Turkey breast is the traditional meal for most Americans come Thanksgiving Day. But cooking it can be intimidating because it can dry out easily. The crockpot method alleviates all the stress because it allows the turkey to baste in its own juices while the crock pot while it does all the work.
Crockpot Turkey Breast
If I had any idea how easy it was to cook a turkey breast in the crockpot I seriously would have done this years ago. Can you just take another look at that meat?
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I started experimenting with alternative ways to cook a turkey. I’ve cooked it in the oven for over 20 years and it was time for something different.
I can tell you in all honesty that this recipe is very hard to mess up. The slow cooker traps moisture which created the moistest turkey I think I’ve ever made without having to brine it first.
Oven vs. Crockpot:
Ovens use air to transfer heat ~ you heat an element at the bottom of the oven, and the hot air rises up into the oven, cooking your food. This makes this top of the oven much hotter than the bottom.
Slow cookers use moisture in a unique way because they remain sealed during the cooking process. As the food cooks and lets off steam, the condensation collects inside the device and acts as a baster.
How To Slow Cook a Turkey:
- Turkey, as you know, is a very bland meat. It gets it flavor from the spices that are rubbed on it. We used dried garlic, onion, paprika, salt, pepper, thyme and a hint of nutmeg (a little secret ingredient there)
- We then placed the turkey on a bed of onions, garlic and rosemary. These aromatics are what give the gravy such great flavor and raise the turkey up allowing it to ‘braise’.
- We cooked it on ON LOW for about 4-5 hours. Each crockpot and the size of turkey will determine the cooking time.
- Once the turkey reached 160°F, we placed it in an oven safe dish and broiled it on the 3rd rack just to give it a little golden color. This will give a delicious crispy skin that just crunches when you cut into it!
But the best part of all, let’s be honest here, is the gravy! The juice that comes from the crockpot smells incredible.
Let’s make some gravy:
- Strain what’s left in the slow cooker into a glass measuring cup to measure out 2 cups of liquid. If it doesn’t reach 2 cups, no problem, just add broth until it does.
- Create a roux with equal parts butter and flour in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow the flour to cook for a minute or two in order for that raw flour taste to dissipate.
- Pour in the drippings and whisk until combined. Taste and season if needed. I always add 1-2 Tablespoons of milk to make it a little thinner. This is optional.
Important Things to Note:
- The size of the turkey breast and the size of your crockpot matter – trust us on this one, we did not check first! Our turkey breast was 6.14 lbs and it B-A-R-E-L-Y fit in the crockpot. It ended up breast side down and the onions in the cavity (not what we had originally planned). This obviously made inserting a thermometer a little tricky.
- Check if the turkey has been brined. This is very important because most frozen turkeys will be brined which means a lot of salt has been added. This needs to be taken into consideration as less salt will be needed in the dry rub.
- The turkey must be completely THAWED and we mean COMPLETELY. Once the turkey is thawed out, place it on a wire rack on a baking sheet and place it back in the fridge UNCOVERED for at least one day. This allows the excess moisture to dissipate and gives a really nice crispy skin.
Reasons to cook your turkey in a crockpot:
- Making a turkey this way is perfect for families who don’t need a huge turkey and all the hassle and work that goes with it. A 5 lb. turkey feeds a family of 4 with leftovers or a family of 6.
- You don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving for turkey!
- It frees up the oven so you can make these INCREDIBLE Roasted Garlic & Caramelized Onion Potatoes Gratin Dauphinoise or a healthier version of Sweet Potato Casserole to go along with it.
I really hope you give this recipe a try. It was a game changer for me. If you still want to cook your turkey the traditional way but are leery of stuffing it, then the slow cooker again comes to the rescue with our amazing Crockpot Stuffing Recipe!
And whatever you do, DO NOT THROW AWAY THE BONES! We have the most delicious recipe for turkey bone broth. You can freeze the broth and use it in soups, stews or just for sipping!
Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest and if you’ve had a chance to make these delicious turkey, then definitely leave me a comment and a rating below!
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Crockpot Turkey Breast (a Thanksgiving miracle)
Description
Simply put, cooking a small turkey breast in a crockpot does not get the recognition it deserves. Cooking it this way results in the moistest breast meat due to the crockpots unique ability to baste as it cooks. Once you try this, you’ll never go back to an oven!
Ingredients
- 4 – 5 lb. Turkey Breast (bone in, skin on)
- 2 Whole Cloves of Garlic
- 1 Onion, halved
- 1 Bay Leaf
DRY RUB:
- 1 ½ teaspoons EACH Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Paprika
- ½ teaspoon EACH Sea salt*, Black pepper, Thyme
- â…› teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
GRAVY:
- 2 Cups Liquid from Slow Cooker
- 4 Tablespoons Butter
- ÂĽ Cup Flour
- 2–4 Tablespoons Milk
Instructions
- Completely dry the turkey breast inside and out with paper towels. If time permits, place the turkey on a cooling rack on a baking sheet and place it in the fridge UNCOVERED for at least one day to continue drying out.
- Slater the rub all over the turkey (this may require some gloves).
- Place the onion halves and whole garlic in the slow cooker and place the turkey on top (be sure there is enough room in your slow cooker to get the lid on. If it doesn’t fit just place the vegetables on the side)
- Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. (Our 6 lb turkey took exactly 5 ½ hours)
- Remove the turkey and let it rest. If you want crispier skin, place the turkey in a roasting pan (or other oven safe dish) and broil until golden. Do NOT walk away, the skin is easy to burn. (Our turkey took 6 minutes on the 3rd shelf).
FOR THE GRAVY:
- Place a large strainer over a large 4 cup measuring glass or large bowl. Discard the bay leaf, onion and garlic. Carefully pick up the slow cooker and strain the juice into the bowl. You should get at least 2 cups of juice, if not add a little broth or water to reach that level.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook until the flour begins to smell a little nutty (2 minutes), whisking.
- Slowly pour the liquid into the flour mixture until it gets thick. Continue to add the liquid until all incorporated, whisking constantly. Take the gravy off the heat and add the milk – taste for seasoning and add salt and/or pepper if necessary. The gravy will thicken upon standing.
*NOTES: Be sure to check if the turkey comes BRINED, ours did, therefore the salt added to this recipe is very minimal. If your turkey has NOT been brined, a little more salt can be added.
For a CRISPY skin, place the turkey breast in the refrigerator breast side up UNCOVERED overnight to let the skin completely dry out.
I made this last year and I highly recommend it. We had a very large family gathering and our oven was fully packed with a large turkey already. I decided to make this in addition and it went FIRST before the oven cooked turkey. We were all so surprised at how juicy and tender the meat was that all 3 of my sisters and I are making one the day before your way and bringing it to our family holiday! SERIOUSLY THE BEST TURKEY I’VE EVER MADE!
very very good. I’m glad I made this tonight. I think I might make it this way for Thanksgiving. very good.
For those who haven’t tried this yet, what are you waiting for? Brilliant recipe
excellent
Love turkey, hate all the work involved. Made this the day before we had friends over (just in case, no offense) and it turned out exactly like the pictures, which again, no offense hardly happens on these new food blogs. Your recipes turn out exactly like the pictures. Sorry I doubted you Deb. It was AGAIN a stellar recipe!
I forgive you Ron – LOL!
game changer – take it from a guy who can’t cook. This was a game changer.
If I could give then TEN STARS I would! The only time we have turkey is at Thanksgiving and then the leftovers. I simply refused to go through all that work more than once a year. When you said game changer you weren’t kidding. I’ve made this recipe 4 times now and I can tell everyone out there that it is A GAME CHANGER!
This is the best turkey breast I’ve had! It is so easy to dry it out but this is so moist. And the rub is to die for!
This is the best turkey breast I’ve had! It is so easy to dry it out but this is so moist. And the rub is to die for!
Thank you for another life changing recipe. My kids are grown now and there is simply no need for me to make a turkey in the oven anymore. I tried this for the heck of it because I’ve always enjoyed your recipes and thought “if Debi did it, I can too!” And it was amazingly good! Like AMAZING. Thank you!
All I can say is this is the best turkey I’ve ever made. It was devoured. I never realized how dry my turkey came out each year until I did this. It is simply the only way I will make turkey. Turkey does not belong in the oven.
I made this last night for dinner and I will definitely be making it again! It was moist and tender and the gravy was a delicious addition. So glad I found this recipe!
terrific! So glad you liked it – I think this is how I will be making my turkey this Thanksgiving. It’s just so much easier than the traditional way with the oven. Plus I think it comes out better.
Hello! Can you make this with two skinless, boneless, turkey tenderloins?
We had an early Thanksgiving celebration, and made this turkey breast. It was absolutely delicious and so easy. The gravy recipe was excellent. Definitely saving this recipe to use in the future.
Hi Valerie! Isn’t that the easiest way to make a turkey? It’s given me the ability to make turkey whenever I want now without all the hassle of using the oven and basting, etc. It’s just genius!
Of course I was a little skeptical in doing this ON Thanksgiving, so I gave it a dry run and for the first time since I’ve hosted Thanksgiving I am excited! You CANNOT make this wrong. The moisture inside the meat is unparalled. The only issue is I need a bigger turkey, so I actually went out and bought another slow cooker. I will be making TWO of these this year.
The juiciest my Turkey has ever been. Why didnt I know this years ago?
We made this for our Friendsgiving and it was a huge hit. The gravy was the best. There was nothing left over but I really can’t believe how easy that was !!!!!!!!