This slow cooker turkey breast recipe is a simple method that will always give you juicy and moist turkey breast with minimal preparation. It's perfect for Thanksgiving and the holidays!
Every year, I get super excited about preparing Thanksgiving recipes and holiday main dishes and this year is no exception. From Persian spiced turkey and herb roasted turkey breast to cheesy scalloped potatoes and everything in between, I love preparing for the holidays! I also know many of us have small families and making a giant turkey isn't really an option. But that should not take the joy of enjoying juicy turkey away and that's why we have this delicious turkey breast recipe made in crockpot. It's a simple recipe with so much flavor that requires minimum hands-on time.
Table Of Contents:
Why is cooking turkey breast in slow cooker a good idea?
If you're not planning to make a whole turkey for the thanksgiving dinner, you will love this recipe. Cooking turkey breast in a slow cooker is a essential technique to know for a few good reasons:
- Easy method: All you need to do is rub the turkey breast with a mixture of spices and then place it on a bed of vegetables. Then leave it to cook.
- Saves space: You need the oven for stuffing (there is a stove top version here, though), pumpkin pie and sweet potato casserole, so it's less stressful to have the turkey sit in the slow cooker for Thanksgiving.
- Moist and juicy: Brining always works, but if you have a small fridge like I do, it's not the best idea to brine the turkey. Cooking turkey breast in a slow cooker helps it stay moist and flavorful when it's ready to be served.
This easy recipe would be perfect for your party if you're cooking for just a few people. It's just enough for 2-4 people and since it's cooked in the slow cooker, it's absolutely juicy and not dry at all.
The spice rub
To have a tasty turkey breast, it's best to make a homemade spice rub. Our spice blend for this recipe is made with a mix of aromatic spices:
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Smoked paprika
- Dried Tarragon
- Cumin
- Thyme
- Turmeric
The combination of herbs and spices make this dish very aromatic and flavorful. Turmeric adds a nice golden color to the meat and tarragon gives it a nice earthy freshness.
Instructions
- Start with pat drying the turkey breast. Make sure it's completely dry and set it aside.
- In a bowl, mix all the spices and add enough olive oil to form a paste.
- Using your fingers, gently separate the skin from the meat but make sure not to tear it.
- Rub the spice paste all over the turkey breast and under the skin.
- Place garlic, onion, carrots and celery at the bottom of the slow cooker and place the turkey breast on the vegetables.
- Cook the turkey breast on low for about 7 hours or until it's fully cooked.
- Transfer the turkey breast to a baking sheet and broil in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the skin is golden and crispy.
- Use the juice of the vegetables and turkey to make some homemade gravy if desired.
Serving suggestions
If you're serving this slow cooker turkey breast as a part of your Thanksgiving, you can serve it with delicious Thanksgiving sides such as Garlic butter mashed potatoes, homemade stuffing and of course, apple cranberry sauce.
Since this turkey breast is made in the crock pot, you have plenty of room and time to make your favorite side dishes without worrying about the turkey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any turkey breast less than 8 pounds should fit in a standard 6Qt slow cooker. You should have enough room around the turkey breast for vegetables and also for the turkey breast to cook evenly.
Make sure the turkey breast is not too large for your slow cooker otherwise it won't cook evenly and might be overcooked on the outside and underdone on the inside.
If you don't want leftovers, plan to serve 1 pound turkey per person. However, increase it up to 1.5 pounds per person if you would like to have some leftovers. For this recipe, I used half a turkey breast which is also called single breast and it weighed about 5 pounds.
For this recipe, I suggest you use bone-in skin-on turkey breast since it will come out juicier and tastier. Of course, you can use boneless turkey breast, just make sure to baste it a couple of times while cooking it in the slow cooker. Also keep in mind that boneless turkey breast cooks faster.
A 5-pound turkey breast takes almost 6 to 7 hours to cook. To ensure that the turkey breast is cooked completely, check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer, it should register at 165°F.
It's best to thaw the frozen turkey breast in the fridge first before cooking it in the slow cooker. Since turkey breast is very thick, cooking it frozen might result in uncooked middle and dried out layers.
If you have frozen turkey, place it in the fridge to thaw before you cook it in the slow cooker. It should take about a day to a day and a half for a 6 pound turkey breast to thaw.
What to do with the leftoves
Well first of all, you can make Ross Geller's Thanksgiving sandwich, that's a classic and it's so delicious! You can also make turkey barley soup, turkey pot pie or cranberry, cheese and and turkey filo rolls.
Notes and tips
- Place garlic heads, onion, celery and carrot and the bottom of the slow cooker. This way the turkey breast won't stick to the bottom of the slow cooker and the juice released from the turkey will make the best gravy.
- Make sure to rub the spice mix on and under the skin for maximum flavor.
- If you want the turkey breast to have crispy skin, place it under the broiler for 5-8 minutes so the skin gets crispy. Make sure to check it regularly so it doesn't burn.
- It usually takes 6-7 hours for a 5 pound turkey breast to cook in the slow cooker. Check the breast after 6 hours with a meat thermometer - it should register at 165ºF.
- This is a basic recipe that always makes the perfect turkey breast. It's good to make this on Thanksgiving day in the morning so it's ready to serve by dinner time.
More Thanksgiving recipes
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Step-by-Step Recipe
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ bone-in skin-on turkey breast 4-5 lbs
- 2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme Chopped
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 heads garlic Cut in half
- 2 carrots Cut into chunks
- 2 yellow onions Cut in quarters
- 3 stalks celery Cut into chunks
Instructions
- Pat dry the turkey breast and set it aside.
- Mix onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried tarragon, cumin, fresh thyme and turmeric in a bowl. Then add in olive oil and mix so it forms a paste.
- Rub the paste all over the turkey breast and under the skin.
- Place garlic, onions, carrots and celery at the bottom of the slow cooker, place the turkey on the vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours until the internal temperature registers at 165F.
- Take the turkey out of the slow cooker and place it on a baking sheet. Place the turkey under the broiler and broil for 5 to 8 minutes until the skin gets crispy. This step is optional but I recommend doing it.
- Let the turkey sit for 20 minutes and then slice and serve with your favorite side dishes.
Notes
- Place garlic heads, onion, celery and carrot and the bottom of the slow cooker. This way the turkey breast won't stick to the bottom of the slow cooker and the juice released from the turkey will make the best gravy.
- Make sure to rub the spice mix on and under the skin for maximum flavor.
- If you want the turkey breast to have crispy skin, place it under the broiler for 5-8 minutes so the skin gets crispy. Make sure to check it regularly so it doesn't burn.
- It usually takes 6-7 hours for a 5 pound turkey breast to cook in the slow cooker. Check the breast after 6 hours with a meat thermometer - it should register at 165ºF.
- This is a basic recipe that always makes the perfect turkey breast. It's good to make this on Thanksgiving day in the morning so it's ready to serve by dinner time.
T
Can you eat the carrots that are put in the bottom of the pan? Or they just for flavoring for the juices? Do they get mushy to actually eat?
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
You sure can serve carrots
Mia
So no need to add smy moisture to the pot? I thought ctockpots require some moisture to br added, or is the low temp the key ?
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Low temp would work and also, the turkey and vegetables will release juice. You can add 1/2 cup chicken stock if you like.
Shooka Esmaeeli
This one is great. Shadi I recently consider that there is a difference for me when in a food blog there is some step by step photos. Then I asked my spouse and my sister and they agreed too. So as a friendly suggestion, add step by step photos for lazy people like us!
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hi Shooka! Yes, step by step photos help a lot, we are working on that for our new recipes 🙂
Shooka Esmaeeli
Can't wait to see!
Cathy
Do you set the crock pot on low or high? Also there are 2 different cook times. My turkey breast is bone in and ten pounds.
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hi Cathy! For some reason I saw your comment right now! I 5 lb turkey cooks on low for about 6-7 hours 🙂 For a 10 pound I would probably set on low for 10 hours of high for 7 🙂