Get my Less Stress Thanksgiving Binder (digital download) for only $3.50 with code “thanks50″and see how easy it can be to stay organized for turkey day!
This turkey breast and gravy goes very well with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and you’ll already have your oven on briefly anyway to get that nice brown coating on the skin.
Plus, you’ll have the gravy to put on the mashed potatoes! Serve it with Air Fryer Baked Potatoes or air fryer or Honey Ginger Glazed Roasted Carrots.
You know you need a delicious, homemade Best Green Bean Casserole from Scratch + VIDEO to go with the turkey right? Hungry yet?
Thanksgiving Turkey
How are you going to please a crowd of white meat lovers when a whole turkey doesn’t have enough boob to satisfy all of them?
I’ve got the answer right here!
Yeah, I’m gonna say breast size matters here!
But, our beloved turkey only has two and sometimes that’s just not enough. Take Thanksgiving for example…
Don’t you just love walking into a warm house on Thanksgiving smelling the aroma of a turkey cooking!
You can’t see it yet but, you know it’s there steaming in its own juices just waiting for smooth gravy to be poured all over it and served next to its counterpart- stuffing/dressing!
You walk into the kitchen and give your mom a big hug and tell her dinner smells delicious and you can’t wait to dig in!
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links which means, if you make a purchase, I’ll receive a very small commission which helps with blog expenses so you can continue to receive FREE recipes but, the price you pay is the same.
Easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy
So, how do you please all of those whining white meat lovers who act like dinner will be ruined if they have to eat dark meat? We want to make Uncle Larry happy before he drinks too much and tells starts telling his long war stories.
Put a whole turkey in the oven and then a whole turkey breast in your slow cooker and you’ll make everyone happy….well, at least when it comes to the turkey. Slow cookers make great gifts for novice cooks!
Well, have I got a juicy slow cooker turkey breast recipe for you! The onion steams inside the breast giving it a wonderful flavor when mixed with the olive oil and natural turkey flavor.
This slow cooker turkey recipe is:
- EASY
- flavorful
- juicy and moist
- only needs a few ingredients and an oval slow cooker with lid
- includes an EASY turkey gravy recipe too
IT will FREE UP OVEN SPACE during holiday dinners when oven space is coveted!
With so much to do for Turkey Day, it’s great to have a printable planner for reference.
How This Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy Recipe
This Slow Cooker Turkey is easy to prepare with few seasonings and NO CHOPPING! I wouldn’t dream of serving this juicy turkey without Lemon Ginger Cranberry Relish! It made the Good Housekeeping 12 Easy Cranberry Relishes to Make This Thanksgiving TWO YEARS in a row for good reason you know!
Here’s a quick summary of this slow cooker turkey breast recipe:
- Put a whole, peeled onion in the turkey breast cavity, sprinkle pepper and garlic on the skin. Put some water in the slow cooker and let it cook for 4 hours on the high setting.
- Then, when you’re ready to serve it, rub some butter and paprika on the skin and put that turkey breast in the oven for just 5 minutes to broil.
- Meanwhile, make the delicious, smooth turkey gravy to go on top! Don’t skip this step and used jarred because you have an easy way to make smooth, yummy, gravy with no lumps.
How to Make Easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy
You will need a large 7 qt or 8 qt oval slow cooker depending upon the size of your turkey breast. You want the turkey breast to fit in the slow cooker with the lid on it.
I use this reasonably priced, insulated slow cooker carrier (fits 4 qt- 8 qt) to transport my turkey to my mother-in-laws for Thanksgiving so it stays hot and doesn’t spill in our car. Who wants oil dripping on the seats and carpet? It’s totally worth $15 and makes a great practical gift!
Slow Cooker Turkey Ingredients:
- 6 lb whole turkey breast with bones
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (it’s the only kind of olive oil I use)
- 1 whole onion
- 1 tbsp butter (for rubbing on the turkey breast skin)
- 5 dashes smoked paprika (you can use regular paprika instead; it gives it a nice brown color)
- 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
- ground black pepper
Turkey Gravy Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp four
- 2 cups of turkey drippings
- salt and pepper to taste
Slow Cooker Turkey Instructions:
- First, pour water in an 8 qt oval slow cooker.
- Then, remove turkey neck or bag from chest cavity. Add whole, peeled onion into the chest cavity. Place the turkey breast on its side (as it will fit better in the slow cooker with the lid on it.) Sprinkle pepper and garlic powder on top and pour extra virgin olive oil on top of skin. It’s o.k. when it runs off into the water. Cover with lid and set on high setting. Cook covered on high for 4 hours.
- Next, insert a meat thermometer in the breast as far down as it will go into the meat. It should be 165F or higher. Remove and reserve the turkey drippings from the slow cooker. You should have about two cups. If not, add some water until you reach two cups.
- Then, remove top rack of oven and preheat oven to broil setting (500F.) Put the turkey breast into a baking dish and rub about 1 tbsp of butter on the skin just to coat it a bit for browning. Sprinkle smoked paprika on the skin.
- Last, place the baking dish on the lowest oven rack position so that the breast is at least 4-5 inches away from the heat. Broil for 5 minutes. The skin will sizzle a bit and that’s o.k. Do not let it blacken too much. Remove turkey from oven and let it rest 10 minutes before cutting.
Now be careful cutting that bird! You don’t want to spend Thanksgiving in the ER getting stitches.
Don’t forget to use this insulated slow cooker carrier to keep the turkey warm if you need to transport it. They make good reasonably priced gifts too!
Turkey Gravy Instructions:
In a medium sauce pan on medium/high heat, add butter and flour and stir to form a roux. When the butter has melted, add the two cups of turkey drippings and stir it for about 30 seconds to one minute. Turn off heat when it’s heated through.
See the printable recipe card below for notes on how to serve the turkey and gravy.
Not enough Counter Space?
Unless you have some million dollar home with a gourmet kitchen that’s the size of a 3 car garage, you probably won’t have enough counter space on holidays. With people walking in with their desserts, side dishes and wine bottles, you need all of the counter space possible.
Take your slow cooker into another room or even outside on a porch, deck, laundry room, garage, etc. Any room with a receptacle will work!
You may also like the idea of Air Fryer Turkey Tenderloin. It’s delicious and a great way to make just the right amount of turkey breast or extra white meat.
I usually take appliances I will not be using to my basement to have my counters free and clear for holidays. We need room to mix cocktails too!
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy is a moist turkey breast and turkey gravy recipe that will easily solve your oven space problem. Not everyone has a double oven.
But, with only a few ingredients and an oval slow cooker, you can make this delicious turkey breast for dinner any time of year! Turkey sandwiches are perfect for weekday lunches!
Don’t for get to get my Thanksgiving Planner so you can start planning Thanksgiving today even if it’s the week of Thanksgiving!
Read my post on How to Keep Thanksgiving Sides Warm! It has lots of good tips.
Here are more turkey accompaniments right?
Turkey Side Kicks:
Lemon Ginger Cranberry Relish
Lemon Ginger Cranberry Relish is tangy to adorn your turkey breast
Featured in Good Housekeeping 4 years in a row!
Homemade Green Bean Casserole
Best Green Bean Casserole from Scratch is made with an easy homemade mushroom sauce and fresh green beans.
BOURBON Chocolate Pecan Pie
Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie is too delicious and easy to make to pass up!
Very popular Thanksgiving dessert!
See more Thanksgiving recipes and Thanksgiving desserts!
I took this recipe to Weekend Potluck.
Easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy
Ingredients
- 6 lb whole turkey breast (in bones)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 whole onion, peeled
- 1 tbsp butter
- 5 dashes smoked paprika or non-smoked paprika
- 2 dashes black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Turkey Gravy
- 2 cups turkey drippings from slow cooker
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2 dashes black pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In an 7 or 8 qt large oval slow cooker, pour in water.
- Remove turkey neck or bag from chest cavity. Add whole, peeled onion into the chest cavity. Place the turkey breast on its side (as it will fit better in the slow cooker with the lid on it.) Sprinkle pepper and garlic powder on top and pour extra virgin olive oil on top of skin. It's o.k. when it runs off into the water. Cover with lid and set on high setting. Cook covered on high for 4 hours.
- Insert a meat thermometer in the breast as far down as it will go into the meat. It should be 165F or higher. Remove and reserve the turkey drippings from the slow cooker. You should have about two cups. If not, add some water until you reach two cups.
- Remove top rack of oven and preheat oven to broil setting (500F.) Put the turkey breast into a baking dish and rub about 1 tbsp of butter on the skin just to coat it a bit for browning. Sprinkle smoked paprika on the skin.
- Place the baking dish on the lowest oven rack position so that the breast is at least 4-5 inches away from the heat. Broil for 5 minutes. The skin will sizzle a bit and that's o.k. Do not let it blacken too much. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before cutting. Transport in an insulated slow cooker carrier to keep warm and avoid spills.
Turkey Gravy
- In a medium sauce pan on medium/high heat, add butter and flour and stir to form a roux. When the butter has melted, add the two cups of turkey drippings an stir it for about 30 seconds to one minute. Turn off heat when it's heated through.
Video
Notes
How to Serve Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy:
- You may serve the turkey sliced with gravy in a gravy bowl.
- You may pull all of the turkey breast meat away from the bones and put it back into the slow cooker. Pour the gravy on top and put it on the warm setting. You may serve it as it or with bread rolls to make sandwiches.
Storage:
Store the leftover turkey with or without gravy covered in refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.What Do I do with the Turkey Carcass?
- Boil it in 8 cups of water to make turkey stock and freeze the turkey stock to make soup or nearly any recipe that calls for chicken stock.
- Freeze it- Put it in a freezer bag and freeze the bone to boil later to make turkey stock.
Thanks for the 5-star rating. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe and hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
I learned about you through my daughter. I saw this recipe on an Instagram feed and wanted to do it for Christmas dinner because I didn’t want a big turkey since there are just the four of us. Plus, I don’t normally cook, so when this turned out so magnificently, I was extremely proud of myself! I am so impressed with you and your work and the corgis and can’t say enough about my delight with this recipe. Thank you so very much!
Glad it turned out great for you. Thanks for the 5-star rating!
Turkey breast turned out awesome. Moist and gravy was nice; as in another review added oregano and thyme. Hmmmm. Thank you
Hi Diane. I’m glad you liked it. I made the change about the water and thanks for letting me know. Also, thanks for the 5-star rating!
Excellent recipe! I did add fresh thyme, rosemary & sage to the Crock-Pot as broth flavor enhancements. I was amazed that a six pound turkey breast cooked in four hours, on high, in the Crock-Pot but it did! Perfectly moist.
The gravy was phenomenal with a few squirts of worcestershire sauce.
Definitely a keeper recipe.
One note, in the description of the recipe, it says to use 1/2 cup water in the Crockpot with the turkey. In the actual recipe, it says to use 1 1/2 cups water. I used 1 1/2 cups water.
Yes. Because it doesn’t have bones it will not take as long to cook however, that also depends on the size of it. You can use a meat thermometer to check that it reaches 165F. I hope this helps.
Can I use a turkey breast boneless roast?
Hi Marsha. No, you shouldn’t put a frozen turkey breast in the Crock Pot. It should be thawed or 90% thawed. It’s recommended to thaw it in the refrigerator. However, you can also thaw it faster in a water in the refrigerator overnight and then should be ready in the morning (or when you’re ready) to put in the slow cooker. Hope this helps. Happy Thanksgiving.
Maybe I missed this information, but can I place the turkey breast in the crock pot frozen? If so, what adjustments do I need to make on cook time?
Thanks so much! Looking forward to trying this.
It was intended to be humorous as I could have used far more offensive terms but, would never. It wasn’t my intention to offend you.
The recipe looks good but, honestly, do you have to call a turkey breast a “boob?” – which I find to be an offensive and unnecessary term. Let’s keep it polite and adult here, please.
Absolutely! I’ve done it and it’s so good! Thanks for your question.
Can you brine the turkey breast before putting in the skin cooker.
Thanks Julie. Thanks for your kind comment.
This is a great recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Yes, but cook it on low setting For 6-8 hours. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
i have a 6lb and a 7 pound turkey breast . can I put this in my crock pot and cook all night
I’m sorry. I haven’t added that feature yet but am planning to soon.
Yes. That will be plenty and you’ll have leftovers. Just make sure it’ll fit in your slow cooker with the lid on. Happy Thanksgiving!
There will only be six of us for Thanksgiving dinner. Will a six-pound turkey breast be big enough?
Disappointed that I didn’t see a nutrition information on your Recipe. Hopefully I’ll find information in other recipes
Thanks Jess! I really enjoyed eating this turkey and it got me excited for Thanksgiving in just 20 days already!
This looks perfect, Joanne–great job! I’m ready for Thanksgiving 🙂