INSTANT POT TURKEY BREAST FROM FROZEN might be the simplest way to cook your favorite bird!
Thanksgiving fever got me like whoa! Woot! Gimme all the stuffin’! And while I literally have zero time to devote to making new recipes for Thanksgiving, I’ve been doing it anyway. I’m sort of a glutton for that sort of thing and when I have an idea I can’t stew on it for long before I release the hounds.
So here’s my latest “hound” – a full blown INSTANT POT TURKEY BREAST FROM FROZEN! I mean seriously, that should be illegal. No seriously, lemme know if it is because I am totes law-abiding. Ok so here we go. I’m not gonna lie to you and say I didn’t have my doubts. Or that I wasn’t moderately concerned that my big busted turkey wouldn’t fit in my 6 qt Instant Pot. But today I win. It all worked out and it was maybe as easy as my hard boiled eggs, minus the handling of an actual turkey bosom.
Now I’m sure I’ll hear from a special few of you who would like to tell me how you could NEVER serve a turkey if it isn’t whole, with the drumsticks, and all the delicious dark meat. Or those of you who will be all out of sorts that this bird wasn’t baked to perfection in the oven. Look, I’m not telling you how to cook your turkey, serve your turkey, or impersonate a turkey, I’m just giving some killer options because sometimes options end up saving the day. Like that Thanksgiving in Germany where the oven never was turned on hours into the Thanksgiving feast. Yep that happened and was one of the more memorable Thanksgivings spent! After all, it’s about spending time together, snoozing in front of the football game (what people really watch it?), and catching your breath from all the daily living. The best part? You get all sorts of delicious broth afterwards that you can drink, cook with, or make gravy from – what a bonus!
INSTANT POT TURKEY BREAST FROM FROZEN
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken, beef, or turkey broth
- 1, 3 pound bone-in frozen turkey breast
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, ghee or avocado oil
Instructions
- 1. Pour in your broth and place the turkey directly into the pot (no trivet).
- Add the seasonings onto the top of the breast and then drizzle with oil. The skin is not going to crisp in the Instant Pot. It’s just not.
- Secure the lid of your IP, close the pressure valve and then press the Manual/Pressure Cook button. Use the +/- buttons and adjust until 1 hour or 60 minutes is displayed.
- Allow the cooking cycle to complete and then quick release the pressure valve. Carefully remove the lid once safe to do so. Carefully pour out the broth into a separate bowl and then remove the turkey. If you wish to crisp up the skin, you can place it under the broiler in your oven in a casserole dish for several minutes, keeping an eye on it. I opted out of this step.
- If not broiling, slice and serve with the natural juices or make a gravy out of the juices (gravy recipe coming later).
Brilliant! Btw, I think the non-crisping factor could be resolved with a creme brulee torch. 😉
Shirley
LOL so true!!!
Do I have to double the time for a six lb turkey breast.
No in fact, since it is bigger, it will take extra time to reach pressure which actually means it will be inherently cooking longer based on the weight of the bird. The same cook time or slightly longer should be plenty.
Please!!! How was it?? Taste, texture?? I’ve done boneless skinless chicken in IP, & family not a fan— taste boiled…
Tia!!!
How do you thaw to remove gravy packet?
The breast I bought came with a gravy package inside, frozen in the breast.
HMMM,I haven’t ever bought a breast with the gravy inside? You could thaw it enough to remove that packet and then cook for slightly less time!
We ran warm water over it until it released. I did not think about that tip I got home ?
Just made this for lunch. It was awesome! I’m loving my instant pot, and all the recipes I find online. Thank you for this one!
Thanks Kim, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Worked great! I popped it under the broiler for a few minutes and it crisped the skin a bit. I didnt do the quick release by mistake but it was still tender and juicy. Thanks!
Love it, so glad to hear!
What if I hav a 4 and a half pound one, do i hav to go longer?
It should be about the same.
How do I make the gravy? I cant find the recipe for it…
The gravy is not included in this recipe but is in my new book, Affordable Paleo Cooking with Your Instant Pot or you can use the gravy recipe from my other recipe for Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy on the blog!
Now I’m a believer! This was the best turkey we ever had! Plus you’re left with this delicious broth to make the gravy!
★★★★★
Wonderful!
What about a Boneless froze en turkey breast?
It should work!
I have an unfrozen one. Should I just freeze it and then do this? Lol. Just checking.
You can alter cook time, I would look online for time per pound of meat in the IP, that’s usually the best bet!
I have a 6.25 frozen turkey breast. How much time will that take? Thanks.
Will it even fit in the IP? Make sure first. Not exactly sure but there are a few guides online for weights and cook times.
haven’t made this yet but just wondering-everything I’ve read says to cook meat with a natural release. Is it still tender with a quick release?
Yes! Still tender. I do almost everything with quick release.