Slow Cooker Turkey Breast- Moist, tender, full of flavor, and so easy to prepare! Instructions are 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 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 need to save money, you can even buy a turkey breast without the bone. It tastes great both ways!
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 enjoy having my Sweet Potato Casserole with Oat Streusel, Cranberry Salad, and Chocolate Silk Pie. Still, 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- so you can grab the best deals on ingredients and map out when to make each dish. This helps you prep some items a day or two early instead of scrambling to cook everything on Thanksgiving morning.
Add Vegetables:
I’ve started doing this recently and love the extra flavor it adds to the turkey and gravy. Place roughly chopped onions, carrots, and celery on the bottom of the slow cooker before adding the turkey. This lifts the turkey slightly so it isn’t sitting in the liquid and adds great flavor to both the meat and the drippings. It’s completely optional—I’ve made it plenty of times without the vegetables, and it still turns out fantastic—but the veggies do enhance the flavor and help create even better drippings for gravy.
How to make Slow Cooker Turkey Breast:
1- Brush on olive oil and then rub in the seasonings. I bet you already have everything you need in your pantry 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!
3- It’s entirely up to you whether you remove the skin before cooking. If you leave it on, you can tuck the seasonings under the skin for extra flavor. I’ve also included a recipe for making turkey gravy from the drippings—it’s so delicious! And on the days we don’t need gravy, we just cut the turkey into smaller pieces and spoon the drippings over the top to make it extra moist. It’s amazing either way!
My kids loved this turkey too! My oldest kept asking for more! It is amazing 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.
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 methods 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 want 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:
- Chocolate Silk Pie
- The BEST Key Lime Pie
- Classic Mashed Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Oat Streusel
- Cranberry Salad
- Five-Cup Fruit Salad
- Pistachio Pudding Salad
- Honey White Bread Recipe
- The BEST Classic Sourdough Recipe
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 1 bone-in turkey breast (6 to 7 pounds, completely thawed)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic (or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock (or water)
- Gravy instructions are included below in the recipe notes.
Instructions
- Remove the turkey skin if desired. Brush turkey with olive oil.
- In a small bowl combine the garlic, seasoned salt, paprika, Italian seasoning, and pepper; rub over turkey.
- Add the 1 cup of chicken broth or water to a 6-qt. slow cooker. If using vegetables add them now. (See notes.)
- Transfer the turkey to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or until the turkey's internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F and is very tender.
- For a crispier skin, transfer cooked turkey to an oven-safe serving dish or baking sheet and broil for 3-5 minutes or until the skin is crispy. Keep your eye on it as it will brown very quickly!
- Slice and enjoy!
- (Gravy recipe below. If you aren't making gravy, it's delicious to add the turkey drippings over the cut turkey.)
Notes
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.
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment!
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Categories:
Christmas, Dinner, Dinner- Kid-Friendly, Easter, Main-Dishes: Meat, Slow Cooker, Thanksgiving,
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!
Going to try this. I also have two turkey thighs I’d like to put in the crockpot at the same time. I would think they would cook along with it just fine, Thanks
Does the turkey come out sliceable or does it get stringy like chicken sometimes does?
It’s very moist and easy to slice, not stringy.
Hi, I will be trying this on Thursday. Is there a formula for amount of time per pound? I have a 7.5 lb bone in breast. Would that take around 6 hours?
Cook it on low heat for around an hour for every pound of turkey. Keep an eye on it and pull it out when it reaches 165°F.
What can I use if I don’t have Italian seasoning?
You can use any seasoning that would typicaaly be in Italian seasoning such as, basil, oregano, rosemary, or thyme.
What if ur turkey isn’t completely thawed?
I am not sure if it’s ok to cook in a slow cooker if it’s not fully thawed yet.
I made my turkey in the crockpot, Nov. 28, 2024. I used my usual spices for turkey smashed in a stick of butter. I cooked on high for 4 hours. (6.5 pounds) internal temp was 190 when tested after 4 hours. It was so moist and delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
That’s wonderful! You’re welcome! 🙂
Can you cook it on high and for how long it 7lb 42oz bone in turkey brest
You can cook it on high if you’re short on time. For a bone-in turkey breast around 6–7 pounds, cook on HIGH for about 3–4 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part. Cooking on LOW (5–7 hours) will give you the most tender results.
Hello
I plan to cook this turkey breast a day before thanksgiving. What is the best way to reheat it ?
Hi! You can definitely make this a day ahead! I recommend slicing the turkey and storing it in an airtight container with some of the cooking juices to keep it moist. When you’re ready to serve, place the turkey in a baking dish with the juices, cover tightly with foil, and reheat in the oven at 325°F until heated through (165°F). Enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving!