Easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

This slow cooker turkey breast is the easiest way I know to end up with tender, flavorful turkey, and the drippings make the most divine gravy you've ever tasted. It works with a bone-in or boneless turkey breast, so it's just as good for a small Thanksgiving as it is for a weeknight supper.

Looking for more easy holiday recipes? You should try our Southern Style Cornbread Dressing or our Butternut Squash with Bourbon, Maple and Bacon!

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Recipe
• Ingredients Needed
• How to Make Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
• Equipment
• Pam's Expert Tips
• Storage Information
• Recipe FAQs
• Want more Thanksgiving recipes?
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• Chicken & Turkey Main Dishes
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When we have a smaller group for Thanksgiving, a whole turkey is just more than we need. A turkey breast gives everybody plenty of white meat (with leftovers to spare), and cooking it in the slow cooker leaves the oven open for the dressing, casseroles, and pies. My mother-in-law showed me how to make that cornbread dressing years ago, and it has never, ever let me down.

This recipe is also easy enough to make any night of the week. You season it, set it, and go about your business. We like ours with Cajun seasoning, but you can go traditional or use whatever suits your fancy.

Why You'll Love This Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Recipe

• It's hands-off. It takes about 5 minutes of prep, and the slow cooker handles the rest.
• It works with bone-in or boneless. A 6 to 7 pound bone-in breast feeds 6, and a 3 pound boneless breast feeds about 4.
• The gravy! Oh my goodness, the gravy. The juices you end up with make the best turkey gravy ever. For an easy tutorial on making gravy from any meat drippings, check out our gravy guide.
• You can make it ahead. We've cooked our turkey and gravy, frozen them for a few weeks, and then thawed and served them with outstanding success. This is one of 15 recipes in our collection of Make Ahead Recipes for Holiday Meals.

Ingredients Needed

• Turkey Breast: I used a 6 to 7 pound bone-in turkey breast, but a 3 pound boneless turkey breast works too. See the section below for how to adjust.
• Creole Seasoning: We love Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning, but seasoning salt or your favorite poultry seasoning works just fine.
• Black Pepper: It adds a little extra kick on top of the Creole seasoning.
• Celery and Onion: These make a little rack that keeps the turkey off the bottom of the slow cooker, and they flavor the juices for your gravy.
• All-Purpose Flour and Water: Whisked together, they thicken the drippings into gravy.
• Kitchen Bouquet: This one is optional, but a little bit gives your gravy a rich brown color.

Bone-in or Boneless Turkey Breast?

This recipe was written for a 6 to 7 pound bone-in turkey breast. If you're feeding a smaller group, a boneless turkey breast (sometimes sold as a turkey breast roast) is a great option. Here's what changes:

• Cook time: A 3 pound boneless turkey breast usually takes about 3 to 4 hours on low. Start checking the temperature at 3 hours (and check the list below for other sizes).
• Seasoning: Use about half the seasoning, since you have about half the turkey.
• Netting: Leave it on while the turkey cooks so the roast holds together, then snip it off before slicing.
• Gravy packet: Lots of boneless roasts come with one. Feel free to toss it, because the gravy you make from the drippings is so much better.

How long to cook turkey breast in a slow cooker (on low):

• 2 pound boneless: about 3 hours
• 3 pound boneless: 3 to 4 hours
• 4 to 5 pound boneless or bone-in: 4 to 6 hours
• 6 to 7 pound bone-in: 5 to 7 hours
• 8 to 10 pound bone-in: 6 to 9 hours

Start checking at the low end of the range. Every slow cooker runs a little different, so the thermometer always has the final say.

How to Make Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

1. Dry and season the turkey. Take out the gravy packet and neck if they're tucked inside. Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels, then season it all over with Creole seasoning and black pepper.
2. Build a rack. Lay the celery and onion in the bottom of the slow cooker and set the turkey on top, skin side up.
3. Slow cook it. Cover and cook on low until a meat thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part of the breast. That takes 5 to 7 hours for bone-in or 3 to 4 hours for boneless.
4. Let it rest. Move it to a cutting board and let it rest about 15 minutes while you make the gravy. Don't leave it sitting in the slow cooker on warm, or it will keep cooking.
5. Make the gravy. Strain the juices into a saucepan, whisk in a flour and water mixture, and cook until thickened.
6. Slice and serve. If you're using bone-in turkey, slice down each side of the breastbone to remove the two halves, then slice them crosswise. Spoon plenty of gravy over the top.

Equipment

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First and foremost, you need a slow cooker, or crock pot. I'll be honest. Mine is the most basic of the basic. Lots of people like all the bells and whistles, though, and this link takes you to a page with lots of choices, all rated 4 stars or higher on Amazon. If you're cooking a bone-in turkey breast, a 6 quart or larger oval slow cooker gives it the most room.

Then you'll want a good, accurate meat thermometer. This style is our favorite because you can leave the probe in the meat, whether it's in the oven, on the grill, or in the slow cooker. The part that shows the temperature sits on the counter, so you can keep an eye on it without lifting the lid.

Beyond that, if you're like us and love Cajun and Creole flavors, you'll want Tony Chachere Original Creole Seasoning.

Really, the only other essential is a good quality, sharp knife for slicing. We're big fans of Henckel Knives.

Pam's Expert Tips

• Keep the turkey off the bottom. The celery and onion rack keeps the turkey from sitting in its own juices. Use whatever vegetables you like, but you'll get the best results if the meat isn't resting right on the bottom of the crock pot.
• Don't overcook it. Place your thermometer as deep into the breast as you can without touching bone, and take the turkey out as soon as it hits 165°F. Every slow cooker runs a little different, so start checking around 4 hours for bone-in and 3 hours for boneless.
• Dry turkey means golden skin. Some recipes say you have to broil the turkey after it comes out of the slow cooker. We've found that step unnecessary as long as you season a dry turkey breast before cooking it.
• Make sure it fits. A big bone-in breast can be a snug fit in a 6 quart slow cooker. If the lid won't close all the way, cover the top tightly with heavy-duty foil.
• Check the label for brined turkey. A lot of turkey breasts, especially frozen ones, are already brined or injected with a salt solution. If yours is, use about half the Creole seasoning, and taste the gravy before you add any salt.
• If you lose track of time and it goes a little over 165°F, you'll be fine. That gravy is so darn good you'll be redeemed. We promise.

Storage Information

Store leftover turkey in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Keep the gravy in a separate container.

To freeze, let the turkey and gravy cool completely, then pack the sliced turkey with some of the gravy in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. The gravy helps keep the meat from drying out. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat it covered over low heat.

Looking for a fun way to use the leftovers? Try our Turkey Cranberry Crostini. They use up leftover turkey and leftover cranberry sauce, and everyone will think you're a genius. Well, you are. After that, if you still have leftovers (and you probably won't), make a plain old turkey sandwich or some turkey salad. Those classics just can't be beat.

Recipe FAQs

Want more Thanksgiving recipes?

• Easy Corn Souffle Casserole Recipe
• Pan Fried Sweet Potatoes
• Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Carrots
• Roasted Carrots and Green Beans
• Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese

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