the gravy in a small pot on the stove over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your turkey breast with your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes. Some of mine are: The Best Stove-Top Mashed Potatoes, Easy Classic Bread Stuffing, Green Bean Casserole Made Without Canned Soup, Sweet Potato Casserole With Pecan Streusel Topping, and Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce.
Or pair it with whatever sides you want depending on when and how you're serving it.
If I have leftovers, I love using the turkey and gravy to make hot open-faced turkey sandwiches. And, of course, nothing beats using the cold sliced turkey to make a simple sandwich (lots of mayo, salt and pepper for me, please!).
You can also use leftover turkey in casseroles, soups and other recipes.
I hope you try this Instant Pot Turkey Breast and Gravy recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Turkey Recipes to Try
Want more Instant Pot recipes?
Be sure to check out my Instant Pot Recipes page.
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went. Please leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Instant Pot Turkey Breast and Gravy
Ingredients
- 1 (4-pound) whole bone-in, skin-on turkey breast, fresh or frozen (if using frozen, make sure it has been completely thawed in the refrigerator before cooking)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- 1½ cups chicken broth or stock, I use roasted chicken base mixed with water
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 1 tablespoon light olive oil, or any other high-heat, neutral-flavored oil, such as avocado oil or vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to your preference; plus more if needed (I use kosher salt)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to your preference; plus more if needed
Special Equipment
- 6-quart Instant Pot (if cooking a larger breast, you may need an 8-quart Instant Pot; see Notes below)
- meat thermometer
Instructions
Prep the Turkey Breast
- Remove the turkey breast from its packaging. If there is a gravy packet, giblets or other parts, remove and discard them or save them for another use.
- Optional: Let the breast sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking (this will take the chill off and help the meat cook more evenly).
- Using your fingers, gently loosen the skin from the meat on both sides of the turkey breast. Put one tablespoon of the softened butter under the skin on each side. If needed, adjust the skin to cover up any bare spots of meat, then press the butter down to spread it out a bit on each side of the breast.
- Season the breast with the salt and pepper.
Cook the Turkey Breast
- Put the metal trivet into the Instant Pot (with the handles facing up so you can use them later to lift the turkey out of the pot), then pour the chicken broth into the pot. Place the turkey, breast side up, onto the trivet.
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot, turn the steam release valve to the sealing position, and set the pot to cook on high pressure for 24 minutes. It will take approximately 12 to 15 minutes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure before the cooking time starts counting down.This cooking time at pressure is based on 6 minutes per pound. If your breast is larger or smaller than 4 pounds, adjust the cooking time accordingly. For example, if your breast is 4½ pounds, the cooking time should be set to 27 minutes; 5 pounds would be 30 minutes, etc.
- Once the cooking time is finished, turn off the Instant Pot and allow the pressure to naturally release for 20 minutes. Then, if needed, quick-release any remaining pressure in the pot.Don't skip this step! Not only does the turkey finish cooking during this time, but this helps the meat stay much more juicy.If you will be browning the skin after cooking, preheat the broiler in your oven during time the pot is doing the natural pressure release.
- Remove the lid and use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat by inserting it into the thickest part of the breast. It is safely cooked through when the temperature is at least 165°F. If the meat has not reached the minimum internal temperature, put the lid back on, set the steam release valve to the sealing position, and set the cooking time to 5 minutes (the pot should come up to pressure much more quickly since it is already hot, only about 2 minutes or so). After the cook time is finished, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick-release any remaining pressure, remove the lid, and check the temperature of the meat again. Do this procedure as many times as is needed.
Brown the Skin (Optional) & Rest the Breast
- If you want to brown and crisp up the skin, carefully remove the cooked turkey breast from the Instant Pot by lifting it out on the trivet and place it on a large baking sheet (I leave it right on the trivet, and I line the baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up). Lightly brush the olive oil onto the skin of the turkey breast.
- Place under the broiler - 6 to 8 inches from the flame/element - and cook until the skin is golden brown, occasionally turning the pan as needed so it gets as evenly browned as possible. Keep a very close eye on it, as it can burn quickly.
- Remove the breast from the oven and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before carving. This will help keep the meat juicy.
- Alternately, if you don't want to brown the skin: carefully remove the cooked turkey breast from the Instant Pot and place it on a large cutting board and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before removing the skin and carving.
Make the Gravy
- While the turkey breast is resting, make the gravy.
- Strain the liquid that's left in the Instant Pot through a fine mesh sieve to remove any undesirable bits, then return the liquid to the pot. You should have about 3 cups of liquid (if you're short, add some more chicken broth to make up the difference).
- Using the Sauté (normal) function, bring the liquid to a boil.
- Mix together the cornstarch and cold water until well combined. Add this mixture the the boiling liquid and whisk to combine. Continue cooking until the gravy has thickened (it should only take a minute or two). Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.If the gravy is too thin after adding the cornstarch mixture, simply add more. If the gravy is too thick, add more broth.
Carve & Slice the Turkey Breast
- Remove each breast half from the bones by running a sharp knife along one side of the bone while gently pulling the breast away from and off of the bone. Discard the bones.If you didn't brown the skin, remove the skin before carving and slicing.
- Slice each breast half into ½ inch thick pieces (I can usually get 16 slices from each half).
- Serve immediately with the gravy and enjoy!
Notes
- The turkey breast must fit into your Instant Pot without interfering with the lid closing.
- A 4-pound turkey breast (give or take a few ounces) easily fits into my 6-quart Instant Pot, which is what I use for this recipe. You may be able to get a slightly larger one to fit, perhaps up to 5 pounds, but make sure to check it first.
- If you want to cook a larger breast, say 6 to 8 pounds, you'll need to use an 8-quart Instant Pot.
- If using a frozen turkey breast, make sure it's thawed completely before cooking (this can take several days). If it's still partially frozen, this will affect the cooking time, and the meat won't cook evenly.
- The cooking time of 6 minutes per pound is just a guideline. You must always take the turkey's internal temperature with a meat thermometer to make sure it's properly cooked. It should be at least 165°F at the thickest part of the breast.
- Cooking time shown includes the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure, the natural pressure release, and broiling the skin in addition to the actual cooking time under pressure.
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