Cooking Turkey Breast Low And Slow

Tender and juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast seasoned to perfection and served with the best gravy made from the tasty drippings. This easy to make Crockpot Turkey Breast makes a great Thanksgiving recipe for small gatherings and for weeknight meals.

This Slow Cooker Turkey Breast recipe is the easiest way to enjoy moist and delicious turkey without having to make a whole Roasted Turkey. Slow cooking turkey is incredibly simple, saves oven space and your crock pot does most of the work!

Golden brown turkey breast on a wooden tray garnished with fruit and herbs — Turkey Breast Is Not Just For Thanksgiving! This Versatile Poultry Meat Can Be Used In Many Dishes

Cooking a whole turkey can be a daunting task. For many years during the holidays, I would offer to make all the side dishes as long as I didn't have to cook the turkey.

If this is how you feel, this slow cooked turkey is the way to go and if you are an experienced cook, you will appreciate the simplicity of this easy turkey recipe and the incredible flavor that it delivers. If you are not convinced, here are some reason why you should try this recipe:

This slow cooker turkey breast recipe doesn't require any brining which saves you time. Turkey is very lean, and oven roasted turkey breast tends to get very dry unless you first brine it overnight.
This recipe can be made with bone-in turkey breast or boneless turkey breast.
One of the best ways to cook turkey breast is in the crockpot. Due to the low temperature and moist environment, the turkey meat always turns out juicy. Even if you cook it for a bit longer than the time specified in the recipe card, the results will still be great.
This easy turkey recipe makes a lot of "pan juices" which are then turned into a flavorful gravy. Making the gravy is super easy too.
Turkey breast is not just for Thanksgiving! This versatile poultry meat can be used for sandwiches, soups, casseroles, pasta dishes, salads and this delicious Turkey Pot Pie!

For this recipe, both boneless turkey breast or bone in turkey breast can be used. I prefer skin-on turkey breast for a couple of reasons. First, the skin keeps the breast meat juicy. The fat under the skin melts naturally basting the lean meat and giving the turkey flavor.

Crispy skin looks incredible. Although your crock pot can't crisp up the skin, all it takes is a few minutes under the broiler to get that beautiful golden brown look.

The recipe below recommends a 6-8 pounds turkey breast but smaller or bigger breasts would work as long as they fit in your crockpot. The first time I made this recipe I bought a breast so big that it was almost impossible to fit it in my slow cooker!

Cooking turkey breast in the slow cooker takes about 5 to 6 hours. In this recipe I cook a 6-8 pound turkey breast in the crockpot for 1 hour on high temperature and 5 hours on low temperature for a total of 6 hours.

Turkey Thawing: It is important to defrost the turkey completely in the refrigerator. Simply leave it in its package and place it in a bowl or container. This container can catch any leaks from the turkey while it thaws out.

Allow enough time for the turkey breast to thaw out. Calculate 24 hours of thawing time per every 4 pounds (approximately)

If you are in a time crunch, you can thaw out the turkey breast much quicker by submerging it in cold water. Make sure the turkey is sealed in its package or in a resealable bag before dunking it in cold water. This method may take up to 3-4 hours. During this time, you should change the water a few times to keep the water cold, but not overly cold!

When the turkey breast is completely thawed out, rinse it with cold running water and pat it dry with paper towels. Gather your ingredients and get cooking!

Ingredients to make turkey breast in the crockpot. — You Only Need A Handful Of Ingredients To Make The Best Turkey Breast Recipe

Make the Flavored Butter: Simply mix the ingredients in a small bowl. The herb butter is made with softened butter, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic and herbs. When mixed, the liquid from the soy sauce/lemon juice will not look completely incorporated into the butter. This is OK.
Slather and Season: Slather the herb butter all over the turkey breast trying to get some flavored butter under the skin. Season lightly with salt and ground black pepper. You will have some remaining soy/lemon juice from the herb butter in the mixing bowl.
Place it in the Slow Cooker: Place the aromatics – onions, carrots, celery, garlic clove and herbs on the bottom of the crock pot. The veggies and herbs elevate the turkey and also provides flavor to the turkey juices, the base of our gravy. Place the turkey breast on the bed of vegetables, skin side down. Pour the remaining liquid from the herb butter on top (it won't be much).
Slow Cook the Turkey: Cook on high heat for 1 hour an then turn the heat to low and cook for 4-5 hours.
Broil: Place the turkey breast skin side up on a baking sheet and broil for a few minutes. Keep an eye on it! It gets golden fast.

Collage of photos showing how to make the herb butter, season and prepare the turkey breast for cooking in the crock pot.

Making gravy from scratch is very easy and this recipe uses the collected juices for extra flavor!

Strain the liquid from the slow cooker into a measuring cup. You should have about 2 cups of liquid. If not, add chicken/turkey broth or water to complete the two cups.
In a small saucepan make a roux by melting butter and whisking in the flour. Cook the roux for about 2 minutes. Whisk in about half a cup of the cooking liquid into the flour mixture, mixing well. Slowly add the remaining liquid whisking constantly.
Simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and season to taste.

Homemade turkey gravy in a white little gravy pitcher. — The Homemade Turkey Gravy Is Easy To Make And Mouthwatering Delicious

Slow cooker turkey breast should cook for 5 to 6 hours. To make sure the turkey is cooked through use an internal meat thermometer. The turkey is ready when a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit. (as per USDA safety guidelines). You can remove the turkey from the slow cooker when the temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature will continue to rise while resting.
Always allow the turkey to rest, tented loosely with aluminum foil, before carving it.

Yes, you can make this recipe ahead of time. You can season the turkey with the herbed butter, and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight.
Cooked turkey breast can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. This is what you do. Remove the turkey breast from the crock pot and place it in an airtight container (don't broil it). Strain the cooking juices and pour it over the turkey. Refrigerate.

To reheat, bring the turkey breast to room temperature. Then microwave it covered with plastic wrapped until heated through. At this point, you can place the turkey under the broiler to crisp up the skin. Follow the instructions to make the gravy as written in the recipe card below.

Crockpot Turkey Breast FAQs

How Much Turkey Do I Need Per Person?

Served for dinner, you will need about 1 pound of uncooked bone-in turkey breast per person. If you have a group of big eaters, I will calculate up to 1.5 pounds.
Served for dinner, you will need about 3/4 pound of boneless turkey breast per person. Up to 1 pound for big eaters.
Keep in mind these calculations are made with uncooked turkey.

Can you overcook Turkey Breast in a Crockpot?

It is always possible to overcook anything in a slow cooker however, chances of over cooking the turkey is slim. Follow the instructions the best you can and if your turkey is a bit dry, pour gravy all over! No one will notice.

Can I cook Turkey Breast in Crockpot at High Temperature?

No. You can only cook the turkey breast on high for an hour – maximum. After that, the temperature should be turned to low. You cannot rush the cooking process of a whole turkey breast.

Sliced turkey breast and a small gravy pitcher on a grayish surface.

Turkey Breast Slow Cooker Recipe Tips

Thaw out the turkey completely before cooking it. Frozen turkey can take up to 48 hours to thaw out in the refrigerator.
You can use a half breast or full breast (also called single or double breast). I used a doubled breast for these photos.
It is hard to overcook turkey in the crock pot. If you still have doubts, choose bone-in turkey breast. Turkey on the bone with the skin on keeps juicier than boneless turkey.

Here are a few side dishes perfect for this Slow Cooker Turkey Breast:

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Easy Sweet Potato Casserole
Saute Green Beans
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Maple Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Mac and Cheese Carbonara
Homemade Parker House Rolls

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Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 5 hours

Total Time 5 hours 20 minutes

Servings 8 people

Turkey and Herb Butter

▢ 1 6 – 8 pounds turkey breast, bone in or boneless, skin on, thawed
▢ 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
▢ 4 garlic cloves, minced
▢ Juice and zest of 1 lemon
▢ 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
▢ 1 teaspoon fresh sage, finely chopped
▢ 1 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
▢ 1 tablespoon soy sauce
▢ Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Vegetables and Aromatics for the Bottom of the Slow Cooker

▢ 1 large onion, quartered
▢ 2 celery stalk, cut into big chunks
▢ 2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into big chunks
▢ 1 garlic clove, peeled
▢ 2 thyme sprigs

For the Gravy

▢ 2 cups cooking liquid (if you don't have enough, you can top it with chicken or turkey broth to complete 2 cups)
▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
▢ 4 tablespoons flour

Season and Slow Cook The Turkey Breast

Place the butter, garlic, lemon juice and zest, rosemary, sage, ground black pepper and soy sauce in a small bowl. With a fork, as in mashing mash potatoes, combine all the ingredients. The lemon juice and soy sauce will not be completely incorporated (see photo above).
Place some of the herb butter under the skin, rub the remaining herb butter all over the breast. Season lightly with salt and ground black pepper. Reserve the remaining liquid from the herb butter mixture (it won't be much but we will use it)
Place the onion, celery, carrots, garlic clove and thyme at the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the turkey breast skin side down on top of the vegetables. Pour the remaining liquid from the herb butter in the turkey cavity.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 1 hour. After that on low for 5 to 6 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the turkey from the slow cooker and place it on an aluminum foil lined sheet pan. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

Crisp the Skin for a Picture Ready Bird

Preheat the broiler to high and place the oven rack about 12 inches from the heat source.
Place the turkey breast under the broiler and broil for 4 to 5 minutes. Keep an eye on it! It gets golden very fast! Remove from the oven, carve and serve with the gravy.

Make the Gravy

Strain the liquid from the slow cooker into a measuring cup. You should have about 2 cups of liquid. If not, add chicken/turkey broth or water to complete the two cups.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mix well to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in about half a cup of the cooking liquid into the flour mixture, mixing well. It will look like a paste. Slowly add the remaining liquid whisking constantly.
Simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and season to taste. Serve immediately or keep warm in a thermos.

Thaw out the turkey completely before cooking it. Frozen turkey can take up to 48 hours to thaw out in the refrigerator.
The turkey is ready when a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit. (as per USDA safety guidelines). You can remove the turkey from the slow cooker when the temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature will continue to rise while resting.
Always allow the turkey to rest, tented loosely with aluminum foil, before carving it.
Don't cook the turkey on high for any longer than 1 hour. Cook the turkey on low until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Calories: 722 kcal (36%) Carbohydrates: 7 g (2%) Protein: 76 g (152%) Fat: 41 g (63%) Saturated Fat: 17 g (106%) Cholesterol: 266 mg (89%) Sodium: 661 mg (29%) Potassium: 1100 mg (31%) Fiber: 1 g (4%) Sugar: 1 g (1%) Vitamin A: 3150 IU (63%) Vitamin C: 7.7 mg (9%) Calcium: 71 mg (7%) Iron: 4.6 mg (26%)

* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

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