‘Tis the season for easy turkey recipes, and this juicy Crock Pot Turkey Breast is perfect for a small holiday feast!
A slow-cooker turkey breast just needs some broth and veggies, and it comes out perfectly juicy every time!
A Tender Turkey Dinner
- I love easy Crockpot recipes because they’re prepped ahead and the low and slow cooking results in tender meat.
- Oven-roasted turkey is great for a crowd, but a slow cooker turkey breast is great for a weeknight meal or a smaller family.
- Making a turkey breast is an easy way to prepare turkey dinner, add it to the crock pot and forget about it until it’s done!
Ingredients for Crock Pot Turkey Breast
Turkey Breast – I use a 2lb boneless turkey breast with skin on. If the turkey breast is a bit bigger, you’ll need to add some extra cooking time (cook times included below).
Veggies – These are optional but do add extra flavor. In place of veggies, you can use a small rack for the turkey breast. Celery, carrots, and onions (use all 3 or what you have on hand) flavor the broth nicely and lift the turkey breast out of the broth.
Fresh Herbs – If you have them add some in, I like to buy an inexpensive mix of “poultry herbs” at the local grocery store. This usually includes parsley, thyme, rosemary, and sage. If you have any or all of these, add a sprig or two to the broth.
GRAVY Use the broth and drippings to make a flavorful gravy. If using packaged gravy, the drippings can be added in place of water for extra flavor.
How to Cook a Turkey Breast in a Crockpot
- Prepare the turkey breast with herbs and butter (or olive oil) per the recipe below.
- Place vegetables in the crockpot and top with the turkey breast.
- Cook ‘low and slow’ according to recipe times below until the turkey breast reaches an internal temperature of 160° F.
- Remove the turkey breast and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing (the temperature will rise to 165°F).
With a smaller turkey breast, the vegetables may not be tender enough in the time it takes to cook the turkey. They do add great flavor to the broth and the turkey breast itself. If you’d like to eat the vegetables, chop them and simmer in the broth on the stove while the turkey rests until they’re tender. They can also be refrigerated and added to soups or stews later.
Turkey Breast Crockpot Cooking Times
This recipe uses a 2 lb skin-on boneless turkey breast, but here are a few other cooking times for turkeys of different weights:
- 2lb turkey breast – 2hrs 45 minutes to 3 hrs 15 minutes
- 3 lb turkey breast – 3 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours 15 minutes.
- 4 lb turkey breast – 4 hours 45 minutes to 5 hours 15 minutes.
Be sure to use a meat thermometer; the internal temperature should always reach 165°F. Check the turkey breast early to ensure it does not overcook.
TURKEY TIP: Once the turkey has finished cooking it should rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. Remove it from the slow cooker while it rests so it doesn’t continue cooking in the steam and juices.
Pair this up with your favorite turkey dinner side dishes and some homemade gravy for the perfect meal.
Tips for Juicy Turkey Breast
- The best Crockpot turkey breast is slow-cooked to perfection.
- Check the temperature EARLY so your turkey doesn’t overcook.
- Test the temperature at the thickest part of the meat (away from the bone for bone-in breasts).
- Remove the meat from the slow cooker to rest so it doesn’t continue cooking.
- Rest the turkey for at least 5-10 minutes before slicing.
More Turkey Favorites
One Pan Turkey Dinner
Turkey Roll Ups
Did you make this Crockpot Turkey Breast? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Crock Pot Turkey Breast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons melted butter or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 stalks celery halved
- 2 carrots quartered
- 1 large yellow onion sliced into ½" wedges
- 1 boneless turkey breast with skin, about 2 to 2 ½ pounds
Instructions
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In a small bowl mix melted butter, poultry seasoning, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and paprika. Spread the mixture evenly over the turkey breast.
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Pour broth in the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the vegetables in the bottom.
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Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on top of the vegetables.
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Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low (times below) until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Do not overcook.
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Transfer the turkey breast to a plate and rest for 10 minutes.
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For crispy skin, place the turkey breast on a rimmed baking sheet and broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until browned. Slice and serve.
Notes
- 2lbs will need 2hrs 45 minutes to 3 hrs 15 minutes
- 3lbs will need 3hrs 45 minutes to 4 hrs 15 minutes
- 4lbs will need 4 hrs 45 minutes to 5 hrs 15 minutes.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Slow Cooker, Turkey
Cuisine American
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I love Holly”s recipies and plan to cook this one but I plan some modifications . I am responsible for my family’s meal preparation, and 2 of us suffer from heart failure. The stated Sodium content of this recipe, 1285 mg, is, I feel an underestimate. The teaspoon of Kosher salt alone contains 2320 mg of Sodium. The teaspoon of Poultry Seasoning I have in my spice cabinet adds another 320 mg of Sodium. I will eliminate both and find a substitute for poultry seasoning. I also plan to use Low Sodium Chicken broth (50 mg Sodium per Cup) instead of Reduced Sodium Broth (580 mg/cup).
I have a homemade poultry seasoning which is a good salt free option.
You have the greatest ideas for easy cooking. You present the foods that my family loves and very cost effective.. You make good foods easy to prepare and all that I have tried go beyond good. Thank you so very much. Southern girl.
I’m so glad you’ve loved the recipes!
made this w bone in breast…easy recipe, had to cook extra hour to tenderize meat. expected a bit more flavir
Thanks for trying this recipe, Toni!
Cooked a 6+ pound bone in turkey breast using your recipe. My husband said it was the best turkey I’ve ever made! I ended up cooking on high since it was so big, it took about 4 1/2 hours to get to 160. Juicy and delicious! Thank you!!
So glad you both loved it!
Hi Holly, is this recipe for a fresh turkey breast or can a frozen one be used??
Frozen can be used but should be thawed first.
Absolutely A-1 fabulous alternative to oven cooking. Easy, set it and leave. I definitely will be doing this regularly.
I need to know whether to cook on low or high, and am unable to find this in your instructions
This is cooked on low. You can find this in step 4. of the recipe. Enjoy!
4. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low (times below) until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Do not overcook.
I’m amazed at how many people don’t “read” what’s right in front of them.Lazy readers.Sorry but it’s true.
Hollie, How on earth do you come up with 2612 mg. of Sodium in this recipe? That number must be for the entire dish or is this per serving? Please advise and thanks in advance. Alan M.
Thank you Alan. There was an error, and it has been corrected. That being said, we use a program to calculate an estimate for nutrition and it can vary. If you are looking for precise information I would suggest using a calculator you are familiar with and entering the information from the actual brands you use. Hope that helps.
Holly I used your recipe this year to cook a three lb turkey breast for me and my husband. I ended up cooking it on high instead of low as I cook a lot of pot roasts in my slow cooker. The seasoning was great. The only thing I added to it was some garlic powder. The turkey was very moist and fell apart. This will be my new go to for my Thanksgiving meal!
I am so happy to hear you loved this turkey recipe Janice!
Can I use a bone-in turkey breast for this recipe? If so what adjustments will I have to do?
Hi Patty, I have not tried this Crock Pot recipe with a bone-in turkey breast but it should work just fine. You will need to increase the cook time. A 6 pound bone-in turkey breast will need approximately 6 hours until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
Yum !
Hot day outside nice to use the crockpot!
I couldn’t agree more, Pat! I love using my crockpot or air fryer on hot days to avoid heating up the oven (and house)!
None of these recipes give what temperature of cooking on HIGH or LOW for in crockpots. Why?
Hi Elaine, there isn’t a temperature on slow cookers, they have two settings, low and high options.
Correct, so which setting do we cook this in? High or Low, that’s the question.
This is cooked on low per step 4 of the recipe.
I followed the instructions and felt the poultry seasoning over powered the turkey breast. I scraped it off and I still wouldn’t eat more then 1 bite. I threw it away. Not a good recipe
I’m sorry that you didn’t enjoy this turkey breast as much as we do Paula. Did you use only one teaspoon of poultry seasoning? This amount should not be overpowering. Perhaps your spice is very strong.
Garlic powder isn’t listed in the ingredients but is in the directions. How much garlic powder?
Apologies for the confusion Sherrie, we used 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
what kind of instant read thermometers do you use
I have an inexpensive one I bought on Amazon and I think it works great! I use this one for quick temps (although this one is also highly rated if you’re looking for another option) and this one with a probe to leave in the meat as it roasts.
None of them are overly expensive but I’ve found the two I mentioned I have work great. You can also usually find them fairly inexpensive at the grocery store too.