Achieve the ultimate pressure cooker turkey breast that’s incredibly tender on the inside with a beautifully crispy skin on the outside! Learn the secrets to cooking a succulent bone-in turkey breast using your Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot. This method offers unparalleled convenience and delivers exceptional flavor, making it perfect for holidays, Sunday dinners, or any time you crave a delicious turkey meal without the hassle of a whole bird. If you prefer using only the air crisp function, be sure to check out our air fryer turkey breast recipe for another fantastic option.
This year, I perfected a pressure cooker turkey breast using my Ninja Foodi, and the results were astounding. The meat was remarkably moist, while the skin achieved that desirable crispiness. This technique is also easily adaptable for your Instant Pot, followed by a quick finish under the broiler for that golden, crunchy skin. (Note: This article contains affiliate links for your convenience.)
Mastering Turkey Breast in Your Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot
My kitchen has become a hub for new Ninja Foodi recipes, and this turkey breast is quickly becoming a favorite. For those seeking other fantastic meals, we have a wealth of options! This method offers a lean, protein-packed, and wholesome meal that isn’t just for Thanksgiving. Imagine enjoying a perfectly cooked turkey breast year-round, without the stress of traditional oven roasting.
Perhaps you’re accustomed to preparing an Instant Pot turkey, but for smaller gatherings or when you want to avoid an abundance of leftovers, cooking just the turkey breast is an ideal solution. A single breast can comfortably feed 3-4 people, making it the perfect portion for families like ours who no longer have extended family living nearby. It’s the smart way to enjoy turkey without waste.
If you share my enthusiasm for your Ninja Foodi pressure cooker air fryer, you’ll find it an invaluable tool for this recipe. Its dual functionality allows for both rapid cooking and achieving that coveted crispy finish.
There are indeed many ways to prepare turkey, but for a smaller family, focusing on just a turkey breast offers the perfect, manageable size. I’ve also had great success with a sheet pan turkey using a smaller bird, which cooks in about 60 minutes in a conventional oven. However, for sheer convenience and consistently moist results, the pressure cooker method remains my top recommendation for turkey breast.
Choosing and Preparing Your Turkey Breast for Pressure Cooking
When purchasing a turkey breast, you’ll typically find them alongside whole turkeys during the holiday season or in the freezer section year-round. They are an excellent choice when you’re cooking for just a few people. As our family has grown smaller since moving away, this has become our go-to for turkey dinners.
It’s crucial to plan ahead for thawing. A frozen turkey breast, especially a larger one, can take a day and a half or even longer to fully defrost in the refrigerator. I strongly advise against cooking a turkey breast from frozen in a pressure cooker, as it can lead to uneven cooking and potentially dry results. Always ensure it’s completely thawed before you begin.
Optimal Cooking Times for Bone-In Turkey Breast in Your Pressure Cooker
Using a pressure cooker like the Ninja Foodi makes cooking turkey incredibly simple and significantly faster. In a conventional oven, a bone-in turkey breast typically requires about 15 minutes per pound, reaching an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees Fahrenheit in its thickest part. Oven cooking often involves constant monitoring, basting, and tenting with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning of the skin. This hands-on approach is precisely why I adore pressure cooking a turkey breast – it eliminates the need for constant attention and basting.
Simply season your turkey breast with salt and pepper, place it in the pressure cooker, set it to high pressure, and walk away. The moist environment of the pressure cooker ensures the meat remains juicy without any effort on your part. These same instructions can be adapted for a turkey crown as well, with only minor adjustments to cooking time depending on whether the leg or wing is still attached.
Elevate Your Meal: Adding Potatoes for a Complete Dish
Absolutely, and I highly recommend it! Adding potatoes to the pressure cooker alongside your turkey breast transforms this into a convenient, complete one-pot meal. Positioning the turkey breast on top of the potatoes serves a dual purpose: it creates a natural trivet, preventing the meat from sitting directly in the liquid, ensuring even steaming, and simultaneously infusing the potatoes with incredible flavor. For extra depth, I suggest applying our signature smoked turkey rub to both the turkey and the red potatoes beneath.
When selecting potatoes, opt for rather large ones. You’ll cut them in half, making them smaller, and over the approximately 40 minutes of total cooking time, they will become incredibly soft and absorb all the delicious turkey drippings and broth. Even with large potatoes, expect them to be wonderfully tender, almost falling apart – a testament to the rich flavors they’ve absorbed.
Dealing with Frozen Turkey Breast: A Speedy Solution
Forgot to defrost your turkey breast? No problem at all! We have a dedicated guide on how to cook an Instant Pot frozen turkey breast, and you can easily follow those same directions using your Ninja Foodi’s pressure cook function. Just ensure you use the appropriate lid for pressure cooking.
While direct cooking from frozen is possible, the cold water thawing method is still ideal for achieving the most tender and moist turkey. Keep the turkey in its original, unopened wrapper and submerge it completely in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes. If the turkey isn’t fully covered, rotate it periodically until it’s completely defrosted. This method ensures even thawing and contributes significantly to the final moistness of the meat.
Precision Cooking: Where to Insert Your Meat Thermometer
Accurate temperature reading is vital for a safe and perfectly cooked turkey breast. Insert your meat thermometer 2.5 inches into the deepest part of the turkey breast, making sure the probe does not touch any bone. Always insert the thermometer from the side for the most accurate reading.
Some turkey breasts come with a pop-up timer, which can be a helpful indicator. In my experience, these timers are often quite accurate. However, for absolute certainty and food safety, always double-check the internal temperature with a reliable meat thermometer before serving. This ensures your turkey is cooked through to perfection.
Understanding Safe Internal Turkey Temperatures: 165°F vs. 180°F
There can be some confusion regarding the ideal internal meat temperature for turkey. Historically, the FDA recommended 165°F for breast meat and 180°F for thighs. However, current guidelines focus on a safe temperature of 165°F for all poultry. For turkey breast, specifically, 165°F is the target. A crucial tip is to remove the turkey from the pressure cooker or oven when its internal temperature reaches between 155°F and 160°F. The turkey will continue to cook due to residual heat, a process known as “carryover cooking,” ensuring it reaches the safe 165°F during its resting period.
And remember, whatever you do, **DO NOT discard the flavorful drippings** accumulated at the bottom of the pot! These precious liquids are the foundation for making an incredibly rich and savory pressure cooker gravy – the perfect accompaniment to your tender turkey.
The Secret to Crispy Skin: Finishing Your Pressure Cooker Turkey Breast
After pressure cooking, your turkey breast will be incredibly tender and juicy. The next step is achieving that irresistible crispy skin. If you own a Ninja Foodi, this is remarkably easy. Simply switch to the air crisp function! In less than 20 minutes, you can transform the skin from soft to beautifully golden and crisp. For my preference, about 10 minutes provided the perfect crispness, but you can adjust the time to your liking. An air fryer is exceptionally effective for this step, but if you don’t have one, your oven’s broiler works wonderfully too. I typically reference our Ninja Foodi cooking times chart as a starting point. I was genuinely astonished by how moist the turkey turned out despite the crisping process.
Now, let me share one of the most delightful and surprising elements of this meal: the potatoes! By cooking them directly beneath the turkey breast, they soak up all the flavorful juices from the broth and turkey drippings. This results in unbelievably tender potatoes, bursting with savory goodness. These potato “trivets” are so incredibly flavorful, they’ll undoubtedly be the first to disappear from the serving platter!
Pressure Cooker Turkey Breast Recipe
Justine
15
40
55
6
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Print Recipe
Equipment
-
1 pressure cooker
Ingredients
-
1
medium
turkey breast,
defrosted, around 4 lbs. (to fit comfortably) -
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. Arrange them closely to form a “trivet” for your turkey breast.
-
Sprinkle the sliced onions around the potatoes.
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Rinse your turkey breast and pat it dry. Place it on top of your potato trivet. Season generously with thyme, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
-
Pour the chicken broth around the outside of the turkey breast, into the bottom of the pot.
-
Close the pressure cooker lid and ensure the steam valve is sealed. Set to high pressure and cook for 30 minutes. Once cooking is complete, allow the pot to naturally release steam for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure and carefully lift the lid.
-
If you wish to brown and crisp the skin of your turkey breast, carefully remove it from the pot and set it aside on a plate.
-
Transfer the cooked potatoes and onions to a serving bowl. Pour the flavorful broth into a separate bowl to prepare your gravy.
-
For Ninja Foodi users: Clean out the inner pot. Place your turkey breast into the air fryer basket that came with your appliance, then place the basket inside the empty pot. (If your turkey breast has a red plastic temperature indicator, remove it before air frying.)
-
Drizzle the turkey breast with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Close the air fryer lid.
-
Select the Air Crisp function, set the temperature to 390 degrees Fahrenheit, and cook for 8-10 minutes (10 minutes achieved perfect crispness for us). Serve immediately!
-
If you do not have a Ninja Foodi or air fryer, transfer your turkey breast to an oven-safe dish and place it under your oven broiler for approximately 5 minutes, or until the top is browned and crispy to your preference. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
-
You can find detailed directions for making delicious turkey gravy from the drippings elsewhere in this post.
Nutrition
Serving:
3
oz
,
Calories:
246
kcal
,
Carbohydrates:
11
g
,
Protein:
30
g
,
Fat:
9
g
,
Saturated Fat:
1
g
,
Cholesterol:
70
mg
,
Sodium:
975
mg
,
Potassium:
681
mg
,
Fiber:
2
g
,
Vitamin A:
25
IU
,
Vitamin C:
13.5
mg
,
Calcium:
47
mg
,
Iron:
3.2
mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
Entree, Main Course
American
Delicious Side Dishes to Complement Your Turkey Breast
No turkey dinner is complete without an array of flavorful side dishes. If you’re preparing this for a holiday gathering, we have a comprehensive list of the best Thanksgiving sides that will perfectly complement your tender turkey breast. Electric pressure cookers are incredibly versatile; you can even prepare homemade Ninja Foodi cranberry sauce right in it! Once you try it, you’ll likely never go back to stovetop methods. Here are some of our favorite side dish pairings:
- Sweet potatoes in the air fryer are wonderfully tasty and simple.
- Whip up creamy pressure cooker mashed potatoes for a classic favorite.
- Everyone always raves about our indulgent cream corn casserole recipe.
After mastering this pressure cooker method, you absolutely must try our best smoked turkey for another incredible flavor experience!
Keeping it Moist: How to Reheat Turkey Breast Effectively
Reheating turkey breast without drying it out is a common challenge, but with these tips, you can enjoy delicious leftovers. The key is to reheat gently and with added moisture.
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the turkey breast slices in a shallow oven-safe pan.
- Add a small amount of liquid to the pan – chicken broth is my preferred choice, as it adds flavor and moisture.
- Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil to trap steam and moisture.
- Heat for approximately 15 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. This lower temperature prevents overcooking during reheating.
- Alternatively, for individual slices, you can reheat them gently on the stovetop in a pan over low heat until warm, again with a splash of broth.
Pouring a bit of the gravy you made from the drippings over the turkey while it’s reheating will further help to keep it moist and add incredible flavor.
If you’re only cooking for two, this smaller turkey breast option is fantastic, unless you specifically desire leftovers for our favorite leftover turkey recipe or our comforting Instant Pot turkey tetrazzini. For even smaller portions, consider making an Instant Pot turkey tenderloin.
