Cook the most tender, moist, and incredibly flavorful Instant Pot whole turkey with perfectly crisp skin in under 2 hours using the Instant Pot Duo Crisp, Mealthy CrispLid or Ninja Foodi.
We've used just about every method there is to cook turkey. We've fried, spatchcocked, dry-brined and wet-brined our turkey. While they were good, they weren't irresistible. We'd actually decided to pass on the turkey this Thanksgiving in favor of pot roast and ham. But, when we got an Instant Pot Duo Crisp
just a few weeks before Thanksgiving, I couldn't resist trying a turkey in it. After one bite, my wife stated: "This is the best turkey I've ever had. We need to add turkey back to the Thanksgiving menu." If you're looking for tender, moist and incredibly flavorful turkey, you've come to the right place.
Why This Recipe Works
- When cooking in the Instant Pot
, there is no need to brine your turkey. The steam pressure during cooking, along with the aromatics in the pot, result in a tender, moist and flavorful turkey without the step of brining. - The Duo Crisp's air fryer lid allows you to broil your turkey right in the pot. No need to go through the delicate step of removing a tender turkey from the pot to transfer to the oven, and no need to dirty a pan! If you have a regular Instant Pot, you can purchase the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid or Mealthy CrispLid to air fry. Another option is the Ninja Foodi, which is similar to the Instant Pot Duo Crisp.
- From start to finish, the turkey is ready in under two hours!
or 
to air fry. Another option is the 
, which is similar to the Instant Pot Duo Crisp.How to Make an Instant Pot Whole Turkey
Place aromatics in pot (onion, garlic, lemon, thyme), along with liquid smoke and 1 cup of water. Then place trivet on top of them.
Season the turkey generously with salt and pepper, making sure to season inside the cavity of the bird. Add turkey to pot, breast side up. Then lock lid and cook for 60 minutes at high pressure.
Once cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally (will take about 40 minutes).
Remove pressure lid and switch to fry lid. Broil for 10 minutes, or until skin reaches desired crispiness.
And This is the AMAZING Result...
Expert Tips
- You do not need to brine your turkey for this method. The purpose of brining is to keep the meat moist while cooking in dry heat. When cooking in wet heat there's no need to brine. There are many conflicting opinions on brining a turkey in the first place. According to this article, brining "results in the meat contracting less while it's in the oven and losing less moisture as it cooks." However: "'It's juicy, but the juice is watery' because you forced the bird to absorb water." And, according to this article by Organic Authority, when you brine a turkey, you add more moisture, in the form of water, to the bird which results in a turkey that tastes more like salted water than turkey. Trust me, try cooking your turkey in the Instant Pot Duo Crisp without brining. You won't be disappointed.
- The best part about this recipe is the flexibility it allows. You can use pretty much any combination of your favorite aromatics to get the flavor you prefer.
- You'll find that the easiest way to carve this bird is while it's still in the pot, as each piece will be easy to remove. Not to mention the visual appeal this turkey in the pot is much more stunning than on a platter.
- After you're done eating the turkey, do yourself a favor and use the broth in the bottom of the pot to make some soup. I promise it will be one the most flavorful soups you'll ever make.
FAQS
What size turkey should I use? I would aim for one no bigger than 9 lbs. (10 lbs. max). If you go bigger, you may need to cut off the wing tips and/or the drums. If you need to do this, I recommend reserving the wing tips and drums to make turkey stock so they're not wasted.
What size Instant Pot did you use? The Instant Pot Duo Crisp is 8 quarts. If you're looking for a recipe for a 6qt Instant Pot
, I recommend our Instant Pot turkey breast recipe.
Can I make this in a regular 8qt pressure cooker? Yes. After pressure cooking, transfer the turkey to the oven and broil until crisp. You will need to do this carefully, as the turkey will be very tender.
Can I cook this from frozen? No. Almost all store-bought turkeys have the giblets inside the cavity, usually in a bag. You definitely need to remove them before cooking, which means defrosting is a must.
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Instant Pot Whole Turkey with Crispy Skin
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 1 garlic bulb sliced in half horizontally
- 1 lemon sliced
- 6 thyme sprigs
- ½ tsp. liquid smoke
- 9 lb. young turkey
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place aromatics in pot (onion, garlic, lemon, thyme), along with liquid smoke and 1 cup of water. Then place trivet on top of them.
- Season the turkey generously with salt and pepper, making sure to season inside the cavity of the bird. Add turkey to pot, breast side up. Then lock lid and cook for 60 minutes at high pressure.
- Once cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally (will take about 40 minutes).
- Remove pressure lid and switch to fry lid. Broil for 10 minutes, or until skin reaches desired crispiness.
Notes
Expert Tips
- You do not need to brine your turkey for this method. The purpose of brining is to keep the meat moist while cooking in dry heat. When cooking in wet heat there's no need to brine. There are many conflicting opinions on brining a turkey in the first place. According to this article, brining "results in the meat contracting less while it's in the oven and losing less moisture as it cooks." However: "'It's juicy, but the juice is watery' because you forced the bird to absorb water." And, according to this article by Organic Authority, when you brine a turkey, you add more moisture, in the form of water, to the bird which results in a turkey that tastes more like salted water than turkey. Trust me, try cooking your turkey in the Instant Pot Duo Crisp without brining. You won't be disappointed.
- The best part about this recipe is the flexibility it allows. You can use pretty much any combination of your favorite aromatics to get the flavor you prefer.
- You'll find that the easiest way to carve this bird is while it's still in the pot, as each piece will be easy to remove. Not to mention the visual appeal this turkey in the pot is much more stunning than on a platter.
- After you're done eating the turkey, do yourself a favor and use the broth in the bottom of the pot to make some soup. I promise it will be one the most flavorful soups you'll ever make.
FAQS
What size turkey should I use? I would aim for one no bigger than 9 lbs. (10 lbs. max). If you go bigger, you may need to cut off the wing tips and/or the drums. If you need to do this, I recommend reserving the wing tips and drums to make turkey stock so they're not wasted. What size Instant Pot did you use? The Instant Pot Duo Crisp is 8 quarts. If you're looking for a recipe for a 6qt Instant Pot, I recommend our Instant Pot turkey breast recipe.
Can I make this in a regular 8qt pressure cooker? Yes. After pressure cooking, transfer the turkey to the oven and broil until crisp. You will need to do this carefully, as the turkey will be very tender.
Can I cook this from frozen? No. Almost all store-bought turkeys have the giblets inside the cavity, usually in a bag. You definitely need to remove them before cooking, which means defrosting is a must.Nutrition
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Can I add an extra cup of water? I want lots of liquid. I want to use some for gravy and some in my dressing/stuffing. Looks great!
The bird releases plenty of liquid. I think adding more might be too much.
What temperature is it supposed to be cooked at
As stated in the recipe, cook at high pressure, then use the broil function with the air fryer lid.
I want to use this recipe to cook a 4.5 to 5 lb turkey breast. Do I need to adjust the cooking times because the turkey breast is only half the weight of the turkey described in the recipe? If so, how should I adjust the times?
Also, my wife would like to use orange juice rather than water during pressure cooking. Will this work ?
I use the rule: 5 minutes per pound, plus 5 more minutes. You can see our Instant Pot turkey breast recipe here: https://thefoodieeats.com/instant-pot-turkey-breast/
I have not cooked this recipe using orange juice. It should still cook properly, but I cannot speak to how the flavor would compare to the recipe as written.
A great way of preparing turkey, thanks for sharing!
I have made a lot of things in my instant pot but I'd yet to make a whole chicken. This was so easy and so good! The whole head of garlic was key! Will be making this going forward!