Instant Pot turkey breast roast is the easiest way to make a delicious turkey dinner!
Simply season, brown, and cook! Boneless roast turkey comes out tender and juicy with enough savory juices to make gravy, too! Turkey cooked in an Instant Pot cooks in a fraction of the time it takes in the oven! Toss in some potatoes, carrots, or leeks for quick and “instant” side dishes too. Free up time in your day and space in your oven. This recipe is ideal for small holiday gatherings or for making turkey part of everyday meal plans!
Easy Instant Pot Turkey Breast Roast
- Turkey is a versatile protein that can be served hot or cold in all kinds of recipes. Even better, it’s low in calories and fat, so it’s a perfect protein to keep on hand for meals and meal prep.
- The Instant Pot can cook a fresh or frozen turkey breast from start to finish in under an hour! No need to thaw.
- Butterball 3 lb turkey breasts are the perfect size for smaller holiday dinners and using the Instant Pot means there’s extra space in the oven!
Ingredients and Variations
TURKEY: Butterball turkey breast roasts come pre-wrapped so they are ready to season and cook. A bone-in turkey breast will need a little more time.
VEGETABLES: Onions and celery provide savory flavor to a turkey breast roast, and fingerling or baby red potatoes and carrots can be added to the Instant Pot as well.
SEASONINGS: As the turkey cooks, the juices will blend with the broth, seasoning the turkey even more. So if turkey broth is not on hand, chicken or even vegetable broth will also work.
HERBS: In addition to poultry seasoning, fresh herbs add delicious flavor, aroma, and visual interest to roast turkey breast.
How to Make Instant Pot Turkey Breast Roast
It’s easy to make a turkey dinner with the Instant Pot and these directions!
- Season turkey breast and brown turkey in butter on all sides. (as per recipe below).
- Remove turkey from the Instant Pot.
- Deglaze the pot with broth. Add onion, celery, and herbs.
- Add turkey back to the pot, with optional potatoes.
- Pressure cook on high, and natural-release pressure as directed.
- Remove the roast and tent it lightly with aluminum foil for about 10-15 minutes.
- If using a skin-on turkey, place under broiler to brown.
Serve with gravy.
GRAVY:
- Strain the juices and return to Instant Pot, and bring to a boil.
- Whisk in a flour or cornstarch slurry until thickened, and serve.
PRO TIP: Add a packet of gravy mix with some cold water for extra gravy.
Instant Pot Tips and Tricks
- For best results and quicker cooking, let the turkey breast come to room temperature before cooking.
- A short and thick turkey breast will take longer to cook, while a more flat and thin breast will cook a bit quicker. The internal temperature should be 165°F.
Storing Turkey Breast Roast
- Keep leftover turkey breast roast in a covered container in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
- Use leftovers in other delish recipes like turkey tetrazzini, turkey pot pie, and turkey noodle soup.
- Freeze turkey in zippered bags for up to 3 months.
Delish Ways To Cook Turkey!
- Air Fryer Roast Turkey Breast – another easy way to cook turkey
- Oven Roasted Turkey – traditional favorite
- Spatchcock Smoked Turkey – so simple, yet so tasty!
- Roast Turkey Breast – simple and easy method
Instant Pot Turkey Breast Roast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pound turkey breast roast
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 ½ cups turkey broth or chicken broth
- ½ onion cut into 4 pieces
- 1 stalk celery cut into 4 pieces
- ¼ cup fresh herbs divided, optional (rosemary, sage, parsley)
Optional Gravy:
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 Tablespoon fresh herbs optional (rosemary, sage, parsley)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Remove roast from refrigerator and allow to rest at room temperature. Do not cut netting or string.
- Sprinkle entire breast, on all sides with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.
- Set Instant Pot to SAUTE setting and add olive oil and butter. Once butter is melted and the oil is hot, brown turkey breast on all sides (about 2-3 minutes per side). Remove from the Instant Pot and press CANCEL.
- Add broth and scrape any bits from the bottom of the pot. Add onion, celery, and 3 Tablespoons of fresh herbs (reserving 1 Tablespoon for garnish).
- Add trivet and place turkey breast (skin side up if there is skin).
- Set the Instant Pot to HIGH PRESSURE for 22 minutes. Allow natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release. The internal temperature should have reached 160˚F* using a digital thermometer.
- Remove roast from the Instant Pot and lightly tent with foil. Rest for 10-15 minutes, until roast reaches 165˚F.
- Carefully remove string from the turkey breast (kitchen scissors work well for this).
- Optional: place turkey breast, skin side up if there is skin, into a roasting pan and broil for 3-4 minutes to crisp the skin and brown the turkey.
- Slice and garnish with reserved Tablespoon of herbs if desired.
Gravy
- Remove onions and celery from the Instant Pot. Strain liquid if desired*. Set Instant Pot to SAUTE and bring liquid to a boil.
- Combine cornstarch and water to create a slurry.
- Slowly add the slurry to the hot liquid and boil for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add ½ Tablespoon of fresh herbs if using. Add additional fresh herbs, salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- *If the turkey breast has not reached 160˚F, either return it to the Instant Pot and set it for 5-10 more minutes (adjust based on how close it is to temperature). Or if you plan to brown the breast before serving, pop it in the oven for about 10-15 minutes (at 350˚F) before broiling. It’s recommended to use the Instant Pot if not browning the breast. But if the plan is to brown the turkey breast, the oven is a good option to bring it to temperature.
- **For a more clear gravy, strain the liquid and add it back to the Instant Pot.
- Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 5 days.
- Leftover turkey can be frozen in zippered bags for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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REPIN this Instant Pot Turkey Breast Roast recipe!
So great!