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.
I am going to try this turkey recipe next week for my family who will be coming in before Christmas. My concern is that my crockpot is a 4 quart. Do you think this will still work? I may use less vegetables so that the turkey will fit.
Hmm I’m not sure if it will fit; mine was pretty full at 6 quart.
Worked like a charm! My boyfriend had doubts, but definitely not anymore. Thanks for the recipe and all of the helpful hints.
So thrilled to hear it! Thanks so much for the comment and review Sonia 🙂
I would like to cook my turkey breast in crockpot but I don’t have anything but celery to put under it. Do you think that will work? Thanks
That should be fine ☺️
Did this last year and doing it again this year! Cooking it in the crockpot breast side down is genius. SO GOOD!
So, so happy to hear it! 🙂 I’m thrilled to hear you’re serving this recipe two years in a row for Thanksgiving 🙂
Bought everything BUT it doesn’t fit in my crock pot! ? What temp/time would you recommend for oven baking?
Oh no! Would it fit without the veggies at the bottom? If so, you can try and cram the veggies in the side or on top — they don’t have to be at the bottom.
Hi there! I am so GLAD I came across this blog post!! I finally know how I’m going to cook our turkey breast this year! I do have a question, though: I see that you checked the temp after taking the turkey out of the slow cooker. Do you do this with the assumption that the temperature has been reached and you’re measuring just to be on the safe side? What if the temperature is not high enough upon measuring? Do you put the turkey back into the slow cooker? 5-7 hours is a large window and, other than monitoring the temp as it cooks (which I don’t know is an option with slow cookers), I’m unsure of how to know when to stop cooking and take the turkey out! Thanks so much!!!
Yes that is exactly what I do 🙂 Just making sure that temperature has been reached! I definitely would recommend monitoring it throughout the cooking time once it’s been in the crockpot for 5 hours. If it’s not done just keep cooking and check it every 30 minutes 🙂
I was planning on cooking a boneless turkey breast this year (just 4 of us). Would the cooking time need to be adjusted?
Yes it likely will need to be adjusted. I wish I could be of more help, but I’ve never tried a boneless turkey breast in the crockpot so I don’t want to give you an incorrect recommendation. The size is the biggest determining factor of the time in the crockpot.
I have 2 boneless in the crockpot as well. I didn’t realize recipe called for bone in until I got home haha. I will update this evening :))
Great tip to get crispy skin if leaving it on: put it under the broiler in the oven for a couple minutes!!! Works great when roasting a chicken in the crockpot also!!!
Great tip! Thank you!!
One other question, can I cook on low for 8-9 hours instead? I will be at work all day. I skimmed the recipe rather quickly before getting the ingredients and prepping. I just now realized that the recipe states to cook on high for one hour before turning to low.
Hey Amanda! That should be fine 🙂
I’m preparing to make this tomorrow. I could not find a single turkey breast that was 5 – 6 pounds, so I got two that were 2.75 pounds. Will two cook thoroughly in my crockpot? I could also split all the remaining ingredients in half and just cook one breast. What would you recommend?
Hey Amanda! I really am not 100% sure, but I don’t see why 2 breasts won’t work out in the crockpot. Just split the seasonings and butter evenly between the 2. Good luck! Would love to hear the results 🙂
Hi Chelsea,
I ended up cooking only one 2.75 lb turkey breast. I chopped the rest of the ingredients in half and it worked out fine. The meat was a tad bit dry, but it was in the crockpot around 10 hours on low. Probably a little too long. Next time I will cook it less hours. All in all, the flavor was really good despite the dryness. Thanks for this recipe, I will be trying this again real soon!
Thanks so much for coming back and letting me (and others) know! Yeah I’m sure if you cut down that time it would be a lot more moist; I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor though! Hope you completely love it the next time you try it for less time!