Crockpot Turkey Breast

One of the best ways to cook a turkey breast is in your crockpot. While it cooks in there all day the flavors mingle and the turkey comes out so tasty and so juicy!

This recipe for Crockpot Turkey Breast is great for a small holiday dinner. It also is a nice everyday dinner to have with your family. Hello, turkey in the summer?

Whoever invented the crockpot is one smart cookie!  I love that you can put all your ingredients in there, turn it on and let it cook all day. 

When cooking a turkey breast in the crockpot, it comes out so delicious and flavorful and the meat just falls off the bone when slicing it. And it is great to make for a holiday dinner because it frees up your oven for the tasty side dishes. (Which we all know are the best thing about Thanksgiving dinner!)

I had read that someone was having a larger crowd so they had borrowed a couple of crockpots and cooked a few turkey breasts in the crockpots! They used the oven for side dishes and the turkeys were cooking all day in the crockpots.

This recipe is a favorite in our house. We love it for an everyday dinner. You just need to prep the turkey, place it in the slow cooker and leave it to cook in there until dinner time!  So easy!

When buying your turkey breast for this recipe, check the size of your slow cooker. I have a six-quart slow cooker and I buy a turkey breast that is 5-6 lbs. Anything larger than that will not fit in my slow cooker.

Ingredient List:

• Bone-in Turkey Breast (5-6 lbs.)
• Onions
• Chicken Broth
• Spice: Paprika, Garlic Powder, Salt, and Pepper
• Olive Oil
• Butter
• All-Purpose Flour

Listed above are the ingredients that you will need to make this recipe. Kitchen tools that will be helpful to have are a basting brush and a meat thermometer.

How to cook your Turkey Breast in a Crockpot:

First, make sure your turkey breast is thawed. One that is 5-6 lbs. will take 1-2 days to thaw in your refrigerator. Here is an informative post on thawing turkey.

Cut two onions in half and place them on the bottom of your slow cooker. They will hold the turkey breast up off the bottom of the slow cooker (as well as add flavor to the turkey drippings). This way the turkey is not sitting totally in the juices as it cooks. 

Then add one cup of chicken broth to the slow cooker.  Adding the chicken broth will give the turkey drippings more flavor than if you used water. Which will give you more flavorful gravy!

Remove the turkey breast from the packaging and pat it dry with a paper towel. I like to do this on a baking sheet covered with foil for easy clean-up.

Place the turkey breast in your crockpot and rest it on the onions. You may need to place the turkey breast a little to the side so that the cover of the slow cooker will be able to close all the way.  

How to Make the Spice Rub:

Make a spice rub for the turkey breast by mixing together the paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  

Add the olive oil to the spices and mix until all the ingredients are combined. Using a basting brush or your hands, rub the spices all over the turkey breast. 

The seasonings will give the drippings such great flavor. The drippings are used to make the most delicious homemade gravy.

Once the turkey breast is covered with the spice rub, place the slow cooker cover on.  Turn the slow cooker on low and let it cook for 5-6 hours or until the internal temperature is at least 165°F. 

If your turkey is done before your side dishes are ready, it can stay in the crockpot a little longer without drying out.

How to know if turkey breast is done? Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the turkey breast. To do this, insert the thermometer into the deepest part of the breast, holding it parallel to the bird at the neck end.

Once the turkey breast is done, remove it from the crockpot and place it on a large plate and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Make a tent over the turkey breast with foil to keep the heat in. By letting it sit, it allows the juices to set and the turkey will carve easier.

While the turkey sits, you can make the homemade gravy. In my opinion, the homemade gravy takes the flavor over the top! It is simple to make and very much worth it. I used to be intimidated to make homemade gravy but really, it is easy to do.

How to make Easy Homemade Gravy:

Make sure to make the gravy! It really does complete the dinner!

Measure out two cups of the turkey drippings from the crockpot. Pour it through a strainer so you only have the liquid for the gravy. Set that aside. 

If you do not have two cups of the drippings, add in some more chicken broth to make it a full two cups. 

Melt the butter in a pan on the stovetop, add the flour and whisk together on medium heat. Slowly add in the liquid, whisking constantly as you add it in. Whisk until the gravy is smooth.

Simmer the gravy until thickened to your liking. Then season with salt and pepper, which is optional. Serve warm over sliced turkey.

Recipe Tips:

• Make sure the turkey breast will fit into your slow cooker. My 6 quart slow cooker can hold one that is 5-6 lbs.
• The turkey breast needs to be completely thawed before cooking it in the slow cooker. For a small turkey breast used in this recipe, you will need one to two days.
• Make sure the turkey breast is elevated on top of the onions so that the turkey is not sitting entirely in the juices. You can always add another sliced onion if needed.
• To check if the turkey is done, use a meat thermometer. To check the temperature of the breast, insert the thermometer into the deepest part of the breast, holding it parallel to the bird at the neck end.
• Once done, place the turkey on a large plate to sit for 15-20 minutes. Doing this before carving allows the juices to set. The turkey will carve more easily.
• If you don't have enough drippings to fill two cups for the homemade gravy, add in some chicken broth to make two cups.

How to Serve the Turkey:

One of our favorite ways to serve turkey breast is with mashed potatoes and vegetables. We love oven-roasted buttered carrots! With the homemade gravy poured over the turkey and potatoes, of course!  

Our next favorite way is making a turkey sandwich by simply placing a slice of white bread on the plate, adding sliced turkey, and then another slice of bread.  Pour the gravy over the bread and slice it into bite-sized pieces. I am craving this right now!

More Easy Recipes to Complete Dinner:

These delicious mashed potatoes go great with turkey! For dessert, try my recipe for No-Bake Eclair Cake or Dutch Apple Pie. Both desserts are easy to make and are favorites in our house!

Do you love cooking in your slow cooker as much as I do? I love the 'fix it and forget it' idea when using it for my recipes. My family loves Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup and Homemade Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce.

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Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a comment and rating below. I love hearing from you. 

Update Note: This recipe was originally posted in 2016, but was published again in 2020 to include step by step directions and new photos.