Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is Instant Pot big enough for turkey? ›

A 6 lb turkey or turkey breast should fit into a 6 qt Instant Pot. For 7 lb turkey or breasts, use an 8 qt. Instant Pot (paid link). You don't have to brine but it makes the turkey taste so much better.

Cooking a turkey upside down allows the juices to trickle down during the roasting process for extra moist and juicy breast meat. Plus, since the dark meat is closer to the heat source, it cooks faster than it does with the traditional method. It's a win-win!

Rubbery texture comes from cooking too long with too low a heat. Most land fowl like chicken, turkey, pigeon, guineafowl, peafowl, etc. are best when cooked hot and fast. The quicker you seal up the outside, the more moisture that will be retained inside.

To cook, set your oven to 325°F and roast for 3½ to 4 hours for a 12- to 14-pound bird. Most important, pay attention to the internal temperature. It's important to note that the nature of some heritage breeds yield flesh and bone that may still have a pinkish hue, even when fully cooked.

As a general rule of thumb, plan on about 20 minutes of cooking time per pound of turkey. An 8- to 12-pound unstuffed turkey typically takes 2 3/4 to 3 hours to roast in a 325 degrees F oven.

and put it into the oven for 2 hours *at 325°*. I started checking on it about an hour and a half but at 2 hours. it came out looking roasted and beautiful. Cut away that netting and discard, and then your turkey is ready to go.

Breast Side Down. The main difference between how my mother makes her turkey and everyone else is to cook it breast side down. By cooking the turkey this way, the juices from the cooking turkey fall into the breast while the turkey cooks, resulting in the most succulent breast imaginable.

Do you put water in the bottom of the roasting pan for turkey? ›

"Often, consumers will inquire about adding water to the bottom of their roasting pans. We do not recommend adding water to the bottom of the pan. Cooking a turkey with steam is a moist heat-cook method and is acceptable, sure, but is not the preferred method for cooking your turkey."

To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.

Applying salt to an uncooked turkey, either by soaking in a water solution (wet brine) or by sprinkling salt directly on the bird (dry brine) causes the protein strands in the meat to break down over time so the meat tenderizes, absorbs flavors, and retains moisture.

Brine Your Bird

Soaking the turkey in this saltwater mixture helps to tenderize the meat while adding flavor and moisture throughout the entire turkey. The simplest of brines is plain ol' saltwater, but we love to add herbs and spices to give the turkey as much flavor as possible.

When the contracting muscle fibers reach 180° F they begin to break up. The bonds within the molecules begin to break down, causing proteins to unravel and the muscle meat becomes more tender. Of course the longer the turkey is cooked, the more the proteins are denatured and the meat gets tougher.

2- to 2½-pound bone-in turkey breast half: Roast at 325°F for 60 to 70 minutes. 2½- to 3-pound boneless turkey breast: Roast at 325°F for 40 to 60 minutes. 4- to 6-pound whole turkey breast: Roast at 325°F for 1½ to 2¼ hours. 6- to 8-pound whole turkey breast: Roast at 325°F for 2¼ to 3¼ hours.

At what temperature is a turkey breast done? Roast turkey breast uncovered according to package directions or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reaches 170°F. If your turkey breast has stuffing inside, the center of the stuffing should be 165°F.

Place breast on rack in shallow roasting pan. Brush with oil to prevent drying. Do not cover.

Wash your hands, but not the turkey! Many consumers think that washing their turkey will remove bacteria and make it safer. However, it's virtually impossible to wash bacteria off the bird. Instead, juices that splash during washing can transfer bacteria onto the surfaces of your kitchen, other foods and utensils.