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.
Jump To
- Ninja Foodi Turkey Breast
- Turkey Breast Instant Pot
- How Long to Cook a Bone in Turkey Breast
- Can you add potatoes?
- Ninja Foodi Frozen Turkey Breast
- Where do you stick the thermometer in a turkey breast?
- Is turkey done at 165 or 180?
- How to Crisp the Skin
- Pressure Cooker Turkey Breast Recipe
- Side Dishes
- How do you reheat a turkey breast?
I made a pressure cooker turkey breast this year using my Ninja Foodi and it came out so moist on the inside with crispy skin on the outside.You can also make it as an Instant Pot recipe and throw it under the broiler. (affiliate links present)
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.
If you too are obsessed with your Ninja Foodi pressure cooker air fryer machine, here are a few resource to start with:
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!
Pressure Cooker Turkey Breast Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium turkey breast, defrosted, around 4 lbs. so it will fit
- 1 small onion
- 2 large potatoes, russet or red, we used large red
- 1.5 cup 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.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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?
- 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.
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.
Will I need to put the turkey in the air fryer basket after it has cooked in the pressure cooker or can I leave it in the pot and will it crisp in that pot?
Explains in step 8 what I did. You can transfer to air fryer basket or if you don’t have one you can leave as is really and change lids to air crisp
How big is your ninja foodi? I went from a 6 to an 8 and noticed a difference in cooking times.
I have a 6 but there shouldn’t be a difference
I have the 8 qt Ninja Foodie. I had a 5 .19 lb turkey breast. I used a poultry seasoning. Added potatoes and onions per your recipe. I used chicken bone broth bc that is what I had in my pantry. I divided your 30 min under high pressure cook time by 4lbs and used 7.5 min per pound and my turkey breast was so delicious! I did not crisp the turkey because it did not matter to me if it was crispy or not..I wasn’t going to eat the skin anyway. I will probably use the onions and potatoes and broth for soup later this week!
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Do I need to put the turkey in the crisp basket to brown or can I just leave it in the pot
It probably won’t fit with top set on tight inside the crisp basket
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
Hello! 🙂 Could you recommend at time for a 1/2 Turkey breast weighing 2.5 pounds and cooked in an Instant Pot? Thank you.
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.
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.
Yeah…I think you completely misread the timing elements. I’m sure there is no way anyone would even THINK a turkey could be done in 10 minutes. Some sort of red flag should have gone off to have you go back through because some clear, common sense voice in your head would have you questioning if you read it right. Sorry, sister, this one’s on you.
How long for 7lb bone-in turkey breast, using 8qt ninja foodi, how long to pressure cook this
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