Cooking whole turkey with Instant Pot

Whatever you can fit in there. But why... thats my question. You will still have to place it in the oven afterwards to get a somewhat crispy skin, maybe. And most likely by the time you remove it from the IP it will simply fall apart.
IP is great tool, but its NOT for everything.

cRaZyRaVr wrote: ↑ Whatever you can fit in there. But why... thats my question. You will still have to place it in the oven afterwards to get a somewhat crispy skin, maybe. And most likely by the time you remove it from the IP it will simply fall apart.
IP is great tool, but its NOT for everything.

I think they say the way Instant Pot make it will have the turkey meat tendor and juicy. But you are right. Can't put too long inside IP. Otherwise, the whole bird will far apart. And yes, after IP, we will start need to put the turkey inside the oven, broiling for 5-10 minutes making the skin crispy.

Here is one recipe I found online https://temeculablogs.com/pressure-cooker-turkey/

Skadefryd wrote: ↑

It's going to fall apart and turn into a mess. If you plan on only using the meat for casseroles or soup, maybe it would be okay.

Really ? I am kind of worried to experiment it for the Christmas party. Maybe I should go get a backup turkey LOL

But according to several articles I read online, they all say it tastes so much better and won't go back to traditional way of making it.

if you want to experiment then try the Gordon ramsay Christmas turkey, dry brined and butterflied. You'll stop experimenting after you try this almost perfect recipe.

If you're doing dark meat only, I think the IP would be fine as leg meat can withstand the pressure.

Having said that I probably wouldn't do first time experiment for Christmas party. Do it for your own family to learn first how long to cook it.

Brining it would give you a moist and tender turkey. I still haven't cracked open my Instant Pot I bought a year ago, but most videos I see on Youtube cook the living heck out of anything put in it. Maybe experiment with a cheap 99 cents per pound bird before doing this for a special occasion?

rdx wrote: ↑ I am going to try making turkey for Christmas dinner with the 6 Qt Instant Pot as people say online it tastes a lot better. Just wonder if anyone here has tried and what is the biggest bird you have tried making with it. Some people say 8 lbs and some say 10 lbs.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience.

Just cook your turkey the normal way but cook it breast side down if you want juicy/tender meat. Does 8lbs even qualify as a turkey, lol?

Chickinvic wrote: ↑ Just cook your turkey the normal way but cook it breast side down if you want juicy/tender meat. Does 8lbs even qualify as a turkey, lol?

Exactly. Small birds don't even cook nicely in the oven because they don't stay in long enough to get a crispy skin. The meat is done well before the skin.

If the roasting time for a smaller turkey doesn't crisp the skin fully, how are you going to get crispy skin on a fully cooked turkey with soggy stewed skin? This sounds like a bad venture.

If I were to do a good sized turkey (>10lbs) in an IP (though I'm not very inclined to do this), I think I would carve it first and not cook it whole. You can then do a big bird in batches - keep done batches warm in a 150F oven.

Then when done, pat as dry as possible with paper towels and put it in a 450F oven for a couple of minutes. Or perhaps blowtorch the skin (rapidly becoming my favourite finishing technique for things like sous vide).

When you own a hammer, not everything is a nail.

A pressure cooker is 100% the wrong tool for a roast turkey.

I will give maybe a slight nod to the ridiculous appliance that's a "combo" air fryer and pressure cooker, but not when used as a pressure cooker.
The air fryer yes only because that's just more words for what should be called an oven.

death_hawk wrote: ↑ When you own a hammer, not everything is a nail.

A pressure cooker is 100% the wrong tool for a roast turkey.

Well put.
I recall when microwave ovens went mainstream.
There was a wave of people cooking cakes, roasts, etc. in them until that settled down.

lecale wrote: ↑ Exactly. Small birds don't even cook nicely in the oven because they don't stay in long enough to get a crispy skin. The meat is done well before the skin.

If the roasting time for a smaller turkey doesn't crisp the skin fully, how are you going to get crispy skin on a fully cooked turkey with soggy stewed skin? This sounds like a bad venture.

Not true re. small birds which is actually likely a younger more tender turkey. The "problem" with 8 lb turkey is you're not likely to find one as turkey producers generally don't harvest turkey's that small. The smallest birds I see are usually around 5kg which is 11 lbs.

Dry brine it, spatchcock it and roast it high heat => crispy skin.



IP can likely work especially with dark meat...I've never tried it myself but let me introduce BRAISED TURKEY. Perhaps get a 99 cent/lb on sale turkey to try this.

https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-review ... s-br-70749

gr8dlr wrote: ↑ Not true re. small birds which is actually likely a younger more tender turkey. The "problem" with 8 lb turkey is you're not likely to find one as turkey producers generally don't harvest turkey's that small.

We had an 8 lb turkey for Thanksgiving and I was totally unimpressed. The bugger had no fat on it, even in the skin, because it was too young to build a fat store. As well, it was just a regular turkey and not the brined and fat infused variety like Butterball or President's choice. We stuffed it and roasted it as we would a regular turkey, and it made no drippings. It wasn't particularly flavourful either. I would describe young turkey as lean and mean. The only thing worse is wild turkey, which is too lean and too gamey.

gr8dlr wrote: ↑ The smallest birds I see are usually around 5kg which is 11 lbs.

We usually roast a 10 to 12 pounder and have none of the issues we had with the 8 pounder. 12+ lbs is the usual harvest weight for a broiler turkey. Anything less is going to be immature and too skinny, I think.

gr8dlr wrote: ↑ Dry brine it, spatchcock it and roast it high heat => crispy skin.

IP can likely work especially with dark meat...I've never tried it myself but let me introduce BRAISED TURKEY. Perhaps get a 99 cent/lb on sale turkey to try this.

https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-review ... s-br-70749

I think the bottom line is if you are going to go for a small turkey, you can't roast it in the manner of a larger, mature turkey and expect similar results. Maybe the Instant Pot is an option, but I wouldn't expect to get crispy skin out of that.

gr8dlr wrote: ↑ Not true re. small birds which is actually likely a younger more tender turkey. The "problem" with 8 lb turkey is you're not likely to find one as turkey producers generally don't harvest turkey's that small. The smallest birds I see are usually around 5kg which is 11 lbs.

Dry brine it, spatchcock it and roast it high heat => crispy skin.

IP can likely work especially with dark meat...I've never tried it myself but let me introduce BRAISED TURKEY. Perhaps get a 99 cent/lb on sale turkey to try this.

When someone does that to a turkey. Then just "washes" his hands with a kitchen towel that he just throws on the counter and picks up a bottle of olive oil. I throw up a little in my mouth and am thankful I am not eating there and kind of disregard pretty everything they say. Which is sad because I know the method would work, but seriously the lack of hygiene, just kills the message for me.

Canuck2fan wrote: ↑ When someone does that to a turkey. Then just "washes" his hands with a kitchen towel that he just throws on the counter and picks up a bottle of olive oil. I throw up a little in my mouth and am thankful I am not eating there and kind of disregard pretty everything they say. Which is sad because I know the method would work, but seriously the lack of hygiene, just kills the message for me.

Pepper mill too. Arguably salt as well since they're probably not using a separate disposable portion.

What's worse is that this is the New York Times, someone that has the money to hire someone that's not completely incompetent.

Also spatchcocked turkey in 35 minutes? I'm suspicious since I spatchcock chicken all the time and that alone takes 30 minutes.
35 minutes to me screams raw turkey.

death_hawk wrote: ↑ Pepper mill too. Arguably salt as well since they're probably not using a separate disposable portion.

What's worse is that this is the New York Times, someone that has the money to hire someone that's not completely incompetent.

Also spatchcocked turkey in 35 minutes? I'm suspicious since I spatchcock chicken all the time and that alone takes 30 minutes.
35 minutes to me screams raw turkey.

Since I lost interest after the hand washing, I did not finish the video.... I agree 35 minutes seems unrealistic but given the source is the Times, a few things could have contributed to that time working...

Firstly, if it was a convection oven. Secondly it was set to 400F or higher. Lastly, the bird was pretty small and if they did 5 or 6 takes under the set lights it might have been half cooked or 80F before it went into the oven LOL.

So, 35 minutes might have gotten the breast just into safe temperature range with resting it tented with foil. Especially, if he was using a wonky thermometer. LOL The legs though would probably be like eating rubber as that is not nearly enough time for them.