Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
65 Comments Jan 03, 2022
Updated Sep 08, 2025
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Cooking for a small gathering? This juicy, buttery Slow Cooker Turkey Breast is the perfect solution. No one will notice that it wasn’t cooked traditionally in the oven!
Featured Comment
I tried this today and it was my first time cooking a turkey breast in the crockpot. It was amazing!!! Extremely flavorful and tender. Thank you for the recipe!!!
– liz
Cooking turkey in the slow cooker is similar to cooking a whole chicken; it’s actually quite easy. With my recipe, the turkey turns out tender as can be, and the drippings can be made into gravy.
We use this recipe when we have a smaller Thanksgiving or Christmas, or when we’re craving turkey sandwiches and don’t want to buy bland lunch meat.
Key Ingredients
Turkey Breast – Frozen then thawed Bone-in turkey breast. Both sides of the breast are on the bone. This almost has the shape of an entire turkey. Try my slow cooker turkey and gravy or my lemon herb turkey breast if you are looking for a turkey breast recipe without bones.
Melted Butter – An entire stick of salted butter is needed; this will flavor the turkey and the gravy if you decide to make gravy with the drippings. You can use olive oil here if you prefer.
Seasonings – You will need thyme, sage, paprika, salt, and pepper. The paprika will give the turkey a browned look and also will give the gravy (if you decide to make gravy) a darker color.
How to Make Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
- Prep the turkey by thawing, patting it dry, and coating it with butter and herbs.
- Let the slow cooker do the work until the meat is tender and fully cooked.
- Rest, carve, and serve warm with your favorite sides or leftover ideas.
My Carving Tips
First, cut the turkey off the bone, and place the breasts on a cutting board. Slice the turkey against the grain using a bread knife or a very sharp kitchen knife or carving knife. We often use an electric knife if we want skinny slices.
Variations
- Cajun – Skip all the other seasonings and use a cajun seasoning like Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning which has cayenne, onion powder, and garlic powder already mixed in!
- Apricot – Add a jar of apricot preserves on top of the butter and seasonings.
- Cranberry Onion – Skip the butter and seasonings and instead mix a can of whole cranberry sauce and Lipton onion soup mix and pour over the turkey.
- Veggies: You can add carrots, onions, and potatoes! Add them under or around the turkey. You may need to cook about an hour longer, or until the veggies are tender.
- Crispy Skin? Simply place the cooked turkey on a sheet pan and broil the skin until crispy.
Should Turkey be Thawed Before Slow Cooking?
Yes, it is crucial to thaw your turkey before cooking in the slow cooker. If not thawed the turkey temperature can stay in the “danger zone” and possibly make someone sick. Thaw your turkey breast about 36-48 hours before needed.
What to serve Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
Make classics to serve with the turkey such as Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole, Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce, and Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes. We also love to make Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Slow Cooker Stuffing (or easy Stove- Top Stuffing in the slow cooker).
What can I make with turkey leftovers?
If you love a good soup, try my Slow Cooker Turkey Stock, Turkey Noodle Soup or Turkey Rice Soup. More Creative recipes are Cajun Turkey 15 Bean Soup, Turkey and Dumplings, or Turkey Chowder.
Make leftover turkey sandwiches (my favorite), turkey tacos, or a turkey salad if you don’t want to make a complicated meal with the leftovers.
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Recipe
How to Video
Ingredients
- 5 lb. bone-in turkey breast, This should have both sides of the breasts, which looks similar in shape to a very small turkey. (this recipe will work with a 5-8 lb turkey breast)
- 1/2 cup salted butter, melted (1 stick) OR olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dried rubbed sage, use oregano if you don't have sage
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
Instructions
- THAW: Be sure to thaw your turkey breast ahead of time. This can take about 36-48 hours.
- Remove the thawed turkey from its packaging. Rinse off any liquids that are in the cavity. Pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey in the slow cooker. I usually have to place the turkey on its side for it to be able to fit.
- Pour over the melted butter, then sprinkle over the seasonings.
- Cover and cook on low for 7 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- Let the turkey rest for about 20 minutes before carving. You can use a bread knife, a sharp kitchen knife, or an electric knife.
- If you are going to carve this, then keep it warm in the slow cooker, leave some of the drippings with the meat, or chicken broth to keep it moist. You can keep the turkey on the warm setting for about 2 hours if you add drippings to keep the turkey moist. If you are worried that your turkey isn't done, it should read 165 degrees Fahrenheit on a meat thermometer.
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
How to Make Gravy From the Drippings?
Pour the drippings into a saucepan. Whisk in 2–3 tablespoons of flour until smooth, then let it bubble for a minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Slowly whisk in about 2 cups of chicken (or turkey) broth or stock. Keep whisking as it simmers and thickens into gravy. Stir in ¼–½ cup of heavy cream at the end for a rich, silky finish. Season with salt and pepper before serving.
How to Store Leftover Turkey:
Turkey does not last long before starting to taste off. Place your extra turkey in a Ziploc bag for up to three days or freeze for up to three months.
More Holiday Slow Cooker Recipes
Make a complete holiday meal with my Christmas Casserole, Thanksgiving Casserole or my Ham Dinner.
We often make Slow Cooker Pecan Pie, Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie or Slow Cooker Candied Pecans.
Thank you for sharing this!! I made it last year and it was a hit. This year the smallest breast I could find was 8 lbs should I adjust the seasonings?
You can add more seasonings for sure!
The turkey you showed did not have bones in it when it was carved. Did you debone if before or after cooking? I’d love to try this recipe and if you deboned it either before or after, please show how you did it. Thanks for your help.
It had bones, I cut the turkey breasts off the bones.
I bought a breast this year but then wondered if it has giblets or neck-a necessity for my gravy and dressing! ACK
If not, do you know if you can buy giblets separately?
I don’t think it comes with them.
I bought giblets separately -I asked the butcher at the grocery store (Hy-Vee_. Can buy a turkey neck separately too, if you use that for dressing and/or gravy like I do!
Perfect meal plan for small gathering! Love that I can use my oven for other items!! Thanks, for a real keeper, I love turkey!
Just the 2 of us for Thanksgiving this year – so I just picked up a frozen breast / thawed it, and made this exactly the way it was written – my husband RAVED about it! After years of brining and marinating and huge pans to clean… He was delightfully surprised at how moist and flavorful this simple recipe in a crock pot was! And he made gravy with the drippings that was the best he’d every attempted! Easy to cook – easy clean up – It was truly the best recipe and I’ll use it throughout the year! Thank you!
I have a question I dont have have dried sage robbe but do I have ground sage. Can I use that or no?
Yes, that will work great.
Did you brown the turkey breast under the broiler first, before going in the crock pot? This sound great!!!
I do not. The color is from paprika. If you are wanting browned skin, I’d broil after, if you do it before it will get wet from the slow cooker.
Turkey breasts can be as large as nine, ten pounds or more!
What would you do to brown it before serving?
You could put it on a sheet pan and put it under the broiler. The slow cooker inserts usually aren’t supposed to in the oven at the broil temp.
This is great.. we are empty nesters. I’m not crazy about turkey but my husband is. I’ll try this this year, maybe a smaller breast and add a thigh for me, some mashed potatos, gravy and stove top dressing.