Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Instant Pot Turkey Thighs with Thanksgiving Flavors. Dark meat turkey with a traditional Thanksgiving flavor profile, done in about an hour thanks to pressure cooking.
Could you cook the whole Thanksgiving turkey in a pressure cooker?
The gauntlet was thrown at the writing workshop. What could I do to make an entire Thanksgiving dinner in the pressure cooker? Could I do the whole turkey?
Well…no. Turkey breast is too lean, with a narrow window where it is cooked properly. Go a couple of degrees too high and you’re dealing with dry, stringy white meat.
The dark meat, now, that’s a different story. It stands up to pressure cooking. In fact, it’s better when it’s a little overdone, tenderizing the tougher, harder working legs. So, as usual, I’m going to the dark side…of the Turkey.
(If you are cooking a different part of the turkey, check out my Instant Pot Turkey Wings and Instant Pot Turkey Drumsticks recipes.)
What should you serve with this recipe? Try my Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe to soak up the juices.
Recipe: Instant Pot Turkey Thighs with Thanksgiving Flavors
Print
Instant Pot Turkey Thighs with Thanksgiving Flavors
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 thighs 1x
Description
Instant Pot Turkey Thighs with Thanksgiving Flavors. Dark meat turkey with a traditional Thanksgiving flavor profile, done in about an hour thanks to pressure cooking.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 turkey thighs, bone in and skin on (about 4 pounds)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 sprig fresh sage (or ½ teaspoon dried sage)
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary (or ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary)
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup turkey broth (or chicken broth)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (If using homemade broth)
- ½ cup dried cranberries
Cornstarch Slurry (optional)
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Brown the skin side of the turkey thighs: Sprinkle the turkey thighs with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper. Melt the butter in an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker on Sauté mode. (Medium heat in a stovetop PC). As soon as the butter is melted, add 2 of the turkey thighs to the pot, skin side down, and sear until the skin is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Move the browned thighs to a bowl, then sear the skin side of the remaining 2 thighs, about 3 more minutes. Add them to the bowl of browned thighs.
- Sauté the aromatics: Add the onions, celery, carrot, and garlic to the pot, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt. Sauté until the onions soften, about 5 more minutes, stirring and scraping the pot with a flat-edged wooden spoon to loosen any browned turkey bits stuck to the bottom.
- Simmer the herbs and the wine, then put everything in the pot: Add the sprigs of sage, rosemary, and thyme, then pour in the wine. Bring the wine to a simmer and simmer for 1 minute to boil off some of the alcohol. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon one last time, to make sure nothing is sticking. Pour in the turkey broth and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt. Add the turkey thighs - I put them in sideways, so they are all slightly submerged in the liquid - and add any turkey juices in the bowl. Scatter the dried cranberries over the top.
- Pressure cook for 30 minutes with a natural release: Lock the pressure cooker lid. Pressure cook on high pressure for 30 minutes in an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker (or for 25 minutes in a stovetop PC). Let the pressure come down naturally, about 20 minutes more. (If you’re in a hurry, you can quick release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes).
- Thicken the sauce and serve: Unlock the lid, opening it away from you to avoid any hot steam. Move the turkey thighs to a platter with tongs or a slotted spoon. (Be gentle - they will be fall-apart tender). Scoop out the cranberries and onions with a slotted spoon and add to the platter with the turkey thighs, discarding the herb stems when you find them. Whisk the water and cornstarch in a small bowl, making a slurry, and then stir the cornstarch slurry into the pot. Ladle some of the pot liquid over the thighs and pass the rest at the table as a gravy. Enjoy!
Notes
- Dry white wine: I like Gewürztraminer or a dry Riesling wine with turkey. That said, we're adding wine for the acid and a hint of fruit - if you have a different white wine, throw it in there, it will be fine.
- Don’t want to use wine? Use apple cider, or more turkey broth.
Tools
- 6 quart or larger pressure cooker (I love my Instant Pot 6-Quart Pressure Cooker)
- Flat edged wooden spoon
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Category: Sunday Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
What do you think?
Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts
Pressure Cooker State Fair Turkey Drumsticks
Pressure Cooker Day-After-Thanksgiving Turkey Carcass Soup
Instant Pot Day-After-Thanksgiving Turkey Soup with Mashed Potato Dumplings
My other Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Recipes
Enjoyed this post? Want to help out DadCooksDinner? Subscribe to DadCooksDinner via email and share this post with your friends. Want to contribute directly? Donate to my Tip Jar, or buy something from Amazon.com through the links on this site. Thank you.
Jen T. says
I've made this soo many times now. My family loves it. I don't change a thing - sometimes just use 2 thighs, comes out the same. Sometimes I thicken the gravy, sometimes I don't. One question, If I have a lot of leftovers (like I did this last time) can I freeze 2 whole turkey thighs in the gravy to make another meal later?
Mike Vrobel says
Yes, absolutely! Dark meat turkey freezes well.
Montana Merry says
This has been my go to recipe for turkey thighs. Fresh home grown herbs are a plus. Once the herb stems are removed, I use a stick blender on the broth and veggies before adding the cornstarch. It makes the gravy extra yummy and picky eaters don’t know they are there. Excellent recipe!!
Mike Vrobel says
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoy it!
Susan says
Do I HAVE to brown the thighs first?
Mike Vrobel says
No, you don't have to. But I recommend it, because it adds flavor to the recipe.
Mary Disterhoft says
I plan to make this tripe gor Thamksgiving. There are so many recipes fir breasts, but few for thighs. Had a difficult time finding thighs. A friend suggested a privately owned meat market and fortunately they had some.
Susan says
What if I didn't think ahead to thaw the turkey thights? I know the obvious answer is wait till the next day, but can the instant pot help me out today? Or thaw in the microwave?
Thanks
Sonja says
Thanks for a great recipe! I make this again and again and it never fails to satisfy the entire family. The instant pot is amazing! Simplifies everything and is quick. The thighs are so tender wnd delicious. A comforting meal. Serving with cornbread dressing, greens and baked sweet potatoes. The gravy is delectable too!
Mike Vrobel says
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoy it.
Douglas Garay says
This was excellent! I made three turkey thighs, no cranberries, and flour for the gravy. I did all the prep work in a cast iron and then moved it over to the 6qt Instant Pot. I reused the cast iron for oven-baked stuffing, and I made stove-top mashed potatoes & steamed green beans. Slam dunk!
Mike Vrobel says
Great! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Liz says
Love this recipe and have made it twice now; however, both times, the meat was a bit chewy. I made it with just 2 thighs the first time and one very large thigh the second time. Also, added 5 minutes to the cooking time the second time. Any suggestions?
Mike Vrobel says
I've never had that problem; they come out fork tender and shreddable for me. But it does sound like your thighs are not cooked enough, and you're on the right track with extra time. Add five minutes the next time you make it with 2 "regular" thighs, and maybe 10 minutes for the very large one.
Lisa says
Really delicious! So easy to make!
Mike Vrobel says
Thank you!
Chelsea says
Great recipe! If I do boneless would I lessen the cooking time? If so then how much do you think would be best?
Love your page and recipes... found a new favorite go to site!
Mike Vrobel says
Yes, you would reduce the cooking time for boneless turkey thighs - but I've never done it, so I don't know exactly how much. 15 minutes at high pressure sounds about right, but check them when the cooking time is done, and cook again for 5 more minutes at high pressure if they're not ready.
Andy says
My go-to recipe for the last 3 years. Always a crowd pleaser 🙂
Mike Vrobel says
Thank you!
Ramona from Mississippi says
I’ve made this recipe twice and I just looked it up again cause I’m going to make it for dinner tonight. It’s wonderful. The first time I made it I was just looking for some way to cook some frozen turkey thighs in my instant pot in a hurry. I didn’t thaw or brown them and it still turned out wonderfully. I figured I should review this recipe (my first ever review) because I really love these flavors together and even though it’s June I’d like to have some Thanksgiving comfort for dinner tonight.
Mike Vrobel says
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy it.
Steven Field says
Made yesterday. Delicious! I did the browning on the stovetop and my "rub" was salt, Black pepper, Cumin, Roasted Garlic and a pinch of cayenne. They looked great sitting in the bowl. I put all 4 thighs in the IP on their sides and was happy it fit. I was considering using a basket so they would stand taller, but didn't try it.
After cooking and taking the thighs out, the skins looked re-hydrated and the rub was mostly off. Did not affect the flavor at all. But next time I might throw them under the broiler to re-brown the skins.
I did try to thicken the juices. My first time ever. And I realized I had almost 2-QUARTS of liquid, so maybe needed more cornstarch? LOL! I'm sure I can lookup the C:L ratio... I will also check how thick it is after an overnight in the fridge. This "gravy" tasted good. (I also made IP Stuffing...)
Roberta says
Made this last year for thanksgiving and it was soooooo good i passed this recipe to all my instant pot friends. You spoiled me, i won' eat turkey any other way!!!!!!
Mike Vrobel says
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. And thanks for sharing it!
Sandi says
Looks amazing! Will this work with a thigh still connected to the leg?? It's pretty big but it will fit in the Instant Pot... Would love your thoughts. Thanks!
Mike Vrobel says
I haven’t found them connected - it will take longer under pressure, but I don’t know how long. If you try it, let me know it goes n