Crockpot Turkey Breast delivers moist, flavorful, fall-off-the-bone meat with minimal effort and cleanup!
Pair this Turkey Breast with other Thanksgiving favorites like Creamed Corn, Sweet Potato Salad, or Mashed Potatoes.
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Recipe
This recipe is ideal for Thanksgiving and versatile enough for year-round use in sandwiches, salads, or meal prep.
While it’s not suited for very large turkey breasts, it’s perfect for smaller gatherings or as part of a multi-meat spread (ham on Thanksgiving? Yes please).
Forget dry baked turkey, and grab out the slow cooker! Plus, you’re saving room in your oven for this Sausage Stuffing Recipe, Twice-Baked Potato Casserole, and Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe.
Crockpot Turkey Breast Ingredients
- Turkey Breast: Choose bone-in, skin-on for best flavor. Make sure it’s thawed.
- Celery: Adds a base flavor; fresh, crisp stalks work best.
- Yellow Onions: Give a sweet, rich flavor.
- Carrots: Large ones are sweeter; baby carrots are easier.
- Garlic: Adds depth; just cut in half, no peeling needed.
- Butter: Keeps the turkey moist and adds flavor.
- Dried Minced Garlic, Salt, & Pepper: These give the main flavor.
- Paprika: Smoked paprika adds a hint of smokiness.
- Italian Seasoning, Dried Parsley, Thyme, Sage: These herbs go great with poultry.
- Olive Oil: Helps seasonings stick and spread evenly.
How To Thaw Turkey
- Refrigerator Thawing: Give 24 hours for every 4-5 pounds of turkey to thaw. Don’t thaw it at room temperature. Don’t thaw turkey in the CrockPot.
- Cold Water Thawing: Leave the turkey in its wrapping, put it in a large plastic bag, and place it breast-side down in cold water. Weigh it down with cans and change the water every 30 minutes.
- Immediate Cooking: Cook the Crockpot Turkey Breast as soon as it’s thawed.
How To Make Crockpot Turkey Breast
- Thaw Turkey: Make sure the bone-in turkey breast is completely thawed.
- Layer Veggies: Put celery, halved onion, garlic, and carrots at the bottom.
- Season Turkey: Loosen skin and rub the seasoning all over, even under the skin.
- Stuff Turkey: Put the onion and butter inside the turkey.
- Cook: Place the turkey on top of veggies, cook on low until it reaches 160°F.
- Optional Crisping: Broil with oil for 4-8 minutes to make the skin crispy.
- Carve: Remove the bones, slice the meat, and make gravy if you want.
Tips For Success
- Fit Check: Make sure the turkey breast fits in the crockpot before starting.
- Bone-In: Choose bone-in, skin-on turkey breast for the best flavor.
- Resting: Let the turkey sit after cooking to keep it juicy.
- Cook on Low: Cooking slowly on low heat keeps the turkey breast juicy. Cook until the internal temperature hits 160°F, then let it rest to reach 165°F.
- Use the Juices: Save the flavorful cooking juices at the bottom of the crockpot! Use them to make gravy or drizzle over the turkey for extra moisture.
- Let It Rest: After cooking, let the turkey rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. This keeps the meat juicy.
Quick Tip
How Much Turkey Do You Need? Get about 1 1/2 pounds of turkey for each person. If you want extra leftovers, go with 2 pounds per person.
Storage
Leftover Crockpot Turkey Breast
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an air-tight container or bag in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Use Leftover Turkey In
- Turkey and Cranberry Salad recipe from a bakery
- Chicken Noodle Casserole use turkey instead of chicken
- Turkey Cranberry Wrap ready in minutes
- The best Turkey Sandwich
- Turkey Cranberry Sliders perfect for thanksgiving leftovers
Crockpot Turkey Breast
This incredibly easy Crockpot Turkey Breast Recipe is slow-cooked to perfection, yielding meat that is exceptionally moist, flavorful, and so tender it falls off the bone. This low-maintenance recipe requires minimal cleanup and virtually no risk of drying out!
Equipment
- CrockPot 6-quart
Ingredients
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1 (5-6 pounds) bone-in skin-on turkey breast completely thawed, see note 1
- 3-5 stalks celery
- 2 small yellow onions cut in half, do not peel
- 4 large carrots or 12 baby carrots
- 1 head garlic cut in half, do not peel
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Fresh thyme optional, for garnish
Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika smoked if desired
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Optional Gravy
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- Chicken broth if needed
Instructions
- Ensure the turkey breast is completely thawed (can take 1-3 days in the fridge). Do not thaw in the crockpot for food safety reasons. Remove packaging, discard gizzards, and throughly pat dry all over with paper towels.
- Generously spray a 6-quart crockpot with nonstick spray.
- Place cut celery, halved unpeeled onions, unpeeled garlic halves, and carrots in an even layer on the bottom of the crockpot. If it all doesn't fit in one layer, omit excess.
- Mix all seasonings with olive oil in a bowl. Loosen the skin of the turkey with a large spoon and rub the mixture all over, especially under the skin.
- Place the other halved unpeeled onion and 4 tablespoons of butter inside the turkey's cavity.
- Place the turkey breast on top of the veggies, breast/skin side up. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. (No liquid needed; turkey will produce plenty!) Avoid cooking on high; dries out turkey.
- Optional Crisp: After cooking, transfer the turkey to a pan or casserole dish, drizzle with 1 tbsp oil, spray all over with cooking spray, and broil 1 foot from heat source for 4-8 minutes (watching very closely) until the skin crisps.
- Cut the large breasts off center bone and slice the meat thinly against grain.
Optional Gravy
- Strain the contents of the crockpot into a bowl, pressing veggies to extract flavor/liquid. Measure out 2 cups of this liquid (add chicken broth to reach this amount if necessary). In a pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter, then whisk in 4 tablespoons flour for 1 minute. Gradually add the strained liquid, while whisking constantly until nicely thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and any additional seasonings. Serve warm with the turkey.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Turkey: Make sure it will fit in your crockpot! Bone-in and skin-on will deliver the most moist and flavorful turkey. If it’s brined, you’ll want to reduce the salt. If it’s pre-seasoned, wipe off the rub or reduce seasonings. See blog post for how to safely thaw turkey.
Try to find a 5-6 lb bone-in, skin-on turkey breast (this size works best!), but if you can’t here is general timing:
- 2-3 lbs: 4-5 hours low
- 4-6 lbs: 5-6 hours low
- 7-8 lbs: 6-7 hours low
- 8-10 lbs: 7-9 hours low (make sure it fits in crockpot first!)
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 729kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.2g | Protein: 101.2g | Fat: 27g | Cholesterol: 277.6mg | Sodium: 1300.5mg | Fiber: 2.9g | Sugar: 3.9g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Want to try this….looks great but, can I substitute olive oil for the butter?
I’ve never tried olive oil with this turkey recipe, so I really can’t say how it would end up. Wish I could be of more help!
I made this recipe using Smart Balance light; we ave to watch our cholesterol intake carefully. The turkey breast was fantastic. It was moist and juicy and the gravy was very good. I have a large slow cooker and will try a small whole turkey (10#) next time.
So happy to hear you enjoyed the turkey and the gravy! I love hearing that 🙂 Thanks for the comment Karen!
yes, olive oil will work as I’ve used before in recipe very similar to this one
I made this last night to this morning. Very easy. Meat was good. Thank you.
So thrilled to hear that! Thanks for the comment Janet 🙂
Do you have any tips on roasting this in the oven instead?
Loved recipe!!!!!!!
So happy to hear that! Thank you Nicole!
You have gravy on your picture. Did you make gravy with the drippings in the crockpot or just from a mix??
I added in the notes how you can make the gravy from the drippings left in the crockpot 🙂 Hope that helps!
Tried it out this morning! My crockpot must be too small or turkey too large, I couldn’t fit the turkey in with the veggies on the bottom. I’ll just make some carrots for a side.
That sounds like a great idea! I hope you loved the turkey! 🙂
The turkey breast has been in the crock pot for two hours… already the house smells heavenly. Will report back after we eat it tonight!
Oh I am SO glad to hear that! It’s the best when it makes the whole home smell good 🙂 Hope you loved it!
This looks great! I will be trying it on Christmas as long as the turkey breast fits in my crockpot. The breast meat dries out so easily that I think this method will be perfect! I am also thinking of putting a chaffing fish on the table and putting the sliced turkey in it with some gravy so it stays nice and hot. Turkey seems to loose its heat too quickly. I am the type of person that likes food either very hot or very cold—nothing room temperature unless it is supposed to be, of course. Thanks for the info!
can you use the turkey breast with ribs. That is all all I can seem to find in the store.
This is great, Chelsea! An easy recipe to make for Thanksgiving. I’ve never made Turkey in my slow cooker. So clever. Thanks for the video!
wow, you butchered that turkey like a badass, I’m impressed. ALso, what a great idea to do it in the crockpot! No dry turkey with the Crockpot!