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.
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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.
Nagi, thank you so much for this recipe!! I have just put my bone in turkey breast in the slow cooker. I can not wait to see how it turns out!! Wonderful time saving recipe!! Happy Thanksgiving to all!
I hope you loved it Lisa! And Happy Thanksgiving to you too!!
This recipe was Super easy and it smells and tastes AMAZING, I have never had my turkey turn out this wonderfully moist! I am in awe! Thank you so very much for helping me kill this Thanksgiving!
I hope you loved it Desiree!
This recipe looks delish and I am prepering everything as I am writing this. How many tbs is a grind of pepper. I have course ground black pepper and I’ve tried to google and found nothing.
Hi Jen! Around 1/4 tsp is just fine – not too much! 🙂 N x
Trying this recipe for my first turkey ever! I’m super excited!
I hope you love it Devon!
My turkey was not juicy so I had to add broth because it was starting to burn.
I used a 9 pound turkey breast.
Hi Cecilia – I’m sorry to hear that. If you had to add broth because it was starting to burn, it sounds like your turkey was either not juicy before you started cooking or it was cooked way over. With a normal turkey broth is definitely not needed in the slow cooker. 🙁
Mine is in the slow cooker now. The turkey breast is actually one that a friend of mine shit two days ago and I actually bought a 3 pound boneless Butterball breast that was thawed ready to bake already but I had never naked or eaten a fresh turkey so I started to search for ideas for a different recipe and method. I am very curious and super excited to see and taste this. Thanks and I will atceratainly update on my opinion and update my rating
I hope you love it Susie!!
Very interesting review 🙂
Can I roast potatoes, carrots and celery in the pot at the same time?
Hi there! You could pop them underneath but they will be extremely soft, to the point of mushy, by the time the turkey is cooked. I would recommend roasting them separately. 🙂
Thank you for this helpful info I’ve only ever baked turkeys, so I was grateful for some help figuring out my first slow cooker endeavor 🙂
I’m glad you found this helpful! 🙂
I just want to say THANK YOU for this recipe and all of your wonderful notes, as they answered every single question I could have had!! lol
LOVE your site!!!
Thank you Angie! N xx
If I am using a six-pound, bone-in turkey breast, should I put it breast side down in the slow cooker? Other recipes that I have seen online suggest this placement so that the breast is not dry.
Thank you, Nagi!
Hi Pat! For slow cookers, I don’t think it’s required. The upside down trick is one that I’ve seem for roasting 🙂
Can I brown the turkey breast skin in my oven ? And for how long ? Thank you !
Hi Ava! I’d get the oven hot – 390F/200C, around 8 min 🙂
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Thank you! I love a little crisp on the skin as well. Would I want to brown it in the oven before or after I slow cook it?
Hi Kimberly! After slow cooking – per recipe 🙂 I love a bit of crispy skin too!
I made this turkey breast and gravy (along with mashed potatoes, roasted carrots and dinner rolls) for tonight’s dinner. My husband and two teenage boys devoured it! This recipe is a keeper for sure. Thank you, Nagi!
WOO HOO! So glad you enjoyed it Julie, thank you for letting me know!!
Made this last year for Thanksgiving and again at Christmas. Raves all around. This will be the highlight of our Thanksgiving celebration 2016. Thanks Nagi for your wonderful recipes. Wishing you and yours a blessed thanksgiving.
It’s so wonderful to hear you enjoyed it Gail, thank you for letting me know! And Happy Thanksgiving to you too! N x
Hi Nagi,
I will be making the stuffing before crisping the skin. The recipe for the stuffing says to warm the oven to 350 degrees. Can I put the turkey to crisp the skin right after I take out the stuffing or would it be too hot for the turkey? If so, how long should I wait before I put the turkey?
Hi Kristine! Nope that will be fine 🙂 The turkey will cope with that. N x
Hi Nagi!
I have a rice cooker that doubles as a slow cooker, which only operates at a “high” slow cook function. Is there anyway to still use this recipe with the slow cooker that I have? I am hoping to cook a 4 lb turkey breast. Thank you in advance for any feedback and help!
Hi Katie! I’m not sure what “high” temp in a rice cooker slow cooker is but I if it is like mine, then for a 4lb turkey, I would do 3.5 hours 🙂
Hi Nagi, I love this recipe, and hope you find time to respond at this peak busy season. 2 questions: (1) I usually pre-heat my crock pots – put hot water in them first and turn it on beforehand to get the appliance hot. Do you do that? Or is the crock pot cold when you put in the turkey breast? (2) Should the turkey breast be cold when you put it in, or do you set it out a little to get closer to room temperature? Thanks again for such a lovely recipe, Jan
Hi Jan! Definitely no need to preheat your crock pot. I make this with my turkey breast straight out of the fridge, so I don’t bring it to room temperature. I bring it to room temperature if roasting in the oven but for the slow cooker I find that it’s not necessary! N x
Hi Nagi,
Note 1 states to make sure that the turkey hasn’t been brined and if it has salt in the ingredients, it’s brined. I cannot find any turkey with no salt in the ingredients. The ingredients on the fresh turkey that I saw states that it contains 4% of a solution of water, salt and spices to enhance tenderness and juiciness. I went to 2 different markets and spoke with 3 butchers. All of them told me that all of their turkeys come with some sort of solution. Would it be ok to use this turkey and follow your recipe to a tee or would you recommend you put less salt? If so, how much salt? Please advise. Thanks so much!
Hi Kristine! It’s totally fine to use any of those turkey’s, I caution against the supermarket frozen turkeys that have been REALLY brined, some don’t even look like turkey breast, they are shaped like a log!! Anything you get from a butcher should be fine. It’s the stuff that comes frozen in boxes that can be injected with so much salt or flavour already that this recipe makes the turkey too salty. 🙂
Ok. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe and answering my question. Can’t wait to try it! 🙂
Would cooking time need to be adjusted for a 7lb turkey breast with bone in? I’m from America and it’s all I can find!
Never mind. I should have read the whole recipe first!!!!!!!!
No worries! N x
Just made this and although it was good, it was a bit too tart with the lemon. Is there anything I can put in next time to balance out the flavor of the gravy? I did add chick. broth. to the gravy btw. I also put broth in the crock to keep everything moist. We ended up adding honey to the gravy to sweeten it up. Turkey was perfectly cooked and moist.
Hi Kathy – so glad the turkey was perfectly cooked! I had a note saying that the lemon is optional but now I’ve actually even moved it to the notes instead of having it in the ingredients 🙂 It is an option if you want a slightly lemony tart gravy – lemon and poultry goes so well! If you still want the lemon flavour but not the tartness, just use the zest of the lemon. 🙂
I really need help. I love this recipe. The size of my turkey is going to be 25 pounds. I have a huge crockpot to accommodate. How long would I cook it for?
Hi Katrina! Umm….is that a whole turkey?? I am guessing yes. Unfortunately I don’t recommend a turkey that large to be slow cooked because I think there is a risk of bacteria developing in the middle before it comes to temperature. It will simply take too long for the centre to come to temperature! My recommendation would be to use my Dry Brined Turkey recipe. 🙂 Much safer, it’s easier and your turkey will be juicy!
Wow, there’s a veritable smorgasbord of offerings on this page, I doubt I’ll be able to make them all any time soon. But I just wanted to thank you for posting such a wide variety of recipes here, no doubt I will be trying quite a few – especially this one! I’ve always enjoyed good food but my culinary skills are all over the place. Some things I can do and some… not so much.
I’d just like to say how utterly luscious the gravy looks… I’ve never been able to make homemade gravy properly, it always comes out far too thin and watery, and too little in quantity. But I’m so tired of the granules and store bought stuff, I’d love to be able to get the knack for it. I never thought to use the slow cooker for something like this, but I bet it falls off the bone when it’s done. I’m just not sure if the one I have is big enough to fit a whole turkey in it!
I use breast, much smaller! I do hope you try and enjoy some of my recipes Krentz!