How to Cook a Frozen Turkey Breast in the Instant Pot

Make the Turkey

Remove the packaging from your frozen turkey breast. If your breast comes with a gravy packet, thaw it just enough under hot water to remove the gravy packet. (Toss the gravy packet away.)
6-7 pound frozen turkey breast
Pour the broth into the Instant Pot. Using the saute setting, bring the broth to a boil. (This step will help your Instant Pot pressurize more quickly.)
1 cup turkey or chicken broth
Meanwhile, place the turkey breast onto a large sheet of foil or parchment paper. Sprinkle all sides of the breast with the poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Place the turkey breast into the liquid in the Instant Pot, breast-side-up. Toss the foil or parchment paper away.
1 ½ teaspoons poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Lock the Instant Pot lid into place. Choose the high pressure setting and set the cooking time to 85 minutes, bringing the Instant Pot to full pressure.
When the Instant Pot timer sounds, use a natural release for at least 20 minutes to let the Instant Pot naturally release the pressure itself, allowing the turkey breast to continue cooking under residual heat and also to rest so the meat is very tender and juicy before you slice it.
Carefully unlock and remove the Instant Pot lid. Using an instant-read thermometer, test the internal temperature of the turkey breast by inserting the thermometer probe right into the center of the thickest part of the breast, making certain not to touch any bone. The turkey is fully cooked and safe to eat when the internal temperature registers 160-165 degrees F.
If the turkey breast hasn't reached 165 degrees F at this point, lock the Instant Pot lid back into place and repressuize for an additional 5 minutes. When the timer sounds, use a natural pressure release for 20 minutes.
If you want to brown the skin, use to large meat forks to remove the turkey breast from the Instant Pot to a shallow roasting pan or a rimmed baking sheet.
Brush the skin with olive oil. Place the turkey breast on the center oven rack 6-8 inches beneath the broiler for a few minutes, keeping a close eye on it so the skin doesn't burn, crisping the skin until deep golden brown.
1 teaspoon olive oil, for rubbing over the skin if you wish to brown it in the oven after cooking it in the Instant Pot

Make the Gravy

Using the reserved gravy packet and the liquids from the Instant Pot that have accumulated with the chicken broth during the cooking process, use the saute setting on the Instant Pot to bring these liquids to a simmer. Create a corn starch slurry by whisking together equal parts water and cornstarch (I'd start with 1 Tbs. of each). Adding a little of the slurry at a time, whisk constantly until the gravy is nicely thickened and smooth. Serve at once over mashed potatoes and sliced turkey.
To the liquids that remain in the Instant Pot from cooking the turkey breast, add an additional 2 cups of chicken broth.
In a small bowl, make a cornstarch slurry by combining the cornstarch with the water, stirring until smooth.
Using the sauté setting on the Instant Pot, add the prepared slurry, a little at a time, whisking constantly as the gravy simmers until nicely thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2 cups chicken or turkey broth, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water

How to Cook a Frozen Turkey Breast in the Instant Pot

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Ingredients

For the Turkey

For the Gravy

Instructions

Make the Turkey

Make the Gravy

Notes

This recipe was created for cooking a frozen, bone-in turkey breast that weighs approx. 7 lbs. and is cooked in an 8-quart Instant Pot. If you are using a standard size 6-quart Instant Pot, you will need a turkey breast that weighs closer to 5 lbs.

Nutrition