Instant Pot Whole Turkey with Crispy Skin

Fully cooked whole turkey in Instant Pot .

Instant Pot Whole Turkey with Crispy Skin

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 or Ninja Foodi.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1 40

Total Time 1 45

Servings

Calories 243kcal

Author Gary White

Ingredients

1 yellow onion sliced
1 garlic bulb sliced in half horizontally
1 lemon sliced
6 thyme sprigs
1 tsp. liquid smoke
9 lb. young turkey
salt and pepper

Instructions

Place the sliced onion, garlic, lemon, and thyme sprigs into the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add ½ teaspoon of liquid smoke and 1 cup of water. Position the trivet on top of the aromatics.
Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Generously season both the inside and outside with salt and pepper. Place the turkey on the trivet, breast side up.
Lock the Instant Pot lid and set it to "Pressure Cook" on high for 60 minutes. Once cooking is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally—this should take about 40 minutes.
Remove the pressure lid and switch to the air fryer lid (Duo Crisp or Mealthy CrispLid)—broil for 10 minutes or until the skin reaches your desired level of crispiness. If using a regular Instant Pot, carefully transfer the turkey to the oven and broil on high for 10-15 minutes.
Let the turkey rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. Use the flavorful broth in the bottom of the pot for gravy or soup.

Video

Notes

Expert Tips

Turkey Size: Aim for an 8-9 lb. turkey. Larger turkeys may need their wings or drums removed to fit.
Crisping: Broil using the air fryer lid for the best crispy skin, but be sure to watch closely to prevent burning.
Carving: Carve the turkey directly in the Instant Pot for easy removal and less mess.
Soup Bonus: Save the broth left in the Instant Pot to make a delicious post-Thanksgiving turkey soup.
Avoid Frozen Turkeys: Always defrost the turkey thoroughly and remove the giblets before cooking.
Wing Tip Use: If cutting off the wings or drums, reserve them for homemade turkey stock.

FAQs

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