Making turkey breast in the oven can be a pain. You need to tend to it, baste it, make sure it doesn’t dry out, not to mention it can be an all-day task to cook. BLECH. AIN’T NOBODY GOT TIME FO’ DAT!
So I decided to make my turkey breast and gravy the way it should be done: moist, juicy, tender and EASY right in my Ninja Foodi, where we’ll give it a final roast RIGHT IN THE SAME DEVICE (without heating up your entire kitchen for hours), or Instant Pot!
This Thanksgiving, you’ll be the one giving the thanks at how easy and fun it is to cook turkey quickly and magnificently (again, in one compact appliance) with no hassles at all!
Here’s How I Made It!: (NOTE: Scroll to the bottom to see the fully written recipe and how to differentiate between doing it in the Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot!)
Begin with a thawed turkey breast (either bone-in or boneless is fine, just make sure it’s thawed).
In a clean sink, remove any excess things from the cavity or any turkey thermometers…
…and rinse well (and be sure you wash your hands after handling raw meat).
Pat dry when done and set aside on a plate.
Create the turkey breast’s marinade/glaze by taking some olive oil…
…rubbed sage…
…dried thyme…
…tarragon…
…seasoned salt…
…black pepper…
…and crushed garlic.
Mix together…
…until well-combined.
Then take that amazing glaze…
…and generously brush it all over the turkey breast.
Place the trivet in the pot…
…pour in some turkey or chicken broth.
…and rest the glazed turkey breast on top of the trivet.
Meanwhile, slice up some carrots…
…celery…
…and onions. And stuff as many of the veggies as you can to the sides of the turkey in the pot – and I mean really stuff them in as best as possible. (BUT NOT ON TOP OF IT).
It should look like this when done.
Secure the pressure cooking lid, place in sealing position and cook at high pressure.
When done cooking, remove the turkey and transfer to a plate with some roasting lifters…
…and then remove the trivet, allowing all the veggies to fall in the drippings.
Transfer the drippings to a large bowl or container for the time being.
Then, return the liner pot to the pressure cooker…
…along with the turkey breast.
Now to give this turkey some beautiful color and make it look like it’s been roasting in an oven all day! Take some Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet…
…drizzle just a little bit over the turkey…
…and dab it on with a silicone brush (don’t brush it on as you may remove all the glaze if you do).
Now it’s time to give this breast a little bit of a roasted/crispy exterior.
Close the TenderCrisp lid (or place the breast in an oven) for a few minutes…
…until it roasts/crisps beautifully just like so! Take those roasting lifters and transfer it from the liner pot…
…and set it on a cutting board.
Now let’s focus on turning these drippings into the best gravy ever!
Transfer it back into the liner pot and give it some heat.
Now take a few gravy packets…
…add them to the drippings and stir until dissolved.
When the gravy begins to bubble…
…stir in a cornstarch slurry to thicken it up a bit and then kill the heat.
As the bubbles die down, you’ll see you’ve just formed the most perfect gravy EVER!
Transfer that succulent gravy to a gravy boat or bowl (there will be a lot – which is a good thing) and set aside.
Now take a good carving knife…
…and marvel as you slice each piece of juicy, tender, PERFECT turkey breast!
Transfer the sliced turkey to a serving dish…
…pour over some gravy.
…and you’re gonna have quite a feast!
(Make my amazing stuffing with it too!)
Now try it out…
…and have a reaction that looks like this.
Give thanks by sharing the wealth…
…and watch how they give thanks to their tastebuds, you and life itself for having such amazing food made in such a convenient and revolutionary way!
Happy Thanksgiving, from us to you! ?❤️
Advertising Disclosure: Jeffrey Eisner/Pressure Luck is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
At the time of this post, Pressure Luck exclusively uses Better Than Bouillon/Southeastern Mills for all soup bases and bouillon
Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot Turkey Breast + Gravy
If you don't feel like making a whole turkey in your Instant Pot (or if one simply won't fit), the next best thing is a turkey breast. This recipe will also ensure it's incredibly juicy while making tbe most wonderful gravy.
Ingredients
- 4-7 lbs of a turkey breast (bone-in or boneless), thawed (NOTE: I would only go up to 6 lbs if using a 6 or 6.5qt pot and up to 7 lbs if using an 8qt)
- 3 tbsp of olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp of paprika (optional)
- 1 tbsp of rubbed sage
- 1 tsp of thyme
- 1 tsp of tarragon
- 1 tsp of seasoned salt
- 2 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp of crushed garlic
- 2 cups of turkey or chicken broth
- 1-2 large carrots, sliced into discs
- 2-3 stalks/ribs of celery, sliced
- 1-2 small yellow onions, quartered longways
- Two 1oz packets of gravy mix (optional, but I used 2 packets of Chicken Better Than Gravy)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water, for a cornstarch slurry
- A few drops of Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet
Instructions
- Unwrap the thawed turkey from the package and remove anything that may be in the cavity (like a turkey thermometer). Rinse the turkey breast well under warm water and pat dry and set on a place
- Mix together the olive oil, paprika (if using), rubbed sage, thyme, tarragon, seasoned salt, black pepper and crushed garlic in a mixing bowl. Use a silicone brush to brush it all over the turkey breast
- Place trivet inside the pot, pour in the broth and carefully lay in the turkey breast, breast side-up. Add the onions, carrots and celery around the side of the turkey breast (really stuff them in there to the sides of the turkey the best you can)
- Secure the lid, and hit “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” for 35 minutes at High Pressure. Allow a 12 minute natural release when done (meaning you do nothing for 12 minutes) and then follow with a quick release
- Now for a final quick roasting of the turkey:
- If using a Ninja Foodi, pierce the turkey with roasting lifters and transfer to a plate. Lift out the trivet, allowing all of the veggies to fall into the drippings and then carefully pour all the drippings from the liner pot into a large bowl or container. Return the emptied liner pot to the Foodi and place the turkey breast, breast side-up directly back into the pot (without trivet or roasting basket inserted). Using a brush, dab on a little Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet (a little goes a long way), lower the TenderCrisp lid, hit “Bake/Roast” at 400 degrees and go for 10 minutes, lifting the lid and checking on it midway through. If you want it crispier, go for a few minutes longer until you’ve reached the desired crispiness. (NOTE: If your turkey breast is small enough where the TenderCrisp lid can close on it with no problems, you can bypass removing the turkey, trivet and transferring of the drippings before crisping and just dab the Gravy Master on the turkey directly in the pot as is. After you remove the turkey when done crisping, then remove the trivet and allow the veggies to fall into the drippings in the pot)
- If using an Instant Pot, pierce the turkey with roasting lifters and transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet with non-stick spray. Lift out the trivet, allowing all of the veggies to fall into the drippings and and leave them in the pot. Meanwhile, dab on a little Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet (a little goes a long way). Pop into a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees. Roast the turkey in the oven for 5-10 minutes until golden in color. Keep an eye on it as ovens vary and we don’t want it to darken too much in color. (NOTE: Gravy Master/Kitchen Bouquet not only gives the turkey a gorgeous color and a little extra flavor, but will also make it look like it was cooking in the oven for HOURS!)
- When the turkey’s done roasting/crisping, set on a carving board and allow it to cool down before carving
- As the turkey’s cooling, let’s turn the broth drippings into gravy! If you used a Ninja Foodi, pour the drippings back into the liner pot (and if there’s some Gravy Master still in it after roasting, leave it there). If you used an Instant Pot, the drippings should still be in the liner pot as there was no need to remove it. Hit “Sauté” and Adjust to “More” or “High,” add in the gravy packets by stirring in well. Once it begins to bubble, add in the cornstarch slurry, stir well and let bubble for 1 minute. Then, turn the pot off and the gravy will thicken beautifully. Transfer to a gravy boat when done
- Lastly, carve up that turkey with a good knife, transfer the meat to a serving plate and serve with gravy poured over everything!
- Gobble Gobble! Goes great with my amazing stuffing!
Jeffrey's Tips
These roasting lifters are SUPER handy for removing your turkey easily and worry-free!
Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet can be found right here or usually in the gravy/condiment section of your local market.
This carving knife is absolutely spectacular for carving any kind of meat.
Goes great with my amazing stuffing!
NOTE: With the exception of yogurt, ANYTHING made in an Instant Pot can be made in the Ninja Foodi by following the exact same steps as the buttons/controls are all very similar. But if you make something in the Foodi that calls for a crisp right in the same device and you wish to do the same with something cooked in an Instant Pot, you’ll just need to transfer the contents from the Instant Pot to an oven or air fryer to crisp for a few moments at the end.
Pattie Kuhns
I did this last year and it was amazing. This year I did two and both came out dry and tough. I have to do one more on Thursday and I don’t know what to do. I don’t want it to be tough or dry. I used my Instant Pot. The first one I did the 12 minute NR. The second one I did a full NR.
Mary
I have a smaller half breast. About 3#. Should the cooking time be the same? Smaller family. Anyone have an idea about cooking time! NR time. Any help appreciated. Jeffrey?
Georgia McDonald
I’ve read 6min per pound.