A few years ago, I impulse-bought a frozen 7-pound turkey breast solely because it was on sale for $7. I brought it home with no real plan other than to cook it in my Instant Pot. So I read a few recipes online and, in under two hours, I had a turkey breast so tender it was falling apart. I was a frozen-to-fab believer!
Here’s how I did it — and have done it ever since.
This turkey goes great with sides like Stuffed Artichoke Casserole and Hashbrown Casserole. And if you’ve got any leftover turkey afterwards, try out my flauta recipe.
Instant Pot Turkey Breast
NOTE: This recipe is for a frozen boneless turkey breast roast because they’re more readily available. The same recipe can be followed for a frozen bone-in turkey breast, just alter your cooking time to be 6 minutes per pound.
1 (3 pound) frozen boneless turkey breast roast (I like Butterball)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
2 yellow onions, peeled and quartered
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons butter, softened (or you may substitute olive oil)
2 envelopes (1 box) Lipton Onion Soup mix
2-3 tablespoons Garlic & Herb seasoning blend (or whatever floats your boat)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons cornstarch (if you’re making gravy)
3 ounces water (if you’re making gravy)
Prepare your Instant pot by placing the trivet at the bottom and pouring the chicken broth or water in the bottom.
Run warm water over the frozen bird just enough to loosen the gravy packet. (I toss it because I make my own gravy; instructions for that below)
Place turkey breast on the trivet and coat completely with the butter or olive oil. Sprinkle evenly with the Lipton onion soup mix, the garlic & herb seasoning (I like it garlicky!), and paprika. Arrange the celery and onion around the turkey breast.
Set the Instant Pot to cook a High Pressure for 55 minutes (if your turkey is thawed, set it for 25 minutes). Let the pressure natural release for 10-15 minutes.
The turkey doesn’t get crispy in the Instant Pot, but you can brush it with the drippings and brown it under your broiler if you’d like. We just skip that part.
It is seriously such an easy and delicious turkey!
For the gravy: Carefully remove the turkey, veggies, and trivet from the pot. Strain the pan drippings from the pot. Place the drippings back in the instant pot and set the pot to the Sauté function. In a separate container make a slurry of 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 3 ounces cold water. Add in the slurry, sauté until thick, and season as desired.
