This is an easy and delicious Instant pot turkey necks recipe. Juicy and full of the best flavor these turkey necks are smothered in a rich and flavorful brown gravy with onions and celery. Pressured cooked until perfection, the meat is so tender it melts in your mouth. Served over rice or creamy mashed potatoes, you have a delicious and comforting meal ready in only 1 hour!
Turkey necks are very popular to cook during the holidays but they are delicious comfort food that can be enjoyed all year round! They are usually slow-cooked in a crockpot or over the stove because if they aren't cooked long enough the meat can be tough.
However, if you want an easier and faster way of preparing them, pressuring cooking is an ideal way to cook them. This Instant Pot turkey necks recipe is simple to make, ready in under an hour, and only requires a handful of simple ingredients!
How to cook turkey necks in instant pot
The recipe is easy and the preparation should not take much time. Rinse necks with cold water and cut in three pieces. Place them in your pressure cooker.
Chop onions and celery. Place them in instant pot as well. Add garlic powder, dried thyme, salt, black pepper and the whole package of brown gravy seasoning. Add water and gently stir. Close and lock the lid.
Set on MANUAL and pressure cook necks for 55 minutes. After its done, release the pressure quickly. Carefully open the lid and give the dish a good but gentle stir. Now its ready to be served with your favorite side! Add some chopped green onions on top for a nice crunch.
Recipe ingredients
Turkey necks. You will need 2lb. Fresh is preferable, but if you have frozen turkey necks, make sure you thaw them before cooking.
Vegetables. Onions and celery are chopped and added to the Instant Pot with the other ingredients. They help to add a nice savory flavor to this dish.
Garlic powder. Adds a nice subtle garlic flavor to the turkey necks.
Dried thyme. A tasty seasoning that goes well with turkey.
Salt and black pepper. Staple kitchen seasonings. If you want a stronger pepper flavor, try using freshly ground black pepper instead of preground.
Package of brown gravy. Not only seasons the turkey necks, but creates a rich and flavorful sauce with the turkey juices.
Water. Used to braise the turkey necks until they are tender.
What are turkey necks
Turkey necks are simply a piece of meat that comes from the bottom part of the turkey's neck. It is made of large circular bones and meat. They can be used to add a richer flavor to soups and stews.
Or they can be smoked, boiled, or roasted until tender and enjoyed by themselves with rice or mashed potatoes as a delicious main dish.
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What do they taste like
Turkey necks are a delicious way to enjoy turkey. They taste similar to chicken necks, but with a richer flavor and have more meat on them. The necks are made of only dark meat so if you like turkey or dark meat chicken, you will like this piece of meat.
When cooking turkey necks for the first time, it's important to cook them for a long enough time so the meat is tender. I wouldn't recommend trying to cook them faster, because the meat will be tough.
Where to buy
Raw turkey necks may be a little hard to find, but they are especially popular around the holidays in the refrigerator section with turkey and chicken.
Most often you will find frozen turkey necks in the freezer meat aisle of the supermarket. You can also look for them at your local butcher or meat shops, or even online grocery stores.
Frequently asked questions
Turkey neck bones can be cleaned in the same way as any other piece of meat. Before cooking, rinse them really well under cold running water, then pat them dry with a paper towel. Depending on your cooking method you can cut the turkey necks into 2 - 3 pieces or cut off any tough outer membranes.
This will depend on the cooking method and how big your turkey necks are. Usually, turkey necks can take up to 2 hours for the meat to get tender when boiled on the stove, and upwards of 3 - 4 hours when cooked in the crockpot. In the Instant Pot, turkey necks can be ready in as little as 1 hour.
Absolutely! You can use turkey wings if you can't find turkey necks in your local grocery store. They have a similar taste and take about the same amount of time to cook.
Recipe notes
- Turkey necks contains dark meat which means they need to be cooked for the whole hour in pressure cooker to be tender and juicy. Do not try to cook it faster that the amount of time recommended. Necks will be tough.
- For additional color and taste brown turkey necks in the skillet before placing them in to the instant pot. It will make you wash more dishes in the end but also will fill your kitchen with delicious aroma.
- Hot sauce. Add your favorite hot sauce to the pressure cooker along with other ingredients. I love a good spice kick in my turkey necks! Didn’t include it in the recipe card because my kids will not eat spicy.
Side dishes
My absolute favorite side dish for turkey necks and gravy is white rice. Rice will soak in that delicious brown gravy and turkey drippings and will be absolutely delicious.
Try turkey necks with mashed potatoes. Gravy it delicious with potatoes and will fill you up fast. Any kind of vegetables will work too, like corn on the cob, roasted zucchinis, different kinds of salad or broccoli.
Leftovers
I usually store instant pot turkey necks leftovers in the air tight container for up to 4 days. If you don’t have a container, simply place necks (with gravy) into the large ziplock bag or in a deep dish and cover with foil, plastic wrap or a flat plate.
Around Holidays i may not have empty containers and i just use a medium size pot with a lid and store it this way in the fridge.
Reheat in the microwave. You can freeze it too. Make sure to freeze in the freezer friendly container and fill it up with the gravy too. This will ensure that your turkey necks will stay juicy and tender after thawing. It also will help to prevent freezer burn on the meat.
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Hope you will like this Instant Pot turkey necks recipe as much as we do. Please rate the recipe if you made it and leave a comment below if you have any questions.
Instant Pot Turkey Necks
This is an easy and delicious Instant pot turkey necks recipe. Juicy and full of the best flavor these turkey necks are smothered in a rich and flavorful brown gravy with onions and celery. Pressured cooked until perfection, the meat is so tender it melts in your mouth. Served over rice or creamy mashed potatoes, you have a delicious and comforting meal ready in only 1 hour!
Ingredients
- 2 lb turkey necks
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 package brown gravy
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place chopped onion and celery in instant pot.
- Rinse turkey necks with cold running water. Cut each neck in three pieces and add to the vegetables, Add seasoning and brown gravy mix.
- Add 1 cup of water.
- Close and lock the lid. Cook necks on high pressure for 55 minutes. Quick release the pressure once done.
- Stir and enjoy with rice or mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave. You can also freeze cooked turkey necks.
- You can easily double the recipe, the cooking time will remain the same.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 481Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 249mgSodium: 1126mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 68g
SamNYC
We don't like our meat fall-off-the-bone tender. We prefer to chew the meat of the bone, like eating a chicken drumstick. Can we cook it for 30 mins, or is that too short? Thanks.
Tatiana
Of course! Necks will be fully cooked just not fall of the bone:)
Stevi Jackson
This is my go to turkey neck recipe.. it’s so easy!!!! My husband is from the south and introduced me to turkey necks .. *sluuurrrp* I’m getting ready to follow this recipe for the 5th time. We serve along side cabbage so it’s cheap, too!!!!!! I’m very grateful. Thank you.
Tatiana
Awwwwwww thank you so much for kind words! So glad you like the recipe!