Turkey Breast in Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot (2024)

Pressure cooker turkey breast that’s tender inside and crispy on the outside! Learn how to cook a bone in turkey breast in your Crock Pot Express, Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot.And if you only want to use the air crisp function, use our air fryer turkey breast recipe, this is the second option.

I made a pressure cooker turkey breast this year using my Ninja Foodi and it came out so moist on the inside with crispy skin on the outside.You can also make it as an Instant Pot recipe and throw it under the broiler. (affiliate links present)

Ninja Foodi Turkey Breast

I’m a bit obsessed with mine and have created a ton of new Ninja Foodi recipes lately with it. If you’re looking for other great recipes we’ve got ’em! A lean protein packed keto one pot meal you really could make year round, not just for Thanksgiving.

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You may be used to cooking an Instant Pot turkey but this year there are fewer of you and you don’t want leftovers. Instead just cook the breast which will feed 3-4 people easily! That is what we do now that we don’t have family living close. It’s the perfect amount for just our family.

If you too are obsessed with your Ninja Foodi pressure cooker air fryer machine, here are a few resource to start with:

1. You can bookmark our site because we add new recipes like this weekly.
   1. Here’s a printable air fryer cook times chart here for your fridge.
   2. Be sure to save this link to the best pressure cooker recipes too.
2. Grab a Foodi cookbook here, we love this one.
3. Then join our Ninja Facebook group where you can share and find more ideas you’ll love. We have an air fryer page that shares daily ideas too.

If you need to know how to cook frozen meat in a pressure cooker, we have information on that. NO, you aren’t the only forgetful one. 😉

Turkey Breast Instant Pot

Yes there are lots of ways to make a turkey. If you have a smaller family though, cooking just a turkey breast can be the perfect size.

I have also made a sheet pan turkey using a smaller bird that cooked in about 60 minutes too! I cooked this in our oven and is the only way I’d cook an entire turkey from now on.

Ninja Foodi Turkey

If you’ve never purchased a turkey breast before they will either be with the whole turkeys during the holidays, or in the freezer section. A great choice when there are only a few of you. We make this now since we moved away from family and there are just 4 of us.

I made this in March so it was previously frozen and took about a day and a half to thaw out. Keep that in mind when you’re preparing food for the holidays. I wouldn’t recommend cooking from frozen, defrost it first.

How do you thaw a frozen turkey breast?

Cold water thawing method is best. Thaw your frozen turkey breast with the meat side down. Keep it in its original wrapper, unopened is better when submerged.

Cover with enough cold water to cover it completely. Change water every 30 minutes and if the turkey cannot be completely covered, rotate every 30 minutes until it is defrosted.

How do I cook a bone in turkey breast?

I use my pressure cooker Ninja Foodi to cook this turkey! It’s so much easier, and faster. In the oven a bone-in turkey breast takes about 15 minutes per pound, or 45 minutes or until the thickest part of the meat registers 160-165 degrees.

You have to tent the bird with aluminum foil and constantly ensure the skin doesn’t brown too much. Why I love pressure cooking a turkey. There is no need to baste it.

Just throw it sprinkled with salt and pepper, on high pressure, and walk away. You can use these same directions to make a turkey crown as well. You may need to add a few minutes depending on whether the leg and/or wing is attached but pretty close.

Now, if you have a Ninja Foodi like we do, you can crisp the skin in less than 20 minutes too. 10 was perfect for us but to each their own. You can get it REALLY crispy using an air fryer.

• Under your broiler works too. 😉 I based the timing using our Ninja Foodi cooking times sheet and went from there.

I couldn’t believe how moist it turned out.

Turkey breast in Ninja Foodi

Unwrap meat, rinse, and prepare vegetables to begin with.

• Add a sliced onion and minced garlic to the bottom of your pot.
• Slice 2 large potatoes in half and place the cut side down. These will act as your trivets.
• Place the breast side facing up with the ribs on top of the potatoes.
  • We used a 4 pound turkey breast and it fit nicely.

Bone In Turkey Breast in Ninja Foodi

Season the top as desired, our dry turkey rub is fabulous.

• Pour chicken broth into the pot.
  • This whole process should take less than 25 minutes
• Close pressure cooker lid and set to 30 minutes on high.
  • This timing was perfect for this size breast.
• Then crisp the outside to make a moist turkey, slice and serve!

We also have directions for air fryer turkey breast at the top of this post for you if you don’t have or want to pressure cook it first. For this one I recommend a boneless breast instead so it cooks thru easier.

Our piece had the little red timer in it which was nice, and right on time when I opened the lid I watched it pop up! Of course you always want to check the internal temperature to ensure it is done safely. Now DON’T throw away the drippings underneath because you can make pressure cooker gravy with that!

Is turkey done at 165 or 180?

There is some confusion on the internal meat temperature necessary. Until 2006 the FDA recommended a cooking temperature of 165 for the breast meat and 180 for the thighs.

For turkey that’s 165 degrees. BUT you’ll want to remove the bird when the temperature reaches 155 to 160 degrees because it will continue to cook outside the pressure cooker or oven.

Where do you stick the thermometer in a turkey breast?

Insert the meat thermometer 2 1/2 inches in the deepest portion of the turkey breast. Make sure the thermometer does not touch a bone. When inserting make sure it goes in from the side.

Pressure Cooker Turkey Breast

Let me tell you one of the best, surprising, parts of this meal. The potatoes are to die for! Soaking up all the juices from the broth and drippings from the turkey in the cooking process they just fall apart with goodness.

• Tender and FULL of flavor these potato “trivets” will be fought over believe me!

You do want to make sure the potatoes are rather large. You are going to cut them in half so they’ll be even smaller and in for about 40 minutes total they will get quite soft. Even as large as I chose they were falling apart as you can see.

So, choose BIG taters to make a Ninja Foodi turkey breast for sure. Either russet or red potatoes work just fine. I just prefer red but we are in Idaho so……it really just depends what I have on hand.

Ninja Foodi Turkey Breast Recipe

We also have a list of the best Thanksgiving sides if you’re making it for a holiday get together below. Electric pressure cookers are so versatile that you can even make homemade Ninja Foodi cranberry sauce in it! I’ll never make it on the stovetop again. These are some of our favorite side dishes.

• Sweet potatoes in the air fryer are yummy
• Make pressure cooker mashed potatoes
• Everyone raves about our cream corn casserole recipe

After this you’ve gotta’ make this smoked turkey too!

How do you reheat a turkey breast?

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1. Place turkey breast in a shallow pan with a small amount of liquid
   1. I prefer chicken broth.
   2. Cover it with foil and heat approximately 15 minutes per pound
      1. until the internal temperature reaches 160.
   3. You can also use a pan on the stovetop on low heat and reheat individual slices until warm.

Pouring a bit of gravy on top while it’s reheating will keep it moist.

Instant Pot Turkey Breast

We also have tips on how to cook a moist turkey to get you started on that. Our second favorite method is Crockpot turkey breast. Either way you really can’t go wrong. I usually just choose the smaller version if it’s mid year.

If there’s just 2 of you this might be easier too, unless you want to make our favorite leftover turkey recipe or our Instant Pot turkey tetrazzini.

Forget to defrost your meat? NO problem! We share how to cook an Instant Pot frozen turkey breast here. You can make Instant Pot turkey tenderloin if there are only a few of you too.

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See Also

Gordon Ramsay's Meatloaf - Half-Scratched