This slow cooker turkey breast is coated in a seasoned herb butter, then placed in the crock pot to cook to tender perfection. It’s the perfect way to free up oven space for your big holiday meal, and the turkey comes out perfect every time!
I love to make this slow cooker turkey, it’s a fuss free way to have a delicious and elegant main course. I serve my crock pot turkey with some of our favorite side dishes like Thanksgiving stuffing, Instant Pot cranberry sauce, cranberry Jello salad and bacon brussels sprouts. Don’t forget the pecan pie bars and pumpkin meringue pie for dessert!
Can you believe that such a browned and succulent turkey breast can come from a slow cooker? It’s true, and it couldn’t be any easier to make. Plus there are plenty of drippings which make the best turkey gravy. It’s a great Thanksgiving recipe for serving a smaller crowd. My roasted Cornish hen recipe also makes an amazing main course option for when you don’t want to cook a whole turkey. Need more menu inspiration? Don’t miss my list of 30 Thanksgiving appetizer recipes!
If you have turkey leftovers, try my favorite leftover turkey recipes such as turkey tetrazzini, turkey salad and turkey noodle soup.
Table of Contents
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Ingredients
To make juicy slow cooker turkey breast you will need a thawed turkey breast, butter, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried thyme, salt, black pepper, an onion and herbs. For the gravy you will need butter, flour and a cup of turkey broth or chicken broth.
How Do You Make Slow Cooker Turkey Breast?
Start your slow cooker turkey breast recipe by mixing butter with a blend of herbs and spices in a small bowl. Rub the butter mixture on top of, and underneath the skin of your thawed turkey breast. Place onion slices at the bottom of you crock pot. The turkey breast then goes into the crock pot on the onion slices. It cooks a few hours until it’s tender and flavorful. Transfer the turkey to a baking sheet and broil it for 5 minutes to brown the outside. While the turkey broils, in a pan whisk together melted butter and flour. Add the strained juices from the slow cooker and a little broth. In a few minutes you have gravy for your turkey. Take the turkey out of the oven, add gravy and enjoy!
Tips For The Perfect Turkey
- Love crispy skin? Me too. After the turkey comes out of the slow cooker, broil it for a few minutes to get the skin crispy and golden brown.
- I highly recommend using a bone-in, skin-on turkey breast as it will be much less likely to get dry.
- Sometimes it can be a bit difficult to spread the butter mixture evenly over the turkey. Make sure your butter is very soft to make it easier to spread. You can also let your turkey breast sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before you start seasoning.
- I’ve used a half breast here, but you can use a whole breast if you’re serving more people. Simply double the amount of the seasoned butter and proceed with the recipe. You will also need to increase the cook time.
- The onion slices serve as a rack to elevate the turkey breast. That way the breast doesn’t sit in a bunch of liquid and it gets infused with flavor.
Quick Tip
You’ll need a larger oval slow cooker to cook a turkey breast. A standard round slow cooker will not be large enough.
Recipe FAQs
You’ll want to count on buying one pound of turkey breast per person. If you want more leftovers, try to aim for 1 1/2-2 pounds per person.
A standard sized turkey breast will need to cook for approximately 6 hours on low heat. The turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees F. If you’re using a larger or smaller turkey breast, be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Cooking a turkey breast in a slow cooker is safe as long as you cook a thawed turkey breast. You need to cook your turkey long enough to reach 165 degrees F in the thickest part. Also, make sure your slow cooker works correctly.
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Flavor Variations
This recipe makes delicious and juicy turkey breast; however, you can change the recipe to suit your taste.
- Seasoning: Try changing up your flavors by mixing a spice blend with your butter like fajita seasoning, Cajun seasoning or Jamaican jerk seasoning.
- Herbs: Try adding some minced dried rosemary, thyme or sage to your butter mixture.
- Chicken: If you want to make a whole chicken in your crock pot, try this slow cooker whole chicken recipe.
- Vegetables: If you want a whole meal try adding some veggies to the crock pot. You could add 1 inch carrot pieces, 1 inch celery pieces or halved small potatoes to the crock pot.
Once you try making turkey in a slow cooker, you won’t want to go back to the oven roasted method!
More Sides You’ll Enjoy
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
1 hr 50 mins
Zucchini Gratin
40 mins
Butterflake Rolls
2 hrs 20 mins
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Video
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Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
Ingredients
For the turkey
- 6 lb bone-in, skin-on turkey breast
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 large onion peeled and cut into 1 inch thick slices
- fresh herbs for garnish optional
- cooking spray
For the gravy
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup chicken or turkey broth
Instructions
- Place the 4 tablespoons of butter, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, thyme, salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir until combined.
- Loosen the skin of the turkey. Spread half of the butter mixture under the skin of the turkey and spread half all over the top of the turkey.
- Coat a large oval slow cooker with cooking spray and line the bottom of the slow cooker with the onion slices.
- Place the turkey breast on top of the onion slices. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165 degrees F.
- Transfer the turkey breast to a baking sheet. Preheat the broiler.
- Broil the turkey for 4-5 minutes or until skin is browned and crispy.
- Pour the liquid from the slow cooker through a strainer; discard the solids.
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine.
- Cook the flour and butter mixture for 1 minute.
- Pour 1 cup of strained drippings and 1 cup of chicken broth in the pan.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes or until just thickened, stirring constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Slice the turkey and serve with the gravy. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
Notes
- You’ll need a larger oval slow cooker to cook a turkey breast. A standard round slow cooker will not be large enough.
- Love crispy skin? Me too. After the turkey comes out of the slow cooker, it gets broiled for a few minutes to get the skin crispy and golden brown.
- I highly recommend using a bone-in, skin-on turkey breast as it will be much less likely to get dry.
This has become my go to recipe when cooking turkey. It is SO easy and always comes out perfect!!!!
What size slow cooker did you use for this? I have a 5 1/2 lb turkey breast. My 4 qt slow cooker doesn’t seem to hold much. I want to get a larger one -either a 5 or 6 qt.
I use a 6 quart oval!
What can you sub for the onions?
You just want to use some type of vegetable to elevate the turkey off the bottom of the pot, so carrots or potatoes would also work.
Hello!! Hope you and your three kids are hale and hearty.
I have a new instant Pot, and an oval crock pot. I bought a 7 1/2 Turkey breast roast?
How long would I cook this in the crock pot?
I’d add one more hour to the cooking time!
I have a 3 pound bone in half breast. How long should I cook it for?
I’d do 3-4 hours!
My crockpot only has a low setting for eight hours or 10 hours, and a high setting for four hours and six hours. What setting do I select?
Can you just put it on low for 8 hours but then set your own kitchen timer and pull it out earlier?
How is the turkey breast with bone in put down inside the crock pot ? I put it. In with the cavity open down . I hope that’s right . Also at rhe end to crispy the skin in broiler is it on high or low ? Couldn’t I just take all the skin off it and broil just that ?
Skin side up, bone side down! I broil on high. Are you planning to eat the skin? If not you don’t have to broil it.
How long do I cook a Turkey breast that is 10 pounds with bone in . I am using a slow cooker. I cut the breast in half so that it would fit better into the 6 quart slow cooker
Since the recipe calls for 6 lbs, if you have 2 pieces that are 5 lbs each they should cook at a similar rate. Try to place them as close to side by side as possible, a little overlap is fine. If you have to stack them on top of each other they will be slower to cook and I’d say add another hour.
Couldn’t find bone in skin on turkey breast so I bought 2- 2 1/2 pound boneless skinless turkey breasts. I’m thinking I should decrease cooking time. Any hints? I’ve made this before with the correct turkey but didn’t want to have to drive all over town for bone in. Any help is appreciated.
Try your best to arrange the two breasts in a single layer in the slow cooker. It’s ok if they overlap a bit but they should not be sitting on top of each other or they won’t cook properly. I’d check at the 4 hour mark to see if they’re done. Hope this helps!
Can you pre base the turkey the night before?
I’m not sure what you mean by pre base?
Must be pre-baste
I’ve never cooked a turkey breast before and I am this year. I don’t want to assume, so I’m asking. The turkey breast should be thawed not frozen correct?
Yes thaw it first!
This Slow Cooker Turkey Breast sounds so perfect for us for Thanksgiving. A whole turkey is too much for us!
LOVE how easy this is!
We loved this turkey breast! I was incredibly delicious!!
Oh my, this turkey breast looks incredible! I bet it tastes amazing!
This is really good!! A great addition for our Thanksgiving menu!
Yum! This looks so delicious and tasty! I can’t wait to give this a try! My family is going to love this recipe! So excited!
This slow cooker turkey breast is incredibly delicious!
It’s Sunday morning, I defrosted a turkey breast that I got from Shoprite for Easter and we did not use.. My husband and I were wondering if we could cook it in the crockpot so we don’t have to babysit it..Will try your recipe, sounds easy and awesome ,thank you! I’ll try to let you know how it turns out.
Works GREAT! We are a family of 3 and wanted to cook turkey for Christmas but was super busy and hesitating…
Used 2 turkey thighs – bone in with skin. (What I found) 6 hours on low… broiled afterwards…
Super juicy…Made turkey exciting again…roasted some potatoes with the left over onions… perfect for our toddler (shredded turkey) and perfect for us…
Gravy is delicious! It’s coming on the rotation…thanks!