Instant Pot Turkey Breast with Garlic Butter Gravy

With this recipe for Instant Pot Turkey Breast with Garlic Butter Gravy you can make moist and juicy turkey and gravy in less than an hour! So easy and so delicious, you will not only want to make this for Thanksgiving but all year long as well.

Suitable for Gluten-Free, Low Carb and Keto diets. Post includes Weight Watchers points.

Post may contain affiliate links. For more information, check my disclosure

It is officially comfort food season, peeps. One of the meals I crave the most at this time of year is a nice hearty plate of juicy turkey breast with rich and buttery gravy.

Satisfying this craving would typically require me to make it an all-day affair but I can make this Instant Pot Boneless Turkey Breast recipe in about 45 minutes that gives you the juiciest meat.

Thanksgiving turkey is tasty but my traditional turkey recipe is a lot of work. But this recipe for Instant Pot Boneless Turkey Breast with Garlic Butter Gravy is the answer. Just when I thought I couldn’t love my Instant Pot more.

Easy Instant Pot Turkey Breast

The Instant Pot truly does make it so easy. No basting, no need to constantly check the progress. Just put your Thanksgiving Turkey Breast in the magical Instant Pot, set it, and walk away.

The bonus is that this method frees up your oven so you have space to cook up all those Thanksgiving and other festive sides. And if you’re looking for even more space-saving, easy holiday recipes, give this delicious Instant Pot Ham or filling Instant Pot Pot Roast a try!

Garlic Butter Gravy being poured onto the Instant Pot Turkey Breast that is sliced and ready to serve on a white platter

Thanksgiving dinner and holiday meals just got a whole lot easier with this perfectly cooked pressure cooker turkey breast. And the turkey drippings make their own gravy.

In fact, the cooking liquid easily becomes the most amaaaaaaaazing lick-your-plate-clean gravy. And, this Instant Pot boneless turkey breast recipe will work with bone-in turkey breast as well. #instantpotforthewin

Why Make This Recipe

It’s so fast – Cooking turkey breast in Instant Pot means you’re ready to serve in under an hour.
Super flavorful – pressure cooking turkey gives you super moist, juicy, and delicious meat. And the herb butter rub adds tons of amazing flavor.
Versatile – suitable for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas, or as a quick and easy midweek meal.

Ingredients Notes

Boneless Turkey Breast – be sure to purchase a skin on turkey breast that fits inside your inner pot. You can use fresh turkey breast or cook Instant Pot frozen turkey breast which has been thawed.
Butter – use the unsalted variety. If desired, you can olive oil instead.
Fresh Herbs – this recipe calls for fresh rosemary, fresh thyme and cilantro, but feel free to use your favorites instead.
Coriander Seeds – optional, but adds amazing flavor!
Garlic Purée – or freshly minced garlic or garlic powder.
Chicken Stock – for adding into the Instant Pot insert. Swap for chicken broth or turkey broth or water if desired.
Cornstarch – helps thicken the gravy.
Xanthan gum (if low carb or keto) – to make low carb gravy instead if you prefer.
Lemon juice – adds a bright, fresh flavor to the gravy.

close-up of the completed Instant Pot Turkey Breast next to a white pitcher filled with the garlic butter gravy

So folks, are you ready to learn how to make amazing turkey in Instant Pot? Gather up your ingredients and let me show you……

How To Make Instant Pot Turkey Breast

Get the complete Instant Pot Boneless Turkey Breast ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

Mix together butter, herbs, coriander seeds, garlic purée, and salt to form a paste.
Rub a third of the butter mixture under the skin, and a third on top, and reserve the final third for later.
Add the stock to the Instant Pot insert. Place the trivet in the bottom of the inner pot of the pressure cooker and set the seasoned turkey breast on top of the trivet, skin side up.
Close the lid and turn the valve to the sealing position. Set for manual/high pressure of 35 minutes. When done, allow for a complete natural pressure release.
Remove the turkey breast from the Instant Pot and place the cooked turkey breast on a baking tray. Rub with remaining butter and then broil until it is browned with crispy skin to your liking.

image collage showing some of the steps for making Instant Pot turkey breast

How To Make Garlic Butter Turkey Gravy

Transfer the broth from the Instant Pot into a small saucepan.
In a small bowl, make a paste by mixing 2 – 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with an equal amount of water.
Whisk the paste into the broth and simmer until the gravy thickens.
Mix in lemon juice, adjust seasonings to suit your taste, and it’s ready to serve.

To make low carb turkey gravy;

Transfer broth from the Instant Pot into a small saucepan.
Stir in xanthan gum and lemon juice and simmer until the gravy thickens.
Adjust seasonings to suit your taste and serve.

top down view of the finished herb butter gravy

Expert Tips

Instant Pot frozen turkey breast needs to be thawed in the fridge before pressure cooking.
Instant Pot boneless turkey breast will be just as moist and flavorful as bone-in turkey breast. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Instant Pot boneless turkey breast may cook faster than bone in breast.
Let the turkey rest for at least 10-15 minutes on a cutting board or serving platter before slicing. You want to make sure all the delicious turkey juices stay in the meat to make turkey moist.
I recommend slicing the meat thinly and against the grain.
For skin on turkey breast, you can still get crispy skin when cooking in a pressure cooker. Crisp skin with a kitchen torch (if you have one) or you can broil the whole turkey breast for a few minutes until golden brown.

Cooking Times for Instant Pot Turkey

When cooking poultry such as chicken or turkey, the general rule of thumb is to cook for 6 minutes per pound followed by a 10-minute natural pressure release.

4 pounds – 24 minutes + 10-minute NPR
6 pounds – 36 + 10-minute NPR
8 pounds – 48 + 10-minute NPR
10 pounds – 60 + 10-minute NPR

Always cook your turkey breast to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F / 94 Degrees C when checked with a meat thermometer.

Delicious Variations

Swap the herbs: parsley, sage, basil, tarragon, oregano, or marjoram are great options. If you don’t have fresh herbs, then dried herbs work well too.
Use a different rub: for variety, use this poultry seasoning instead of the herb butter rub. You can also add smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, or your favorite seasoning blends.
Change out the stock: swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock, or even beef to use what you have on hand.

Finished Instant Pot Turkey Breast sliced and set on a white platter garnished with lemon slices and fresh herbs

Prep Ahead and Storage

Prep Ahead – This recipe is so easy to make. You can even prep and store the herb butter rub in advance and then pull it out when needed. Instant Pot frozen turkey breast should be thawed completely, so be sure to allow time for safe thawing.
Store – Make the herb butter ahead of time and store it in an airtight container inside the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freeze – Follow these steps to freeze leftovers;
- Cook turkey as directed and allow to cool.
- Slice, and then transfer into these very handy Ziploc Freezer bags.
- Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags.
- Label the bags and then lay them flat in the freezer. Store in the freezer for 3 months.
Thaw and Reheat – Remove Instant pot frozen turkey breast from the freezer and allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge.
Reheat – reheat turkey in the microwave.

FAQs

How To Cook Turkey Breast in Instant Pot with Herb Butter Rub?

Rubbing the herb butter paste both on top and underneath the skin is key for achieving maximum flavor. Simply use your hand to loosen the skin away from the breast, then push the butter mix into the gap, covering as much of the turkey breast as possible. Rub the rest of the butter mixture on top of the turkey breast skin.

How Long To Cook Turkey Breast in Instant Pot?

For this recipe, it took 35 minutes to make turkey breast in Instant Pot. It is important to note that the exact cooking time will depend on the size of the turkey breast.

The cooking time listed does not include the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure, or for the pressure to release.

Can I Make This Turkey Breast in the Slow Cooker?

Yes, you can easily adapt this recipe to make turkey breast in the crockpot. Just follow these steps:

1. Cut 2 whole heads of garlic in half and put them in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Set the turkey on top of the garlic halves, using them like a trivet (to keep the turkey elevated out of the juices that will release during cooking).
2. Cook for 6-7 hours on low till the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F / 74C.
Remove the turkey from the crockpot, set on a baking tray, and broil to brown and crisp the skin, if desired.
3. Use the turkey juices in the slow cooker to make the garlic butter gravy following the steps listed above.

Important note: if you are planning to use a frozen turkey breast, thaw the turkey completely before slow cooking to avoid any risk of harmful bacteria contaminating the meat before it reaches a safe cooking temperature.

What is the Proper Temperature for Turkey?

You should always use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your turkey breast to make sure it is safe to eat. Make sure to insert the thermometer into the thickest section of the breast to get an accurate read.

Turkey is cooked and safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C.

How To Safely Thaw Frozen Turkey Breast?

When preparing this fantastic recipe in your Instant Pot frozen turkey breast should be thawed before cooking. You can safely thaw your turkey in the refrigerator or submerge it in cold water.

A 3-pound boneless turkey breast needs to be thawed in the fridge for a minimum of 24 hours or submerged in cold water for 2 hours, changing the water every 30 minutes.

Make sure the turkey is securely wrapped so the water is not able to get inside. Once the turkey is completely thawed, cook it immediately. Do not refreeze thawed turkey.

Is Xanthan Gum Considered Keto?

Yes. Xanthan gum is a thickener that is popular in keto and low carb cooking. Since it is a soluble fiber and does not contain any calories or other nutrients, it does not need to be counted toward daily carbohydrate totals.

Using xanthan gum to thicken the Garlic Butter Gravy in this recipe makes it both low carb and Keto friendly.

top down view of the cooked turkey breast on a white serving tray

Here are some serving suggestions and side dishes for a fabulous Thanksgiving menu or Christmas menu that will fill your holiday table:

Leftover Turkey Ideas

My all-time favorite way to use up leftover turkey is to make these amazing Turkey Patties!
Leftover sliced turkey is also great for making sandwiches and wraps all week long. Use it to make this crunchy Healthy Turkey Salad or Moroccan Turkey Stew.
Have leftover gravy? Pour over mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, or on top of pasta for a quick easy dinner. Feel free to mix in some Instant Pot cranberry sauce with the leftovers too.

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Weight Watchers Points

There are 6 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.

Tools Needed

Thank you for reading my Instant Pot Boneless Turkey Breast recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

Originally published Nov 2019. Updated Nov 2022.

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