Name: Crockpot Turkey Breast
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 360 min
Total time: 380 min
Ingredients: Thawed turkey breast, 5-6 lbs.; 2 onions; 1 cup chicken broth ((may need additional broth, depending on how much turkey drippings you have after cooking)); 1 ½ teaspoons paprika; 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder; 1 ½ teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 4 tablespoons butter; ¼ cup all-purpose flour; 2 cups drippings from the crockpot, strained ((if you do not have 2 cups, add in more chicken broth to make 2 cups)); salt and pepper to taste

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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!

Sliced turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes and corn on a white plate with a fork

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.

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, flavorful and falls off the bone when slicing it. And it is great to make for a holiday dinner because it frees up your oven for side dishes.

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.

Grocery Shopping List:

Bone-in turkey breast (5-6 lbs.)
2 onions
chicken broth
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 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!

Pouring chicken broth into the crockpot with the onions

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 degrees Fahrenheit.

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 the gravy but really, it is easy to do.

How to make the homemade gravy:

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

Measure out two cups of the 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 two cups.

Melt the butter in your 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 make two cups for the gravy, add in some chicken broth to make two cups.

Sliced turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes and peas on a white plate with a fork

How to serve the turkey:

One of our favorite ways to serve turkey breast is with mashed potatoes and vegetables. 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 into bite sized pieces. I am craving this right now!

More easy recipes to complete your 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 favorites in our house!

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

5 from 2 votes

Crockpot Turkey Breast

Cooking a turkey breast in your crockpot makes a delicious and tender turkey. Don't forget to make the homemade gravy that will add so much more flavor to your turkey dinner. This recipe is perfect for an every day dinner or for a small holiday dinner.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword slow cooker dinner, turkey breast recipe, holiday dinner

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 6 hours

Resting time 20 minutes

Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes

Servings 6

Author Jeannie Z

Ingredients

Thawed turkey breast, 5-6 lbs.
2 onions
1 cup chicken broth (may need additional broth, depending on how much turkey drippings you have after cooking)

For the Spice Rub:

1 ½ teaspoons paprika
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Gravy:

4 tablespoons butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups drippings from the crockpot, strained (if you do not have 2 cups, add in more chicken broth to make 2 cups)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cut the onions in half and place flat side down in bottom of crockpot.
Pour in one cup of chicken broth into the crockpot.
Combine the paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add in the olive oil and mix well to make the spice rub.
Pat the turkey dry with a paper towel and place the turkey breast into the crockpot. Brush or rub the seasoning on the sides and top of the turkey breast.
Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 5-6 hours. The turkey is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Take turkey breast out, place on a large plate to rest for 15-20 minutes while making the gravy. You can cover it loosely with foil to keep the turkey warm.

To Make the Gravy:

Strain two cups of the drippings from the crockpot into a bowl. If you do not have two cups, add in more chicken broth to make it two cups.
Melt the butter in a pan on the stovetop. Add in the flour and whisk together over medium heat. Slowly add in the liquid, whisking constantly as you add it in. Whisk until the gravy is smooth.
Simmer until thickened to your liking. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve warm over sliced turkey.

Recipe Notes

Make sure the turkey breast will fit into your crockpot. 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. It should take 1-2 days to thaw out a smaller turkey breast in the fridge.

Make sure the turkey breast is elevated on top of the onions so that the turkey is not entirely sitting in the juices.