This recipe for turkey breast tenderloin in the Instant Pot pressure cooker takes less than 5 minutes to prepare. It gives you flavorful, juicy turkey every time!
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If you’ve ever tried cooking turkey, you know the breast meat can turn out very dry. But when you cook the meat in the Instant Pot, it comes out juicy and flavorful every time!
It took me a few tries to get used to the electric pressure cooker. However, now that I have the hang of it, I love it! Dishes like this Instant Pot turkey tenderloin take minutes to prep, if even that.
Cleanup is easy too. You can take the pot right out of the machine and wash it in the dishwasher. Anything that’s easy to cook AND clean is a win in my book!
A meat to enjoy beyond holidays
I've gotten a lot better with the Instant Pot. And I was looking forward to perfecting my recipe for turkey tenderloin in the pressure cooker.
Most people think of turkey as a Thanksgiving dish, or maybe as turkey burgers. In reality, turkey is very versatile!
When cooked using a method that doesn’t dry it out, turkey is both delicious and satisfying. It’s also an excellent source of lean protein.
I love cooking turkey as an alternative to chicken. If you feel like switching up your poultry, give this Instant Pot turkey breast tenderloin a try!
How long to cook turkey tenderloin in Instant Pot
To find the perfect cook time for any Instant Pot dish, I start by referencing the official brand website or manual.
I’ll pick a specific cook time to try first. Then, the next few times I make that dish, I experiment by moving the cook time up or down a minute until I find the sweet spot.
The Instant Pot site states that boneless turkey breast should be cooked 7-9 minutes. The first time I tried this recipe, I set it for 10 minutes, which was a tad too long. For me, 9 minutes is just right.
Cooking turkey tenderloin with or without the rack
You have the option to cook your turkey tenderloins on the Instant Pot rack or place them directly in the water.
The liquid should fill the Instant Pot to just below the rack. So the advantage to cooking your turkey tenderloins on the rack is maintaining the herb crust. Once you turn the Instant Pot on, the water below will heat and steam the turkey.
Turkey cooked on the rack will still be tender, not dried out. However, it will lose a bit of liquid. That’s why I recommend drizzling some of the water leftover in the Instant Pot over the turkey immediately before serving.
If you place your turkey directly in the water, you may lose some of the herb crust. However, this method of poaching it is the best way to ensure the turkey tenderloins turn out moist and juicy.
It is entirely up to you which method you use.
How to cook a turkey breast tenderloin in the Instant Pot
The beauty of the electric pressure cooker is that it does most of the work for you. Simply prep the turkey, and the rest is handled!
Prepping the turkey.
- Place the rack in the Instant Pot if using. You can also leave it out and poach the turkey breast directly in the water.
- In a small bowl, mix together the herbs and spices.
- Rub the herb mix onto the turkey breasts.
- Place the turkey breasts in the Instant Pot.
Cooking the meat
- Lock the lid, ensuring that the valve is set to “Sealing.”
- Press the “Poultry” button and set the time between 7 and 10 minutes depending on the size of the fillets.
- Once the time is up, open the valve for a quick pressure release.
- When the pressure has gone down, open the Instant Pot and remove the turkey meat.
- You can save the remaining liquid in the Instant Pot to pour over the meat when you serve. You can also save it to use later as broth.
That’s it! You can find a nice keto side dish to serve with it, or keep it simple with a veggie like steamed broccoli.
Other low carb Instant Pot recipes
Looking for other, delicious dishes to make in your pressure cooker? Check out a few of these favorites:
- Chicken Thigh Soup is simple, savory, and preps in just 10 minutes for a hearty and delicious meal!
- Low Carb Smothered Pork Chops are served with a rich, creamy mushroom sauce and turn out so tender, the meat falls right off the bone.
- Spaghetti Squash With Meat Sauce shows you just how easy it is to cook this vegetable with your Instant Pot for an easy pasta alternative.
- Instant Pot Keto Meatloaf uses a pressure cooker for a moist and delicious keto meatloaf in less time then it would take to cook in the oven.
- Pressure Cooker Bone Broth speeds up the cooking time so that rich, nutritious bone broth is ready in a matter of hours, not days.
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Recipe
Instant Pot Turkey Breast Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 cup broth or water
- 2 turkey breast tenderloin about 24 ounces
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon thyme
- ¼ teaspoon sage
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Place rack in Instant Pot if desired (turkey breast can be poached directly in the water).
- Rub herbs and spices onto turkey breasts then place into Instant Pot.
- Lock lid and press "Poultry" button and adjust time anywhere between 7-10 minutes depending on size of fillets. (I did 10 and it was too long)
- When time is up, open valve for a quick pressure release and open lid after pressure has gone down. Remove the turkey meat.
- The remaining liquid can be served with the meat or saved for later and used as a broth.
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
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First Published: September 8, 2017... Last Updated: January 16, 2020
Heather
This recipe came out amazing! Used 2 Turkey tenderloins equaling 1.75# total weight. Pressure cooked on high power (manual/pressure button - did not use poultry setting) for just 9 minutes with quick release and they both surprisingly registered a little above 200° but were super tender and moist. Next I tented them with foil after I took them from the pot and had them rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Used 1 1/2 cups
broth to cook them in because I wanted to use the broth leftover for lots of gravy afterwards. Also used the trivet that came with my 6 qt. Instant pot although next time I’m going to try it without the trivet and just put them in the broth to poach like you mentioned. Can’t thank you enough for this wonderful recipe! This was beyond easy too. My husband who said he doesn’t like Turkey changed his mind and loved every bite!! lol
Lastly, sometimes the timing really is trial and error. I got lucky my first time making this using 9 minutes but others may need longer or shorter times so best for everyone to always check temps as you can always put lid back on and cook for a little longer if need be. It cooks a little more while tented for the 10 minutes afterwards too I’ve heard.
Rebecca
I'm wondering if anyone else tried this and got a vastly different cook time? I used two thawed turkey tenderloin pieces, totaling 24 oz just as described in the recipe, 10 min on poultry setting, and they were almost totally raw in the middle. I put them in again (adding 1/2 cup extra liquid) for 10 more min on poultry, and this time one was cooked through but the other still had a raw spot dead center. Put them back in for 4 min on normal high pressure cook and they were finally cooked through. We use our instant pot multiple times a week but have never used poultry setting. I basted them with the liquid before serving and they still tasted pretty good. Maybe it's an issue with my cooker -- any thoughts? Thanks for the recipe.
Lisa MarcAurele
You could do the manual high pressure for about 15 minutes or try a natural pressure release which will extend the cooking time. I have seen different pots vary in time.
Daniel Blakei
I love turkey more than chicken and pork so when I cook a turkey, I make sure that it will be delicious and enticing for the guest and for the entire family. I’d been looking for turkey recipes and this particular post is among the content that captured my eyes. It’s a simple way of cooking but could still put the turkey dishes to the next level of good taste.
Joanne
This looks very delicious! Have you tried cooking a whole turkey breast in your Instant Pot?
Lisa
Not yet, but very soon.