This Slow Cooker Turkey Breast is without a doubt, this is the easiest, safest and tastiest way to cook turkey breast without brining. It’s moist and juicy, takes 3 minutes to prepare, then just leave it to cook in your slow cooker (crock pot). Then use the juices to make a killer gravy!
Even if you’re a first timer, you can have confidence in this turkey breast recipe. It’s a 5 star reader favourite with over a thousand glowing reviews!
Slow cooker turkey breast
Turkey breast is notoriously lean so the only way to guarantee it comes out juicy if you roast it in the oven is to brine it. If you don’t brine it, then even if you use a meat thermometer, it is extremely difficult to roast the turkey breast perfectly.
I created this Slow Cooker Turkey Breast after trying a handful of recipes for turkey breast and being disappointed by the bland looking skin, dry meat and mediocre gravy. So I tossed out everything I’d read and decided to come up with my own version using a slow cooker. This is by far the juiciest turkey breast I’ve ever had – without brining. And my friends agreed!
It’s almost magical how a recipe this simple can yield such extraordinary results. Moist turkey with incredible flavour and a gravy that’s off the charts!
How long to cook turkey breast in the slow cooker
A 2 kg / 4 l2b turkey breast will take 5 to 6 hours on LOW in a slow cooker. Check the internal temperature at 5 hours. See recipe notes for cook times for other sizes.
How to make slow cooker turkey breast
I promised you easy – and easy it is! Here’s how it goes down:
Slather turkey with a simple magical rub;
Place in a slow cooker on a bed of onion and garlic (these flavour the juices that comes out of the turkey and forms the basis for the gravy + keeps turkey elevated out of liquid while slow cooking);
Slow cook for 5 to 6 hours;
Briefly broil/grill or bake to crisp the skin; then
Use slow cooker juices to make a killer gravy. It’s incredible because it’s essentially made with the best homemade stock – the turkey juices!
PS That’s a multi function cooker you see. I use the slow cooker function for this recipe.
⚖️ Automatic recipe scaler ⚖️
Click or tap on Servings on the recipe. Then slide until the turkey reaches the weight of your turkey. It will change all the ingredient quantities for you! Then refer to the recipe notes for the right cook time for your turkey.
Slow cooker turkey breast tips!
Type of turkey breast – bone in or boneless turkey breast is fine. Skin on is recommended because the fat under the skin melts while the turkey is cooking and it bastes the turkey (helps with flavour and moisture). Also skin is required to get that lovely browned seasoned crust you see in the photos.
Single or double breast? Either is fine. These photos show a single turkey breast. See here for what a double turkey breast looks like (on the bone, also called a turkey buffe or turkey crown)
What size? Turkey breast differ drastically in size – they can range from 1.5/3lb to over 5kg/10lb! The beauty of this recipe is that it will work for any turkey breast size – as long as it fits in your slow cooker! Note the different cook times in the recipe.
A great rub goes a long way with turkey breast! It not only adds flavour, it seasons the broth and it gives the turkey breast great colour!
How long to cook turkey breast in the slow cooker – A 2 kg / 4 lb turkey breast will take about 5 to 6 hours on LOW in a slow cooker. See recipe notes for cook times for other sizes.
How to tell when turkey breast is done – When the internal temperature is 165F / 75C. That’s optimum perfectly-cooked juiciness, allowing for a slight temperature increase while the turkey rests.
Elevate the turkey breast with a halved garlic and onion to ensure even cooking because otherwise the breast will be half submerged and poaching in liquid (you will be amazed how much liquid the breast leeches while cooking)
Crisp the skin under the broiler. The extra flavour you get is worth it – and it only takes a few minutes
Use slow cooker juices for GRAVY – the turkey juices are loaded with flavour and are the best broth ever to make an absolute killer gravy!
Slow Cooking is FORGIVING! Because of the low temperature, there’s far less risk of drying out the turkey from overcooking. So even if the turkey is in the slow cooker for 1 or 2 hours longer than necessary, it will still be lovely. Plus – speaking really frankly – that gravy can save anything. ANYTHING!
Prefer ROASTED turkey breast? Use this Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Turkey Breast.
What to serve with turkey
Turkey breast is more often than not a centrepiece for holiday feasting in many households around the world. So with this in mind, here are some side dish suggestions for Thanksgiving and Christmas menus!
And you might also find these helpful: Thanksgiving recipe index and Easy Thanksgiving Menu suggestions
Traditional Thanksgiving sides for turkey
Christmas side suggestions
A safe recipe – even for first timers
I know it can be nerve racking, trying a new recipe – especially you’re new to cooking, and it’s a centrepiece for Thanksgiving or Christmas!
But you can have Confidence in this Slow Cooker Turkey Breast recipe. It’s been viewed over 8 million times since I first published, there’s over a thousand fantastic reviews, it’s a simple recipe and there’s a recipe video below to guide you through it step by step.
Slow cookers are an extremely forgiving way to cook lean proteins because they use such a low heat so there’s a much bigger window in which the turkey is perfectly cooked (as in, 2 hours or so) compared to the oven (less than 20 minutes from perfect to overcooked-dry).
And in all honesty – worst case? Your turkey goes a bit over and it’s not quite as juicy as you hoped. Of course, I’m doing everything in my power to help avoid this – including sending over virtual positive vibes.😂
But if it does – don’t fret! That Turkey Gravy is so insanely good, it will totally make up for it! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
SLOW COOKER: Many people have said that my slow cooker looks like a pressure cooker. They are actually correct, it is a slow cooker and pressure cooker in one (but no, it is not an Instant Pot). It is called a Breville Fast-Slow Cooker (it’s an Australian product). I use the slow cooker function for this recipe.
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Juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 2 kg / 4 lb turkey breast, skin on, bone in or boneless (if using frozen, thaw it) (Note 1)
- 1 head of garlic, cut in half horizontally
- 1 onion (brown, yellow or white), unpeeled, cut in half
- 5 sprigs of thyme (or 2 tsp dried thyme leaves)
Rub
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- 5 grinds of black pepper
- 1 1/2 – 2 tbsp olive oil
Gravy
- Chicken stock/broth (or water), for topping up liquid (see Gravy step 1)
- 4 tbsp / 50g butter
- 1/4 cup / 35g flour
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place Rub ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine, it should be a wet paste.
- Pat the turkey dry all over with paper towels. Slather with the Rub, using most for the side and top.
- Place the garlic, onion and thyme face down in the slow cooker. Place the turkey breast on top so it is elevated.
- Slow Cook on LOW for 6 hours (do not use high) or until internal temperature reads 165F/75C when thermometer is inserted into the middle. Check internal temperature at 5 hours if you can. (To roast, follow this recipe).
- Remove turkey from the slow cooker (do not leave in slow cooker on Warm setting) and let it rest for 20 minutes before crisping the skin.
Crisp the Skin
- Preheat gril/broiler to high.
- Place an oven shelf 30cm / 1 foot from the heat source.
- Remove turkey breast from the slow cooker into a heatproof serving dish.
- Place on the oven shelf and broil for 3 to 5 minutes until the skin is crispy. Keep an eye on it – it browns very quickly!
- Serve immediately with gravy on the side.
Gravy
- Strain the liquid into a measuring jug, squishing the garlic etc to extract all the flavour. If you are short of 2 cups, top up with chicken broth (I usually get 2 cups of liquid from a 4 lb / 2 kg turkey breast).
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and mix to combine. Pour about 1/2 cup of liquid into the flour mixture and mix until it forms a paste. Slowly add remaining liquid, stirring as your go. Use a whisk if required to make the gravy smooth. Simmer until thickened – take it off before it is as thick as you want because it will continue to thicken.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with turkey.
Recipe Notes:
- 1 kg / 2 lb: 4 – 5 hours on low
- 2 – 3 kg / 4 – 6 lb: 5 – 6 hours on low
- 4 kg / 8 lb: 6 – 7 hours on low (see 8 June ’17 report from reader Tony)
- 5 kg / 10 lb: 8 – 9 hours on low
Nutrition Information:
Originally published November 2016. Updated for some housekeeping November 2019 – no change to recipe.
Life of Dozer
This is what a turkey coma looks like.
Hi Nagi, thank you so much for a great recipe! I’ve made it 3 times so far. Putting everything in a pot and forgetting about it for hours until it’s done is such a time saver. It allows you to focus on getting other meal preparations done. This is genius. I should’ve done this years ago so I didn’t have to struggle with a big bird in the oven.
Hi Nagi… I have 2 4lb boneless tied breasts. I know you suggest a reduced cooking time from an 8 lb bird if you are cooking 2 smaller pieces of meat. Suggestions for me? I am thinking start checking after 5 hours? Thanks, much love!!
This was super fantastic! I’ve made lots of recipes I find and this one ranked as one of the very best!
If you cook this one day ahead do you have to put the turkey in the micro the next day? Or is there another way to do it?
Hi Bonnie, best to reheat covered on low in the microwave – I wouldn’t do it in the oven as the turkey will dry out. N x
Will the cooking times be the same whether you have bone-in or boneless?
Yes – same cook times, it’s very forgiving. x
I am using this recipe for turkey breast in the slow cooker for a second time tomorrow after the “maiden voyage” went so well on Thanksgiving Day. I followed all the instructions, but had to break up the onion because the lid wouldn’t go on the slow cooker at first. The turkey was juices and tender. The gravy from the drippings was perfect. Great instructions for a foolproof Thanksgiving for two.
I’m so glad it was a success Susan! x
Can i cook a frozen turkey crown in a slow cooker from frozen or do i need to defrost first ?
Defrost first otherwise the outside will cook and the inside will still be frozen.
I want to thank you for a wonderdul recipe!! I followed your directions and that was the best turkey I have ever had. Not only that, it was my first turkey. I purchased a 8.5 LB bone in double turkey breast before I even ran across your website. I knew I wanted to slow cook it but did not have an idea on how. I had a big crockpot and it fit just right. I did not have thyme leaves on hand so I used some poultry season to sprinkle on top of my onion and garlic halves. I cooked my turkey on low for 8.5 hours and broiled at 500 close to the fire for 10 minutes. The garlic cloves where still whole, sweet and with so much flavor! The gravy was amazing. The flavors from the rub and the turkey juices made this one of my top recipes. I knew this would be a great recipe when you started off by saying you tried severalways. Thanks for trial and error and shating the best with me. I look forward to Thanksgiving next year! Can’t wait to see what else you have on your website.
That’s so great to hear TPring! I’m so glad you enjoyed this so much! Thanks for sharing your feedback – N x
How long should I cook a boneless 7 lb turkey breast in a slow cooker
Hi Amy! Please see recipes notes! N x
Hi!
I would like to add thigh to this for those who like dark meat. How can I adjust the recipe to incorporate a thigh? Thank you,
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I had over 2 cups of liquid after all the cooking for the killer gravy. I can’t tell you how much my family and I loved this!
That’s so great to hear Heather! Thanks for sharing your feedback – N x
I have made Matt lauer’s favorite turkey with the three day brine, but this was better! It was absolute perfection! I’ve never had such delicious gravy! I can’t thank you enough for all your hard work creating and sharing this!
Wow! High praise Melissa! So glad you enjoyed this, thanks for letting me know! N x
I made this for Thanksgiving- it turned out great. I had a 7 lb. breast and it took 5 hours in the slow cooker on low. The rub made the drippings yummy. There was a good amount of drippings for gravy- 2 cups like the recipe said. I cooked the drippings down some for more flavor. I had already roasted turkey parts and veggies the day before to make stock for gravy since I wanted to make sure I had enough gravy. I had to slice the onion in 4 pieces because only 2 pieces make the turkey too high to fit in the crock pot. With 2 slices it wobbled all over anyway, needed more base.
It was tasty, moist. I always get a fresh turkey, not frozen so that may have helped with the moistness too. We slather it with gravy so it’s always moist anyway.
I did the crisping in the broiler and it looked good. It was lovely to have more room in my oven!
Thanks for a winner of a recipe.
That’s so great to hear Pearl! Thanks for sharing your feedback – N x
I made your recipe again yesterday for Thanksgiving, much to the delight of my family again (this was the 2nd or 3rd year I made it). It’s been requested for New Year’s Eve dinner as well! I notice, though, that you no longer include the option of putting a half of a lemon on the bottom of the slow cooker along with the onion and garlic, squeezing the remaining half on top of the turkey breast, and then shoving the squeezed half down along the side of the turkey. The lemon is my favorite part of this whole thing — as it translates into a lemony gravy . My daughter LOVES the gravy and will enjoy it even if it’s not on a piece of turkey! THANK YOU for a wonderful and easy recipe. Linda in Ohio
Hi Linda! I’m so glad you love this recipe!! I did remove it because I found that depending on the thickness of the white part of the lemon, it can make the gravy a bit bitter so it was safer to exclude it. But if you love lemon flavour then definitely include it! N x
Thank you!! I had no oven space left after roasting the veggies & cooking the roast beef. When I heard we were having 6 extra guests I was in a jam as to how to cook the turkey. I didn’t have thyme so I used some washed rosemary branches from my front landscaping. Splash of water on the bottom of the slow cooker (ok, sorry I didn’t trust you. You’re right it didn’t need it but steamed itge turkey nnicely). Turkey was perfectly moist, browned with your broil suggestion & the gravy was perfect!! I ate it by the sooonful. Thank you again for saving my thanksgiving! I’ve shared your link and this will be my go to method when I only need 1 turkey breast.
Made this today. 3lb. Turkey Breast. Cooked for 5 1/2 hours. Only thing I didn’t do was putting it in oven to broil. Overall it was ok. Very easy to make. But mine came out little bland tasting. The gravy too. I only got about 1 cup of juices so added enough chicken broth to make the 2 cups needed. Not as moist as hoped for either.
I made this today since our oven is broken. It was delicious. Everyone commented on how moist the meat was! Thanks for helping me save Thanksgiving!
Hi Nagi – for a turkey novice your recipe was a dream come true! I bought a 5.5 lb turkey (no brine) and with your spice rub left in crock pot a little over the time ( 6 & 1/2 hrs) but perfect as it came out 165 degrees and juicy. And the gravy was the bomb with the onion garlic and thyme! And so easy including the prep! To think of my poor mother slaving around the stove all those Thanksgivings she would be nearly indignant to know how easy it would have been to just drop the bird in a crockpot! Many thanks!
This is my first time doing a turkey breast in a slow cooker. Oh my goodness the turkey was absolutely delicious and very moist. Very pleased with the outcome
WHOOOT!! So happy to hear that Mary! N x
Made this today, it came out fantastic… and that gravy… excellent! Definitely making this again. Thank you!
That’s so great to hear Cheri!! I’m so glad! N x
Oh my gosh. Just made this and I’ll never do my turkey any other way. Most juicy and delicious turkey ever.
AWESOME to hear Jen!!! Happy Thanksgiving! N x