Slow Cooker Turkey Breast- Moist, tender, full of flavor and so easy to prepare! Instructions included for making a delicious gravy from the drippings!
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Cooking a turkey can be so intimidating but not with this recipe! It’s extremely simple and the flavor is outstanding! This is the perfect recipe for a small turkey/Thanksgiving dinner or to prepare turkey for a week of lunches/meals. I’ve made this recipe many times now and it always comes out juicy, moist, and so flavorful!
A few years ago both of our families happened to be out of town for Thanksgiving so we did it on our own! Just my husband and I and our 2 boys. (I was pregnant with Carina at the time.) It ended up being a wonderful experience and we made so many great memories! (It was actually my son’s birthday that day too.) At first, the idea of Thanksgiving dinner on our own seemed like too much work but we made it simple and it worked out perfectly!
To keep things easy we made this Slow Cooker Turkey Breast. It was SO simple to prepare and came out moist and delicious.
Thanksgiving on a Budget
Buying a turkey breast instead of an entire turkey for Thanksgiving is a great way to save money while still enjoying the most important dish of the holiday! The cost is so much cheaper and if you really need to save money you can even buy a turkey breast without the bone. It tastes great both ways!
Other Tips:
Keep things simple- Choose a few dishes for your Thanksgiving dinner that are important to you and keep the rest of the menu simple. I personally always like to have my Cranberry Salad and Chocolate Silk Pie but I’m okay with having other side dishes that aren’t too fancy and simple like for example just using a can or bag of frozen corn.
Plan your menu ahead of time. That way you can find the best deals for the grocery items you need as well as planning when you can make each dish so you aren’t making all the dishes on Thanksgiving morning but some the day or two before.
How to make Slow Cooker Turkey Breast:
1- Brush on olive oil and then rub in the seasonings. I bet you already have everything in your pantry you need for this turkey! The seasoning blend is simple but so full of flavor. And the color is so beautiful! You’ll just need garlic, seasoned salt, paprika, Italian seasoning, and pepper.
2- Add a little chicken broth or water to the bottom of the slow cooker then put the turkey in. The slow cooker will do the rest of the work! You can add vegetables to the bottom of the slow cooker before adding the turkey for more flavor for the drippings if you’d like. See the recipe for more instructions on this.
3- It’s up to you if you want to remove the skin before you cook it. If you keep it on you can rub the seasonings under the skin to enhance the flavor. I have included a recipe for making turkey gravy from the drippings as well and that is so yummy too! Sometimes if we don’t need gravy we just cut up the turkey into smaller pieces and add the turkey drippings over it so the turkey is extra moist. It’s delicious this way!
My kids loved this turkey so much too. My oldest kept asking for more! It is awesome how easy it is to make something so fancy!
Important Tip:
Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of the turkey! This is important because every turkey will be a little different so I can’t tell you the exact time you need to cook it. Check the thickest part of the turkey. The temperature needs to reach 165 degrees F to be fully cooked.
Another tip is I’ve learned is if possible, to put some vegetables (at least an onion) cut up below the turkey to help it not to get soggy on the bottom. This is NOT mandatory because I’ve made this plenty of times with no vegetables and it comes out fantastic! But it does help because as the turkey cooks more liquid will be produced on the bottom of the Slow Cooker. (Which is great for the drippings to make gravy!)
Making Gravy from the Drippings:
You’ll find instructions on how to make gravy with the drippings in the note section. I’ve included two ways to make the gravy.
Method 1: Thicken the drippings using cornstarch and add salt and pepper to taste.
Method 2: For a thicker gravy, you’ll use butter and flour. With this method, you can double the butter and flour and broth (just add chicken broth or stock) to get to 4 cups, if you are wanting to make a big batch of gravy. I have done that before for a family party and it worked out great!
Enjoy!
I know you will love this!
You might also like:
Kale Salad with Craisins, Apple & Feta
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel Topping
Check this out *** FAVORITE THANKSGIVING RECIPES ***
This Slow Cooker Turkey Breast is moist, tender, full of flavor and so easy to prepare! Instructions included for making a delicious gravy from the drippings! Sometimes I double the seasonings, depending on the size of my turkey.Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
You can also add chopped onions, celery, and carrots to the bottom of the slow cooker to give the turkey and gravy even more flavor.
Boneless turkey breast works great as well.
For the gravy instructions below, if there aren't 2 cups of liquid, just add more chicken broth until it measures 2 cups.
To Make Gravy:
Strain the liquid into a pot (you need 2 cups) and heat over med.-low heat for 5-10 minutes or until it starts to thicken. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Stir until completely smooth. Whisk that mixture into the gravy and boil for 1 minute then simmer over low heat until it's completely thickened, whisking the entire time. Add salt and pepper to taste.
For a Thicker Gravy:
In a medium saucepan, melt ¼ cup butter over medium-low heat. Mix in ¼ cup all-purpose flour constantly whisking to combine, whisk for about 2-3 minutes. Slowly add the 2 cups strained turkey drippings, whisking to combine. Cook at a low boil until gravy is to desired thickness. Turn the heat to low and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Slightly adapted from Taste of Home
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Made this today. It was a huge hit and so easy! Thanks.
I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂
Do you have to base it or just leave it alone.
You don’t need to baste it. Enjoy!
Will the breast brown as pictured in the crockpot or do you have to use the oven suggestion to get that beautiful brown color?
I took these pictures straight from it being in the Slow Cooker- not putting it in the oven! The paprika helps give it that beautiful color.
Recipe sounds amazing I am going to try this! Do you cook the Turkey with the breast down or breast up in the crock pot?
Thanks! I put it in breast side up.
Hello! Im assuming I could use butter instead of olive oil, and you can use bone in or bone out?
Yes, you could use either butter or olive oil. And yes, you can use bone-in or bone out. I feel like bone-in keeps it moister but if you use bone out just be sure to not overcook. Enjoy! 🙂
HELP I use this recipe for an 11 pound breast???
It should work just fine! You’ll just need a big enough Slow Cooker. It will take a little longer to cook. You’ll know when it’s done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Help plz!!! Does it matter if its crockpot or slow cooker? What would be the difference in cooking times?
Crockpot is just a brand of a slow cooker. Do you mean an Instant Pot?
What do you set the crock pot to and how long does the turkey take to cook??
It’s in the instructions- . Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or until the turkey’s internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F and is very tender.
This is a great recipe, I make it often during the colder months. My family enjoys it every time!
That’s wonderful! Thanks for sharing. It’s such a great recipe! 🙂
Remove the turkey skin? What kind of monster are you? No. Don’t do that.
LOL I didn’t. It’s optional. Everyone has different preferences.
Made this today. It was a huge hit and so easy! Thanks.
Yay! That’s so great! 🙂
Made this for Christmas Eve today had my free turkey breast from Thanksgiving. It was excellent I actually did do this for Thanksgiving one year and it was a hit. I broiled the skin for a few mins in the oven its was magnificent!!! The flavor is so much better when you add the vegetables to the bottom. Make the gravy in the notes you won’t be disappointed. Happy Holidays! P.S. Its smells AMAZING in my house!!!
Thank you for taking the time to leave this nice comment! I’m so happy you loved this recipe. I really like adding vegetables to the bottom of my slow cooker too when I make this. Merry Christmas! 🙂
So you start with a frozen or thawed turkey beat?
It needs to be thawed.
I have never cooked turkey without sage and/or poultry seasoning, but decided to follow your recipe exactly. I also don’t comment on recipes if I alter it in any way. This turkey breast was absolutely the best I have ever made and the kitchen smelled heavenly while it was cooking. Thanks for sharing,
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it! I’m so glad you loved it! This recipe is amazing!
Do you think you could use the injectable stuff in the turkey? We use it when we deep fry our turkey and it carries the flavors through.
I am sure it would be fine to use.
What size Crockpot did you use? Thanks!
8.5 qt
If I have a 5 lb boneless chicken breast do you think it would take roughly half the time?
Yes, I think it would take less time. I’d check it after about 3 hours or so.
If you have a 18 to 20 lbs turkey how long should I cook the turkey
A 10-pound turkey would take around 8 hours on low. I am not sure about a 20-pound turkey but I would check the temperature after 8 hours every couple of hours until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
This was amazing!! I made the Turkey and gravy (thickened and doubled). It turned out perfect. I was skeptical of how easy it was but it did not disappoint!
That is fantastic! I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing!