Crockpot turkey breast cooked effortlessly in a slow cooker. This is an easy dinner option when you’re feeding small gatherings and don’t need a whole turkey!
Recipe Science
- Make a seasoning paste with dried spice and olive oil. The oil helps the spices stick to the turkey and releases the fat-soluble flavors.
- Use the LOW cook setting to prevent the breast from drying. This ensures gradual heat distribution for juicy and tender results.
- The turkey breast cooks on a bed of vegetables, infusing the meat with aromatics while the juices create a rich base for gravy.
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Featured Comment 79
“We made this today – and it was the best turkey I’ve ever had – and I don’t even like the white meat!”—Darcy B.
Why It Works
Cooking turkey breast in the slow cooker is an easy option when you’re not in the mood for preparing a whole roast turkey for Thanksgiving. A tender and juicy turkey breast can be easily made for smaller holiday gatherings in a Crock-Pot.
Using a savory spice rub to coat the meat instantly adds flavor to the poultry without a marinade. The low and slow cooking process allows the protein to cook gently without becoming dry. If you love lean slices of turkey, this meal is designed for you.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Turkey: Choose a boneless turkey breast with skin on. Depending on the availability of breast meat at the grocery store, a whole turkey may need to be purchased and cut. Choose at least a 16-pound whole turkey to yield a 1 ½ to a 2-pound breast.
- Seasoning: A blend of salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, and garlic powder is mixed with olive oil to create a paste and rubbed onto both sides of the meat.
- Oil: Olive oil creates a sticky seasoning paste for the turkey. The oil encourages more fat-soluble flavors to be released from the dried spices.
- Alliums: Diced onion and roughly chopped garlic cloves add savory aromatics to the turkey breast, making the drippings richer in flavor.
- Herbs: Rosemary sprigs are added to the slow cooker to infuse the turkey breast with herbaceous aromatics.
- Gravy: The meat drippings are mixed with unsalted butter and flour to create a luxurious turkey gravy. Additional chicken broth or stock is added to increase the volume of liquid.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This Crock Pot turkey breast recipe is easy to customize! Try these delicious options:
- Using Bone-in Turkey: Bone-in turkey breasts can also be used. However, cooking times may be slightly longer.
- Brine the Turkey: You can brine the turkey breast beforehand to infuse it with a more savory flavor and increase its juiciness.
- Vegetable Options: Add hearty vegetables like potatoes, celery, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, or fennel to the slow cooker for added flavor and texture.
- Herbs: Use fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, or sage to infuse the turkey with fragrant, earthy notes.
- Seasoning: Customize the seasoning blend with onion powder, paprika, cumin, or Italian seasoning. For a spicy twist, add cayenne or Cajun seasoning.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free flour, arrowroot powder, or cornstarch to thicken the gravy.
- Butter Swaps: If you have dietary restrictions, swap butter for olive oil, avocado oil, vegetable oil, ghee, coconut oil, or margarine.
How to Make Turkey Breast in a Crock Pot
Step 1: Dry the Surface
Place the turkey breast on a sheet pan and pat it dry with paper towels. Drying the surface ensures the seasoning sticks evenly to the skin.
Step 2: Make the Seasoning
Combine paprika, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and olive oil in a small bowl. This blend adds flavor and helps create a nice crust as the turkey cooks.
Rub the spice mixture evenly over both sides of the turkey breast. This simple step infuses the turkey with a rich, savory flavor while it slow cooks.
Step 3: Cook the Turkey
Sprinkle garlic cloves, onions, and rosemary evenly across the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker to infuse the turkey with aromatic flavors. Place the turkey breast on top.
Cover, and cook on the Low setting for 3 hours. Check the internal temperature at 2 ½ hours and continue cooking until it reaches 160°F (71ºC) for safe, tender results.
Tips for Perfect Execution: I recommend using the LOW setting for this slow cooker turkey breast to prevent the meat from drying. Adjust the cooking time based on the size—larger or smaller than 2 pounds. Use a meat thermometer to check doneness, aiming for 160°F (71°C). The temperature will rise to 165°F as it rests, ensuring a perfectly cooked, juicy turkey.
Step 4: Rest the Meat
Remove the turkey from the slow cooker and transfer it to a carving board. Cover it with foil to keep warm. Allow the turkey to rest for 10 minutes, redistributing it before slicing it for maximum juiciness.
Pro Tip for Crispy Skin: If desired, transfer the turkey to the oven and broil before serving to crisp the skin. This process adds another layer of texture and deepens the color to a golden brown.
Step 5: Make a Gravy
This slow cooker turkey breast recipe cooks the poultry on a bed of vegetables to add aromatics to the protein. The turkey juices simmer with these ingredients and can be used to make a flavorful homemade gravy.
Strain the juices and separate them from the vegetables. Then, make a quick pan sauce using a roux as a thickener for the gravy. Trust me, the gravy is delicious, and it will be hard to resist drizzling it all over your meal.
Step 6: To Serve
Slice the turkey and serve with the gravy for a classic pairing. For an extra flavor boost, it’s also delicious with herbed butter. Use leftover turkey to make turkey pot pie or turkey salad sandwiches!
Frequently Asked Questions
Always cook a turkey breast in the Crockpot on low setting. The lean protein can dry out quickly, especially for thicker and larger breasts on the high setting.
For best results, thaw the turkey before slow cooking. This ensures even cooking, prevents the outer meat from drying out, and avoids lowering the Crockpot’s temperature, which can increase cooking time and pose a food safety risk.
On the low setting, a boneless 2—to 3-pound turkey breast in a Crockpot takes about 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours to cook.
Serve This With
If you tried this Crockpot Turkey Breast, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Crock Pot Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 2 pounds turkey breast, boneless, skin on
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 cup yellow onion, 1" dice
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 1 cup unsalted chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Dry the Surface – Place the turkey breast on a sheet pan and dry it with paper towels.
- Make the Seasoning – In a small bowl, combine paprika, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and olive oil. Spread the spice mixture evenly over both sides of the turkey breast.
- Cook the Turkey – Sprinkle garlic cloves, onions, and rosemary evenly over the bottom of a 6-quart sized slow cooker. Place the turkey breast inside. Cover and cook on the Low setting for 3 hours. Cook until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (171ºC) on a meat thermometer. Check at 2 ½ hours and continue to cook as needed.
- Rest the Meat – Remove the turkey from the slow cooker and place it on a carving board. Cover with foil to keep warm. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Optionally, for crispy skin, see the notes on broiling. Meanwhile, make the gravy.
- Make a Gravy – Strain the contents of the slow cooker into a bowl, reserving only the juices. It should yield about ½ cup of liquid. Heat a medium-sized pan over medium heat. Melt the butter in a pan and then whisk in the flour. Once a pale roux forms, turn the heat up to medium-high. Gradually whisk in the reserved turkey juices and ½ cup of chicken stock. Continuously stir until thickened. Add more chicken stock as needed until the desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper.
- To Serve – Slice the turkey and serve with gravy.
Notes
- Cook Times: Use the low setting for all sizes of boneless turkey breast. Check doneness at the shortest time. Add more time to reach 160ºF (171ºC). More time may be needed for bone-in breast. For Under 2 pounds: Cook 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours. For 2 to 3 pounds: Cook 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours. For 3 to 4 pounds: Cook 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours. For 4 to 5 pounds: Cook 4 ½ to 5 ½ hours. For 5 to 6 pounds: Cook 5 ½ to 6 ½ hours.
- For Crispy Skin: Set the oven to broil. Place the turkey on a foil-lined sheet pan about 12 inches from the top. Brush with olive oil or melted butter. Cook until the skin is golden brown and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Keep a close eye that the skin does not burn.
- Storing: Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Muriah says
Just wondering if the turkey breast should be at a frozen temp or refrigerated temp before putting in the crock pot.
Jessica Gavin says
I would defrost the turkey so that it is refrigerator temp before cooking.
Rachel says
I made this for Christmas dinner with a 6 pound bone in breast since I couldn’t find boneless. It took about 5.5 hours on low. It turned out so moist, flavorful, and delicious! I did wander off script and threw a smidge of cayenne into the spice rub, and I bought a poultry herb blend that included rosemary, thyme and sage from my grocer’s refrigerated section and crossed my fingers that not picking the sage out was the right call. When I made the gravy, I added a couple splashes of white wine from an open bottle I had in the fridge. The gravy was amazing. I’m so glad I stumbled across this recipe.
Jessica Gavin says
I love the turkey improvisation! Great job, Rachel!
Lori says
This look like a great option. However, my crock pot only has 4 – 6 hours HIGH or 8 – 10 Low. I have a 4 pound turkey breast that should be on LOW but 8 hours sounds too long for only 4 lbs. Any advice on the best setting to use? Thanks!
Jessica Gavin says
For 4 pounds I would cook on low for 4 to 4 1/2 hours, or until the thickest part of the meat reaches 160ºF.
Frank Rabusin says
Jessica, just had to let you know that your recipe for Crock Pot Turkey Breast was a HUGE hit for Thanksgiving. We rented a house in the snow up in Truckee for 9 of us and the crock pot made it SO easy. I didn’t make the gravy, as a guest brought some, but the turkey was killer both for the main meal as well as super moist sandwiches after. My wife said your turkey was the best she had ever had…wow!
Thanks so much for sharing, I always get great reviews from friends and family if I follow your directions!
Thanks again, and happy holidays to you and family!
Jessica Gavin says
I’m so happy to hear that your family loved the turkey recipe!