Slow cooker turkey breast is how I cook turkey when I want the meat and the gravy without the whole-bird production. A bone-in, skin-on breast gets a garlic herb butter under and over the skin, sits on onion and garlic, and cooks on LOW until it is juicy all the way through. The oven stays free for everything else.
How to make slow cooker turkey breast: mash softened butter with garlic, thyme, rosemary, paprika, salt and pepper, and spread half of it under the skin and half over it. Set the breast on onion and a halved head of garlic with 1/2 cup of broth, and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, until a thermometer in the thickest part reads 165°F. Rest it 15 to 20 minutes (broil it for 4 to 6 minutes first if you want crisp skin), then whisk the drippings into a butter and flour roux for the gravy.
Why You’ll Love It
- Hands-off cooking — 15 minutes of prep, then the slow cooker takes over for the afternoon.
- Juicy meat — the butter under the skin and the gentle LOW heat keep the breast from drying out.
- Gravy from the drippings — the liquid at the bottom of the cooker is already seasoned; it just needs a quick roux.
- Feeds 8 — a 5 to 6 pound breast covers a small holiday table or a week of sandwiches.
Ingredient Notes
The turkey. This is written for a 5 to 6 pound bone-in, skin-on breast, which fits a 6-quart slow cooker. Store breasts often run 6 to 7 pounds, so check the label. A 3 pound boneless breast works too; it just needs less time. Either way it must be fully thawed. USDA FSIS says poultry always goes into a slow cooker thawed, and a big breast takes about 24 hours in the fridge for every 4 to 5 pounds. If your breast is pre-brined (the Butterball type), use 1 teaspoon of salt instead of 1 1/2.
The butter rub. Softened butter, minced garlic, thyme, fresh rosemary, paprika, salt and pepper. I use dried thyme because it is what I have; 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh is the same thing. Half the rub goes under the skin, right on the meat, and that is the half that matters.
The aromatics. A large yellow onion in thick slices or quarters and a head of garlic cut in half crosswise. They act as a rack under the breast and flavor the drippings.
The broth. Only 1/2 cup of low-sodium chicken broth. The turkey gives up plenty of its own juice, and it is never submerged.
The gravy. Butter, flour and about 2 cups of strained drippings, topped up with broth if you are short.
Ingredients
- 5-6 pounds bone-in, skin-on turkey breast, fully thawed and patted dry
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 teaspoon paprika, sweet or smoked
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or 1 teaspoon if the breast is pre-brined
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, cut in thick slices or quarters
- 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons butter, for the gravy
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, for the gravy
- 2 cups strained slow cooker drippings, topped up with chicken broth as needed
How to Make Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
1. Make the butter rub. Mash the softened butter with the garlic, thyme, rosemary, paprika, salt and pepper until it is a paste.
2. Dry and season the turkey. Pat the breast very dry with paper towels. Loosen the skin with your fingers without tearing it off. Spread half the butter under the skin, directly on the meat, and the rest over the outside.
3. Load the slow cooker. Put the onion and the halved garlic head in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker and pour in the broth. Set the turkey on top, skin side up.
4. Cook on LOW. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the breast, not touching bone, reads 165°F. Start checking at 4 hours. Keep the lid on except to check.
5. Optional: crisp the skin. Lift the turkey onto a rimmed baking sheet. Broil on the middle rack for 4 to 6 minutes, watching closely, until the skin is golden.
6. Rest. Let the turkey rest 15 to 20 minutes before carving so the juices stay in the meat.
7. Make the gravy. Strain the slow cooker liquid and skim the fat. Melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in about 2 cups of drippings (top up with broth) and simmer 3 to 5 minutes until thickened. Season to taste.
8. Carve. Cut each breast lobe off the bone in one piece, then slice it crosswise. Serve with the gravy.
How Long to Cook Turkey Breast in the Slow Cooker
It depends on the weight, whether the bone is in, and how hot your cooker runs. Here is the timing on LOW.
| Weight | LOW hours | Approx. minutes per lb |
|---|---|---|
| 2 lb boneless | 3-5 | 90-150 |
| 3 lb boneless | 3-4 | 60-80 |
| 4-5 lb | 5-6 | 60-90 |
| 5-7 lb bone-in | 4-6 | 40-70 |
| 7-8 lb | 6-7 | 45-60 |
| 9-10 lb | 8-9 | 48-60 |
The minutes-per-pound column is arithmetic on those hours, and it is not linear; bigger breasts need fewer minutes per pound. Recipes disagree by up to 2 hours at the same weight. The thermometer decides. Pull the turkey when the thickest part of the breast, away from the bone, reads 165°F, which is the USDA minimum for all poultry.
For a 3 pound boneless breast, plan on about 4 hours on LOW, start checking at 3 hours, pull at 165°F and rest it 20 minutes. Keep the full butter rub.
Gravy From the Drippings
The liquid at the bottom of the cooker is the best part of this recipe, so do not pour it out. Strain it, skim the fat, and whisk it into a roux of 4 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup flour, a little at a time so it stays smooth. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes until it coats a spoon. Taste before you salt it.
Crispy Skin
A slow cooker makes tender meat and soft skin; there is no way around that. For golden, crisp skin, move the cooked breast to a rimmed baking sheet and broil on the middle rack for 4 to 6 minutes. Watch it the entire time. The buttered skin browns fast; it goes from crisp to burnt fast. Then rest it as usual.
Variations
- Herb swaps. Use 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme in place of the dried, or tuck fresh thyme sprigs in with the aromatics.
- Smoked paprika. Swap the sweet paprika for smoked and the skin picks up a faint smoky, roasted flavor.
- Lemon. Add the zest of 1 lemon to the butter rub and tuck a quartered lemon in with the onion and garlic under the bird. It brightens the gravy.
For leftover turkey, try Turkey Stuffing Casserole, with cheddar, creamy soup or gravy and a golden stuffing top.
For a holiday appetizer, try Sweet Potato Bites, maple cinnamon rounds topped with a toasted marshmallow and a pecan.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. Sliced turkey in an airtight container keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 3 to 4 months in the freezer; I spoon a little gravy over the slices first. Reheat on the stove, in the oven or in the microwave until the turkey reaches 165°F. USDA FSIS says not to reheat leftovers in the slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
This is a holiday main at heart, so I serve it like a roast turkey. A scoop of sweet potato casserole and a spoonful of creamy corn casserole cover the sweet and soft side of the plate, and I would not skip cornbread dressing. Something green helps, and smothered green beans are about as green as anyone at my table wants to get in November. The gravy needs somewhere to go, so garlic parmesan mashed potato cups are a good excuse. And the day after, the leftover slices go straight into Thanksgiving sliders, which some years I like better than the dinner itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a turkey breast take in the slow cooker?
A 5 to 7 pound bone-in breast takes 4 to 6 hours on LOW; a 3 pound boneless breast about 3 to 4 hours; 7 to 10 pound breasts 6 to 9 hours. Size matters, but not in a straight line, so use the thermometer: 165°F in the thickest part, away from the bone, is done.
Do I need to add liquid, and does the turkey need to be covered by it?
Add 1/2 cup of broth and no more. The turkey should never be submerged. It sits on the onion and garlic above the liquid and releases its own juice as it cooks, which becomes the gravy.
Can I use a boneless turkey breast, and how do I get crispy skin?
Yes. A 3 pound boneless breast cooks in about 4 hours on LOW; start checking at 3 hours and pull it at 165°F. Keep the skin on if you can, because the butter goes under it. For crispy skin, broil the cooked breast on the middle rack for 4 to 6 minutes, watching closely, before it rests.
Can I cook it on HIGH?
You can. A 5 to 7 pound bone-in breast takes 3 to 4 hours on HIGH, and USDA FSIS says the highest setting for the first hour is fine. I stick with LOW, which is what most of the recipes I compared use. Either way, it is done at 165°F, not at a time on the clock.
Final Notes
A slow cooker turkey breast is not a showpiece bird, and I have made my peace with that. What it is: juicy meat, real gravy, a free oven, and a kitchen that smells like the holiday all afternoon. Thaw it in time, keep the lid on, trust the thermometer, and you will be fine.
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
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Ingredients
- 5-6 pounds bone-in skin-on turkey breast fully thawed, patted dry
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 teaspoon paprika sweet or smoked
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt use 1 teaspoon if the breast is pre-brined
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion cut in thick slices or quarters
- 1 head garlic halved crosswise
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth 120 ml
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter for the gravy
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour for the gravy
- 2 cups strained slow cooker drippings topped up with chicken broth as needed (480 ml)
Instructions
- Mash the softened butter with the garlic, thyme, rosemary, paprika, salt and pepper until it is a paste.
- Pat the turkey breast very dry with paper towels. Loosen the skin with your fingers without tearing it off. Spread half the butter under the skin, directly on the meat, and the rest over the skin.
- Put the onion and the halved garlic head in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker and pour in the broth. Set the turkey on top, skin side up.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the breast (not touching bone) reads 165°F. Start checking at 4 hours. Keep the lid on except to check.
- Lift the turkey onto a rimmed baking sheet. Broil on the middle rack for 4 to 6 minutes, watching closely, until the skin is golden.
- Let the turkey rest 15 to 20 minutes before carving so the juices stay in the meat.
- Strain the slow cooker liquid and skim the fat. Melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in about 2 cups of drippings (top up with broth) and simmer 3 to 5 minutes until thickened. Season to taste.
- Cut each breast lobe off the bone in one piece, then slice crosswise. Serve with the gravy.
Notes
Nutrition
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