Pressure Cooker Turkey with Dijon Gravy

Pressure Cooker Turkey with Dijon Gravy! Make with turkey legs or thighs, or bone-in half-breasts. Ready in about an hour. Works well for a family dinner or small holiday gathering.

Pressure Cooker Turkey with Dijon Gravy
Coco Morante

Raise your hand if you prefer dark meat turkey. It’s not just me, right?

There’s so much more flavor in the legs, thighs, and wings, and I’m happy to eat them at Thanksgiving -- or anytime I can find them in the market.

(And don’t worry if white meat is your thing — you can use bone-in half breasts for this recipe, too.)

Pressure Cooker Turkey with Dijon Gravy
Coco Morante

Pressure cooking turkey in your Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker is so much faster than oven roasting. The turkey is tender in no time.

It’s also way easier to make the gravy since all of the cooking liquid is already in the pot, ready to be blended up and thickened (and this Dijon-spiked version, inspired by this recipe, is KILLER). I love that there’s no need to scrape up pan drippings or get an extra pot dirty.

Turkey parts do tend to be more widely available during the holiday season. I’ll sometimes buy a few packs when they’re on sale the day after Thanksgiving or Christmas, then store them in the freezer for later. My parents always used this strategy, and now I do, too.

This dish comes together in just over an hour. It works well for a family dinner or a smaller holiday gathering. The gravy is savory, mustardy, and so, so good. There's enough to ladle over all the turkey and plenty for mashed potatoes, too.

Pressure Cooker Turkey with Dijon Gravy

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 60 mins
Total Time 70 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings

Substituting Chicken: Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or legs. Follow the recipe as written, but reduce pressure cooking time to 15 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 to 3 pounds bone-in turkey thighs, legs, wings, or bone-in half breasts (any combo you like)

  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as avocado or canola

  • 2 medium onions, sliced

  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled

  • 1/2 cup white wine

  • 1/2 cup chicken stock

  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves)

  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Method

  1. Sear the turkey:

    Pat the turkey dry with a paper towel. Season them on all sides with the salt and pepper.

    Select the “Sauté” setting on your pressure cooker and heat the oil. (Or sear on the stovetop if your pressure cooker doesn't have this setting.)

    Sear the turkey parts in batches, taking care not to crowd the pan too much. Sear thighs and half-breasts for about 5 minutes, skin side down; sear legs or wings for about 6 mins total, flipped once halfway through.

    Use a pair of tongs to transfer the turkey parts to a dish as each batch is done.

    Pressure Cooker Turkey with Dijon Gravy
    Coco Morante
    Pressure Cooker Turkey with Dijon Gravy
    Coco Morante
    Pressure Cooker Turkey with Dijon Gravy
    Coco Morante
    Pressure Cooker Turkey with Dijon Gravy
    Coco Morante
  2. Cook the onions and add the liquid:

    Add the onions and garlic to the now empty pressure cooker. Sauté until the onions begin to soften and turn translucent, about 5 minutes.

    Stir in the wine, broth, mustard, and thyme. When it comes to a simmer, add in the turkey parts in a single layer (it’s ok if they overlap a bit).

    Pressure Cooker Turkey with Dijon Gravy
    Coco Morante
    Pressure Cooker Turkey with Dijon Gravy
    Coco Morante
  3. Pressure cook the turkey:

    Secure the lid on the pressure cooker and make sure the pressure release valve set to its “sealing” position. Cancel the "Sauté" program, then select the “Poultry,” “Pressure Cook,” or “Manual” setting, and set the cooking time to 30 minutes at high pressure. (The pot will take about 10 minutes to come up to pressure and then the cooking time will begin.)

    When the cooking program finishes, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure by moving release valve to its “venting” position.

    When the pressure has fully released, open the pot. Use a pair of tongs to transfer the turkey to a serving dish.

    Pressure Cooker Turkey with Dijon Gravy
    Coco Morante
    Pressure Cooker Turkey with Dijon Gravy
    Coco Morante
    Pressure Cooker Turkey with Dijon Gravy
    Coco Morante
  4. Make the gravy:

    Sprinkle the flour over the onions and cooking liquid in the pot. Use an immersion blender to blend the mixture into a smooth gravy. (If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer the gravy to a regular blender, blend, and return to the pot; be careful when blending hot liquids.)

    Cancel the cooking program, and select the “Sauté” setting again. Bring the gravy up to a simmer and continue simmering for about two minutes, until it has thickened. Turn off the pot.

    Pressure Cooker Turkey with Dijon Gravy
    Coco Morante
  5. Serve:

    Ladle some of the gravy over the turkey and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve hot, with the rest of the gravy on the side.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
421 Calories
21g Fat
8g Carbs
47g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 421
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g 27%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 220mg 73%
Sodium 650mg 28%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 47g
Vitamin C 3mg 16%
Calcium 29mg 2%
Iron 4mg 20%
Potassium 647mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.