Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker Turkey Breast

Pressure cooker turkey breast that’s tender inside and crispy on the outside! Learn how to cook a bone in turkey breast in your Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot. And if you only want to use the air crisp function, use our air fryer turkey breast recipe, this is the second option.

Ninja Foodi Turkey Breast

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! A lean protein packed keto one pot meal you really could make year round, not just for Thanksgiving.

You may be used to cooking an Instant Pot turkey but this year there are fewer of you and you don’t want leftovers. Instead just cook the breast which will feed 3-4 people easily! That is what we do now that we don’t have family living close. It’s the perfect amount for just our family.

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.

Turkey Breast Instant Pot

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. A great choice when there are only a few of you. We make this now since we moved away from family and there are just 4 of us.

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 Long to Cook a Bone in Turkey Breast

I use my pressure cooker Ninja Foodi to cook this turkey! It’s so much easier, and faster. In the oven a bone-in turkey breast takes about 15 minutes per pound, or 45 minutes or until the thickest part of the meat registers 160-165 degrees.

You have to tent the bird with aluminum foil and constantly ensure the skin doesn’t brown too much. Why I love pressure cooking a turkey. There is no need to baste it.

Just throw it sprinkled with salt and pepper, on high pressure, and walk away. You can use these same directions to make a turkey crown as well. You may need to add a few minutes depending on whether the leg and/or wing is attached but pretty close.

Can you add potatoes?

Yes and I suggest that you do to make this a complete meal, also setting the meat on top of them makes sure that it can steam well without sitting in the liquid below. I also suggest that you add our smoked turkey rub to the outside to season the meat and red potatoes below.

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.

Ninja Foodi Frozen Turkey Breast

Forget to defrost your meat? NO problem! We share how to cook an Instant Pot frozen turkey breast here. You would follow the same directions using this pot with the lid that is not attached and the pressure cook button on the front.

It is best to follow the Cold water thawing method to thaw with the meat side down first. Keep it in its original wrapper, unopened is better when submerged. Cover with enough cold water to cover it completely. Change water every 30 minutes and if the turkey cannot be completely covered, rotate every 30 minutes until it is defrosted. This is the best way to achieve moist turkey.

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.

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 temperature to ensure it is done safely.

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.

Now DON’T throw away the drippings underneath because you can make pressure cooker gravy with that!

How to Crisp the Skin

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.

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!

Side Dishes

We also have a list of the best Thanksgiving sides if you’re making it for a holiday get together below. Electric pressure cookers are so versatile that you can even make homemade Ninja Foodi cranberry sauce in it! I’ll never make it on the stovetop again. These are some of our favorite side dishes.

• Sweet potatoes in the air fryer are yummy 
• Make pressure cooker mashed potatoes
• Everyone raves about our cream corn casserole recipe

After this you’ve gotta’ make this smoked turkey too!

How do you reheat a turkey breast?

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Place turkey breast in a shallow pan with a small amount of liquid
   1. I prefer chicken broth.
   2. Cover it with foil and heat approximately 15 minutes per pound
      1. until the internal temperature reaches 160.
   3. 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.

If there’s just 2 of you this might be easier too, unless you want to make our favorite leftover turkey recipe or our Instant Pot turkey tetrazzini. You can make Instant Pot turkey tenderloin if there are only a few of you too.