Pressure cooker turkey breast that’s tender inside and crispy on the outside! Learn how to cook a bone in turkey breast in your Crock Pot Express, Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot.
When the holidays near I think about how I’m going to cook my ham and/or turkey! This year I focused on a pressure cooker turkey breast using my Ninja Foodi so I could make it moist on the inside with crispy skin on the outside. It came out delicious! This and more can be found on our list of easy Instant Pot recipes. (originally published 4/19, affiliate links present)
Now if you have this nifty pressure cooker and air fryer machine you can cook it and get crispy turkey skin too! I’m a bit obsessed with mine and have created a ton of new Ninja Foodi recipes lately with it. If you’re looking for other great recipes we’ve got ’em!
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We made a pressure cooker turkey last year but now it was time to share how to make a pressure cooker turkey breast!
Yes there are lots of ways to make a turkey. If you have a smaller family though, cooking just a turkey breast can be the perfect size. I have also made a sheet pan turkey using a smaller bird that cooked in about 60 minutes too! I cooked this in our oven and is the only way I’d cook an entire turkey from now on.
If you’ve never purchased a turkey breast before they will either be with the whole turkeys during the holidays, or in the freezer section. I made this in March so it was previously frozen and took about a day and a half to thaw out. Keep that in mind when you’re preparing food for the holidays. I wouldn’t recommend cooking from frozen, defrost it first.
How do you thaw a frozen turkey breast?
- There is no need to baste it.
- Just throw it sprinkled with salt and pepper, on high pressure, and walk away.
Now, if you have a Ninja Foodi like we do, you can crisp the skin in less than 20 minutes too. 10 was perfect for us but to each their own. You can get it REALLY crispy using an air fryer.
- Under your broiler works too. 😉 I based the timing using our Ninja Foodi cooking times sheet and went from there. I couldn’t believe how moist it turned out.
How do you cook a pressure cooker turkey breast?
- Unwrap meat, rinse, and prepare vegetables.
- Add a sliced onion and minced garlic to the bottom of your pot.
- Slice 2 large potatoes in half and place the cut side down. These will act as your trivets.
- Place the breast side facing up with the ribs on top of the potatoes.
- We used a 4 pound turkey breast and it fit nicely.
- Season the top as desired, our dry turkey rub is fabulous.
- Pour chicken broth into the pot.
- This whole process should take less than 25 minutes
- Close pressure cooker lid and set to 30 minutes on high.
- This timing was perfect for this size breast.
- Then crisp the outside to make a moist turkey, slice and serve!
Our piece had the little red timer in it which was nice, and right on time when I opened the lid I watched it pop up! Of course you always want to check the internal meat temperature to ensure it is done safely.
- Now DON’T throw away the drippings underneath because you can make pressure cooker gravy with that!
Is turkey done at 165 or 180?
There is some confusion on the internal meat temperature necessary. Until 2006 the FDA recommended a cooking temperature of 165 for the breast meat and 180 for the thighs. For turkey that’s 165 degrees. BUT you’ll want to remove the bird when the temperature reaches 155 to 160 degrees because it will continue to cook outside the pressure cooker or oven.
Where do you stick the thermometer in a turkey breast?
Insert the meat thermometer 2 1/2 inches in the deepest portion of the turkey breast. Make sure the thermometer does not touch a bone. When inserting make sure it goes in from the side.
Let me tell you one of the best, surprising, parts of this meal. The potatoes are to die for! Soaking up all the juices from the broth and drippings from the turkey in the cooking process they just fall apart with goodness.
- Tender and FULL of flavor these potato “trivets” will be fought over believe me!
You do want to make sure the potatoes are rather large. You are going to cut them in half so they’ll be even smaller and in for about 40 minutes total they will get quite soft. Even as large as I chose they were falling apart as you can see.
- So, choose BIG taters to make a Ninja Foodi turkey breast for sure. Either russet or red potatoes work just fine. I just prefer red but we are in Idaho so……it really just depends what I have on hand.
We also have a list of the best Thanksgiving sides if you’re making it for a holiday get together. Electric pressure cookers are so versatile that you can even make homemade cranberry sauce in it! I’ll never make it on the stovetop again.
Side dishes to pair with your Ninja Foodi turkey breast (or any other brand of pressure cooker you’re using).
- Sweet potatoes in the air fryer are yummy
- Make pressure cooker mashed potatoes
- A loaf of homemade bread is always a winner
- Everyone raves about our cream corn casserole recipe
After this you’ve gotta’ make this smoked turkey too!
Forget to defrost your meat? NO problem! We share how to cook an Instant Pot frozen turkey breast here too.
How do you reheat a turkey breast?
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Place turkey breast in a shallow pan with a small amount of liquid
- I prefer chicken broth.
- Cover it with foil and heat approximately 15 minutes per pound
- until the internal temperature reaches 160.
- You can also use a pan on the stovetop on low heat and reheat individual slices until warm.
- pouring a bit of gravy on top while it’s reheating will keep it moist.
Still considering whether you want to cook this Instant Pot turkey breast or a whole bird? We have tips on how to cook a moist turkey to get you started on that.
Either way you really can’t go wrong. I usually just choose the smaller version if it’s mid year. If there’s just 2 of you this might be easier too, unless you want to make our favorite leftover turkey recipe.
- If so we have a ton of turkey meat recipes here
- Like our Instant Pot turkey tetrazzini
- As well as always making a batch of turkey pot pie soup
- And Instant Pot turkey soup the next day
Pressure Cooker Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 1 turkey breast defrosted, around 4 lbs. so it will fit
- 1 onion
- 2 large potatoes russet or red, we used large red
- 1.5 c chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic salt
Instructions
- Slice your onions and cut your potatoes in half. Place potatoes with the cut side down into your pressure cooker in the middle. Push them together so they form a "trivet" for your turkey breast.
- Sprinkle onions around the potatoes.
- Rinse your turkey breast off and set it on top of your potatoes. Sprinkle with thyme, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Pour chicken broth around outside of turkey.
- Close pressure cooker lid, shut steam valve. Turn to pressure, high, for 30 minutes. Then allow pot to naturally release steam for 10 minutes. Let out rest of pressure and lift lid carefully.
- If you want to brown the top of your turkey breast then remove it from the pot and set aside.
- Put potatoes and onions in a bowl to serve, pour broth into a bowl to make gravy.
- If you have a Ninja Foodi, place your turkey breast in the air fryer basket it came with, then inside your empty/wiped out pot. (remove red plastic temp piece if your breast has one in it)
- Drizzle with your olive oil, sprinkle on garlic salt and close air fryer lid.
- Press air crisp, at 390 degrees for 8-10 minutes (10 was the perfect crispness for us). Serve!!
- If you do not have this then put your turkey breast in an oven safe dish and put under your broiler for about 5 minutes or until the top is as brown as you'd like it.
- Link to directions for making turkey gravy with the drippings in this post as well.
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Kay says
Do I need to put the turkey in the crisp basket to brown or can I just leave it in the pot
The Typical Mom says
It probably won’t fit with top set on tight inside the crisp basket
Janis says
Hi everyone! Has anyone used this recipe to cook a boneless/skinless turkey breast? I can’t eat the skin so I’ll crisp up the outside after. My turkey breast weighs 4.6 pound. Any info would be amazing. Thank you! Janis
Val says
Hello! 🙂 Could you recommend at time for a 1/2 Turkey breast weighing 2.5 pounds and cooked in an Instant Pot? Thank you.
Kris says
My 7 pound turkey breast took at least twice as long as your 10 minute recommendation. I have no idea where that time would have come from… Won’t be back to your site again.
Justine says
Ummmm it doesn’t say 10 minutes. It’s 10 minutes for steam to release pressure. It’s 30 min on high pressure as stated and explained in detail.
gayle a alvey says
How long for 7lb bone-in turkey breast, using 8qt ninja foodi, how long to pressure cook this
CarolAnn says
Did you figure this out? I’m trying to cook the Sam #7 turkey breast in the 8 qt Ninja Foodi. If yes, please share how long it took you.
Thanks,
CarolANn
Jeanie says
I followed the recipe exactly with one exception—I don’t have a Ninja Foodie. I do, however, have a 6 qt. Instant Pot and a CrispLid. I used the IP to cook the turkey and potatoes, then removed them and wiped out the pot. I put the turkey back in and put it under the CrispLid for 10 minutes at 400. (The CL doesn’t have as many temperature settings.) I forgot the olive oil so it probably wasn’t quite as crisp. While the turkey was crisping, I mashed the potatoes and then put them in the oven to keep warm. I removed the turkey and sliced it while making gravy following the link to the recipe for the gravy. This was a delicious one-pot meal. (Well, two more for keeping the potatoes and turkey warm and serving them.)
Melanie says
I will get my Ninja Foodi on Christmas Day and will try it first with the turkey breast. My question is why do you put the turkey breast up? My m-i-l taught me to place the whole turkey breast down when baking so the breast is baking in the juices and comes out moist, no basting required. Also, we don’t eat the skin, so it will be skinned first. I know this will be a fun experience for me, lol. And I’m looking forward to eating the potatoes.
Keith says
Tried this for the first time and oh boy! It was great! I followed the recipe but I got a 5.31 turkey breast so I pressure cooker it for 40 minutes. Instead of 1.5 of chicken broth I used 2 cans of chicken broth. Finished it off in the Ninja foodi air fryer for 13 minutes. Even made your pressure cooker gravy seasoned with fresh ground pepper and garlic powder. It was excellent!
The Typical Mom says
Yay glad you loved it!!
Lisa L Arnold says
Trying it tomorrow!
I’m sure it’ll be great!
Lisa says
Will this recipe work for a boneless turkey breast?
The Typical Mom says
Haven’t done that yet, it would probably take less time
Carol says
Not sure what size your ninja foodie is but I have a 8 qt ninja foodie and my turkey breast is 5.9lbs. Do you think it will work?
The Typical Mom says
I have the smaller version and the size I speak about fit.
Gail says
I have only been using the Ninja Foodi for a few months and I must admit I was a little leery of putting the potatoes in the bottom. That being said I used some nice russets and followed the recipe to the T and all I have to say is OMG the breast was juicy and I agree the potatoes were to die for, I just ate them with a little salt and they just melted in my mouth. Keep those Foodi recipes coming!
The Typical Mom says
Yay so glad it was a hit!
Amy Webb says
I’m making this tonight. I may use 1 regular and 1 sweet potato because that’s what I have.
The Typical Mom says
Awesome
Robin G says
Thanks this makes turkey dinner an option any day!
Krystle says
Flavorful and juicy on the inside, and super crispy on the outside thanks for the air fryer. Will make again soon!
The Typical Mom says
Awesome.