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Slow Cooker Turkey Breast is perfect for a small Thanksgiving dinner or serves as an easy meal prep idea. Crockpot bone-in white meat turkey is easy and delicious!
If you are planning a small holiday meal, looking to meal prep for the week, or are just trying to eat more white meat, this recipe is what you’ve been looking for.
Why this recipe works:
First and foremost, this is a super easy recipe. This bone-in double breast of turkey took me no more than five minutes to prepare. You get to walk away and come home to the most amazing smelling kitchen. Similar to a slow cooker chicken breast but with your favorite Thanksgiving vibe!
Don’t let the bone intimidate you. The bones and everything that comes along with them are what will make the most tender, juicy, and flavorful turkey possible.
Everyone knows that the most delicious broths come about because of the goodness in the bones. Cook your turkey slowly for the best taste and tenderness and not only do you end up with moist and flavorful meat, but you’ll have a stock that can be turned into a delicious turkey gravy.
How to make this recipe:
The one thing that surprises everyone the most about this recipe is that you don’t add any liquid.
- This recipe starts by placing a large, thick sliced onion in the bottom of the slow cooker (photo 1).
- You’ll then place the turkey breast on top of the onion. I sprinkle a bunch of herbs and seasonings on top of the turkey (photo 2) and then drizzle some olive oil on top (photo 3).
- It’s important that you stick a good meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat (photo 4). Then, just close the lid and cook on low for 4-5 hours. The time will depend on how long it takes for your turkey to get to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Cooking tips for success:
- You can follow the same recipe to prepare a boneless turkey breast, however it will cook much faster and might not be as moist.
- The herbs and spices in this recipe give the turkey great flavor, but if you want to go the extra mile, mix up my One Spoon Dry Rub to use instead.
- When cooking large cuts of meat like this, I try to allow them to come to room temperature before cooking.
How long does this recipe take to cook?
- The time it takes to cook a bone-in cut of turkey completely depends on the size of the breast, whether it is bone-in or boneless, your cooking temperature, and your method of cooking, so it is impossible to tell you a standard time of how long it takes to cook.
- If you roast a bone in turkey breast in the oven at a high temperature, you can count on it taking about 2 hours. Using the low setting in the slow cooker, you can plan on it taking about 4-5 hours. If you’re using your electric pressure cooker, or Instant Pot, you can count on it taking about one hour using high pressure.
- The only way to know when a a large cut of meat like this is completely cooked is to check the turkey’s temperature. The turkey is done when it reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the breast meat.
- It is always best to loosely tent your turkey after cooking and allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
Leftover turkey recipe ideas:
Moms everywhere can save time with easy meal prep ideas and using things like leftover turkey creatively.
- Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Soup – this is one of my most favorite soup recipes because it’s creamy and incredibly delicious. I purposely demand that there be leftover turkey just so I can make this soup. Whether you make an entire turkey for Thanksgiving dinner or you make just the breast as an easy meal prep idea, you’ll have the makings of a fantastic soup.
- Warm Turkey Sliders – slow cooker recipes go with fall just as much as game day recipes, and any leftover turkey is fantastic in these warm sandwiches.
- Leftover Turkey Salad – similar to everyone’s favorite chicken salad, but the breast meat and a few extra goodies turn it into a fall classic.
- Homemade Chicken Pot Pie (but with turkey meat instead of chicken) – because nothing says yum like pure savory comfort food wrapped in an all butter crust. You might want to make a slow cooker turkey breast just so you have a reason to make a pot pie!
- Perfect Cobb Salad – I crave this salad. It is definitely one of my favorite meals and a fantastic way to use leftover turkey.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!
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Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion sliced thick
- 1 double breasted bone-in turkey breast
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Place onion in the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Rinse clean the turkey breast and place on top of the onion, breast side up. Top breast meat with paprika, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Drizzle olive oil over the top.
- Insert meat thermometer into thickest part of breast.
- Cover with lid and set the slow cooker to low for 4-5 hours. Continue to cook on low until internal temperature reads 165 degrees F.
Notes
Cooking tips:
- You can follow the same recipe to prepare a boneless turkey breast, however it will cook much faster and might not be as moist.
- The herbs and spices in this recipe give the turkey great flavor, but if you want to go the extra mile, mix up my One Spoon Dry Rub to use instead.
- When cooking large cuts of meat like this, I try to allow them to come to room temperature before cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally created in September 2015 and was updated with process photos along with more helpful information and cooking tips. Don’t worry – I didn’t change the recipe.
This recipe sounds great. I love onion but my family does not. Can I use something else in place of the onion? Thank you.
Hi Joan, The purpose of the onion is to provide flavor but also moisture. If your family doesn’t mind the flavor of onion, but just doesn’t like to eat them, I would still use it. If you don’t want to use it, I would probably just replace with a half cup of chicken broth.
Hi Krissy, I read all your recipes hat appeal to me but I’m going to try the turkey breast crock pot ALTHOUGH
my favorite part is crisp outer skin so don’t think sadly, it will crisp up in crock pot.
I love me a crispy skin too! Since the meat turns out so tender and juicy in the crockpot, you could always drizzle the outside with butter when it’s done cooking and set it under the broiler to crisp the skin. I think that would work?
Great way to make a turkey breast and also go about your day… Moist, tender and delicious.
I plan to cook my turkey breast in a clay pot. The turkey breast is only 2 lbs. When I cook a chicken in the clay pot it is usually three pounds and it comes out moist and delicious. It cooks for 1 hr and 20 min. Then I take the lid off and turn the chicken over and cook for another 10 minutes.
So, what do you think this small turkey breast should take?
That’s a tough one because I would think the turkey breast would cook faster because it’s just white meat and a few bones vs a whole chicken that has dark meat and a lot more bones. It depends on the size of your turkey breast too. Not sure of the total time, but I highly recommend relying on a good thermometer.
Can you use a bone-in frozen turkey breast with this recipe I have a hard time cooking and crock pots for some reason
I actually prefer to cook frozen meat in the Instant Pot as opposed to the slow cooker. I haven’t tried cooking a frozen turkey breast in the crockpot yet so I can’t say for sure, but I think it would still totally work with more time.
This info is very helpful. Butter Ball recommends leaving the netting on. If I follow your directions which I’d rather, you just have it without. I still that important to have on. This is a 3 lb boneless turkey breast..
Also what brand of digital thermometer would you recommend? I don’t trust my cheap ones.
What brand of digital thermometer would you suggest I purchase?
Sally
Hi Sally, I use an OXO digital thermometer and LOVE it.
Hi,
I forgot how long I cooked the turkey. Feast, it it was a hit. My “old fashion” thermometer worked just fine. The breast was moist and flavorful. Now I am preparing a 5 lb., bone in half breast for Christmas dinner.
Thank you!
Michelene
What size slow cooker did you use. Mine is a 4 quart, so what size turkey breast would fit.
totally depends if you use a double or single breast and whether your slow cooker is round or oval. Best bet is to eyeball it.
I am cooking a 3lb half breast bone in. How long should it take on low?
I don’t have a digital thermometer so I used the old fashion one – sort of on a slant to the lid is sealed.
Hope it works.
Hi Michelene, Sorry I didn’t reply to your question right away. I took a couple days off for the holiday. Did it turn out? How long did it take?
Ack, it’s Thanksgiving and I’m a bit confused! Sorry to bother you on this day, but hopeful for your advice. Once the temperature reaches 165 F for a 5 lb breast, is it considered ‘done’? Or is there a need to cook it longer?
Thank you, in advance.
Hi Vicky, so sorry to just now respond but I took a few days off. The meat needs to be 165F to be considered safe to eat, so I usually stop cooking just before and let it rest. The temp continues to climb as it rests and when it hits 165 I cut into it. Hope that helps!