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close up shot of sliced instant pot turkey breast on platter
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5 from 1 vote

Instant Pot Turkey Breast (Juicy with Crispy Skin!)

Quick and easy, this Instant Pot turkey breast is great to cook a smaller batch of turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas! With a dry brine, the turkey breast is juicy and flavored through with crispy skin. 
Prep Time4 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Time to pressurize/depressurize20 minutes
Total Time4 hours 50 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 143kcal

Ingredients

  • 2-3 lb boneless turkey breast roast see note 1

Dry brine

  • ¼ cup kosher salt do not use table salt
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instant Pot ingredients

  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 4 cloves garlic whole or minced

To broil

  • 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

Dry brine (4-5 hours before serving)

  • In a small bowl, stir together the salt, brown sugar and black pepper.
  • Cut the twine off the turkey breast roast and unroll the roast, laying the turkey breasts flat. Place in a 9 x 9 inch baking dish.
  • Rub the dry brine generously over the roast, making sure you thoroughly coat both sides.
  • Refrigerate uncovered for 3-4 hours.

Instant Pot (1 hour before serving)

  • In the stainless steel insert of a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot, place the chicken stock, rosemary and garlic. Place the trivet on top.
  • Rinse the dry brine off the turkey (no need to dry), and arrange skin side up on the trivet.
  • Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to 'sealing', and pressure cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
  • Allow for a 10 minute natural pressure release: let the Instant Pot sit for 10 minutes, then release remaining pressure by moving the steam release handle carefully to the 'venting' position.
  • Check the internal temperature of the turkey by sticking an instant read thermometer into the thickest portion; it should read 145°F-155°F.

Broil

  • Position the top oven rack 4-6 inches from the top element. Pre-heat oven broiler for at least 5 minutes.
  • Carefully transfer the turkey breast roast to a baking sheet.
  • Blot with a paper towel to remove as much moisture from the turkey breast skin as possible. Brush with melted butter.
  • Set the baking sheet in the oven, and keep an eye on the turkey. If you find certain spots are cooking quicker than others, you can cover them with small bits of foil.
  • Broil for 5-10 minutes, until skin is crispy and brown, and an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion reads 165°F.
  • Allow the turkey breast to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Video

Notes

1- I have not tested with a bone-in turkey breast roast; start with 5 minutes per pound in the Instant Pot and set under the broiler when it reaches 145-155°F.
Dry brining tips
  • salt- it’s absolutely crucial that you use kosher salt and not table salt; otherwise the turkey will be too salty
  • gravy- due to the brine, the juices from the turkey will be too salty to make gravy. If gravy is a non negotiable, seek a recipe that does not include a brine (but then you’ll have to suffer with blander turkey meat 😉 )
  • turkey- make sure that you are not using a turkey which has already been brined; check the ingredients on the package and it should simply say ‘turkey breast’
Instant Pot models
This recipe has been tested in both 6 and 8 quart Instant Pots; I do not believe a turkey breast roast will fit in the mini.
Broiling
If you'd like to skip the broiling step and cook the turkey all the way through in the Instant Pot, increase the cook time to 5 minutes/pound (10 minutes for 2 lbs, 15 minutes for 3 lbs). Check with an instant read thermometer and remove from the Instant Pot when it reaches 165°F.
Storage
After cooking, cool the turkey completely before storing in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Turkey breast is prone to drying out and is best eaten within 48 hours.
Reheating
Heat in the microwave or a frying pan until steaming hot, or heat a whole turkey breast in a covered dish in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, until warmed through.
*nutritional information was calculated with 1 tablespoon of salt since the majority of the salt is rinsed off; this is strictly an estimate.

Nutrition

Serving: 4oz * | Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 1005mg | Potassium: 312mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 66IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg