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Crock Pot Turkey Breast

Crock Pot Turkey Breast cooks up tender and full of flavor with minimal effort. A tasty gravy from the cooking juices can be made in just minutes.

Crock Pot Turkey Breast being carved.

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Recipe

Do you start to crave a Thanksgiving-style meal before Thanksgiving? I do. Most years, Thanksgiving is the only day of the year I cook turkey. But that’s going to change with this Crock Pot Turkey Breast recipe. It really could not be easier to make. Throw a few sides in the oven and you can enjoy the flavors of Thanksgiving any day of the year.

A turkey breast cooked in a Slow Cooker comes out exceptionally moist and flavorful. I added a packet of dry onion soup mix, some dried sage, and a chopped up onion, carrot, and celery stalk to really up the flavor.

Whole turkey breast on top of stuffing on a platter.

What Size Turkey Breast To Use?

Look for a full turkey breast that is 6 to 7 pounds and has the bone in.

How Long To Slow Cook a Turkey Breast

Just a few minutes of prep and about 5 to 7 hours of hands off time in the crock pot is all it takes (if the turkey is completely defrosted). You can check with an instant read thermometer to see if it is done. Turkey is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.

Turkey breast with a slice removed.

Make An Easy Gravy

The cooking juices, which are nicely flavored from the onion soup mix, are easy to turn into a yummy gravy with just a little flour.

Serve the gravy with sliced turkey breast, mashed potatoes, and dressing for an easy meal.

If you’re preparing Thanksgiving for a small number of people, this Crock Pot Turkey is plenty delicious to serve for Thanksgiving dinner. The only downside is you don’t get that crisp skin like you do when you roast a turkey in the oven or deep fry one. You can however stick the turkey under the broiler to crisp the skin up.

Side Dishes To Serve With Turkey

Crock Pot Turkey Breast on a serving platter.

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If you’re looking to spice up your Thanksgiving, try this Slow Cooker Cajun Turkey Breast.


Crock Pot Turkey Breast

Crock Pot Turkey Breast cooks up tender and full of flavor with minimal effort. A tasty gravy from the cooking juices can be made in just minutes. Perfect for any occasion, especially Thanksgiving.
PREP: 5 minutes
COOK: 6 hours 5 minutes
TOTAL: 6 hours 5 minutes
SERVINGS: 8

Ingredients

  • 1 carrot, chopped into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 small onion, quartered
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 (6 to 7-pound) bone-in turkey breast, defrosted
  • 1 packet dry onion soup mix
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
  • 2 tablespoons melted Butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups liquid reserved from cooking turkey

Instructions

  • Spray a 6-quart crock pot with cooking spray. Place carrot, celery, and onion in bottom of crock pot.
  • Place turkey on top of vegetables. Sprinkle with onion soup mix and sage. Drizzle with melted butter.
  • Cover and cook on low for 5 to 7 hours. Use an instant read thermometer to see if turkey is done. Temperature should be 165 degrees.
  • Remove turkey and strain liquid. Reserve 2 cups. If for some reason you do not have 2 cups of liquid, use chicken broth to make up the difference.
  • Add flour and pepper to a medium skillet. Whisk in the 2 cups of cooking liquid.
  • Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Turn heat down to just maintain a simmer and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes.

Notes

If you want to get the skin a little crispy, stick the turkey under the broiler after you remove it from the slow cooker. Watch it carefully. It should only take 3 to 5 minutes.
Nutritional info is provided as an estimate only and will vary based on brands of products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 478kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 68g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 189mg | Sodium: 928mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1363IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Author: Christin Mahrlig
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Thanksgiving

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81 thoughts on “Crock Pot Turkey Breast”

  1. I want to cook a 6.0lb. (bones in) turkey breast STUFFED in the crock pot. Can I do that? I only see where people say put the stuffing in a bag and lay it on the bottom of the pot, under the turkey. But, I really want the stuffing INside the turkey . It flavors the turkey & the turkey flavors the stuffing. Help? How long on what setting?

  2. I’ve been using this recipe for YEARS! This will be my third year making a crock pot turkey it is always so moist and delicious!

  3. Could you throw in some stuffing in the bottom of the slow cooker and let it cook along with the turkey?

    1. Christin
      Christin Mahrlig

      I’ve never tried that John. Sounds like it would be good, but might take a couple of tries to get the amount right so that it is not soggy.

  4. The turkey breast I bought from butterball says to roast from frozen, so for the crockpot should I still thaw?

    1. Christin
      Christin Mahrlig

      Yes, I think I would. Just be sure to go ahead and cook it as soon as it is thawed.

    2. That is a turkey breast roast, not an actual turkey breast. They take turkey breast meat, process it with additives, and then compress it into a roast shape.

  5. Anna Wright

    Cooking breast part is little bit hard for me. Eagerly waiting to try this wonderful recipe to get WOW result. Thanks for sharing!!!

      1. Ugh! Replied to the wrong comment. It should have replied to ‘what do we do with the vegetables’ comment.

  6. What do we do with the vegetables (carrots, onion, celery) that were cooked in the bottom of the crock pot after everything is cooked?

    1. Christin
      Christin Mahrlig

      I toss them out. Sounds wasteful but I haven’t been able to think of a way to use them.

  7. Ty very much for sharing! ,, I made 2 turkey breast / bone in and 1..1/2 cups of water, in a crockpot bag .. Placed in the crockpot , 5 and a bit hours.. On low that’s number 1 on mine ,
    It was sooooooo juicy!??????? Thank you again… It was Great!,, will do this again , and again! … No mess.. No fuss… Just great!

    1. Christin
      Christin Mahrlig

      Yay! So glad you liked it. It really is a great way to cook a turkey that is really juicy!

  8. Do you add any water to the crock pot before you start to cook? I would like to try this but need to know about the water when i do roasts mine recommended adding water first , did you do that with the turkey breast?

      1. Christin
        Christin Mahrlig

        No liquid is needed. You will be shocked at how much liquid a turkey produces when cooked in a crock pot.

  9. If all I could find was a boneless 3 pound breast would that affect the cooking time as well as the ingredients?

    1. Christin
      Christin Mahrlig

      I would keep the ingredients the same and I would check it at 5 hours with a thermometer and see if it need more time.

  10. Does this really just produce 6 servings? I was going to try to do this to feed around 50 people, obviously using several crockpots, but if surely it will feed more.

    1. Experts recommend that you allow at least one pound of turkey (with bones) for each person you are feeding. If you use this recipe, you will need at least 50 lbs of turkey breast (with bones) to feed them.
      If you are going boneless, you would probably be safe with figuring at least 1.25 lbs – 1.50 lbs of turkey person.

      1. Oh no — I made a mistake. You would need *less* per person if using a boneless turkey breast.
        Sorry about that!

    2. Christin
      Christin Mahrlig

      Oh my! It will take a lot of turkey breasts to feed 50 people. I think you might need to throw a large whole turkey in the oven too.

  11. I made this turkey breast yesterday and it was fabulous. Very moist and tasty. Will use this recipe again.

    1. Christin
      Christin Mahrlig

      Go glad you enjoyed it Lynne! I love how moist meat is when it comes out of the crock pot. 🙂

  12. I have done turkey breast in a crock pot before, but this was the best. I thought the onion soup left a little bitter after taste though. So either we need less, or I need to create a substitute somehow. I was amazed at how good the gravy was though… Thank you.

  13. Used a 3lb boneless turkey breast from the Whole Foods deli. This recipe was easy and delicious although I think my turkey turned out a little bit drier than I prefer. I probably could have treated the turkey breast to little slices of butter before throwing it in the pot. Overall, very easy, tasty, and provided more than enough turkey for two people to eat for the approximately four meals.

    1. Julie Davis

      i wrap mine in bacon, the rest the same add vegetables to stuffing, turkey and bacon drippings for gravy…..yummmm

  14. Fabian Delores High

    Target has turkey breast on sale quite often. They are on sale this week for $1.19#.

  15. Rosa Foxworthy

    Ive always basted my turkey with brown sugar an pineapple juice mixed together. Can I do a turkey breast like that in a crockpot withov burning it? Just wondering.

    1. There is no need to baste when you do your turkey in the crock pot. If you are frequently taking the lid off, then the temp. in the pot goes down , so you are losing the benefit of the crock pot. I think if you want to try it, mix together your pineapple juice and brown sugar making a paste. I would put this mixture under the skin of the turkey breast and let it do its magic that way!

    2. this sounds YUMMMMMY !!! I am going to try this !!
      last year I did a basket weave of bacon on top of my turkey breast and cooked it in the oven….YUMMMM
      thanks for the idea !
      also love the idea of putting brown sugar and pineapple under the skin !!! thanks for all the great ideas !!!

      1. Christin
        Christin Mahrlig

        I need to try a basket weave of bacon on top! I’ve seen pictures but have never tried it.

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