Whether your Thanksgiving is going to be small this year or you want to enjoy turkey for a weeknight dinner, this Crockpot Turkey Breast recipe delivers flavorful, mouthwatering turkey that’s tender and juicy every time.
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Tender, juicy turkey without the fuss.
No need to make a wet turkey brine or dry brine, and you don’t even have to haul out that electric carving knife—unless you really want to. Crockpot turkey breast is a no-drama way to enjoy turkey year-round. (It’s also excellent if you’re hosting a small-scale Thanksgiving and don’t want to have weeks’ worth of leftovers. One can only eat so many turkey sandwiches with Cranberry Orange Sauce!)
In addition to the streamlined approach, cooking turkey in the slow cooker also gives you GREAT tasting turkey. While a full-size turkey can end up with dry breasts by the time the rest of the meat reaches a safe temperature, since we’re only cooking the breast here, we don’t have that issue. Plus, using the slow cooker locks in moisture, giving you juicy meat every time.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the blog post below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
Turkey Breast. You can make this crockpot turkey breast boneless or bone-in. I recommend buying fresh turkey breast from a local butcher because the quality is usually better. If you want to cook frozen turkey breast in the crockpot, you’ll need to thaw it first.
Kosher Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Garlic, and Lemon Zest. A bright, zippy seasoning blend that you’ll rub liberally onto the turkey breast for maximum flavor.
Aromatics. After you’ve zested the lemon, you’ll cut it into wedges for adding to the bottom of the slow cooker with carrots, celery, stalks, red apple, and sprigs of fresh thyme.
Dry White Wine or Chicken Broth. Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio are great options if you go the wine route; otherwise, cook the turkey breast in the crockpot with chicken broth.
Tip
Boneless turkey breasts often come wrapped in netting. This keeps the breast from falling apart and helps it cook more evenly. You’ll need to remove the outer netting and wrapper, but leave on the netting tied around the meat; this is oven-safe (and crockpot-safe), so it doesn’t need to be removed until you’re ready to serve the turkey.
How to Make Crockpot Turkey Breast
Prepare. Rub the turkey breast with the lemon-garlic seasoning. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or up to overnight.
Assemble. Place the aromatics in the bottom of the crockpot. Set the turkey breast on top, then pour the wine or broth around the turkey. Drizzle with melted butter to make it DELICIOUS.
Cook on LOW. Cover the crockpot and cook the turkey breast on LOW for 4 to 6 hours—but rather than focusing on the time, keep an eye on the temperature. I recommend pulling the turkey breast out when it registers between 150 and 160 degrees F. During the resting time, the temperature will rise to a safe 165 degrees F thanks to the carryover cooking. An instant read thermometer is the best way to know your turkey is done.
Rest. Now is a good time to make Turkey Gravy!
Make It Crispy. Broil the turkey to get the skin crisp. Transfer your crockpot turkey to a serving platter, then slice and enjoy.
What to Serve with Crockpot Turkey Breast
Even if you’re scaling down your Thanksgiving celebration this year, you just HAVE to have all the classic sides! Here are my go-to recipes.
Mashed Potatoes. Can you even have turkey without mashed potatoes on the side?! I think this is the Best Mashed Potatoes Recipe!
Veggie Sides. Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic and Honey Glazed Carrots are fabulous, while Crockpot Green Bean Casserole is perfect for a holiday.
Stuffing. I have some fabulous options for pairing with crockpot turkey breast, but this Sausage Stuffing is an old-fashioned favorite.
Cranberry Sauce. There’s nothing wrong with cracking open a can and plopping it into a dish, but Cranberry Orange Relish offers a more refined take on cranberries.
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Crockpot Turkey Breast
Whether it's for a small Thanksgiving or healthy, easy weeknight meal, this crockpot turkey breast delivers turkey that’s moist and flavorful!
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 5 hourshours
Total Time 6 hourshours30 minutesminutes
Servings 8people
Calories 350kcal
Author Erin Clarke / Well Plated
Ingredients
1boneless turkey breastabout 4 to 5 pounds or 1 bone-in turkey breast (about 6 pounds)
1tablespoonkosher salt
½teaspoonground black pepper
2clovesgarlicminced
1medium lemon
2carrotsscrubbed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2celery stalkscut into 2-inch pieces
1red applecut into 8 wedges (no need to peel or core)
8sprigs fresh thyme
1cupdry white wine or chicken broth
3tablespoonsunsalted buttermelted
Instructions
Pat the turkey breast dry. In a small bowl, place the salt, pepper, and garlic. Zest in the lemon, then stir to combine. Rub all over the outside of the turkey. Cut the zested lemon into 8 wedges and reserve. If time allows, refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
When ready to cook, remove the turkey from the refrigerator. Scatter the carrot, celery, apple, thyme sprigs, and lemon wedges in the bottom of a slow cooker.
Place the turkey breast on top of the vegetables. Carefully pour the wine (or broth) around but not on top of the turkey. Drizzle the top of the turkey with the melted butter.
Cover and cook the turkey breast on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, until the turkey registers 155°F on an instant read thermometer (its temperature will rise as it rests); do not cook on high or the turkey will be dry. Know thy slow cooker and check early to be safe (I have used one that runs very hot and it was done in 4 hours 15 minutes; 5 to 6 hours is more typical).
As soon as the turkey reaches temperature, remove it to a baking dish or parchment lined rimmed baking sheet (do not let it stay in the slow cooker on the “keep warm” setting or it will be dry). Let rest for at least 15 minutes.
If you like, use the cooking liquid in the slow cooker to make Turkey Gravy.
To crisp the skin, position a rack in the center of the oven and turn the oven to broil. Broil the turkey on the center rack for about 4 minutes, until the skin looks golden and crisp. DO NOT WALK AWAY. Watch to make sure the skin doesn’t burn.
Transfer to a serving platter. Slice and enjoy immediately with gravy and all of your favorite sides.
Video
Notes
If your boneless turkey has the netting, do not remove it.
TO STORE: Refrigerate leftover crockpot turkey breast in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
TO REHEAT: Wrap turkey in an aluminum foil pouch with a splash of broth and reheat in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F.
TO FREEZE: Freeze leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating according to the instructions above.
