Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

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This slow cooker turkey breast is an easy way to cook turkey!

Turkey breast is notoriously tricky to cook on its own and can be dry even with the best of preparations. We'll show you how to make a tasty turkey breast while still keeping it simple.

This recipe slow cooks the turkey breast with a delicious spice rub and aromatics at a low heat culminating in a very succulent dish. The gravy, made from the turkey drippings, is very delicious as well.

Why You’ll Love this Slow Cooker Turkey

If you don't want to make an entire turkey, this is the recipe for you! Slow cooking is an easy way to make a succulent and juicy turkey breast.

It's easy to pull together and while it does require at least 3 (and sometimes 4) hours to cook, you can prep other dishes while it cooks.

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Ingredients

Here's what you'll need for this recipe crock pot turkey breast recipe.

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 8 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 pound boneless, skin-on turkey breast
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 head of garlic, cut in half horizontally 
• 1 yellow onion, cut into quarters
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

How to Make this Turkey Recipe

This recipe is made in three parts - slow cooking the turkey, crisping the skin, and making the gravy. Here's how to do it.

1. Create the rub. Combine the salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper in a bowl. Melt one tablespoon of butter and add it to the spices. Stir till a paste is formed. 
2. Butter the turkey. Cut 4 tablespoons of butter into small chunks. Pat down the turkey breast and then push the pieces of butter under the skin. 
3. Rub the turkey. Cover both sides of the turkey breast in the spice mixture, rubbing it into the skin. 
4. Create an aromatic base. Place the thyme, garlic, and onion in the slow cooker. Pour in the white wine. Then place the turkey breast on top of the vegetables. 
5. Slow cook. Cook in the slow cooker on LOW for 3 to 4 hours or until the center of the turkey is at 165 degrees F on a digital read thermometer. 
6. Crisp the skin. Remove the turkey and place it in an oven-safe baking dish. Preheat an oven to broil on high. When the oven reaches broil, place the turkey in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes or until the skin has browned and crisped. 
7. Catch the drippings. Strain the slow cooker turkey drippings through sieve. Discard the solids. 
8. Start the gravy. Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the remaining butter to the pan. Once it has melted, whisk in the flour for about 1 minute. 
9. Thicken the gravy. Add half the leftover turkey drippings to the pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and allow to thicken, adding the remaining juice in as the sauce thickens. This process will take 8 to 10 minutes. 
10. Serve. Slice the turkey and serve with gravy. 

Leftover Turkey Recipes You’ll Love

If you end up with too much turkey, try one of our favorite leftover turkey recipes.

• Leftover Turkey Tacos - spicy and delicious
• Turkey Banh Mi - a fabulous turkey sandwich
• 11 Leftover Turkey Recipes - all our favorite leftover turkey recipes

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What to Serve Alongside Turkey

Whether you're serving this turkey breast for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just a nice dinner, you'll want to pair it with some delicious sides. Here are our favorite side dishes to serve with turkey.

• Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad - a delicious kale, apple, walnut, and Brussels sprouts salad that looks beautiful on every table
• Roasted Acorn Squash - the easiest side dish topped with Chinese five spice
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts - caramelized Brussels sprouts that everyone loves
• Roasted Squash and Grapes - one of our favorite flavor pairings
• Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese - an earthy, succulent side dish

Tips for this Recipe

• Drippings. The turkey breast sits on top of the vegetables and will release about 1 cup of drippings while cooking. If your turkey breast releases less juice, add some additional white wine or chicken stock to make your gravy the right consistency.
• Gravy Tip. Sometimes we add a couple of splashes of soy sauce to our gravy to kick up the umami flavor and make it darker. Try it out if you like a salty gravy.
• Turkey Breast Type. Sometimes a breast will come as two pieces (like in the photos above) and sometimes it will come as a single breast. Both are fine to use for this recipe.
• Larger Turkey Breasts. If you want to cook a larger piece of turkey, you'll need to add additional time to the slow cooker. For turkey breasts around 4 pounds, it will take 5 to 6 hours to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.